larshaukeland

002 Purpose in the Sabbath

Purpose in the Sabbath

Txt: Gen. 2:1-3

Only when God had finished creation did He rest

He didn’t find rest until He had ended all His work

The Sabbath, or rest of God, means perfect satisfaction in that which had been accomplished

He alone was the worker

I. the Sabbath ordained

The seventh day was fixed and settled by God to be a time of rest and joy to Himself and all creation

A. IT IS A DAY OF REST

– no work to be done

– He rested, not because He was weary,

– but because every good thing had been done that could be done

B. IT WAS A DAY OF BLESSING

“God blessed it”

– the special favor and delight of God was in it

– truthfulness and satisfaction

C. IT WAS A SEPERATED DAY

“God sanctified it

– set it apart as His own possession and inheritance

– because it manifested the results of His own wisdom, power, and goodness

– but note particularly that

C. IT WAS THE DAY OF GRACE FOR MAN

– God made man on the sixth day

– so that the first day that dawned upon Adam

– was the Sabbath of God

– man immediately entered into the enjoyment of the rest of his Creator

– God finished the work

– man enters with Him into the rest and enjoyment of all that God had made

  II. The Sabbath destroyed

– man did not long enjoy the rest of God

– the tempter came, man failed, the rest was broken

– Adam fled from God

– sin ruined man for the enjoyment of God’s rest

– today, we seem to have forgotten that the Sabbath was made for man

– in Exodus 20, the word “remember” was significant

Ex. 20:8

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

– the gift to man came as a law to man

– “No manna fell” on the Sabbath day

– to enjoy the rest now, they have to gather double on the sixth day – not of grace now, but of works

III. The Sabbath restored

– through Jesus Christ man can be brought back to the enjoyment of God’s rest

– through Him…

A. ANOTHER WORK HAS BEEN FINISHED

John 17:4

“I have finished the work”

– He put away sin

– the work of atonement has ended

– God has pronounced all very good

B. ANOTHER REST IS ENJOYED

– as God rested upon the mercy-seat

– so does He now rest in the work of His beloved son

C. ANOTHER DAY OF GRACE IS PROCLAIMED

Matt. 11:28

“Come unto me, and I will give you rest”

– as Adam entered into God’s rest, so may we now through faith in Jesus

Hebr. 4:1-9

“There remained a rest (Sabbath) for the people of God. Enter into His rest”

– this rest means to us all that it meant to Adam:

1. a ceasing from work

2. continual fellowship with God

3. to bear His Holy image

4. to find our all in His possession

5. to rejoice in God

Hebr. 3:19

“They could not enter in because of unbelief”