Sabbath School Lesson for January 22-28, 2022
Overview of Lesson 5
Moving on to chapters 3 and 4 of Hebrews, we are challenged to think about God’s rest and what it means for His people.
- The land of Abraham’s inheritance was to be a place for them to find God’s rest. (Sunday)
- Hardening our hearts through unbelief can prevent us from entering God’s promised rest. (Monday)
- Today is the day to accept God’s call to rest in Him. (Tuesday)
- Stopping our work on the Sabbath is symbolic of God stopping to rest, both after Creation week and at the cross, where He said, “It is finished.” (Wednesday)
- Sabbath rest gives us a foretaste of the kind of rest we will find in our heavenly home. (Thursday)
Continuing our theme of Jesus in the book of Hebrews, we find the next two chapters calling us to rest in Him. The covenant God had with King David included a rest from their enemies, both physical and spiritual (2 Samuel 7:10, 11). This covenant promise was fulfilled through the Messiah, one of David’s descendants, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus is the One who provides this kind of inclusive rest. We must come and rest in Him, laying aside all our own works of righteousness to be covered only with His.
Memory Text: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.” Hebrews 4:9 NKJV
All who obey God’s call to rest become part of the family of God. True Sabbath observance enables us to experience the fullest expression of our love for God and His love for us. It draws us closer to Him and to each other.
Sunday: The Land as a Place of Rest
God’s promise to Abraham included giving him a place where he could experience God’s rest, far from the idolatrous practices of those around him. The land of inheritance Abraham looked forward to was truly needed for God’s people to experience the kind of rest they needed, which would make them a faithful witness to the world.
This was illustrated when they were drawn to Egypt to survive famine, but ended up staying there in bondage for a long four hundred years (Genesis 15:13). Under Pharaoh, they weren’t allowed to have their Sabbath rest (Exodus 5:5). They missed their intimate time with God, causing them to drift away from all His teachings.
God eventually led His people out of their land of bondage, back to His land of promise. This experience helped them understand more of God’s plan of salvation and His purpose for the Sabbath. As Moses recorded the Sabbath commandment in Exodus and later in Deuteronomy, we see two purposes emerge.
We are told that Sabbath rest commemorated the completion of God’s creation, but it was also a memorial of their redemption from slavery. God made us, but He also redeems or saves us. Therefore, the Sabbath has been doubly blessed, as an expression of salvation by His righteousness alone. He worked to make us, and also works to re-make us. We are powerless to do either on our own.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Psalm 105:42-45 and Deuteronomy 12:10
- Why was having a land of their own important for the Hebrews?
Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:15
- For what two reasons are we to keep the Sabbath?
- Why are both reasons important?
Monday: Because of Unbelief
The Hebrews were reminded in chapter 3 of the failure of their forefathers, who wandered forty years in the wilderness, because of their unbelief. They lacked the faith and courage to enter the promised land when they first arrived there from Egypt. Listening to the fearful reports of most of the spies and refusing to enter Canaan, they were denied the privilege to enter God’s land of rest, described as a land flowing with milk and honey.
The author of Hebrews pleads with them to have faith and not let their unbelief harden their hearts, as happened to God’s people in the past. The miraculous signs and wonders that were witnessed as they were brought out of Egypt were not enough to keep their faith intact. Likewise, the signs and miracles they witnessed during Jesus’ ministry, and later through His apostles, might not be enough to keep them from becoming discouraged and losing their trust in God.
Remaining close to God by entering into His rest was vital for the survival of God’s people. Our hearts can also become hardened without sweet rest and communion with God on the Sabbath to quiet our fears and grow our faith.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Hebrews 3:16-19 and 1 Corinthians 10:11, 12
- How can we prevent becoming like the bad examples of those in Israel’s past?
- Why is it important to know we can fail, even when we appear to be standing strong?
- How does true Sabbath observance prevent us from falling?
Tuesday: Today, If You Hear His Voice
God’s Sabbath rest goes way back to Creation week. But often we hear the concept of “today” emphasized with the call to follow God and enter into His rest. He continues to invite His people, and all who would hear, to rest with Him on the seventh day of the week. This is because Sabbath rest allows us to experience His presence in the most profound way possible. It has been blessed for that very purpose since the beginning.
In the book of Deuteronomy, the word “today” is repeated often. Moses wanted them to understand that the time for making the important decision to follow God was that day, right now, at that very moment. Truly, it’s a daily call and decision for each of us. Every day we must decide who we will worship and follow. Joshua continued the invitation and implored them to “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.” Joshua 24:15
The author of Hebrews declared that His rest “remains”–that it always has been, and always will be, available to God’s children. See Hebrews 4:1, 6, 9. In Psalm 95:7, we find “Today, if you will hear His voice”. The appeal is to not put off our resolve to trust and obey God. Trust Him today!
Bible Verses to Explore:
Hebrews 4:1, 6, 9
- What does the word “remains” tell us about God’s day of rest?
Joshua 24:15
- What does the Sabbath have to do with whom we worship?
- Why is it important to choose God “today”?
Wednesday: Entering Into His Rest
We notice in Hebrews 3 and 4 that the rest it talks about is called “His rest” or “My rest”. It belongs to God. He was the One who first rested after Creation week. He blessed it by pronouncding, “It is good.” The Sabbath is definitely a memorial and celebration of God’s creative power.
But another milestone in our existence happened at the next step in God’s plan for mankind. Following the death of His Son on the cross, God paused long enough to pronounce, “It is finished.” This, too, indicated that God had once again accomplished something for us to celebrate.
This was why Moses mentioned two reasons for keeping the Sabbath. First in Exodus 20, and later in Deuteronomy 5. The Sabbath represented God’s power to create and His power to save. He had mightily saved them from Egyptian bondage, a foretaste of how they would be saved from Satan’s bondage at the cross.
Although a weekly day of rest has been found to benefit humanity, increasing our productivity during the rest of the week, the seventh day still belongs to God. Only when we include Him in our rest will we be able to reap the full benefits of God’s holy day, the seventh and only day of the week He has blessed.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Hebrews 3:11, 4:1, 3, 5, 10
- In what way does the Sabbath belong to God?
- What’s the difference in resting on the seventh day, as opposed to any other day of the week? Why does it matter which day?
Thursday: A Foretaste of New Creation
Speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, the prophet Isaiah declares that the Sabbath will have meaning there too (Isaiah 66:22, 23). Christ’s Second Coming, the next big event in God’s plan of salvation, will no doubt be another reason for us to pause and consider the work of our Creator God. After all, it will be another time of creating something new, a new heavens and earth. This time, with Christ announcing, “It is done!” See Revelation 21:5, 6.
Just think of it. When we keep the Sabbath on this old earth, we are getting a glimpse of what heaven will be like. Because we’ll be gathering and worshiping Him there too. The Sabbath indeed is something that reminds us of the past, the present, and the future. How He spoke and created our world in the beginning, how He speaks words of forgiveness and provides spiritual power to us now, and how we will someday once again enjoy full communion with God, as Adam and Eve originally did in the Garden of Eden.
Bible Verses to Explore:
Isaiah 66:22, 23
- What will we be celebrating in the new heavens and earth?
- How can we design our Sabbathkeeping now to be like the experience of Sabbath in heaven?
Revelation 21:5, 6 and John 19:30
- How were both these events considered something that was done, finished?
- Why was it important for God to make these announcements?
Friday: Conclusion
Jesus, the focal point of the book of Hebrews, said Himself about resting on the Sabbath: “The Sabbath was made for man…” Mark 2:27 It’s a day set aside for the purpose of communing with our God, who made everything and continues to uphold His creation.
We can rest assured in the promise of our salvation and our glorious future with Him in our heavenly home. The Sabbath day promotes not just physical rest, but spiritual reassurance that God is still with us.
True Sabbath observance holds many opportunities to draw closer to God. On that day in particular, we can study our Bible, talk to God, connect with other believers, spend time in nature, minister to others, apart from all the distractions and obligations of our everyday life of toil and responsibilities.
To further enrich your Sabbath experience, here’s a good podcast I think you’d enjoy by Rachel Ashworth, another blogger for Outlook. #SabbathSlowdown
Next Week: Jesus, the Faithful Priest
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