From: Eddie Chumney
To: heb_roots_chr@hebroots.org
Subject: Chapter 4: Restoring the Two Houses of Israel
CHAPTER
4
THE SABBATH: OUR REST IS IN
MESSIAH
from
the book by Eddie Chumney
"Restoring
the Two Houses of Israel"
Copies can be purchased for individual or
group study by
writing to me (Eddie Chumney) at: (chumney@hebroots.org)
PART
2 of 3
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CHAPTER
4
THE SABBATH: OUR REST IS IN
MESSIAH
DISOBEDIENCE
TO G-D'S WORD
KEEPS
US FROM ENTERING
INTO
HIS SABBATH REST
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a day of rest. In Genesis
(Bereishit)
2:2 it is written:
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he
had made;
and he rested on the seventh day from all the work which he
had
made."
In the Bible, the G-d of Israel associates entering into
His
rest with believing the written Torah/Word of G-d. In Isaiah
(Yeshayahu) 28:9-13 it is written:
"Whom shall he teach knowledge? [which is the
Torah/Word of G-d
- Hosea 4:6] and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?
them
that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For
precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line
upon
line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
For
with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to
this
people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may
cause
the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they
would
not hear [shema]. But the word of the Lord was unto them
precept
upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line
upon
line; here a little, and there a little."
The first occurrence of the word rest in Isaiah (Yeshayahu)
28:12 is the Strong's word 4496 in the Strong's Hebrew dictionary and
is the Hebrew word menuchah. The Hebrew word menuchah means, "an
abode, ease, quiet, resting place, a settled spot, peace, home."
The G-d of Israel associates believing and trusting (emunah) in
Him and being obedient (shema) to His Torah/Word with entering into
His (Sabbath) rest. In Psalm (Tehillim) 95:7-11, it is written:
"For he is our God; and we are the people of his
pasture, and
the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear [shema] his
voice,
harden not your heart as in the provocation, and as in the
day
of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted
me,
proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved
with
this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in
their
heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware
in my
wrath that they should not enter into my rest."
In Hebrew 3:7-19, 4:1-12 it is written:
"Wherefore as the Holy Ghost [Ruach HaKodesh] saith,
Today if ye
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
When
your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty
years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and
said,
They do always err in their heart; and they have not known
my
ways. So I swore in my wrath, they should not enter into my
rest. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in you an evil
heart of
unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one
another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made
partakers of Christ [Mashiach], if we hold the beginning of
our
confidence steadfast unto the end; While it is said, Today
if ye
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the
provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke:
howbeit
not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was
he
grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned,
whose
carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom swore he that
they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed
not?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Let
us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of
entering
into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For
unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but
the
word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with
faith in
them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter
into
rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they
shall
enter into my rest: although the works were finished from
the
foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of
the
seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day
from
all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter
into
my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter
therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not
in
because of unbelief: Again, he limited a certain day,
saying in
David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if
ye
will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus
[Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward
have
spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to
the
people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he
also
hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us
labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall
after
the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick,
and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints
and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the
heart."
Therefore, spiritually, we experience the Sabbath (Shabbat) rest
of the G-d of Israel when we obey (shema) and believe (emunah) the
Torah/Word of G-d and put our trust and confidence (emunah) in the
Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus.
THE
MESSIAH IS OUR SABBATH REST
Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 11:1, 10 speaks about the Messiah (Mashiach)
and the Word of G-d tells us that His rest (menuchah) shall be
glorious (kivod) as it is written:
"And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and
a Branch shall grow out of his roots . and in that day
there
shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign
of the
people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest
[menuchah]
shall be glorious [kivod]."
In Matthew (Mattityahu) 11:28-30 it is written:
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for
I am
meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
In John (Yochanan) 14:23 it is written:
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me,
he will
keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come
unto him, and make our abode with him."
In Matthew (Mattityahu) 7:24-27 it is written:
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his
house
upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and
the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not;
for
it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth
these
sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto
a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the
rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat
upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of
it."
THE
SABBATH IS A SHADOW/BLUEPRINT
OF
THE MESSIAH
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is a spiritual shadow/blueprint given to us
by the G-d of Israel to teach us about the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach)
Yeshua/Jesus and the redemptive plan of the G-d of Israel for His
people. In Colossians 2:16-17 it is written:
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
or in
respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the
sabbath
days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is
of
Christ [Mashiach]."
AFTER THE MESSIAH
COMPLETED HIS WORK,
HE
RESTED
The Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus came to the earth at
His first coming to be the suffering Messiah (Messiah ben Yosef). He
completed the work that G-d the Father sent (shaliach) him to do. In
John (Yochanan) 17:1, 4, it is written:
"These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy
Son
also may glorify thee . I have glorified thee on the earth:
I
have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."
After the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus completed the
work that G-d the Father sent (shaliach) Him to do by dying on the
tree/cross and coming to the earth to fulfill the role of the
suffering Messiah (Messiah ben Yosef), He sat down (rested) on the
right hand of G-d the Father. In Psalm (Tehillim) 110:1 it is written:
"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right
hand, until I
make thine enemies thy footstool."
In Hebrews 1:1-3, 10:12-13 it is written:
"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake
in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last
days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all
things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he
had
by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of
the
Majesty on high .But this man, after he had offered one
sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God;
From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool."
BOTH
JEWS AND NON-JEWS
ARE COMMANDED TO
KEEP THE SABBATH
Both the house of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel
(Christianity) are commanded by the G-d of Israel to keep His Sabbath
(Shabbat). In fact, the G-d of Israel promises great blessings to the
non-Jew/Christianity (house of Israel) who keeps His Sabbath
(Shabbat) and all those who are grafted into the family of the G-d of
Israel. In Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 56:1-8 it is written:
"Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do
justice: for my
salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be
revealed.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that
layeth hold on it: that keepeth the sabbath from polluting
it,
and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the
son of
the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak,
saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people:
neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For
thus
saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and
choose the things that please me, and take hold of my
covenant;
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my
walls a
place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I
will
give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Also
the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord,
to
serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his
servants,
every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and
taketh
hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy
mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt
offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine
altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for
all
people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel
saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that
are
gathered unto him."
THE SABBATH IS
PERSONIFIED AS A BRIDE
Earlier in this chapter, it was seen that the Sabbath (Shabbat)
is personified in Jewish tradition (house of Judah) as a bride. The
G-d of Israel and the Jewish Messiah (Mashiach) Yeshua/Jesus is the
bridegroom of the house of Judah (Judaism) and the house of Israel
(Christianity). Once again, the Hebrew term for the Biblical / Jewish
marriage ceremony (kiddushin/betrothal) really means
"hallowing/sanctified." The Hebrew word for marriage
(kiddushin/betrothal) comes from the three letter Hebrew root (K =
Kaf, D = Dalet, SH = Shin). The Hebrew word for sanctified (6942 =
Kadesh) which comes from the Hebrew word for holy (6944 = Kodesh) is
also derived from the same three Hebrew root letters (K = Kaf, D =
Dalet, SH = Shin). Therefore, the traditional Jewish rabbis from the
house of Judah (Judaism), in