Is there anyone who has not been somewhat rebellious at sometime in their life? I’ll bet even the most promising candidates have had their moments, even if it wasn't entirely apparent to the casual observer.
To be rebellious, Webster says, is to be insubordinate; to resist control. Is there something wrong with resisting control? I guess it would depend on whose control you were resisting. Scripture talks about Israel being rebellious on their way to the land of promise. "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Hebrews 3:8,15 and 4:7. By resisting God’s control, they were rebelling and God had something to say about that. "So I declared on oath in my anger, they will never enter my rest." Hebrews 3:11.
You've probably known someone who, because of their stubbornness, kept repeating the same mistake time and again. In your frustration for them to succeed, you slapped your forehead and exclaimed, “I swear! They are never going to learn!” It wasn’t that God wanted to take away His blessing of Sabbath rest, it was just that this band of Israelites couldn't seem to trust God beyond today's miracle, for Hebrews 3:19 states: "They were not able to enter [God's rest] because of their unbelief." Look at their downward progression.
Their unbelief, or the lack of trusting that God was working for them, rather than against them, led them to rebel.
Their rebellion left them with no desire to be obedient to the laws that were put in place for their instruction and well being. That, in turn, deprived them of the blessing of rest. This lack of trust, put them in control and out of the hands of God.
This control business seems to play a predominate roll in the lives of ancient Israel as well as in our lives today. James says when we doubt, [disbelieve] we are like "a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5,6
What Jesus has done is to take our heavy burdens and carry them Himself. He wants to take our messes and make something beautiful out of them; to turn uncertainties into certainties. He wants to take the crushing weight of sin’s guilt and turn it into peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you...let not your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:37.
The Sabbath rest that Paul is talking about in Hebrews is not about keeping a day. The Sabbath rest is a state of being. The reason why Jesus didn't want us to carry heavy burdens or labor on the Sabbath is symbolic. You see, when we come to Jesus, we lay our burdens down at His feet; He takes those burdens and in their place He gives us rest from carrying those burdens. The Sabbath, then, is a symbol of Jesus, and becomes a whole new way of thinking. It is now a day of celebration. Celebrating the freedom we have in Jesus. And it doesn't stop there. You’ll notice that the days of creation ended with, “ and the evening and the morning were the first day,” and the second day, and the third day, and every day until the sixth day. However, there was no evening and morning for the seventh day. That would be because in Jesus Christ our rest never ends; it is available to us twenty-four hours every day.
copyright 6/19/2014
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