This week, Michael writes that the book of Hebrews was written to the Hebrews ... the twelve tribes of the House of Israel that had been scattered abroad. The precious gems of truth in Hebrews also pertain to Christian believers who have been “grafted in to the root of Israel.” God gave Israel the first five books of the Bible ... including the Old Testament Law so that Israel could be blessed through their obedience to His holy Word. The Bible is its own best commentary. The book of Hebrews explains the purpose for the Pentateuch, the first five books of bible containing the Old Testament Law of Moses. One major theme of the book of Hebrews is the “Sabbath Rest” signified by the completed work that Jesus Christ accomplished through His crucifixion and resurrection. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the (Old Testament) Law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
God had called Israel as His people and promised them a land flowing with milk and honey that He had prepared for them. God instituted a system of sacrifices to show them what the coming Messiah would accomplish when He was sacrificed as the perfect Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. There is much strife and confusion in this world. According to Hebrews 3:12, “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” We need to “keep our heart with all diligence for out of it proceed the issues of life.” We’re encouraged to take heed that we keep our focus on the goodness of God and the promises of His world. Hebrews 3:13 is the antidote to an unbelieving heart: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.”
Our encouragement is to exhort one another to do the right thing by walking in the light as He is in the light. As partakers of Christ, having partaken of His grace, mercy, and love, our confidence is in Him. Our assurance is in the object of our faith. Our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. We need to keep guarding our hearts with all diligence to keep a high and exalted view of Christ. When we focus on sin, we will sink deeper into the pit of despair. The antidote to sin which means “the missing of the mark,” is to focus on the mark and not on the missing. The mark is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Because of Israel’s unbelief Hebrews 3:18-19 says: “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” The subject of Hebrews 4 is the Sabbath rest. Jesus said, “come unto me all ye who are weak and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Biblically speaking, there are several types of rest. One is rest from exhaustion. The other type of rest is to rest or rely and trust in the Lord’s completed work. In resting in the Lord, we let go of the worries, cares and anxieties of this world. When we rest in the Lord, we turn toward Him and away from strife, contention, guilt, shame, anger, and vindictiveness. The ultimate type of rest is metaphorically “the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells, and of which He has promised to make believers in Christ partakers after the toils and trials of life on earth are ended.” According to Hebrews 4:9-12: “There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
Let's continue Michael's message on "rest" in Christ on the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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