Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

ages"rest."aside."grace;"The Believer's Sabbath-Restby Rev. Joseph A. Hill"There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest forthe people of God." Hebrews 4:9 R.V.rest."The Sabbath is much more than a "day ofAlthough the term "Sabbath" means "rest," its truesignificance cannot be summed up in the idea of taking a day off from our ordinary occupations. Christians will not be inclined to observe the Sabbath unless they grasp a higher meaning of the sabbaththan simply its use as a day of rest and religiousactivity.The typical attitude of many Christians is likethat of the lad who was going to the river on theLord's Day, carrying his fishing rod. On the way hemet his pastor who said to him, "Son, the Sabbathwas given us for a The boy replied, "But Iaside, but has meaning for all time, not only forages past, but for today and for the future age ofeternity.This great truth is set forth in this chapter inthis way: The writer argues that the Sabbath restof Canaan was not the fulfillment of the type ofGod's own Sabbath rest following His work of creation. If God's creation-rest had pointed forward onlyas far as Canaan, Scripture would not afterward(in David's time) speak of another day of Sabbathrest. But since it does speak thus (in Psalm 95) we,must conclude that the great Sabbath rest whichGod's creation-rest prefigured, is still future. Thisconclusion is clearly stated in verse 9: "There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people ofGod."ain't tired!" The Meaningof Divine RestThere is a higher and spiritual meaningof theSabbath, which is summed up in the fact that ourtrue rest is to be found in God. Augustine in hisConfessions, speaking of the believer's deepest need,said to God, "Thou madest us for thyself, and ourheart is restless until it find rest in thee."It is not too much to say that the whole of truereligion is summed up in the spiritual meaning of theSabbath. Dr. Geerhardus Vos states the importanceof the Sabbath thus : "The Sabbath is not only themost venerable, it is likewise the most living of allthe sacramental realities of our religion. It has faithfully accompanied the people of God on their marchthrough the (Biblical Theology, p. 155). Thistruth is clearly set forth in the fourth chapter of theEpistle to the Hebrews (which you should read atthis point).Notice in this chapter that the Sabbath is shownto span all the ages of history, extending from thecreation of the world to the consummation of theworld. At the beginning there was God's own Sabbath rest,upon which He entered after completingHis work of creation. Next, there was the rest ofCanaan, into which Israel entered under Joshua.Finally, there is the eternal Sabbath rest for thepeople of God in the age to come.Certain "Fundamentalists" teach that the Sabbath was to be kept "under the law;" Christians,however, are "not under the law, but undertherefore Christians are not obligated to keep theSabbath holy. This view is expressed in a teacherLessons"manual of "Sunday School published byScripture Press (Senior Teacher, July-Sept., 1955,p. 54), followed by the statement that "nowhere inthe New Testament is there anything to indicatethat Christians are to keep the Sabbath (even ifsome do erroneously refer to Sunday as the 'Christian Sabbath,' which it is not.) On the contrary, theSabbath is definitely setLet us see whether there is anything in the NewTestament to indicate whether Christians are to keepthe Sabbath. Let us look more closely at Hebrews 4.Here we see that the Sabbath is definitely not setAfter the toils and hardships of the earthly lifeoffaith, believers shall enter into the heavenly blessedness of God's finished work. Israel failed to enterinto the sabbath rest of Canaan because of unbelief;but the way into the eternal sabbath rest of heavenremains open to God's people today, who are called toenter in by faith.Let us lay to heart the deep meaning of Sabbathkeeping which is taught in this fourth chapter of theEpistle to the Hebrews: Nothing but a true andhearty faith can bring salvation to the soul and giveentrance into the eternal sabbath rest which is laidup for the people of God.? * * #God's Satisfaction in His PlanAfter God's works of creation were finished,God "rested" on the seventh day. God's rest doesnot, of course, mean relief from weariness or fatigue,for God is almighty and unchangeable and cannotgrow tired as man does. The meaning of God's sabbath rest following the work of creation is that Godpaused in joy and satisfaction over His perfect work.This is expressed in Geneis 1:31 "And God sawTHE COVENANTER WITNESSIssued each Wednesday by the Publication Board of theREFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHOF NORTH AMERICAat 120 West fith Strfiet. Newton, Kansas orthrough its editorial office at 1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka Kansasto promote Bible Standards of Doctrine. For Worship and Lifeindividuals, churches and nationsOpinions expressed in our columns are those of the individual writer,not necessarily the views of the Covenanter Church or of the Editor.Dr. Raymond Taggart, D.D., Editor1209 Boswell Avenue, Topeka KansasContributing EditorsFrank E. Allen, D.D.Prof. William H. RussellWalter McCarroll. D.D.Remo I. Robb, D.D.Departmental EditorsRev. John O. EdgarMrs. J. O. EdgarMrs. Ross LatimerSubscription rates: $2.5010 cents.per year; Overseas, $3.00; Single Copies, "R' B' Lyons' BA- Limava