“The Worth of the Word”

Scripture: Hebrews 4:1-13

In Genesis 2:1-3, we read that God finished creating all that there is in 6 “days”, and then entered into a time of “rest”, but this wouldn’t be the type of rest that we may be used to. It would be “blessed”, and would be made “holy”, because it celebrated the divine work that had been completed in creating.

But what does “divine rest” entail? Does it mean that nothing will ever change again? Does it mean that God will never intervene in his Creation? That he will become unreachable? And what does God’s rest, and call for our rest, mean for each of us?

In Exodus 20:8-11, we discover that we are to remember God’s rest, or Sabbath, and are to keep it holy. Our seventh day, in general, is to be viewed and lived in a different way than the other 6 are. We are not to do any work or require others to work on our behalf, and yet in the gospels, Jesus seems to redefine what this means. It doesn’t mean that we can’t prepare a meal to eat or to help others in their time of need (Matthew 12:1-14) – it means that we focus our lives on Jesus Christ, and follow his ways exclusively as a way to honor the Lord’s Sabbath, and to celebrate the good works that he has allowed us to be a part of.

But is that the final word on Sabbath and the “rest” that we are to receive from it? Hardly – there is so much more.

Read Hebrews 4:1-5

For Israel, “rest” was to occur in a place – the Promised Land – even as worship must always occur in a single place – the temple. But Jesus turned it all around. Worship, as he told the Samaritan woman, (John 4:19-24), would now be in our heart’s attitude, and not in a singular location. Rest, too, would no longer be in a place – it would be in a relationship with Almighty God. “Entering his rest” could never be through a door – it could only be through faith in Jesus Christ. That is what true “Sabbath rest” is all about, and it has little to do with the activities we engage in on any particular day. Sabbath rest is always a break from our weekly routine, and one that brings honor to our Lord.

The writer of Hebrews is also telling us that we must never miss the opportunity to enter the Lord’s rest. It has stood forever, and even though we may have heard the message of invitation, most have never understood it because they had no faith. Without faith in Christ, we will always “fall short” of understanding and accepting the rest that God offers to each of us. Remember our text from several weeks ago, when we considered just who and how the Holy Spirit is for our lives? The Spirit encourages us, leads us, and reminds us of all that Jesus taught and did in his ministry. Without faith in Jesus, there is no Spirit in our lives, and without the Spirit, there can never be any true understanding.

And our failure to believe will bring the same results that Israel experienced during their 40 years in the wilderness – Psalm 95:7-11 tells us that Israel hardened their hearts toward all that God had done for them, and as a result, they lost out on all that the Lord had prepared for them. God continues to work within our lives, but all that has been created and prepared for us is all that ever will be created and prepared.

Read Hebrews 4:6-7

The author continues with the Israelite analogy, which is completely appropriate for this letter to the Hebrews. He reminds them, and us, that it was disobedience that kept the people out of their “Land of rest”, and nothing more. When the teams of spies were sent in to do some scouting, they all saw both the benefits and the obstacles, but the problems seemed to be insurmountable to most of them. It was only Joshua and Caleb who believed that the mighty people who already occupied the land could never stand against the might of their God. (Numbers 13:30-14:12) But the people believed the cynics, and entry was never even attempted.

The message was there. “Have faith and do what I tell you to do, and you will have all that I have promised.” But faith resided in only 2 – even Moses and Aaron fell short, and the promise of “God’s rest” would have to wait for the next generation.

Remember the phrase “There’s no rest for the wicked”? It’s based on a passage from Isaiah 57:18-21, in which the Lord promises peace and healing to all, but the prophet also tells us that the unfaithful – the wicked – can never rest and are only churning up the dirt of earth. The Lord continues to call and instruct and challenge us, and invites us to bask in his “rest”. But that isn’t the most important part – the important part is in our listening for his voice, and then, by faith in Jesus Christ, to do something about the call that God offers.

Read Hebrews 4:8-13

Sabbath is now a rest that is given to all who are in Christ, and when we are in God’s rest, we rest from our work and reflect on what has been accomplished, just as God rested and celebrated upon completion of Creation. It appears, then, that “rest” was not part of God’s nature prior to his work – it came from his work. And quite honestly, rest isn’t exactly an integral part of our nature, either. While in the garden, Adam had very little to do, other than to walk and talk with God - that is, until the fall occurred. Then the man would never again know the peace that he knew in Eden, and would have to work and toil to produce all of his necessities. He could have had it all given to him, but because of the sin, he would lose a majority of the Lord’s benevolence.

But our Lord is a gracious Lord, and even though he has yet to restore our eternal rest and peace, we are given one day of rest at the end of every 6 days of toil. And even though the intimate and constant relationship with God has yet to be restored, our day of rest is intended to be one in which relationship can be refreshed once more through worship and praise of our Lord.

But Sabbath rest was never intended to be of a non-active nature – it is to be a day when honor and praise is offered to our Almighty God. And in our Sabbath rest, we are to be active – not in the ways of earth, but in the ways of God. The Lord has rested from creating, but he will never rest from working in our lives. Therefore, if we rest in the Lord, we, too, must rest in his way.

God’s word is active, even in this time of resting. He works for our good; he works for our healing; he works for our understanding and he works for our salvation; he works in leading us and showing us what it means to be our God and he works in showing us what it means to be his people (Jeremiah 30:22); he answers prayer; he continues to know our every need and works to bring them to fruition; he will never leave us, nor will he ever turn his back on us (Hebrews 13:5-6). If that is the way of God’s rest, then that must be our way, too.

The Lord will constantly bring opportunities into our life to live a life that honors him. We are to care for each other’s human needs; we are to share his “living” word with each other; we are to lead others into a life of spiritual righteousness; we are to be an example of Christian faithfulness; we are to rest in celebration (not pride!) of the work that God has accomplished through us; and above all, we are to listen for the Voice that calls us to serve him in new and glorious ways.

Sabbath rest – that which brings glory to our Lord and sets the ways and cares of earth aside - was never intended to be limited to one day each week. Of course, we will always have the responsibility to work and care for our human needs, but even while we do that, can’t we find new ways to honor the Lord? Serving within that “living and active” word of God can happen seven days a week, and doesn’t have to be confined to only one of them.

How much do we give back to the Lord? Does it truly reflect the value of all that he has done for us? Does it tell the Lord that we truly appreciate him and his divine ways?

How much is enough?