Resting in YHWH part 1

 

Hebrews 4: 1-10 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. 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. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 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. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

So much of what separates us as the body of our Master is usually in the way we use our words, understand I’m not a new disciple who believes everyone that uses the name of our Lord must love him. I also understand that a false way to a correct destination leaves one wrecked.

What I am speaking of is that true brethren are divided at times by a perception and assumption of what is being said. The word respect means basically to look at something again; so to respect our brethren let us consider what is truly meant by them instead of assumption on both parties.

If you asked me do you need anything for salvation but grace my answer would be no. Many agree with what I answered and many others are already thinking of how to tell me I’m wrong. In this same way if you asked me if we must keep the law I would answer yes; same reaction but now from those who agreed with me.

Those who would agree with my first statement would not say God is OK with lying, stealing, adultery; placing trust in things of this world instead of Him, trying to mix His life with our selfishness or that anything ungodly is OK just because we have grace. In a like manner those that agree with my second statement do not believe they can make YHWH act out of debt to their good works nor that they can live the law perfectly without ever having failure by their own ability. They believe the blood of Yeshua is the only way for them to be saved.

Considering these things we must understand that some false brethren say it is only by grace but mean that they can life any way they choose and God makes it OK; in the same way that some think they are favored by YHWH because they do many things He has said should be done making their occasional failures of no real effect.

So we should see that if we judge by what is said we can judge true brethren as false and false brethren as true. The way to avoid this is to learn not the what or how of what is said but the why.
 
In the same way if we look only at the what and how of circumcision, the law, the manifestation of messiah, the crucifixion, the resurrection, our faith, and grace we can call what is true false and what is false true. It is the why of these things given to us that is true illumination.

The why of circumcision: that we learn the flesh must be removed to be in covenant with YHWH

 the why of the law: to describe the life found in YHWH and by failing to attain to it teaches us that such life can never be generated by us

the manifestation of YHWH’s Messiah: to take away the flesh and its death that the only true life may be shared with us who believe

crucifixion: the death of the seed of Adams life inherited in us

 resurrection: giving by the Spirit the seed of YHWHs life in us

 faith: to trust, rely, depend, and expect His life to be active in you while simultaneously casting all trust, reliance, dependence, and expectation of the self on Yeshua that it can remain dead in His cross.

I have said all this to the end that we might discuss the Sabbath. It is a huge subject that spans throughout the scripture showing that it should also span throughout your being. I will take a few post to discuss this subject and I ask that before you decide to ignore me you would consider with me the why of the Sabbath.

Some of the things we assume about the Sabbath that hang us up when speaking to others and at times our perception of YHWH and Messiah.

1)      Is the Sabbath in the new covenant on Saturday or Sunday? Neither the Sabbath is based on a lunar calendar and does not coincide with a solar calendar; because each new moon is a Sabbath and then every seventh day until the next new moon (with other Sabbaths added for feast day) making the lunar calendar have twelve months at times and thirteen at others.

2)      Which day is set for worship? Every day the Sabbath is about rest from ones labor, and for that matter the meetings of the scriptural church where for fellowship but worship is everyday including these. as a side note the early church did not meet on Sunday to replace the sabbath but because it is the eighth day...the day of circumcision...of the removal of the flesh and being brought into the covenant. 

3)      Yeshua broke the Sabbath so why should I keep it? Sin is defined as a breaking of what God has said. The command to keep the Sabbath with no work was spoken by YHWH and given by Moses. Yeshua never sinned. He broke the traditions of those who defined work in their own way but He never broke the commandment. Also as He explained it is YHWH who healed through Him so even in His healing on the Sabbath He did not work.

These things are just some of the how’s and what’s associated with the Sabbath but they are hard to understand without the why. So I ask that you simply do not decide one way or the other until we look at this subject through the Spirit for Moses gave us the law and grace and truth was given by Yeshua. The law teaches us what and how, Yeshua gave us the why, and by His Spirit we are made to live it.