Thursday: A Foretaste of New Creation
Compare Exodus 20:8-11, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, and Hebrews 4:8-11. What differences do you find regarding the meaning of the Sabbath rest?
As we have already seen, these texts in Exodus and Deuteronomy invite us to look to the past. They exhort us to rest on Sabbath in order to celebrate God’s accomplishments at Creation and at Redemption. Hebrews 4:9-11, however, invites us to look to the future. It tells us that God has prepared a Sabbath rest that is in the future. It suggests a new dimension for Sabbath keeping. Sabbath rest memorializes not only God’s victories in the past, but also celebrates God’s promises for the future.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
The future dimension of Sabbath observance has always been there, but it has often been neglected. After the fall, it came to imply the promise that God would one day restore creation to its original glory through the Messiah. God commanded us to celebrate His acts of redemption through Sabbath observance because Sabbath pointed forward to the culmination of redemption in a new creation. Sabbath observance is an anticipation of heaven in this imperfect world.
This has always been clear in Jewish tradition. Life of Adam and Eve, a work composed between 100 B.C. and A.D. 200 (in James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha [New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 1985], vol. 2, p. 18}, said: “The seventh day is a sign of the resurrection, the rest of the coming age.” Another ancient Jewish source said: The coming age is “the day which is wholly Sabbath rest for eternity.” — Jacob Neusner, The Mishnah, a New Translation (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988), p. 873. The Othiot of Rabbi Akiba, a later source, said: “Israel said before the Holy One, Blessed Be He, ‘Master of the World, if we observe the commandments, what reward will we have?’ He said to them: ‘The world-to-come.’ They said to Him: ‘Show us its likeness.’ He showed them the Sabbath.” — Theodore Friedman, “The Sabbath Anticipation of Redemption,” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal, vol. 16, pages 443, 444.
Sabbath is for celebration, for joy and thanksgiving. When we keep the Sabbath, we indicate that we believe God’s promises, that we accept His gift of grace. Sabbath is faith alive and vibrant. As far as actions go, Sabbath observance is probably the fullest expression of our conviction that we are saved by grace through faith in Him.
| How can you learn to keep the Sabbath in a way that, indeed, shows our understanding of what salvation by faith, apart from the deeds of the law, is about? How is resting on the Sabbath an expression of salvation by grace? |
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There are two types of anticipation: day-dreaming, and strategic planning. I have had students who were day-dreamers. They would tell me about all the things that they would be able to do once they had graduated and had their degree in their hands. Then I had students were strategic planners. they knew what they wanted to do but were focussed on the task at hand because they knew it laid the foundation for the future. I don't need to tell you which ones were the most successful.
Our observance of the Sabbath has often been isolationist. We shut ourselves off from the rest of the world because we are afraid that we might be tempted to get involved in non-Sabbath activities. The shutters go up to keep us pure and holy on the Sabbath. If, as our lesson proposes today, Sabbath is a foretaste of heaven, then what better way is there than sharing the Sabbath experience with others. We are in the business of sharing the Gospel and that is more than preaching the Word verbally and giving Bible studies. It is about shared experiences as well. And the Sabbath provides the opportunity to share experience of heaven with others. That is strategic planning!
Congrats, Doc!
Another good analogy and by the way, our Creator is the greatest strategic Planner.
Kudo!
May all of us try to be one!
Thank you Maurice for noting the difference in anticipation. I tend to be more of the daydreamer type, but with God's help, I want to become more of a strategic planner, for the Sabbath now and in preparation for that future Sabbath in our heavenly home. I don't want to miss out for lack of action on my thoughts.
How do I share my Sabbath experience with others?
Firstly what do I enjoy most about Sabbath? I enjoy having undisturbed time to study the Word of the LORD. Training my neural pathways to find guidance primarily from the Word. I love discovering new treasures and sharing them with others, especially passages that sum up the Good News in a nutshell, like the one below.
Heb 4:12-13 NLT
12 For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.
As a wife and mother, Sabbath can be the hardest working day of the week if I don't plan accordingly. Some of the non-negotiable jobs I need to get done before sun down on Friday are: getting Sabbath clothes and shoes clean, cooking Sabbath lunch, vacuuming or sweeping floors, making sure car has gas and ready to drive to church, studying our Sabbath school lesson throughout the week for my children's lessons and mine. I'm also a teacher and leader at my church which involves other preparation. So, needless to say I love my Sabbath rest when I don't have to spend time thinking about the above mentioned jobs. I believe John 10:10 is a promise for a life of abundance, and the Sabbath is a key part of our lives to give us the symbolic rest that He promises in Hebrews 4:9.
I'm looking forward to heaven where we'll all be together enjoying our time together including the most special day of the week, Sabbath.
Your post brought to mind that many are so challenged by the week that preparation for the Sabbath is a huge burden on top of what they are compelled to do just to live out their lives. Working multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet and taking care of their children is burden enough to fill their week.
I remember visiting a family on the Sabbath some time ago, and the mother was obviously uncomfortable with the state of her home and was trying to tidy up some of the mess left over from the week. Seeing her discomfort, I asked if she would mind if I helped, and with her permission, swept her floors and worked to tidy the place. With this done, she was happy to visit and enjoy a Sabbath rest.
My daughter while attending college will look forward to the sabbath as a day to unwind. Not involved in everyday activities.
If sabbath is nothing more than a day to unwind, we have missed the bigger picture. It is a day to spend with Him.
There are two kind of people one who would love the Lord and could not stop spending their time with Him. When the sunsets they see the darkness engulfing the earth and looks forward to the next sabbath. Everyday lesson study gives us a taste of our Sabbath day discussion not in a forum but in person/zoom connecting with one another.
Then there are others who are watching the clock to the sunset to sunset can't wait to start with the worldly activities.
Can you imagine being in heaven watching for the sunset and the bible says "And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp." Revelation 21:23
The lesson states "A Foretaste of New Creation"
God is not deciding who would be in heaven. We are deciding by our everyday action.
Are you willing to be made new in Him?
When I read Heb.4:9-11NKJV, I understand it to refer to the completed present tense of *Rest* – we entered this Rest when we believed and is therefore applicable to all who believed now!
v.10: ”For he (the believer) who has entered His (Christ Jesus’) rest has himself (believer) also ceased from his works (efforts) as God did from His.
v.11: Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest (by faith), lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience (unbelieve by the Israelites).”
This is a clear call to live the life generated by Faith - living by faith in the Word of God, doing His Will NOW. It does not refer to the “Sabbath rest that is in the future.”
“Sabbath observance is an anticipation of heaven in this imperfect world.” How does the lesson writer envision what earthly ‘Sabbath observance’ looks like? Does he imply that we are ‘in heaven’ as we observe Sabbath? - I am confused!
Also, what causes that ‘The coming age is’ “the day which is wholly Sabbath rest for eternity.” ?
What would the eternal Sabbath rest look like compared to the one we observe now on earth?
In which way is the Rest available NOW the same or similar to the ever-present Sabbath Rest in the world to come?
In which way can ‘the world to come’ be the same as the ‘Sabbath’?
To answer the question at the end of the lesson: “How is resting on the Sabbath an expression of Salvation by Grace"? The only way I can bring both – Rest and Salvation - under one hat is by understanding that our true Rest is a spiritual Rest - we cease from our own efforts aimend to find God's Grace and accept His free offer of Mercy and Grace by living in His Will.
This Faith-life results in the spiritual Rest which the Holy Spirit uses to fuse the created being with its life-giving, spiritual source/essence – the Love of the Creator.
This spiritual Rest calls for me to be always the person - during the week as well as when I ‘observe’ the Sabbath. I celebrate my redemption with joy and thanksgiving, by loving my Lord and Savior with all my heart, and by loving my fellow man as my Creator has loved me in anticipation of welcoming me home to give me Rest!