Hebrews 4:10
The apostle Paul writes, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10). God ceased from His physical work of creation on the seventh day, and we are admonished to cease from ours, as He did from His. God did not just enter into a spiritual rest on the seventh day or we might conclude that He was not at spiritual rest on the first six days.
The fact is that God is always at spiritual rest. Neither did He have any works of sin or the flesh to cease from. He simply rested on the seventh day from His work of creation, and we are being told by Paul that the ones who truly have received the spiritual rest of salvation will also cease from their physical works on the Sabbath, as God did from His.
In Hebrews 4:10, the reason for citing God’s resting on the Sabbath from His work of creation is revealed only when we analyze verses nine and ten. Paul says that what remains for God’s people is not KATAPAUSIS (a spiritual rest), but SABBATISMAS, meaning a literal keeping of the Sabbath.
Then, in verse ten we find the real key which proves beyond a question that the SABBATISMAS rest was not spiritual only, but a cessation from physical work. “For he that is entered into his rest (KATAPAUSIS—spiritual rest), he ALSO (in addition to the spiritual rest) hath ceased from his own works, AS GOD DID FROM HIS.” Every love relationship needs time to grow. God assigned the seventh day to be a time of fellowship with Him (Genesis 2:2,3; Exodus 20:8-11; Ezekiel 20:12,20).
Rest From the Works of Sin
The context of Hebrews three and four does not indicate that Paul was trying to convince the Hebrew Christians which day to keep holy. They already knew that. Paul’s great burden was for them to enter into a spiritual relationship with Christ—to have an experience of rest from the works of sin.
Upon entering into God’s rests, which consists of confidence in the saving grace of Jesus Christ, the Christian has of necessity already “ceased” from attempting to become righteous by his own works. It was these works of flesh that prevented the Israelites from entering the promised land. He who follows Paul’s admonition will enjoy the rest of soul God designs every sincere Christian to experience in this life.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
