For us, every day is the Sabbath

[PATrobas]

Reminders – Why do we call it ‘Labor Day’ when it’s a day of rest?

            Before Adam fell, his job was to “dress and keep,” or ‘tend’ the garden of Eden, which produced food from the plants God had put there. ^{Genesis 2:5,8-9} Then, from the time Adam disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man has had to work “by the sweat of his face” to earn his living from the ground. God cursed the ground, and now, for all man’s labor to produce food, it still brings forth thorns, thistles, and weeds. ^{Genesis 3:17-19} God rested from His labor on the seventh day, and He wants man to rest with Him both physically and spiritually. He provided physical rest one day a week, to teach him to rest in Him spiritually every day.

            This rest principle or ceasing from our own works is emphasized in the N.T. book of Hebrews. God promised Israel a land of rest after their enslavement in Egypt. To receive the promise, they only had to hear Him, believe Him, and obey His command to go in. Instead, they neither believed, nor obeyed, and thus wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The admonition is this, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” ^{Hebrews 4:7} God is speaking to us today, just as He spoke to Israel then. They heard, but did not believe or obey Him, being afraid of the ‘giants’ there and their hearts were hardened. When they eventually obeyed, God drove out and defeated the enemy ‘giants.’ We also need to hear, believe, and obey what He says, and He will drive out and defeat our ‘giants.’ Hebrews 4:9-10 goes on to say, “There remains 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.”  Striving to please God by doing good works for Him is not resting, it is working. God wants us to let Him work in us to do His good pleasure, ^{Philippians 2:13} to demonstrate His power for His glory, in our frail human bodies. ^{2 Corinthians 4:7} We quit working, (i.e. initiating activity for God) so that God can do His work in us. ^{Ephesians 2:10}

            Final Thoughts: As Christians, we are to rest in the completed work of Christ both for our salvation and for our walk of faith. Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This appears to be an oxymoron, ‘laboring to rest,’ because the word labor here does not mean to work hard, but rather ‘to be diligent, quick, and earnest about’ entering into His rest. The Sabbath rest we are to enter into is not a day, but it is the person of Jesus Himself. He is our Sabbath. We are to recognize our inability to carry out God’s work by our own effort, which will only produce wood, hay and stubble. ^{1 Corinthians 3:12-13} We are to simply believe and obey Him when we hear Him speak, the definition of resting in God. I hope you get lots of rest on this upcoming Labor Day.      _ph

[Marathoner]

2 minutes ago, PATrobas said:

Reminders – Why do we call it ‘Labor Day’ when it’s a day of rest?

            Before Adam fell, his job was to “dress and keep,” or ‘tend’ the garden of Eden, which produced food from the plants God had put there. ^{Genesis 2:5,8-9} Then, from the time Adam disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man has had to work “by the sweat of his face” to earn his living from the ground. God cursed the ground, and now, for all man’s labor to produce food, it still brings forth thorns, thistles, and weeds. ^{Genesis 3:17-19} God rested from His labor on the seventh day, and He wants man to rest with Him both physically and spiritually. He provided physical rest one day a week, to teach him to rest in Him spiritually every day.

            This rest principle or ceasing from our own works is emphasized in the N.T. book of Hebrews. God promised Israel a land of rest after their enslavement in Egypt. To receive the promise, they only had to hear Him, believe Him, and obey His command to go in. Instead, they neither believed, nor obeyed, and thus wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The admonition is this, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” ^{Hebrews 4:7} God is speaking to us today, just as He spoke to Israel then. They heard, but did not believe or obey Him, being afraid of the ‘giants’ there and their hearts were hardened. When they eventually obeyed, God drove out and defeated the enemy ‘giants.’ We also need to hear, believe, and obey what He says, and He will drive out and defeat our ‘giants.’ Hebrews 4:9-10 goes on to say, “There remains 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.”  Striving to please God by doing good works for Him is not resting, it is working. God wants us to let Him work in us to do His good pleasure, ^{Philippians 2:13} to demonstrate His power for His glory, in our frail human bodies. ^{2 Corinthians 4:7} We quit working, (i.e. initiating activity for God) so that God can do His work in us. ^{Ephesians 2:10}

            Final Thoughts: As Christians, we are to rest in the completed work of Christ both for our salvation and for our walk of faith. Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This appears to be an oxymoron, ‘laboring to rest,’ because the word labor here does not mean to work hard, but rather ‘to be diligent, quick, and earnest about’ entering into His rest. The Sabbath rest we are to enter into is not a day, but it is the person of Jesus Himself. He is our Sabbath. We are to recognize our inability to carry out God’s work by our own effort, which will only produce wood, hay and stubble. ^{1 Corinthians 3:12-13} We are to simply believe and obey Him when we hear Him speak, the definition of resting in God. I hope you get lots of rest on this upcoming Labor Day.      _ph

 

A good word, brother. 

[Neighbor]

https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

[BornAgain490]

Amen. Rest in our Redeemer every day. 

Edited August 30, 2024 by BornAgain490

[AdHoc]

3 hours ago, PATrobas said:

Reminders – Why do we call it ‘Labor Day’ when it’s a day of rest?

            Before Adam fell, his job was to “dress and keep,” or ‘tend’ the garden of Eden, which produced food from the plants God had put there. ^{Genesis 2:5,8-9} Then, from the time Adam disobeyed God by eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, man has had to work “by the sweat of his face” to earn his living from the ground. God cursed the ground, and now, for all man’s labor to produce food, it still brings forth thorns, thistles, and weeds. ^{Genesis 3:17-19} God rested from His labor on the seventh day, and He wants man to rest with Him both physically and spiritually. He provided physical rest one day a week, to teach him to rest in Him spiritually every day.

            This rest principle or ceasing from our own works is emphasized in the N.T. book of Hebrews. God promised Israel a land of rest after their enslavement in Egypt. To receive the promise, they only had to hear Him, believe Him, and obey His command to go in. Instead, they neither believed, nor obeyed, and thus wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The admonition is this, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” ^{Hebrews 4:7} God is speaking to us today, just as He spoke to Israel then. They heard, but did not believe or obey Him, being afraid of the ‘giants’ there and their hearts were hardened. When they eventually obeyed, God drove out and defeated the enemy ‘giants.’ We also need to hear, believe, and obey what He says, and He will drive out and defeat our ‘giants.’ Hebrews 4:9-10 goes on to say, “There remains 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.”  Striving to please God by doing good works for Him is not resting, it is working. God wants us to let Him work in us to do His good pleasure, ^{Philippians 2:13} to demonstrate His power for His glory, in our frail human bodies. ^{2 Corinthians 4:7} We quit working, (i.e. initiating activity for God) so that God can do His work in us. ^{Ephesians 2:10}

            Final Thoughts: As Christians, we are to rest in the completed work of Christ both for our salvation and for our walk of faith. Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This appears to be an oxymoron, ‘laboring to rest,’ because the word labor here does not mean to work hard, but rather ‘to be diligent, quick, and earnest about’ entering into His rest. The Sabbath rest we are to enter into is not a day, but it is the person of Jesus Himself. He is our Sabbath. We are to recognize our inability to carry out God’s work by our own effort, which will only produce wood, hay and stubble. ^{1 Corinthians 3:12-13} We are to simply believe and obey Him when we hear Him speak, the definition of resting in God. I hope you get lots of rest on this upcoming Labor Day.      _ph

 

You made some good points there. I would like to expand a bit.

For those of us who believe that God calculated every "jot and tittle" of His Word there is a glaring anomaly in Genesis 1. After defining each day with "the evening and the morning" God was silent when it came to the Sabbath. But God did not leave us without a clue - the length of Adam's life. Adam was created late on the sixth day, so the Sabbath was his first day. Scholars, taking note that God said to Adam; "IN the day you eat thereof (the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil) you will surely die", ASSUMED another 24 hour Hebrew day. To fit Adam's death IN-to this day, they declare that Adam died spirtually. But this is not possible for three reasons:
1. A spirit cannot die (Lk.20:35-36 - angels are spirits)
2. Spiritual death presupposes spiritual life but Adam had not eaten of the Tree of Life
3. Romans 5:12-17 and 6:23 make clear that Adam's death was physical

To interpret obscure passages we are forbidden to speculate. 2nd Peter 1:20 forbids "private interpretation." We must turn either to the Bible to interpret itself, or, we can observe nature - which shows the things of God (Rom.1:18-20). Upon studying a "DAY" in the Bible, we discover FIVE differently defined days. They are:
1. The time of daylight
2. The evening and the morning - 24 hours
3. an event like judgment
4. In prophecy a day is a year (like Daniel's sevens)
5. For God (not men) a thousand years is as a day.

The question now is, which fits Adam's Life. Only one does - #5. Adam lived 930 years and died IN a Millennial day. God could not rest because His man, Adam, succumbed to God's enemy before God could complete the first Sabbath. But does this apply to Hebrews 3 and 4? By all means.

God caused Israel to leave Egypt for the purpose of building Him an House to dwell WITH Israel, to engage the enemy and learn war, and to get God's Law which would make them ritually fit to host the Living God in their midst. After 2 years tey reached Kadesh-Barnea and God revealed His will that Israel should go in and take the Land.Israel's faith failed the test and they could not in. This generation failed to enter God's Rest - as he Himself calls it in Hebrews 3. So God again did put men to take the <lsnd but must again fail to have His Rest. The next generation of fighting men did go in, but God is angry because they could not maintain the Land. In less than 900 years God's people were driven out of the Land and God missed His REST. The only "DAY" that fits this period of Israel's occupation of the Good Land is again a Millennial Day.

Both of God's Rest-DAYS failed before 1,000 years where up. Both days of REST fit nly one of the Bible's days - 1,000 years. The Bible, having defined the REST of God as a 1,000 year day TWICE, say that "there remains a Rest for God's People." The rest is easy (no pun intended). We only have to look for a seventh day that is 1,000 years long. And find it we do - in Revelation 20. From the resurrection of the martyrs (when He comes - 1st Cor.15:23) to the resurrection of "the rest of the dead" (Rev.20:5) is exactly 1,000 years. And this time, God's Man, "the second Adam" rules and subdues God's enemies, including death and He cannot be moved from His EARTH. God gets His Sabbath Rest in the seventh 1,000 year-day after the first man Adam.

But a somber note is added to the whole story. Just as Adam failed, and just as Israel failed, we are warned that any man of the Lord's that fails to enter this "DAY" will face God's anger. And the word "LABOR" (v.11) indicates that this Rest is won by WORKS. The judge is God's Word, a sword than can kill. This is not one's salvation which is at risk, but being found UNWORTHY of God's Rest. Israel was chastised for 2,700 years. It looks like the Church who fail to enter this 1,000 year-day, could be chastised for 1,000 years. Sobering!

[PATrobas]

You make some interesting points that I will take some time to digest. Some I already agree with (your 5 points of time called days) some points I don't agree with (#1, a spirit can't die, The Luke reference is about those that are resurrected will never die. #2, Adam did not have 'eternal life' as we have but before his fall he enjoyed the life of God and His fellowship) but these things are not what I take issue with. What you said in the last paragraph is not true. I don't agree with.

1 hour ago, AdHoc said:

 Just as Adam failed, and just as Israel failed, we are warned that any man of the Lord's that fails to enter this "DAY" will face God's anger. And the word "LABOR" (v.11) indicates that this Rest is won by WORKS. The judge is God's Word, a sword than can kill. This is not one's salvation which is at risk, but being found UNWORTHY of God's Rest. Israel was chastised for 2,700 years. It looks like the Church who fail to enter this 1,000 year-day, could be chastised for 1,000 years. Sobering!

We do not enter into rest by working or our works. It is quite the opposite and the whole point of the book of Hebrews. Rest comes by FAITH and trusting in the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS. Just as we are not saved (born again) by our works, neither do we enter His rest by our works.

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.:5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The Hebrew believers to whom the book was written were trying to go back to trying to please God by doing the Jewish ritual law. But pleasing God could not be done that way. They had to have the basis of their salvation re-affirmed, that Christ died ONCE FOR ALL to satisfy God's justice and righteousness. Their faith in Him was weak for they didn't understand that when Jeus said on the cross "It is Finished!" the work for salvation was FINISHED.

Titus 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And now we, being saved have been made 'new creations' with a new nature that wants to please God by allowing Him to work in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. We die to self that the life of Jesus would be manifested in these 'earthen vessels' 2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

So my point is that we 'labor' to enter into His rest by BELIEVING HIM to work His work in and through us. The following verse (after the ones above that affirm we are justified by faith) in Titus says so; Titus 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.  Our good works are only those that God does in and through us by faith.

When we first believed we entered into His rest. Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest,

We rest today as we are being sanctified in His works.

We will rest with him as we rule and reign with Him in the 1000 year reign of Jesus. and then for eternity will we rest.

 

Edited August 31, 2024 by PATrobas
crossed out and changed statement

[AdHoc]

12 hours ago, PATrobas said:

You make some interesting points that I will take some time to digest. Some I already agree with (your 5 points of time called days) some points I don't agree with (#1, a spirit can't die, The Luke reference is about those that are resurrected will never die. #2, Adam did not have 'eternal life' as we have but before his fall he enjoyed the life of God and His fellowship) but these things are not what I take issue with. What you said in the last paragraph is not true. I don't agree with.

We do not enter into rest by working or our works. It is quite the opposite and the whole point of the book of Hebrews. Rest comes by FAITH and trusting in the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS. Just as we are not saved (born again) by our works, neither do we enter His rest by our works.

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?:4  Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.:5  He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

The Hebrew believers to whom the book was written were trying to go back to trying to please God by doing the Jewish ritual law. But pleasing God could not be done that way. They had to have the basis of their salvation re-affirmed, that Christ died ONCE FOR ALL to satisfy God's justice and righteousness. Their faith in Him was weak for they didn't understand that when Jeus said on the cross "It is Finished!" the work for salvation was FINISHED.

Titus 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

And now we, being saved have been made 'new creations' with a new nature that wants to please God by allowing Him to work in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. We die to self that the life of Jesus would be manifested in these 'earthen vessels' 2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

So my point is that we 'labor' to enter into His rest by BELIEVING HIM to work His work in and through us. The following verse (after the ones above that affirm we are justified by faith) in Titus says so; Titus 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.  Our good works are only those that God does in and through us by faith.

When we first believed we entered into His rest. Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest,

We rest today as we are being sanctified in His works.

We will rest with him as we rule and reign with Him in the 1000 year reign of Jesus. and then for eternity will we rest.

 

We'll have to disagree on this one due to our use of vocabulary. You say "labor" is faith. I say "labor" is one's work. We differ on the use of basic English.

Israel is the example. They did not enter the Land for their works. Moses did not enter the Rest because of hat he DID. Korah is struck down for what he did. So also the Christian. In 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5 entry into the Rest is refused based on what they DID. Judgment at Christ's Seat is based on what they DID (2nd Cor.5:10).

[PATrobas]

5 hours ago, AdHoc said:

We'll have to disagree on this one due to our use of vocabulary. You say "labor" is faith. I say "labor" is one's work. We differ on the use of basic English.

Israel is the example. They did not enter the Land for their works. Moses did not enter the Rest because of hat he DID. Korah is struck down for what he did. So also the Christian. In 1st Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:21, Ephesians 5:5 entry into the Rest is refused based on what they DID. Judgment at Christ's Seat is based on what they DID (2nd Cor.5:10).

OK, fair enough on definitions, however, Israel didn't enter in because of UNBELIEF (same word as disobedience) Heb.3:18-19 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? :19  So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

The three scriptures you cite are not about believers. They are speaking about those who have never been born again. Believers are Righteous. We have the Righteousness of Christ. Imputed by faith. But look closely below. "...the unrighteous..."

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,:10  Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God :11  And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

It is no accident that Paul refers to those who are born again as 'Saints.' We are no longer drunkards, thieves, etc. We are no longer 'sinners saved by grace' but saints. We were sinners, but now we are Holy (called so by God) We may occasionally fall in those sins but we (if born again) are no longer characterized by those things. A truth not emphasized enough is Romans 5. Mankind is condemned NOT by what he does, but by who he is in; i.e. ADAM. When we were conceived we received the nature of our father Adam, thus were condemned because of his sin. 1 Cor.15:21-22 For since by man [Adam] came death, by man [Jesus] came also the resurrection of the dead. :22  For as in Adam all die,   Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offense of one [Adam] judgement came upon all men to condemnation;

A man commits sins because he is in Adam and has his nature, and his condemnation is because he is 'in' him.

But as soon as we by faith are born from above, we receive a new nature [God's] from a new Father [God] and receive the righteousness of His Son, Jesus. Thus we now do righteousness [good works] because we are in Christ and have His nature.

We will no longer be judged for sins because Christ was judged for the sins of the world. We will be judged for our works (as will all men). Our judgement for our works will be at the Bema seat of Christ. Unbelievers at the great white throne.

Since all men's sins are paid for, the difference between us and an unsaved person is that we have eternal life by faith in the Gospel and they are still dead (abiding) in their sins. They have no life. They don't realize their sins have been paid for, they haven't submitted to Jesus and obeyed the Gospel. They are dead.

So, to conclude, Heb. 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him:

Faith always produces good works.

We live by faith and good works follow us.

Our entrance into the Kingdom is by faith in the Gospel. Our inheritance (or lack thereof) is according to our works. Blessings.

[Cntrysner]

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[Ray12614]

On 8/30/2024 at 3:12 PM, Neighbor said:

https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history

Interesting article.

BTW: I will be working on Monday because evidently farmers don't take holidays . . . LOL