HEBREWS

I’ve turned to Hebrews today (Hebrews 3,4) which poses the question, “What is the ‘Sabbath rest’”?

One writer has defined the ‘Sabbath rest’ as God’s purposeful, creative activity and the satisfaction which belongs to it’. This helpfully prevents the concept from becoming ‘quietist’ or merely vague. It is not a spiritual experience of ‘blessedness’ nor a state of inactivity or a description of Christ’s kingdom.

Jesus offered ‘rest’ to people willing to take his ‘burden’ of obedience and discipleship which is lighter than all attempts at self-fulfilment based on human work or leisure alone (Matthew 11:29). Lighter too than all forms of religion that prescribe labour to gain God’s favour: these only generate anxiety. Rest here is like John’s concept of ‘eternal life’, a relationship with God where we enjoy his renewing love.

The author’s aim is to encourage perseverance, rather than describe an experience or state of faith. His readers are tempted to ‘go back to Egypt’ – their old ways of Judaism. He wants them to remain faithful to Christ as supreme Lord.

He uses Hebrew ‘typology’, taking an Old Testament incident as a model of something else. It is an illustration, not an exhaustive exposition of ‘rest’ as defined above. The Israelites’ ‘rest’ in the promised land was incomplete; its full expression would be found in Christ.

Just as the Israelites disobeyed God and a generation died before the nation entered Canaan, so people today can say they follow Christ, yet disobey him and forfeit any claim to eternal life. They say ‘Lord, Lord’ but do not obey him (Matthew 7:21-23). Positively, God’s ‘rest’ therefore becomes:

. believing his promises, obeying his truth and living his way;

. receiving and using his gifts in order to serve him;

. enjoying the assurance of his love and confidence in his sovereignty which is ‘peace’.