Thanks for staying with
us on our continuing study in
00:00:01.98\00:00:03.44
Hebrews chapter 4, James
where were we before the break
00:00:03.47\00:00:06.67
What is the next point that Paul
is making here in Hebrews 4?
00:00:06.70\00:00:09.53
Well Paul has transitioned
us here in Hebrews chapter 4
00:00:09.56\00:00:11.90
to a distinction or
contrast between the Sabbath and
00:00:11.93\00:00:15.24
spiritual rest, between
salvation and Jesus Christ,
00:00:15.27\00:00:17.62
and the fourth commandment
the seventh-day Sabbath,
00:00:17.65\00:00:20.54
of the law of God.
00:00:20.57\00:00:22.03
And he is making this
distinction because the Jews
00:00:22.06\00:00:24.06
made a mistake of
choosing obedience to the law
00:00:24.09\00:00:27.74
over the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
00:00:27.77\00:00:29.43
They crucified Christ but was
still very zealous to keep the
00:00:29.46\00:00:33.54
law of God and especially,
specifically, the fourth
00:00:33.57\00:00:36.21
commandment, the
seventh-day Sabbath.
00:00:36.24\00:00:37.85
They asked Pilate, in John
19 if they could take the body
00:00:37.88\00:00:41.31
of Christ off cross so they
could go and keep the Sabbath.
00:00:41.34\00:00:44.29
They were rejecting, in a sense,
salvation in Christ, in place
00:00:44.32\00:00:48.86
of that salvation of
putting obedience to the law.
00:00:48.89\00:00:50.74
Paul is warning us, warning
the Hebrews, warning the New
00:00:50.77\00:00:54.35
Testament believers,
not to make that mistake.
00:00:54.38\00:00:56.49
He begins by pointing us
back to the gospel in the
00:00:56.52\00:00:58.83
Old Testament as
well as in the new.
00:00:58.86\00:01:00.40
And then here he begins to
contrast the spiritual rest
00:01:00.43\00:01:03.59
we have in Christ with the
rest of the seventh-day Sabbath.
00:01:03.62\00:01:07.97
He says here in verses 4
and 5 "For he spake in a certain
00:01:08.00\00:01:11.34
place of the seventh
on this wise, And God
00:01:11.37\00:01:14.04
did rest the seventh
day from all his works. "
00:01:14.07\00:01:15.70
That is the fourth commandment.
00:01:15.73\00:01:16.95
And again verse
5, "in this , If they
00:01:16.98\00:01:20.84
shall enter into my rest. "
00:01:20.87\00:01:21.84
That's the spiritual
rest, that's salvation.
00:01:21.85\00:01:23.97
I think it's scary things,
James, to think about it.
00:01:24.00\00:01:26.54
that we as human beings
could be zealous law-keepers
00:01:26.57\00:01:30.82
or imagine ourselves to be such,
and at the same time be missing
00:01:31.02\00:01:35.18
gospel, missing the
whole point that God has put
00:01:35.21\00:01:38.17
in the law for us to understand.
00:01:38.20\00:01:40.23
I mean to think
about the idea of being
00:01:40.26\00:01:43.63
religious without God?
00:01:43.66\00:01:44.96
Being Christians without Christ?
00:01:44.99\00:01:48.38
But it seems, according to
Paul, it's entirely possible
00:01:48.41\00:01:52.15
and perhaps even highly
likely, that we could build up a
00:01:52.19\00:01:55.92
religious ceremonialism,
a religious legalism that's
00:01:55.95\00:01:59.68
actually contrary to the
law of God while we think
00:01:59.71\00:02:03.60
that we are keeping it,
the fact is, that the Sabbath
00:02:03.63\00:02:07.00
if rightly understood,
is more then we have ever
00:02:07.03\00:02:12.19
thought that it could possibly
could be because the Sabbath
00:02:12.22\00:02:15.09
is not only pointing to
a finished work of creation
00:02:15.12\00:02:19.45
it's pointing to the finished
point of grace in Jesus Christ
00:02:19.49\00:02:23.32
at the cross, so the Sabbath
00:02:23.36\00:02:25.58
points to both
creation and redemption.
00:02:25.61\00:02:28.79
Absolutely, and Ty, we need
to be careful also to remember
00:02:28.82\00:02:33.30
that while Paul is warning of a
people, of a religion who chose
00:02:33.33\00:02:37.03
the law over Christ, he also
is very emphatic about people
00:02:37.06\00:02:41.77
who chose Christ over the law.
00:02:41.80\00:02:43.82
People who say they have a
relationship with Christ and do
00:02:43.85\00:02:46.59
not obey or keep the law of God,
and you have those two extremes,
00:02:46.62\00:02:49.94
you have then in the
world today you have them here
00:02:49.97\00:02:52.42
to be warned about in
the context of Hebrews 4,
00:02:52.45\00:02:55.24
because what he does now,
he continues on, as long as you
00:02:55.27\00:02:58.69
understand the distinction,
as long as you know that we are
00:02:58.73\00:03:01.71
not saved by obedience to the
law, but we are saved by Christ.
00:03:01.75\00:03:04.69
Through faith in Christ.
00:03:04.73\00:03:06.08
He continues on now to tell
us that it is, the Sabbath is a
00:03:06.11\00:03:11.63
a reminder, is a sign,
is a representation of our
00:03:11.67\00:03:15.46
salvation in Jesus.
00:03:15.50\00:03:16.47
We don't throw away the
Sabbath, we don't disregard
00:03:16.48\00:03:18.97
God's law, we don't
ignore the law of God
00:03:19.00\00:03:22.57
and say it was
nailed to the cross.
00:03:22.61\00:03:23.58
What we do is allow the law
of God to have it's proper place
00:03:23.60\00:03:27.68
in the salvation
process, and what is that place?
00:03:27.71\00:03:29.80
The Sabbath leads us
to rest in Jesus Christ.
00:03:29.83\00:03:33.25
As we cease from our
works as God did from His, now
00:03:33.28\00:03:36.56
there's reasons why,
this is very important,
00:03:36.59\00:03:38.51
because the
Sabbath actually point to
00:03:38.54\00:03:40.53
salvation in two
very significant ways.
00:03:40.57\00:03:42.52
It's no more the case in
salvation rest that is foretold
00:03:42.55\00:03:49.23
and pointed to in the Sabbath.
00:03:49.26\00:03:50.97
That we would cease
keeping the Sabbath, cast off
00:03:51.00\00:03:53.72
Sabbath because now
we realize what it means.
00:03:53.75\00:03:56.29
Then we would cast off
our marriage vows once we
00:03:56.32\00:03:59.12
made that commitment.
00:03:59.15\00:04:00.76
The fact is that the Sabbath is
a powerful symbol and memorial
00:04:00.79\00:04:06.37
of the salvation work.
00:04:06.40\00:04:07.60
And that's precisely why Paul
reasons here, that the Sabbath
00:04:07.63\00:04:11.59
remains, it is intact.
00:04:11.62\00:04:14.01
It is in place.
00:04:14.04\00:04:15.31
It is not cast aside precisely
because it has salvation meaning
00:04:15.34\00:04:18.91
That is verse 9, and then verse
10 he says, "For he that enters
00:04:18.95\00:04:22.51
into his rest", that is
the person takes hold of the
00:04:22.55\00:04:24.92
salvation that they have in
Jesus Christ, he also ceases.
00:04:24.95\00:04:28.40
Now that word in the
Greek means to Sabbath rest.
00:04:28.43\00:04:32.13
To cease is the same word
that is used for the Sabbath.
00:04:32.16\00:04:35.17
Here in verse 10, he ceases,
he takes the Sabbath from his
00:04:35.20\00:04:38.64
own works, as God did from His.
00:04:38.67\00:04:41.39
Where is he pointing to
right here in this verse?
00:04:41.42\00:04:43.51
He's, yeah,
definitely to Genesis Chapter 2.
00:04:43.54\00:04:45.80
He's directing us back
to the book of Genesis.
00:04:45.83\00:04:48.02
He's directing us back to
the creation week, to the story
00:04:48.06\00:04:51.06
of creation, Why
is he doing that?
00:04:51.09\00:04:52.77
Hm, it's a powerful thing James,
when we look at the Sabbath
00:04:52.81\00:04:56.56
with gospel lens, with
gospel glasses, then we begin to
00:04:56.59\00:05:00.90
understand what
the Sabbath means.
00:05:00.93\00:05:02.38
We recognize that
actually, the Sabbath is the
00:05:02.41\00:05:06.63
antithesis of legalism.
00:05:06.66\00:05:08.07
It is the exact opposite,
it's actually guards us against
00:05:08.10\00:05:13.70
legalism because salvation
is represented by the rest
00:05:13.73\00:05:17.90
of the Sabbath.
00:05:17.94\00:05:19.83
So it's as if Paul is saying
to us that God finished the work
00:05:19.86\00:05:23.22
of creation and it like manner
Paul reasons, God finished
00:05:23.25\00:05:27.59
the work of salvation by
Himself, purged our sins,
00:05:27.62\00:05:30.63
accomplished
salvation in Christ.
00:05:30.66\00:05:32.35
In fact, when we look at
the gospel of John and we see
00:05:32.38\00:05:35.53
the words of Jesus hanging
on the cross where He cries out
00:05:35.56\00:05:39.01
"IT IS FINISHED," we realize
that He spoke those words
00:05:39.04\00:05:44.39
on the cross on Friday,
00:05:44.42\00:05:46.72
The sixth day of the week.
00:05:46.75\00:05:48.81
That's right, just at
sundown, and rested in the tomb,
00:05:48.85\00:05:53.38
on the seventh-day and then
was resurrected, resurrection
00:05:53.41\00:05:57.91
morning, on Sunday
the first day of the week.
00:05:57.94\00:06:00.28
And so what we see here,
we see some parallels now.
00:06:00.32\00:06:03.51
First we see a contrast, in
order for us to recognize not
00:06:03.55\00:06:07.03
to repeat the history of
the Jewish nation, not to think
00:06:07.06\00:06:09.79
we are saved by the law, then
we see parallels, then we see
00:06:09.82\00:06:13.20
Paul putting the Sabbath
in the place it ought to be.
00:06:13.23\00:06:15.79
It's the sign of salvation, why?
00:06:15.82\00:06:17.49
Because when God created
this world we weren't there.
00:06:17.52\00:06:20.46
When God created this
world, we didn't help Him.
00:06:20.49\00:06:23.25
We were created on the
sixth day, that is mankind.
00:06:23.28\00:06:25.71
We were created on the sixth
day and the first thing that
00:06:25.74\00:06:28.29
God called us to do, the
first thing He asked us to do.
00:06:28.33\00:06:30.84
Was to rest.
00:06:30.88\00:06:32.09
He created us and He said
now I am going to give you the
00:06:32.12\00:06:34.91
Sabbath and I want
you to rest in the Sabbath
00:06:34.94\00:06:36.19
I'm giving you the
Sabbath as a memorial of what
00:06:36.22\00:06:39.69
I have done for you without you.
00:06:39.72\00:06:41.95
Everything that God
created was for us, but none of
00:06:41.98\00:06:45.06
it was done with our help.
00:06:45.09\00:06:46.08
There wasn't anything we could
point to and say, you see that
00:06:46.11\00:06:48.54
tree over there, God
and me we did that together.
00:06:48.57\00:06:50.86
We couldn't lay claim to any
of it, but God gave it to us.
00:06:50.89\00:06:53.16
The same with salvation.
00:06:53.19\00:06:54.66
God purged our sins by Himself.
00:06:54.69\00:06:56.36
He did it all without
us but He did it for us.
00:06:56.39\00:06:59.11
And so the Sabbath reminds
us that when we keep the Sabbath
00:06:59.14\00:07:02.62
we are reminded that we
are entering into His rest,
00:07:02.65\00:07:04.14
His salvation.
00:07:04.17\00:07:05.35
That's why Paul is saying here
it remains and when we take hold
00:07:05.38\00:07:08.65
of salvation we cease from our
works the way He did from His.
00:07:08.68\00:07:11.34
In verse 9 again James, Paul
very clearly says, there remains
00:07:11.37\00:07:16.04
therefore, a rest
for the people of God.
00:07:16.07\00:07:21.17
And the word rest, there again,
is Sabbath, another version says
00:07:21.20\00:07:25.00
there remains the keeping of
a Sabbath to the people of God,
00:07:25.03\00:07:28.92
seventh-day Sabbath and the word
therefore here is interesting.
00:07:28.96\00:07:32.81
Therefore, pointing to what?
00:07:32.85\00:07:35.57
Another w... well because of
the salvation work that has been
00:07:35.60\00:07:39.39
accomplished by Jesus
there remains a keeping of the
00:07:39.43\00:07:43.31
Sabbath for the people of God.
00:07:43.34\00:07:45.18
A lot of people today
think that the Sabbath,
00:07:45.21\00:07:48.36
or Sabbath-keeping, is
contrary to the gospel.
00:07:48.39\00:07:51.43
But in the context of
Hebrews Chapter 4 is evident
00:07:51.46\00:07:54.67
is abundantly clear, that the
Sabbath is in fact, the clearest
00:07:54.71\00:07:59.87
biblical symbol, the clearest
biblical experience that we have
00:07:59.90\00:08:05.02
on a weekly basis that
continually reminds us of the
00:08:05.06\00:08:10.05
grace of God.
00:08:10.08\00:08:11.14
Not reminding us of our works,
but reminding us of His works.
00:08:11.17\00:08:15.72
So here is where it makes sense
too, 1 John 3:4 says, "Sin is
00:08:15.75\00:08:19.66
transgression of the law. "
00:08:19.70\00:08:20.78
It says in all the gospels,
of course, that Jesus came to
00:08:20.81\00:08:24.70
die for our sins.
00:08:24.74\00:08:25.75
He came to die because
we transgressed the law.
00:08:25.78\00:08:27.70
Now if the law could
just be done away with,
00:08:27.73\00:08:29.39
why does He
need to come and die?
00:08:29.42\00:08:31.57
Jesus died in order to uphold
the principles of God's law.
00:08:31.60\00:08:35.09
The principles of
God's law are based on love.
00:08:35.12\00:08:37.08
Love to God and
love to our neighbor.
00:08:37.11\00:08:39.32
So when we discard the
law because we say Christ died
00:08:39.35\00:08:43.00
for us we are undermining
the very foundation of
00:08:43.03\00:08:45.27
the government of God.
00:08:45.31\00:08:46.28
And so what Paul is saying here
is that Jesus Christ came to die
00:08:46.29\00:08:49.44
for our sins, to purge our sins.
00:08:49.47\00:08:50.74
He did it, He accomplished
by Himself for us, therefore the
00:08:50.77\00:08:53.98
Sabbath can remain.
00:08:54.01\00:08:54.98
If there is no sacrifice for sin
if Jesus didn't die for our sins
00:08:54.99\00:09:00.03
if that price has not been paid,
then the law is in this, this
00:09:00.06\00:09:04.68
questionable situation,
because if the law remains
00:09:04.71\00:09:07.65
we have to die.
00:09:07.68\00:09:08.70
But because Jesus died for
us, the law can remain because
00:09:08.73\00:09:12.37
Jesus had paid the
price for our transgressions,
00:09:12.40\00:09:14.44
the law can remain.
00:09:14.47\00:09:15.77
And this is reversed thinking
to a lot of minds today.
00:09:15.80\00:09:19.21
We don't understand it, we
don't grasp it, Paul grasped it.
00:09:19.24\00:09:22.05
He understood it.
00:09:22.09\00:09:23.20
He saw Christ and He saw
faith in Christ as paramount,
00:09:23.23\00:09:25.77
but he also saw a people.
00:09:25.81\00:09:27.08
And John saw them too, and John,
in Revelation 14:12, who not
00:09:27.11\00:09:31.05
only had faith in Christ, but
keep the Commandments of God.
00:09:31.08\00:09:33.59
And that's the key, back
up in Chapter 4 of Hebrews,
00:09:33.62\00:09:38.11
and verse 2, one of Paul's
main points is, that the Jews,
00:09:38.14\00:09:43.52
in the Old Testament experience,
they heard the gospel,
00:09:43.55\00:09:47.26
they saw it played out in
the types, shadows and symbols.
00:09:47.29\00:09:50.08
But it wasn't mixed with faith.
00:09:50.11\00:09:52.58
And this faith that he is
calling us to mix our experience
00:09:52.61\00:09:56.67
with is
represented in the Sabbath.
00:09:56.70\00:10:00.17
The Sabbath is a faith
experience, because the Sabbath
00:10:00.20\00:10:04.15
every seventh-day we keep
the Sabbath we are testifying
00:10:04.18\00:10:07.66
to ourselves, to God, to the
Universe, to the world, that we
00:10:07.69\00:10:11.13
believe that God
achieves the work of salvation.
00:10:11.16\00:10:16.12
And we are saved by grace
alone through Jesus Christ.
00:10:16.15\00:10:18.65
Not of works less
any man should boast.
00:10:18.68\00:10:21.22
Now James, one of the main
themes of the Book of Hebrews
00:10:21.25\00:10:24.65
is the new covenant.
00:10:24.69\00:10:25.72
And I find it interesting
that in Isaiah Chapter 56,
00:10:25.75\00:10:29.60
it's very powerful because
00:10:29.63\00:10:32.56
Isaiah clearly tells us
that the new covenant, and the
00:10:32.59\00:10:38.43
formation of the New Testament
church, under the new covenant,
00:10:38.46\00:10:42.54
will be a Sabbath-keeping
body of believers.
00:10:42.58\00:10:46.30
Okay where is that?
00:10:46.33\00:10:47.31
In Chapter 56 of Isaiah, "Thus
says the Lord," verse 1, "Keep
00:10:47.34\00:10:51.23
justice, do righteousness,
keep My salvation,
00:10:51.26\00:10:54.31
for My salvation is
about to come, and My
00:10:54.35\00:10:57.36
righteousness to be revealed. "
00:10:57.40\00:10:59.55
That... the Messiah is coming,
is going to bring righteousness
00:10:59.58\00:11:04.22
and salvation, verse 2, "blessed
is the man who does this and
00:11:04.25\00:11:08.85
the Son of Man Who
lays hold on it," salvation,
00:11:08.89\00:11:11.97
and who keeps the Sabbath
from defiling it, and keeps his
00:11:12.00\00:11:17.94
hands from doing any evil.
00:11:17.97\00:11:20.35
So New Testament Christian
church, under the new covenant,
00:11:20.38\00:11:25.80
Isaiah prophesied that
it will be a Sabbath-keeping
00:11:25.84\00:11:29.32
body of believers.
00:11:29.36\00:11:30.34
This is Hebrews 4 all
over again, this is not just
00:11:30.38\00:11:33.17
a whole covenant, this is new
covenant, I mean New Testament.
00:11:33.21\00:11:36.02
This is Hebrews 4, this is the
same truth we are reading right
00:11:36.05\00:11:38.83
here in Hebrews 4.
00:11:38.87\00:11:39.92
We've got salvation,
we've got the Sabbath,
00:11:39.95\00:11:41.76
take hold of
salvation, keep the Sabbath.
00:11:41.79\00:11:43.63
This is the same
principle, I mean Paul is simply
00:11:43.66\00:11:46.31
expounding upon Isaiah 56.
00:11:46.34\00:11:48.78
Further on James, in Chapter 56
of Isaiah, it becomes even more
00:11:48.81\00:11:52.21
evident that the Sabbath is
linked with the new covenant
00:11:52.24\00:11:54.67
and New Testament Christianity.
00:11:54.70\00:11:56.65
This is first
brought out down in verse 4,
00:11:56.68\00:11:59.21
Where it says very clearly that
Eunuchs, which are Gentiles,
00:11:59.24\00:12:02.53
are to keep the Sabbath.
00:12:02.56\00:12:03.85
and then it says
at the end of verse 4,
00:12:03.88\00:12:06.16
that those who please Me will
lay fast hold of my covenant.
00:12:06.19\00:12:10.85
And then in verse 6, very
clearly, Gentiles believers
00:12:10.88\00:12:14.22
everyone who keeps
from defiling the Sabbath,
00:12:14.25\00:12:16.92
and lays hold of My covenant.
00:12:16.95\00:12:21.31
Clearly friends, the Sabbath
is pointing to the new covenant.
00:12:21.34\00:12:26.37
And we have the privilege
of entering into that salvation
00:12:26.40\00:12:29.98
rest with the Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:12:30.01\00:12:31.68
Until next time, God bless.
00:12:31.71\00:12:33.78