Lesson Eight
The Sabbath, the Land, and the World to Come
There remains therefore a rest for the people of G-d.
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as G-d did from His.
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11
Introduction
- We have been looking at the three levels of understanding regarding the Sabbath, the Land, and the World to Come as expressed in Hebrews 3 and 4.
- We briefly touched on the ‘Land’ and ‘World to Come’ level – focusing on the Sabbath level of understanding. From that we learned some important understanding, to aid our understanding of the other levels of understanding in these chapters – and from them, the main point.
- Remember the point of all this: “… the world to come, of which we speak… Heb 2:5
Sabbath Lessons
- Ps 95: A Sabbath Welcoming Psalm. “Today” [ha-yom] – drawing from Ex 16, ha-yom refers to Sabbath.
- Ex 16:11-30: Sabbath is about provision and resting in G-d’s work (belief, evidenced by obedience).
- Gen 1:31b-2:3: The Sabbath is the first thing sanctified by G-d. Time.
- Ex 31:12-17: Sabbath reminds us of the Creator, and of the Redeemer. It is a covenant, preceding Sinai.
- Sabbath is a sign, a mark of identity.
- Sabbath comes on the Seventh Day – no matter if we are ready or not. Preparation is needed to be prepared, but preparation does not make it happen.
- Sabbath = grace. Preparation = obedient deeds.
- Only G-d leads us across the threshold at sundown Friday evening. He brings us to rest.
The Land
- Heb 3:1-6: Moshe Rabbenu [Moses our Teacher] is the house, and he is in the house. Yeshua is the builder of the house.
- Moses was faithful.
- Ps 95:7ff: the picture of the people standing at the edge of the entrance into the Land… and complaining.
- Num 20:1-13; Heb 3:6-4:2: The reasons they did not enter the Land:
- Complained (Num 20:2-3)
- Accused G-d of abandonment and worse (20:3-5)
- Moses and Aaron, unbelief (20:12)
- Hardened hearts – by the deceitfulness of sin (3:8; 3:13)
- Went astray in their hearts, did not know His ways (3:10)
- Sin (3:17)
- Unbelief (3:12; 3:19; 4:6)
- But the generation of Num 20 DID enter the Land!
- Deut 1:34-36: Ps 95 is using the Num 20 occurrence as the ‘fulfillment’ of the Deut 1:34-36 oath. All those who disobeyed had died in the wilderness and were gone… only two remained who would not enter. Moses and Aaron.
- Num 20:12: For the sin of unbelief, and not hallowing HaShem, Moses and Aaron would not lead them into the Land.
The World to Come
- Ps 95:7-11; Heb 3:6-4:2: This is more than merely entering the Land. It is about the World to Come.
- b.Sanhedrin 110b: Like the writer of Hebrews, the Talmud draws a correlation between the Land, and the World to Come.
- b.Sanhedrin 98a: Ha-Yom, and Shabbat are pictures of the coming of Messiah, and the World to Come.
- Is 60:21; b.Sanhedrin 90a: commenting on Is 60:21, the view is that to inherit the Land eternally connects the Land with eternal dwelling with G-d.
Compare Moses and Messiah
- Heb 3:1-6: Moses was faithful in His house – Yeshua built the house.
- Heb 3:16-4:3: Moses led them, but they did not enter the Land, rest – because unbelief.
- Unbelief = disobedience. The works were finished before the foundation of the world… but they did not act upon it. They did not believe G-d.
- Heb 4:4-10: Enter, led by Yeshua. Obediently trusting – resting in His work.
- Heb 4:11: diligently preparing.
Summary
- We have seen the writer of Hebrews’ perspective on the ‘faith and works’ issue. He uses Sabbath, the Land, and the eternal viewpoint to drive this common theme: work and rest. Sabbath is G-d’s creation. Rest is His creation. The Land was G-d’s inheritance to Israel (they did not earn it). The World to Come is G-d’s invitation to His own people.
- In all three, obedience does not achieve what G-d requires for us – but it remains our duty. The work is all His that takes us into Sabbath, the Land, and the World to Come. Working hard in preparation does not bring us into Sabbath rest. It did not take the wilderness generation into the Land. It will not take us into the World to Come.
- It remains however for us to work hard at entering that rest…