Christ in all the scriptures God's rest

 Christ in all the scriptures

God's rest 

 Exodus 31v12-18; Psalm 95v7-11; Mark 2v27; Hebrews 4v1-11.

There seems little connection between the equipping of the workers in the tabernacle in v1-11, and the teaching of the Sabbath in v12-18.  That is until we realise the narrative continues on the theme of God's work.  The Sabbath is presented as God's rest from work on the seventh day after creating the universe in six days..."for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed"-Ex. 31v17.   His work on the tabernacle, through men, took 9 months, and both sections relate to God's work.  Using a timelines from Exodus 12v1, 16v1, and 40v1*, we see it took nine months to complete the tabernacle from conception to construction.  This is amazing, that the God who created and shaped the heavens and the earth in six days, took much longer to construct the tabernacle.  One chapter in Genesis describes the creation of the universe, yet He takes 15 chapters to detail the tabernacle.  From this we understand the relative importance of each.  It also takes nine months to create a baby in the womb-Psalm 139v13-16 says the development in the womb of a human foetus is the work of God! did God have humanity at heart in the design and building of the tabernacle? 

We can see a correlation between the two constructions.  In Creation, God declared His delight at the work, proclaiming it was good-Genesis 1v4, 1v10, 1v12, 1v18, 1v21, 1v25, and in 1v31 it was all very good.  We can only imagine the beauty of creation, untainted by sin and degradation, and by man's abuse, for the creation as it is now is breathtaking enough.  "Good" can be translated excellent, beneficial, functional, beautiful and God's handiwork is all of these.  He finishes with the pronouncement of very good, exceedingly good, exquisitely beautiful.  What we know of the physical world, causes us to wonder at the intricacy, the perfection of the earth which is our home.  Similarly the tabernacle is described in glowing terms...Exodus 25v1-7,Materials of the highest quality from the offerings of the entire congregation, who brought so much they had to be restrained (36v4-7); constructed with skill, Divinely given-31vs3,v6, and built to perfection, Exodus 31v4-5 "...all manner of workmanship"; 31v4 "...to devise cunning works in gold" etc. The tabernacle was built to exact specification as God had instructed Moses (chapters 39-40), and the Divine approval came in person as the glory of God descended and filled the tabernacle (40v34).

God rested at creation in Genesis 2, and He sat amongst His people in Exodus 40.  In uniting these two portions together we find the biblical principle of the Sabbath illustrated.  Why did God place so much importance on it, even under the threat of capital punishment?  What does the Sabbath mean for today?  We have to ask this for Sabbatharianism is not dead in religious circles, and has caused much confusion and conflict.  In the immediate context of Exodus 31, the Sabbath is emphasised in the context of a 9 month intricate work project where the workers were reminded to curtail their work to six days, and to rest on the seventh.  God did not need to rest because He was weary, for "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps"-Psalm 121v4; also Isaiah 40v28 "The everlasting God, the Lord, Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary".  He could have made the universe in seven days or even hours, but He knew we needed rest, we needed a break from work if we were to perform to our best, so He established the principle of rest.  Behind this day of rest in seven, is a wonderful design that presents the true meaning of the Sabbath, and it is this:  GOD RESTED UPON A FINISHED WORK!! and He wants His people to observe that constantly.  Genesis 2v2-3 proves it, as does Exodus 40v33-34, as does Hebrews 4v1-11.  The principle of the Sabbath is that God rested on the finished work of Christ, and we are to rest on that with Him.  Interpreting Hebrews 4, we note it is "His rest"-God's rest, 4v1, v3, v5, v9.  He rested by ceasing from His work, and we rest by ceasing from works-our own efforts and abilities.  God rests on the finished work and so must we.  Hebrews 4 remarks that Israel did not enter into rest because of unbelief, and there remains opportunity for all who will believe.  Christ has declared the work is finished on the cross, and there we must rest.  The Sabbath was never intended to be a religious burden imposed by men, as it has become, resulting in all kinds of rules and regulations, not of God.  Our Lord remonstrated with the Pharisees of His day-Mark 2v27 "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"!  It was for the benefit of man, not to place a burden on him.  This is the Lord interpreting His own instruction to the nation.  They had made it a religious stick with which to beat people and bring them under their control.  At the same time they rejected the one of whom the Sabbath speaks. There is no demand to Christians to rest for one day in a week, although by design it is beneficial.  We rest on the finished work of Christ and we do it every day of the week!  Our rest is God's rest, and it is awesome in its reality.  Six days, there was evening and morning, light and darkness in Genesis 1; in Genesis 2 there is only day without a night!  God's rest is the eternal Sabbath based on His finished work.  As outlined in Daniel 9v24, based on the work of Messiah Prince, "to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the most holy".  This is God's rest, this is our rest; the weekly Sabbath, if still practised by some is only symbolic.  With some, Sunday is the new Sabbath, but there is no basis for this in scripture.  God rests in Christ who "has brought life and immortality to light in the gospel".  He is rest for the weary for the burdened, for the downcast, as He said in Matthew 11 in that great invitation in verses 28-30:

COME UNTO ME, all ye that labour 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 in heart: and ye shall find REST UNTO YOUR SOULS.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light".

In that great chapter Leviticus 23, which outlines the prophetic programme of the work of Christ, in the seven feasts (or appointed seasons) of the Lord, from the Passover to the Tabernacles, the script begins and ends with a Sabbath of rest.  This is so important to God that Christ in His death will bring in eternal rest.  In the words of Isaiah 32v17, "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever."

*Footnote  Israel settled in Sinai 3 months after the Passover in Egypt Exodus 16v1; Moses spent 40 days in the mountain to receive the pattern for the tabernacle-thus 4 months after Passover they had the pattern; the tabernacle was erected in the first month of the second year out of Egypt.  Therefore from conception to construction was 9 months.*