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Commentary on "Rest and Restoration"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 3: Monday, May 10, 2010

 

Overview

Now we return to something we are all well aware of, that we need rest to refresh our bodies. In the comments to teachers it defines this rest as ‘physical, mental, spiritual and emotional’.

The primary verse in the lesson is:

"Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed. (Ex. 23:12 ESV)

 

Observations

Just to make sure we understand each other, let’s start out by looking at how Paul defines the human body:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (II Cor. 4:16-18 ESV)

It should be apparent that our physical body is the “outer self” while the “inner self” is the soul and spirit.

When we look closer at this passage, we see that Paul declares that our outer self is wasting away, no matter how much physical rest or attention to our other health needs we may achieve. Keeping in mind Paul is speaking to Christians, those born again by the blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; it is our inner self that is being renewed “day by day”. Those outside the Kingdom of God are all wasting away and have no rest for their souls.

The focus is placed “not to the things that are seen”, not upon our obvious physical needs. Important as physical rest is in our daily lives, there is a rest that is of infinitely greater importance that Jesus speaks of in the following passage:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28-30 ESV)

For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." And again in this passage he said, "They shall not enter my rest." Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Heb. 4:4-10 ESV)

The rest described in the book of Hebrews is a rest that is not about daily, weekly or any other type of physical, emotional or mental rest. It is rest the Hebrew people did not receive because of their harden hearts. The rest God intends for us is centered on Jesus Christ and not about taking one certain day off from our work. When we rest in Jesus Christ, it is eternal, the same as the rest God has from his six days of creation.

 

Summary

  1. According to the bible we have both an ‘outer self’ and an ‘inner self’. The physical body is not the primary focus of true biblical rest. No matter how well we care for our physical bodies, they are wasting away. Instead the rest that Jesus promises is restoration and regeneration for our souls.
  2. Important as rest for our physical bodies is, Jesus’ rest is of infinitely greater eternal significance.
  3. Our sin nature and the fact that we are born with a spirit that is dead is the reason we need a Savior who offers eternal rest for our souls.
  4. The weekly Hebrew Sabbath is a Shadow of the real thing. Now that we have Jesus Christ we are no longer to look back upon the Shadow.
  5. Jesus is our true Sabbath Rest. This is the rest we have the greatest need of.

 

GO TO DAY 4

 

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