For the past week and a half, we have studied the Sabbath rest that Hebrews 4 promises to the people of God. In both instances above, the audience that was being condemned was Jewish. But if physical rest is important to our physical well being, spiritual rest is even more important to our spiritual well being. When the writer to the Hebrews cites from Psalm 95:7, he calls attention to the word “today.” He makes the point that while the “rest” that the first generation of Israelites failed to enter was dwelling in peace in the Promised Land, there was still a “rest” being offered in Psalm 95. Or, (2) The good news did not do some any good because they did not personally embrace it by faith. You had to work for six days to get to the Sabbath. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened (ESV, emphasis mine). This website includes Bible study … And we want to behold the words of verse twenty-three. The second is the superiority of the rest which Jesus has achieved to the “rest” which Israel, under the leadership of Moses, did not attain (indeed, a rest to which Moses himself did not attain). There are many things which can interfere with our “resting” in Christ. 26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. While the “good news” that the ancient Israelites received was not the full-blown gospel that we have heard, it was nevertheless good news that did them no good because they failed to believe it and act upon it. I believe the first ten verses of Hebrews 4 will give us a much better definition of rest. And that way was the promised Messiah, Jesus the Christ: 19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 36 For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised. This is introduced in 3:1-6. The purpose of the law was to demonstrate to men that they could never save themselves, but must be saved some other way. God desires rest … Verses 7-19 of chapter 3 continue to show the Son’s superiority to Moses, but in a more subtle way than verses 1-6. The “rest” we are talking about is not the kind that you find a couple of weeks in the summer, in a hammock, or in bed. All God’s people and their servants and the animals were to have one day in seven to rest. 31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Hebrews 4:9-11 says, So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. In our last lesson, we saw how the author of Hebrews warned us about failure to enter God’s rest, due to unbelief, a hardened heart, and disobedience. So God again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, “O, that today you would listen as he speaks! (1) The good news did not do some any good because they did not identify themselves with people of faith. These folks rejected Jesus and chose to identify themselves with the Jews and the Judaism of a bygone day. But the writer to the Hebrews also wants us to realize that our faith and Christian walk is not a solo proposition but a choir event. The NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION, also known as THE NET BIBLE, is a completely new translation of the Bible, not a revision or an update of a previous English version. The REST Bible Study Method is not a devotional filled with thoughts or insights gleaned through someone’s time with the Lord. What difference does it make? Your gift enables our worldwide outreach. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. It is very possible that the concept of “community” is referred to in verse 2 of chapter 4: For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did. 34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly had a better and lasting possession. Do you notice how both Jesus and Stephen linked the guilt of those in previous generations with the guilt of a later generation? We … 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. My Christian friend, are you resting in what Christ has done for you? 6 For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Brother and sisters were gonna begin tonight. Do not harden your hearts, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar, You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did, They killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. This rest, as we have seen, is the same rest as God’s own rest in which He enjoys Himself and His work. Because we assume that they are few and far between. This Bible Study includes a daily devotional written by Courtney Joseph, as she shares some … We have seen indications of more than one “rest” in chapter 3. Join us for this FREE Summer Bible study on Sabbath rest. Have you listened to the commercials for prescription drugs lately? Whatever was “today” in Psalm 95 is still “today” today. These are areas in which God desires to lead us to rest, rather than leave us to trust in futile works of the flesh. Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5). Second, rest appears to be a day-by-day, “one day at a time” experience. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. 33 At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way. The author cites the last half of Psalm 95, in which the psalmist warns the people of his day, based on the failure of the Israelites to enter Canaan. The first understanding is reflected by the translation of the NASB; the second by the translation of the NIV. July 27 ~ Today’s Bible Study Worksheets and A-Z List of Acronyms are designed to help you write God’s Word on your heart. As it says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15, referring to Psalm 95:7b). From Christianity Today, ChristianBibleStudies.com provides over 1,000 unique, downloadable Bible Studies for personal, small group, and Sunday School use. The next time you experience a trial, ask God to show you how to trust Him and how to trust Him alone. We should learn how to interpret and apply Scripture from the Scriptures. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did! No! It is He who holds the heart of the king in His hands: The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water; he turns it wherever he wants (Proverbs 21:1). 10 BIBLE VERSES ABOUT REST + RENEWAL. And then simply trust in the only provision God has made for sinners to be forgiven and to enter into His rest. Or maybe the workload is exhausting and there’s no time for rest. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest… Now the rest of God is not a rest from work—it’s a rest … Maybe you try to rest, but a racing mind makes rest elusive. There is still a “rest” that is available to us “today.” I would understand this to have present and future dimensions, just as salvation has. Is the author of Hebrews saying this as well? God’s Word is the Father’s full and final revelation through the Son, the crowning conclusion to previous revelations through the prophets (1:1-4). Then there is the “rest” which is available for the readers of Psalm 95. The first six verses of chapter 3 set out the argument and provide three examples of the superiority of the Son. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it (NKJV, emphasis mine). 14 You are the light of the world. Chapters 3 and 4 will establish the superiority of the Son to Moses. The warning was against failing to enter God’s rest, due to unbelief, hardness of heart, and disobedience. This Bible Study will lead you to resting and releasing your heavy burdens to the Lord. 24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:23-25). we’re gonna look at the additional verses uh in just a moment in that same particular passage, but uh for our for all intense and purposes now, I want us to look at Proverbs four verse twenty-three and of course uh in Bible study… 20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. How many have to hand out if you if you do not … Just as the “good news” the ancient Israelites received did them no good because of their lack of faith, so our “good news” is only profitable through faith. Psalm 127:2 ESV / 1,595 helpful votes. Perhaps the ambiguity is deliberate, so that both meanings apply. 1 Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it. Donate Now. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:1-4). To briefly summarize the benefits of the incarnation, it enabled the Son to die in the sinner’s place, paying the penalty for his sins, and restoring him (or her) to the glory and authority which God gave man at creation. NEW TESTAMENT WORDS FOR "REST" See the word study on each word for more detail… 1) Rest (anapauo [word study] from ana = again, back, or even as intensifying the meaning of the verb + pauo = to cease or give rest… Chapters 3 and 4 of Hebrews are filled with warnings about coming into God’s rest. Is he saying that those who are tempted to fall back into Judaism will also fall back into the sins of the past? After all, a yoke is a yoke. The work may be ministry, home, or career-driven—all good … 13 “You are the salt of the earth. We will also enjoy God and His work when we enter His rest. Based on articles from Christianity Today magazine, these Bible studies … Other translations render this verse differently: For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard (NASB, emphasis mine). If not, I urge you to do so “today” by acknowledging your sin and your inability to please God. It is this rest into which the ancient Israelites failed to enter, for “My rest” is God’s rest, God’s Sabbath rest. Bible Study. The answer is no. This rest is the rest from our labors. 16 But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. It is the “rest” which is the key to the rest which is available to us today. blessing us in a powerful marvelous marvelous way. In chapter 4, the author will cite fragments of his quotation from Psalm 95 in chapter 3. Yahweh, the Creator of the universe, rested from the act of creating on the seventh day. The first is the superiority of the Son – Jesus Christ – to Moses. This is resting in Him, or we might even say, abiding in Him (see John 15:1-14). The Christian is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised the dead body of Jesus from the grave. This 6-week video series and guided Scripture reading plan will teach you how to create space for sacred rest. This kind of diligence is the opposite of the attitude that characterized the first generation of Israelites. Do I lose my rest because of this? Sixth, God was angry with this generation, and this resulted in their death in the wilderness (which is exactly what they asked for – Numbers 14:2), and thus their failure to enter into rest. The concept of rest is such a beautiful thing to one who is weary of striving to please God in his (or her) own strength. Are you tired and burdened? For the Christian, there is not only the rest of salvation, but the day-to-day rest of dependence upon God for living the Christian life. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” And yet God’s works were accomplished from the foundation of the world. Let the readers take note of what it means to identify with the rebels of the past, rather than with the Redeemer. 21 So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. Finding Rest in Difficult Situations Christina Patterson Psalm 62:1-6. This must be a different rest because the readers are now dwelling in the Promised Land, and “rest” is still being offered. But how can one be guilty of the sins of a bygone generation? By the working of His Spirit in us, we are able, to some degree, to live a godly life (see Romans 8:1-17). The first is the superiority of the Son – Jesus Christ – to Moses. that today you would listen as he speaks! So we have two ways of understanding this verse, due to a measure of ambiguity in the Greek text. We will begin this lesson with an overview of chapters 1-4. Have you entered that “rest,” my friend? The present tense verb in 4:3 can also be translated, “We who have believed are entering God’s rest.” The Christian life is a journey; our initial confession of faith sets us on our way toward God’s rest but only genuine faith guarantees entry. If so, this is a strong argument against doing so. As I write this message (a little while after having preached it), the stock market has taken a serious downward turn. The third key is to understand how our author interpreted and applied the lessons of Psalm 95 to his day. These Bible studies provide a biblical perspective on current issues and hot topics that Christians are encountering in the world today. We got this from Hebrews 3:1213: Take care, brethren, lest there should … Who will rescue me from this body of death? Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i... More, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works, that today you would listen as he speaks! The word translated as “strive” in verse 11 means to concentrate one’s energies on the achievement of a goal. WomensMinistryTools.com is dedicated to serving women’s ministry leaders with women’s Bible studies and teaching content to help build effective ministries for women. 5 For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. 39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls (Hebrews 10:32-39). 12 Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. There are several kinds of rest referred to in Hebrews. Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin. There is surely a “salvation rest,” a resting from our works in an effort to earn God’s favor, when we come to faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. 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