Sabbath Afternoon - January 22
Memory Text:
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” KJV — Hebrews 4:9
If we are the people with the last message, then we must be the ones who are to be among the first to enter into that rest. Since rest comes when one's work is done, it is only when we have done our work that we can have rest. What is our work? the work we must perform before we may have rest?
In Hebrew 4:4, Paul refers back to the time of creation. We shall therefore turn our attention now briefly to Genesis 1 which is a record of creation as you well know. There we are told that the earth and all that is in it was created in six days, and that God rested the seventh day. God rested on the seventh day, and Adam took part in the celebration or commemoration of the completion of God's work. Adam could not rest, for he had not worked. He could only keep the day holy as a memorial of the completion of God's work.
Sunday - January 23
The Land as a Place of Rest
Genesis 15:13-21, Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15
What is the rest that is promised to God’s people?
Heb. 4:2 -- "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
The "them" in this verse refers to ancient Israel, and "us" refers to those of the Christian church or to God's people in the Christian dispensation.
A rest was promised to ancient Israel but because of unbelief they failed to receive it. This rest could not be the Sabbath, for they not only received the Sabbath institution but were also promised the rest that Paul speaks of. Nor could the rest be merely peace with God. It is something more.
"Joshua" (Heb. 4:8, margin) led ancient Israel into the promised land, but they did not receive the rest. Neither did God's people in Paul's time have it. Nor do they have it today.
"There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Heb. 4:9.
If we are the people with the last message, then we must be the ones who are to be among the first to enter into that rest. Since rest comes when one's work is done, it is only when we have done our work that we can have rest. What is our work? the work we must perform before we may have rest?
In verse 4 of this chapter Paul refers back to the time of creation. We shall therefore turn our attention now briefly to Genesis 1 which is a record of creation as you well know. There we are told that the earth and all that is in it was created in six days, and that God rested the seventh day. God rested on the seventh day, and Adam took part in the celebration or commemoration of the completion of God's work. Adam could not rest, for he had not worked. He could only keep the day holy as a memorial of the completion of God's work.
Gen. 1:27, 28 -- "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
This was the work God gave man to do. He created the earth to be inhabited. It was the duty of Adam and Eve to replenish the earth with saints and to bare rule over all the earth. Obviously, this work has not yet been finished, for not all on earth is yet under subjection to man as God intended. The earth was originally created and provided with righteous people, but because Adam sinned all his children were born in sin. Had our first parents been faithful there would have been only righteous inhabitants. Since all born of Adam are sinners, there is therefore need for all to be born again. Then because sin entered all man's work is multiplied, for the additional labor to bring salvation by preaching the Word became necessary.
Monday - January 24
Because of Unbelief
Hebrews 3:12-19
Ancient Israel failed to obtain the promised rest. When will we receive this rest??
A rest was promised to ancient Israel but because of unbelief they failed to receive it. This rest could not be the Sabbath, for they not only received the Sabbath institution but were also promised the rest that Paul speaks of. Nor could the rest be merely peace with God. It is something more.
God finished His work on the sixth day of creation, and man will finish his part of the work in the sixth trumpet. Just as God rested from His work on the seventh day, so man, in the seventh trumpet at the close of probation when the gospel work is finished, will receive the rest of which Paul spoke. By this we see that it took God six days to do His work and it is taking man 6,000 years to do his. Then comes the millennium. All God's people are to keep the Seventh-day Sabbath in commemoration of the completion of God's work before they will receive the rest which they themselves have earned. To enter into their rest, however, requires faith and belief which our forefathers did not possess
Heb. 4:1 -- "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. "
It is for God's people today to have not just the promise of rest but it is for them to experience it in reality.
Heb. 4:2 -- "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
At this time, the time in which the prophets longed to live, the gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached even more fully than it was to the early Christians. But it still will require faith and belief on the part of all who would enter into that rest. Those who do not now possess more faith and belief than our forefathers who could not enter because of their unbelief, will not be profited either.
Tuesday - January 25
Today, If You Hear His Voice
Hebrews 4:4-8
If Adam and Eve had not sinned, what impact would this have on our work?
Gen. 3:16,17 -- "Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life."
God here greatly multiplied sorrow and conception. Womankind, because of sin, had to give birth to many more children than otherwise she would have had sin not entered. So, then, we see that the complete number that God wanted to inhabit the earth would of course have been made up sooner had Adam and Eve not sinned.
God rested the seventh day because His creative work was finished, but man's work was not yet done. Man's work in reality started where God's sole creative work ended. Therefore, man joins the Lord in resting on the Sabbath day in commemoration of the completion of the Lord's work, but the rest that is to be man's will be given him when his part of the work is finished. When the gospel work has replenished the earth with born-again people, then probation will cease and our work will be ended. Then will we enter into our rest, the rest Paul is speaking about.
Wednesday - January 26
Entering Into His Rest
Hebrews 3:11, Hebrews 4:1, 3, 5, 10
What does the Sabbath point to?
The time is limited to a certain day "in David" -- the time Israel and Judah are gathered in -- "to day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."
Heb. 4:8, 9 -- "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
After the close of probation God is to make a memorial forever affirming that we have finished our work. The Sabbath points forward then to the rest which we may enter into forever when we have finished our work as God finished His.
Thursday - January 27
A Foretaste of New Creation
Exodus 20:8-11, Hebrews 5:12-15, Hebrews 8:8-11
What is the work that we must do before enjoying a foretaste of the new creation?
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Gen. 1:1-5.
There was light before the fourth day when the sun and the moon were created. Light was the first to be created. At this point it is interesting to notice how the days of creation and the seven trumpets somewhat coincide:
(1) First day -- Spirit moved upon waters and light was created; First trumpet -- hail (water) and fire cast upon the earth representing the Truth preached by Noah to enlighten the people to escape the destruction by flood.
(2) Second day -- waters divided by the firmament; Second trumpet -- affected the "sea."
(3) Third day -- sea and earth divided and vegetation created; Third trumpet -- Star fell into waters.
(4) Fourth day -- sun, moon, and stars created; Fourth trumpet -- sun, moon, and stars smitten.
(5) Fifth day -- fowl created; Fifth trumpet -- concerned locusts having wings.
(6) Sixth day -- beast and man were created; Sixth trumpet -- concerned horses and men, and it is in the sixth trumpet that God's Kingdom is to be restored and man is to fill the place that was intended that he should fill.
(7) Seventh day -- rested; Seventh trumpet -- Mystery of God finished.
God finished His work on the sixth day of creation, and man will finish his part of the work in the sixth trumpet. Just as God rested from His work on the seventh day, so man, in the seventh trumpet at the close of probation when the gospel work is finished, will receive the rest of which Paul spoke. By this we see that it took God six days to do His work and it is taking man 6,000 years to do his. Then comes the millennium. All God's people are to keep the seventh-day Sabbath in commemoration of the completion of God's work before they will receive the rest which they themselves have earned. To enter into their rest, however, requires faith and belief which our forefathers did not possess.
Friday - January 28
Further Study
Are you growing daily in faith? Do you see that the just shall live by faith? If you are sure that you have sufficient faith, are you mixing it also with corresponding works? Are you doing all you can to help replenish the earth with saints? Brethren, these questions are solemn ones, especially when one contemplates the thought that the only way we can really rejoice in God's creation is to have a part in it. It was for this very reason borne of God's everlasting love for man that caused Him to grant to man so great a part in establishing the world after His righteous order, and the Lord has given us in this day an accurate and reliable blueprint in His eleventh-hour message so that none of us need err in knowing how great a privilege we have to be a true witness for Him in word, deed, and action. Let us not, therefore put off the work and thus prolong the world's sorrow and suffering, but let each of us be among those who shall fulfill the purpose for which we were created -- to verily help bring about complete and true "rest," an everlasting joy. God has faithful ones who will do it. Will you be one of them?