| The Sabbath thus became to
Adam symbolic of rest with God, perfect communion, of oneness with God.
It was the one commandment that God chose to honor by joining man in its
observance; or perhaps better, inviting man to join Him in its
observance. It is the one command that was communicated to man not only
by way of law but also by God’s example. Among the ten it stands
unique, symbolic of God’s ideal of perfection, of holiness, of rest,
of ideal existence with God.
It is this idea of the seventh-day
Sabbath that is introduced in Hebrews to symbolize God’s rest. From
the “foundation of the world” God spoke of the seventh day as
His rest. (Hebrews 4:3, 4). It is evident from this reading that God
connects the seventh day—the original seventh day “from the
foundation of the world,” when He had finished His work—with
entering into His rest.
There are three distinct ways in which
“rest” is used in [Hebrews]: first, entering into the land of
Canaan, which was Israel’s understanding of rest; second, rest from
sin, resting in God, having peace in the heart, rest for the soul, true
conversion; and third, the perfect symbol and sign of rest, the Sabbath,
instituted by God Himself—not a spurious or new sabbath, but the
original seventh day of creation, which “remaineth” and which
God blessed and sanctified and gave to man as a sign of sanctification.
(Ezekiel 21:12, 20).
M.L. Andreasen |
