Page 43 - SABBATH

Some debate who the author of the book of Hebrews is, but I have little doubt that it
was the apostle Paul. There is too much of his other writings in this book. Paul constantly
described by his example, his life, and his epistles the great struggle to enter into the
Sabbath rest of God. In the book of Hebrews he comes out and clearly defines the issue of
Sabbath and he gives the readers a true understanding of its meaning. To Paul it was
certainly more than a list of rules and regulations describing a cessation from labor one day
out of the week. To Paul it was the great struggle of mankind. It was the conflict between
Yahweh’s will and man’s will.

Hebrews 4:9-11
There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has
entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us
therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same
example of disobedience.

Paul learned the secret of contentment. He learned to crucify his flesh that the will of
the Father might be accomplished in him. Paul buffeted his body and kept it in subjection
to the will of the Spirit. In the book of Hebrews Paul speaks much of the great struggle of
mankind to enter into the Sabbath rest of God. He speaks much of the example of the
Israelites who came out of the bondage of Egypt, yet they failed to enter into the promised
rest of Yahweh. These same people are given as an example to the church today and the
saints are warned against following the same example and falling short of their calling.
Of those over the age of 20 who left Egypt, only two men entered into the land of
promise. The church should be warned lest the same percentages apply to them as well.
Many have received spiritual salvation and have been loosed from the bondage of the flesh,
yet many remain as though they were still enslaved. They seek to satisfy the flesh and to
serve God at the same time, not realizing the impossibility of such a proposition.
Paul, by his life and words, demonstrated that the great struggle for the saint of God
is to overcome the flesh and find contentment with the will of Yahweh. As we will see, this
was the struggle for those Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for forty years.