Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion

The Superiority of Christ Part 1 of 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-02

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver introduces a four-part series on the Sabbath issue, emphasizing the superiority of Christ over all Old Testament figures and institutions. He warns against a Pharisaical mentality in interpreting the Sabbath and begins by examining the creation Sabbath from Genesis 2, showing that God's rest was a rest of satisfaction and completion, not weariness. The ultimate rest is found only through faith and obedience in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. I'm going to begin a message today which in all probability is going to extend at least into four messages. I might can finish it in three but I rather doubt it. So we're going to read Hebrews chapter 4 verses 1 through 10. The message, the message is entitled the superiority of Christ. Look at Hebrews chapter four, verse one, let us therefore fear.

[John Weaver] Let us promise less to 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 have, we who have believed to 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 a 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 you will hear his voice, harden, not your hearts for if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not have afterwards have spoken of another day.

[John Weaver] There remain is therefore rest to the people of God for he that has entered into his rest. He also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. The message is on the superiority of Christ and my plans by the grace of God and him willing for the next four Sundays, I'm going to be trying to deal with what is known as simply the Sabbath issue. I'm going to show you three points from scripture. We're going to consider the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, and then the Christian Sabbath. The issue of the Sabbath has plagued many people. Many have reached various and sundry conclusions concerning the Sabbath day or Sabbath days. And I am sure that probably with the brief study that I'm going to do in four messages, I will not convince anyone who does not want to be convinced or whose mind is already made up or someone who've just drawn their own conclusions and are just unwilling to listen or unwilling to change. The problem that you have in discussing the Sabbath is simply this.

[John Weaver] There are so many different views from individuals who regard different days and different times and they even differ as to when a Sabbath would begin and when it would end. Yet some who hold certain opinions will condemn all others who disagree with them. In fact, There are some that hold their positions so dogmatically, they believe and teach that anyone who worships on Sunday is lost and is of the devil. In fact, if you're traveling north on I-75, after 475 and 75 comes together, you will see a big billboard on the left condemning all Sunday worship and saying, anyone who worships on Sunday is of the devil. Just that plainly stated. So, on the other hand, there are some who are a bit more gracious than that and give a little leeway and say, well, you may be saved if you do worship on Sunday. But they too usually have gone into Phariseeism, into legalism, in their interpretation and in their application of the Sabbath. In other words, basically what they come down to is this, they demand that you worship in their way on their day.

[John Weaver] And if you don't worship in their way and on their day, then there's no way that you could possibly be right with God. In other words, you're just simply under the judgment of God. That simple. You've got to remember, that man is always a creature of extremes. It is hard, it is difficult sometimes to go down the middle of the road, and when I say the middle of the road, I mean by avoiding the ditches and the pitfalls on each side of the road. We always have a tendency to swing from one extreme to the other.

[John Weaver] There has to be a cautious concern when you begin to study the issue of the Sabbath. Just like there has to be a cautious concern whenever you begin a study on any doctrine in the Bible, especially those doctrines where good men disagree.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something folks, I've preached, I've preached for 44 years. There are still a lot of things that I do not know. The man under whom I learned a great deal. He personally had taught the Bible for over 50 years. That did not include his own personal study. That did not include his own education. I'm just simply saying, you're going to have areas where you find that good men disagree because the Bible is not necessarily clear dogmatically on certain issues.

[John Weaver] For instance, if you take eschatology. Why in the world do you think you have amillennialism, postmillennialism, historic premillennialism, and dispensational premillennialism? And the answer is because men disagree on when Christ is returning. The interesting thing is this, all four of those positions believe and teach that Jesus Christ is coming back literally, visibly, and bodily. They just disagree as to when and how He's returning. And yet there are people who will fight you tooth and toenail if you do not agree with them on their eschatological position. In fact, I've been in churches where if you held to a different eschatological position than they did, they would certainly never allow you to teach or to preach in their church.

[John Weaver] All I'm trying to say is this, you have to avoid at all cost a Pharisaic mentality. It was Saint Augustine who came up with this little bit of interesting, gracious wisdom. He said, in essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. And it's hard sometimes to be charitable and gracious and kind to people who disagree with you, especially when you're very dogmatic on some particular issue.

[John Weaver] Now I'm not talking about areas where the Bible is plain. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the deity of Jesus Christ. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the infallibility of the Scripture. I'll just tell them very plainly, you're wrong. But there are areas in which good men disagree. So what do I mean when I say you have to be cautious that you do not develop a pharisaical mentality? Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look back in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12 and let's begin there with verse 1. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 1. Let me show you how far the Pharisees went. Matthew chapter 12 beginning with verse 1. Watch carefully. Matthew 12 verse 1. At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn. And His disciples were hungry, and He began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] And He said unto them, Have you not read what David did when he was a hungred? And that they that were with him, how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priest? Or have you not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profaned the Sabbath and are blameless? But I say unto you, that in this place is one that is greater than the temple.

[John Weaver] But if you had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

[John Weaver] Now, the Pharisees were so Pharisaical, they were even condemning Jesus Christ. Why? Because He did not follow their interpretation and their application of the Sabbath laws. In fact, if you will look in Matthew chapter 15, you will find that the Pharisaical interpretation and the Pharisaical application of the Sabbath was even contrary to the law of God. Matthew 15, Then came Jesus to Jesus' tribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?

[John Weaver] For they wash not their hands when they eat bread. By the way, let me remind you, this was not a sanitation issue. This was a ceremony that the Jews were involved in. It was ceremonial, had nothing to do with sanitation. So why do thy disciples wash not their hands before they eat bread? But he answered and said unto them, why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded saying, honor thy father, thy mother, and he that curseth father and mother, let him die of the death. But you say, whosoever shall say to his father, his mother, it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father and his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

[John Weaver] You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, this people draw nigh unto me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. So here the Pharisees then had their own interpretation of what the Sabbath day was. And they held to that interpretation. to such an extent they were not only willing to condemn Christ and His disciples, they were also willing to hold their interpretation and their application even when it contradicted the plain law of God.

[John Weaver] So that is what I mean when I say you have to beware of a pharisaical, literally misinterpretation and misapplication of scriptures. Now, we're going to do what I'm going to call a cursory study of the Sabbaths. We're not going to spend 15 weeks on the issue. We will spend about four. And I'm going to show you numerous principles from the Word of God, and I hope from these principles and the multitude of scriptures that I'm going to show you, that you will be able to draw for yourself the biblical conclusion and you can see what the Bible really genuinely teaches concerning the Sabbath.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn back to the book of Hebrews because Hebrews chapter 4 is going to be our main text. I will not be expounding this text today. I am going to take a verse and go back to the Old Testament and show you how that verse is to be interpreted and applied. But first of all, let me just try to give you an overall understanding of the book of Hebrews.

[John Weaver] Remember I told you that the title of this message is the superiority of Christ. The book of Hebrews was written to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is superior in every way. For instance, without me reading these verses, you can jot them down, you can look at them later. But in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 3, The Bible teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the prophets. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the Old Testament. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the New Testament. The Bible says very plainly that God has spoken fully, finally, totally, completely in these last days by His Son, Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the angels. He says, for which, unto which of the angels did he say, Thou art my beloved son, this day have I begotten thee? To none of them. So Jesus Christ is not only superior to the prophets, Jesus Christ is superior to the angels.

[John Weaver] Hebrews 3, chapter 3, and I'll go over this momentarily. But Hebrews chapter 3 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Moses. Hebrews chapter 4 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Joshua. Hebrews chapter 5 teaches the superiority of Christ over Aaron, the high priest.

[John Weaver] Now let me just spell it out for you like this. There is no man nor any group of men that are superior to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets, to all the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. There is no ordinance. There is no ceremony. There is no festival. There is no day over which Jesus Christ is not superior. Jesus Christ is superior in every way, in every detail. That is why, and you will hear me quote this several times, Colossians 1 in verse 18 says this concerning Christ.

[John Weaver] And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence. In all things He might have the preeminence. So Jesus Christ then is presented in the book of Hebrews as better than anyone and anything. In fact, one of the key words in the book of Hebrews is the word better. Just showing you that Jesus Christ is better. For instance, look in Hebrews 1 and verse 4. Hebrews 1, verse 4. We're talking about Christ being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. So Christ is better than the angels. If you look in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9, talking about those who have truly, savingly believed in Jesus Christ, the Bible says in Hebrews 6 and verse 9, But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. Why?

[John Weaver] Why are God's people supposed to be better than the Old Testament saints? Let me tell you why. Because they had the types, they had the emblems, they had the pictures. We have the reality. Look in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 7. Without me explaining all of these verses, I'm just trying to demonstrate the word better. And without all controversy or all contradiction, the less is blessed of the better. Look, if you would, in verse 19. Hebrews chapter 7.

[John Weaver] For the law made nothing perfect. Isn't that interesting? For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. Jesus Christ is talked about as the better hope. We don't draw nigh unto God through the law. We draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ. Look, if you would, in verse 22, Hebrews chapter 7. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament or a better covenant. Look at Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6. Now the Bible says, But now hath He, that is Christ, obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. Well, Jesus Christ is the better mediator, better than Moses. He has a better covenant, which has better promises. Look if you would in Hebrews 9 in verse 23, just showing you the word better.

[John Weaver] It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these, that is with the animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Jesus Christ was far superior to all of those sacrifices in the Old Testament. Look in Hebrews 10 and verse 34 if you would. Hebrews 10 verse 34. He says, For you had compassion on me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. Had you rather spend 70 years in Canaan land or eternity with our Lord in heaven I'd say that tends to be a little better look in Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 16 Here the Bible says but now they desire a better country that is a heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he is prepared for them a city Look in Hebrews 11 verse 35 just the word better Women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And then if you look in Hebrews 12 and verse 24, And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. I hope as you read through the book of Hebrews, And you underline the word better that you're getting the idea that everything that we have in Jesus Christ and everything about Christ is better than what they had in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] Jesus Christ is superior. Now, the Old Covenant was glorious. How do I know that the Old Covenant was glorious? Because the Bible says it was. But the New Covenant, the New Testament, is more glorious. How do I know that? Because of the Bible. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And I want you to note, if you would please, these words. Because here is a comparison, and I have preached on this passage, in fact, 7 or 8 messages, I think, on the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant. But notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 3, verses 7 and 8, because now the Bible is comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 7.

[John Weaver] He says, But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, that's when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly Behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather or more glorious? Now you remember when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.

[John Weaver] He came down off the mount. His face shone so much that the children of Israel could not look upon it. And Moses had to put a veil upon his face as he spoke to the children of Israel. But when he went back in the tabernacle to talk with God, he took the veil off. Now I want you to look at verse 7. Please watch this. But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, and it was, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, look at this next phrase, which glory was to be done away? The glory of the Old Testament is to fade away. Does that mean the Old Testament is not the word of God? No. Does that mean that we don't preach from the Old Testament? No. Does that mean there are no applications from the Old Testament? No. Well, but it says the glory was to be done away with. How? Watch this. He said, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit, that is that of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, be rather or more glorious.

[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 10. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that exceleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. How is the Old Testament glory done away? It is absorbed and excelled by the glory that we now have. In other words, the glory of the Old Testament is nothing compared to the glory of the New Testament. Let me put it like this, the prophets, the ceremonies, the rituals, the festivals, the days, none of this can equal the glory that we have in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] That's exactly what he's saying. So the glory of the old faded away in the sense that it was so excelled by that which we have in the new.

[John Weaver] Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. And I want to very quickly read down to verse 7. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partaker of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Inasmuch as he who hath built the house hath more honor than the house. For every house is built by some man, but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things, which were to be spoken after, but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house we are. If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing, the hope from into the end, wherefore is the Holy ghost set today.

[John Weaver] If you will hear his voice, hard not your hearts as in the provocation of the day of temptation in the wilderness now in order. to understand the argument in chapter 4, you must really understand chapter 3, because chapter 3 is where the author begins his argument. I want you to look at verse 1. Wherefore, holy brethren, he's talking to us, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. He didn't say consider Moses. He didn't say consider Aaron. He didn't say consider the Old Testament prophets. He said you consider the Apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus Christ. Remember the passage that I quoted earlier Colossians in 1 verse 18? That in all things he Christ. might have the preeminence. Jesus Christ far exceeds the superiority of Moses. Moses was superior in the Old Testament.

[John Weaver] There's no two ways about that. But in the New Testament, Christ so far excels and exceeds Moses that Moses is properly buried. Let me give you a quote. The quote is by A.W. Pink and he's commenting on Hebrews chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. Here's what he says. But Christ as a son over his own house. Here's the final proof that Christ is counted worthy of more glory than Moses. The proof presented in this passage of our Lord's immeasurable superiority are seven in number and may be set forth thus. Moses was an apostle, Christ the apostle. Moses was a member of a house. Christ was the builder of one. Moses was connected with a single house. But Christ built all things, being the creator of the universe. Moses was a man. Jesus Christ is God. Moses was but a servant. Christ is the Son. Moses was a testimony of things to be spoken after. Christ supplied the substance and fulfillment of what Moses witnessed to. Moses was but a servant in the house of Jehovah.

[John Weaver] Christ was a son over his own house. And then he quotes John Owen. The Puritan Owen quaintly said, Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses, but treats not about him any more, and therefore he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial. He puts this glorious epitaph on His grave. Moses, a faithful servant of the Lord in His whole house. And that's true. After you read this in Hebrews chapter 3, the rest of the book of Hebrews is all about Christ and His superiority. Now listen, Christ did indeed build His house. He is building His house.

[John Weaver] You remember the Bible says in Ephesians 2 and verse 10 that we are His workmanship. created in Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2 and verses 20 through 22, that we are built of a holy temple unto the Lord Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. If you look in Hebrews 3 and verse 6, the Bible says, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are. So Christ is indeed building his house now the interesting thing is this when you get down to verse 7 and verse 8 particularly in fact you could say down through verse 9 the author of the book of Hebrews is now quoting from Psalm 95 verses 7 through 11 I want you to hold Hebrews 3 but turn back to Psalm 95. I'm not going to be developing Psalm 95 today. I'm going to mention it.

[John Weaver] It will be developed and applied later on in this brief series. But notice if you would, Psalm 95 beginning there with verse 7. Psalm 95 verse 7, For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation and 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 the people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways, unto whom I swear in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. Now go back to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost said, Today, if you 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, and proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart.

[John Weaver] They have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. And I'm not going to develop this thought today. It will be developed far more next Sunday. But what rest was God talking about? It had to be the Canaan rest, or the Canaan Sabbath, because He's talking about bringing these people out of Egypt. And by the way, the promised land in Deuteronomy 12 in verse 9, in 1 Chronicles 23 verse 25, And in Psalm 132 and verse 14 is indeed called a rest. Now, ask yourself this question. Was the promised land to which David is referring, was that promised land the true rest or was it merely a picture of that which was to come?

[John Weaver] Now the Hebrew word for rest literally refers here to a rest or a resting place, a place of ease and quietness. When you get to Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 11, the Greek word once again just simply refers to a resting place.

[John Weaver] Now it is true that metaphorically the word sometime is used to refer to the blessedness in which God dwells, but in the context he is talking about the promised land. Now I'm not going to deal Will the Canaan rest today? That'll come next week. But look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. And notice if you would please. He said in verse 4, For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all of his works. And in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest.

[John Weaver] Now, there's a combination here. of the Canaan rest and the creation rest. I'm going to separate them so we can deal with them one at a time. Verse 4 primarily deals with what you and I would call the creation Sabbath. Verse 4, 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. Everyone knows that is the creation Sabbath.

[John Weaver] Hold Hebrews 4 but turn in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter two. And let's go there and consider the creation Sabbath. I want you to look at this Genesis chapter two, and let's read the first three verses. Genesis chapter two, verses one, two, and three. Genesis two, thus the heaven and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day, God ended his work, which he had made. And he rested on the seventh day from all of his work, which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that entity had rested from all of his work, which God created and made. Now I want you to note this seventh day is a celebration of God's creation. You say, but now brother Weaver in This passage, it is called the seventh day and not the Sabbath. I understand. But if you would hold Genesis two and look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11, you will see that it is also called the Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] Notice if you would. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

[John Weaver] Now, if you'll look back at Genesis chapter two, the second chapter of Genesis begins with these words, thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. The very next thing that we read about is the institution of the Sabbath rest. In other words, to institute the Sabbath rest was God's first act after he had created the world, made it fit for human habitation.

[John Weaver] There are a number of truths that have to be pointed out. Mark this down. The primal or the original Sabbath was a rest day. That is emphasized in this verse by repetition. For instance, look at it, verse 2. 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. So he rested on the seventh day He ended his work. Therefore, the prime element in the Sabbath is rest. And I don't care if you study the creation Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath. And once we come to the Christian Sabbath, you're still going to find that the basic principle is rest. It is not worship. It is rest.

[John Weaver] Now, stronger language is used in Exodus 31. I want you to look there. Hold Genesis 2, but look in Exodus 31 and verse 17. Exodus 31, verse 17. Look what God says concerning the Sabbaths. He said, It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, And on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.

[John Weaver] Now I've got some questions and I hope you can answer them. If you can't, I will attempt to answer them for you. What in the world does scripture mean when it says that God rested?

[John Weaver] Another question intimately connected Well, the first question is, what are we to learn and apply from the fact that God rested? When the scripture says that God rested, obviously, the word does not imply inertia. When you use the word inertia, it means basically lifelessness, dullness, drowsiness, the inability to function. much like your teenagers when they stay out too late or, you know, don't get enough sleep. That's inertia. I don't feel like getting up. I don't feel like eating. I don't feel like, you know, that's inertia. Very obviously, that cannot be applied to God. God did not shut down, so to speak, after He created the world. Moreover, you cannot say that God was tired, weary, or exhausted.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and verse 28. Isaiah 40, verse 28. Watch carefully. I'm trying to tell you that the Bible says that God rested, but that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, worn out, weary, and exhausted. Isaiah 40 and verse 28, look at what the Bible says concerning God. God says this, Isaiah 40 verse 28, Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard? That the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary.

[John Weaver] There is no searching of his understanding. So God was not tired. God was not weary. God was not exhausted. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 121 verse 3, He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. He that keepeth thee will not slumber. God does not need sleep. God does not sleep. So when the Bible says that God rested, we can obviously state that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, weary, overworked, exhausted, and tired out.

[John Weaver] How do we interpret this? What does it mean when it says that God rested? I believe that there are several answers to that question. First, we could say initially that His rest was a rest of complacency. Now when I say a rest of complacency, I'm not using the word the way we use it today. If I said that Doc is complacent, Today, that means that he's apathetic. He's not willing to do anything. He's, you know, he's sorry. That would be a good word. But that's not what the word complacent is used here. That's not how it's used. The word complacent means satisfied.

[John Weaver] For instance, look in your Bible. So Genesis 1 in verse 31. When we talk about the rest of complacency, we're talking about the rest of satisfaction. And Genesis 1 in verse 31, the Bible says this, And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made. What does it mean when it says God rested? God was absolutely, totally satisfied and delighted in everything that He created.

[John Weaver] It was just the way He ordained it. It was perfect and it was made for His honor and His glory. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, you will see that spelled out very plainly. Revelation 4 and verse 11, Notice how our Lord is praised. Revelation 4 verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. Why? For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

[John Weaver] So what does it mean when it says that God rested? First of all, it means it was a rest of complacency. It was a rest of satisfaction. God was pleased with what He had done.

[John Weaver] Secondly, we could say that when God ended His work and rested, it was an indication that His accomplishment or His undertaking was accomplished, that it was finished. God finished what He ordained to do. His work ended, therefore He rested. It implies that God's working in creation was of a reasonable kind. It was not aimless. It was not pointless. For instance, if I endeavor to build a barn, say a 20 by 40, and I work hard at building that barn, I have my plans drawn up. I build that barn according to those plans. When I get through with that barn, do I keep working on that barn? The answer is no. I've worked reasonably. I had an aim. I had a purpose. It was accomplished.

[John Weaver] I sit back and rest in it. Now, so it means then that when God created the world, He had a specific end He had a specific purpose, He had a specific aim, and seeing it accomplished, He withholds then His creative energy. He doesn't create anymore. He rests. There's no more new worlds being created today. God created everything in six days. No need to keep building. No need to keep creating. The rest does not necessarily imply that God did nothing. If you look in verse 2, And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. The Bible just simply is saying that God ceased with His creation. It does not say that He did not do a work of any other kind. He did work.

[John Weaver] How do we know that? Here's how we know that. If God had ceased totally, absolutely, completely, what would have happened to His creation? It would have been gone. We know that He continued to work providentially because the Bible says in Hebrews that He upholds all things by the word of His power. Have you not ever read Psalm 104? The Bible says that all creatures wait upon Him. If God withholds His hands, they have nothing. They die. God did work in the sense that He continued His providential dealings, upholding all things by the word of His power and supplying the needs of His creatures.

[John Weaver] Do you remember what our Lord said in John 5 in verse 17? He said it like this, My Father worketh hitherto and I work. In other words, the Bible clearly teaches, and I'm not getting into this right now, but the Bible clearly teaches that there is indeed lawful work to be done on Sabbath days. Our Lord said Himself, wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days, Matthew 12 and verse 12. You know the story how our Lord said, you can lead your ox away to water.

[John Weaver] You can supply food for it. That's work. You can heal on the Sabbath days. That's work. So, when the Bible says that God rested, that does not mean that he did not function in other spheres as well. Secondly, as you look back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter two, the primal or the original Sabbath was blessed by God. Look in verse three and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it, he had rested from all of his work, which God created and made.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to understand this. It's important to understand that the reason why God blessed the Sabbath day was not because it was the Sabbath day. There's nothing special about the Sabbath day. God did not bless the Sabbath day because it was the Sabbath day. God blessed the Sabbath day because in it He rested. Therefore, when the Sabbath law was written upon the tables of stone, it did not say, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. but remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Again, the Bible does not say he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. No, he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. How did God hallow the Sabbath day? The Sabbath was hallowed by God by resting in it and blessing it.

[John Weaver] Undoubtedly, there is indeed an application of this truth for our benefit. There is nothing wrong with each of us taking a day of rest. We have to understand that a Sabbath rest is not to be a hindrance, but a help. It is not to be a burden, but a blessing. And I'm going to tell you something. Believe me or not, but the older you get, The more you find out you are not God, the more you find out you are flesh and blood, and you need to rest.

[John Weaver] Young people think they can go forever and live forever. It doesn't work like that when you get older, I can assure you. There's nothing wrong with that. I want to give you some quotes. This quote is by Patrick Fairbairn. Patrick Fairbairn has written extensively on the Old Testament. And he said this, now I want you to think about this. Having appointed it to a distinctive end, talking about the Sabbath. Having appointed it to a distinctive end, he conferred on it a distinctive character that its creature man might from time to time be doing in his line of things what the creator had already done in his own might after six successive days of work.

[John Weaver] Take one to reinvigorate his frame, to reflect calmly upon his past, and view the part he has taken and the relations he occupies on the outward invisible theater of this world in light of the spiritual and the eternal. It was to be his calling and his destiny on earth not simply to work, but to work as a reasonable and moral being after the example of his maker for specific ends. For this, he needed seasons of quiet and repose and thoughtful considerations, not less than time and opportunity for active labor as otherwise, he could neither properly enjoy the work of his hands nor obtain the higher part of his nature that nobler good which is required to satisfy it.

[John Weaver] Now this is what he's saying. Man is to work like God. He's to work purposefully, deliberately, and then he's to stop and to rest in what he has done, consider what he has done, and consider his time as compared to eternity. Consider that all of his labor here is basically for his own mouth, and then he's going to die and be gone. And if he only makes preparation for this life, he's in trouble.

[John Weaver] Now, our Lord said it very explicitly in Mark 2 in verse 27. We're not turning there, but here's what our Lord said. The Sabbath was made for man. not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man, so that we could rest, that we could repose after our Lord. Now, we're talking about the creation Sabbath. Listen carefully, and I'm going to prove this, I hope, to you biblically next Lord's Day. But listen, we cannot force, nor can we make, God's creation Sabbath commensurate equal to our Saturday, the seventh day of our week. In order to grasp the significance of the creation Sabbath, we need to understand first and foremost, it was God's rest. In it, God rested. Why did God rest and bless the Sabbath day calling it a Sabbath? Because in it He rested. It was God's rest in celebration of creation. Now listen, there is absolutely no way to determine from the Bible There is no way to determine on which day God rested. You say, well, the Bible says He rested on the Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] Yes, He did. But which day did He start work on? You've got to remember back then, there were no days of the week. Yes, there was a day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six. Yes, there were six days. But God didn't start Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then rest on... The Bible doesn't say that. Now, if you want to say that that's what you believe, that's one thing. But when you try to bind my conscience to what you believe, that's quite another thing. There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday. There were no names for the days at creation with the exception of numbers. Now, I want to give you a quote from Fairbairn again, then I want to point something out from the Bible. Listen to what Fairbairn said. God, therefore, when he had finished the work of creation by making man, sanctified the seventh day, his own seventh, but man's first.

[John Weaver] For man had not first to work and then to reap, but as God's vicegerent, nature's king, and high priest, with the Sabbath begins the sacred history of man, the day on which he stood forth to bless God, and in company with Eve, entered into his divine calling on earth." Are you listening to me? What day was man created on? Help me out. He was created on what day? The sixth day. The sixth day. What was the next day? the seventh day that God blessed.

[John Weaver] How was Adam to start his week? By resting. Worshipping God the first day of his week. He started with the Sabbath. Now whether or not Adam kept that Sabbath, I don't know. Arthur W. Pink gives a very vivid argument that Adam was created on the 6th day and before the 7th he was a sinner, before the 7th was over. And his main point is that in Colossians 1 verse 18 that in all things Christ must have the preeminence. That means that Christ is the only one who ever kept the Sabbath perfectly.

[John Weaver] But I'm simply pointing out, notice if you would, it is God's rest. And Adam then was to begin his week, his time on earth in God's rest. So man then began his week with a day of rest. God's Sabbath was man's first day.

[John Weaver] Now, the scripture begins and ends with the rest of God. Are you listening? Adam failed to keep God's rest and he was driven from the garden. He was unable to abide in God's rest. Why? Help me out now. Because of his unbelief. Why did Adam not stay in the garden? He did not believe God. He believed the serpent. He believed the serpent. And they disobeyed God. And God drove them out of the garden.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you a question. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, did they enter into the promised land? No. No, no, no. Go in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I want you to watch this. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, then we'll go to the book of Hebrews. Notice if you would. First Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading there verse one. Look what the Bible says.

[John Weaver] Moreover, brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that our fathers, all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea. And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and the sea. And did all drink the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them. That rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased.

[John Weaver] For they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things, they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as some of them were, as it's written, as people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell in one day, twenty and three thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of the serpents. Neither murmur you, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world come.

[John Weaver] Now watch if you would, this is very Very informative. Verse 5, talking about these men that came out of Egypt. But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Wow. With many of them God was not well pleased? Would you care to tell me how many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into the Promised Land? two. Joshua, but with many of them, all of them with the exception of two. God overthrew them in the wilderness. Now why did God overthrow them in the wilderness?

[John Weaver] Go in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Watch this carefully. Let us therefore fear lest the 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 who 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."

[John Weaver] Whoa, whoa, wait a minute now. Did you just hear what I read? He said, the reason these people did not enter into God's rest was because of unbelief. The rest, the works, were finished from the foundation of the world, therefore the rest was already there. The rest was there when Adam was created, but Adam didn't abide in that rest. God then gave a Canaan rest, and the people did not go into that because of their unbelief, their sins, and their rebellion. And the few that did get into Canaan land, after a few short years, guess what? God cast them out too. Why? Because of their unbelief. Because of their sin. Because of their rebellion. Listen to me carefully. To enter into God's rest, requires faith and obedience. To enter into God's rest is not an observance of ceremonies and rituals and days and months. People did that in the Old Testament and God condemned them.

[John Weaver] If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, look in Amos, Amos chapter 5. Notice please, Amos chapter 5. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look in Amos chapter 5 and let's begin reading there verse 21. You see folks, you can observe days and months and years. You can observe ceremonies and rituals down the line. Doesn't mean a thing if there is no real genuine faith and obedience. Look in Amos chapter 5 verse 21. Look what God says to Israel. Here's what he says, Amos 5 verse 1, I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

[John Weaver] Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meal offerings, I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beast. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy vows." Now, wait a minute. Did not God ordain the feast days? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the Sabbaths? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the sacrifices? Yes, He did. But now God is looking at these people and says, I hate them. I won't have them. They turn my stomach.

[John Weaver] I will not have them. Why? Skip down, verse 24. He says, but let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness, forty years, O house of Israel? But you have borne the tabernacles of your Moloch, and shew in your images the star of your God, which you made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts. Here's what they did.

[John Weaver] They kept all the days, they kept all the rituals, they did it ceremonially. But at the same time, They were worshiping false gods. There was no faith. There was no obedience. Days and ceremonies and rituals are worthless without faith.

[John Weaver] Now, I told you and I'm going to prove it before I finish this brief series. The Bible starts and ends with rest. But in order to rest, In the sovereign God of heaven and earth, there must be faith and there must be obedience. One last passage. I want you to turn back to Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. Look what God says. Isaiah 57 and verses 20 and 21. Isaiah 57, verse 20 and 21.

[John Weaver] But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose water cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." What are the wicked like? They're like the troubled sea which cannot rest. The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself and Jesus Christ. If you rest in Him, you rest in His works, not yours. His obedience, not yours. It is true we must be obedient. It is true we must have faith. But let me tell you something folks, my little sniveling, partial obedience that I give to the law of God could never, under any circumstances, save me. Why? Because if you violate the law on one point, you're what? Guilty of all. I have to have a perfect obedience. And that perfect obedience can only be found in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Even in the Old Testament, there is no Israelite, there is no Old Testament Hebrew that kept God's law perfectly. They did not keep God's Sabbaths perfectly. They did not keep God's festivals perfectly. And God judged them because of it. The only rest is the rest of God, which we find in Jesus Christ, who is superior to the prophets, to the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. He's superior to anyone and anything, because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. And it was Christ who said, which I will quote later, Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you what? Rest. And you shall find peace for your souls. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray that You would help us to understand, open our eyes, open our intellect, grab us, Lord, by Your power and by Your Spirit, and give us, Lord, the ability to perceive, to see, and to comprehend the truths of thy word.

[John Weaver] Teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. In Christ's name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

The Superiority of Christ Part 1 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	zFA1ywuhjGY
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	86

Formatted Transcript

Introduction to the Sabbath Issue

Weaver introduces the topic of the Sabbath, noting the many conflicting views and the danger of legalism. He emphasizes the need for caution and charity in studying doctrines where good men disagree.

I want you to open your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. I'm going to begin a message today which in all probability is going to extend at least into four messages. I might can finish it in three but I rather doubt it. So we're going to read Hebrews chapter 4 verses 1 through 10. The message is entitled "The Superiority of Christ." Look at Hebrews chapter 4, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:1-10

"Let us therefore fear." "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 limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus 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." The message is on the superiority of Christ, and my plans, by the grace of God and Him willing, for the next four Sundays, I'm going to be trying to deal with what is known as simply the Sabbath issue. I'm going to show you three points from Scripture. We're going to consider the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, and then the Christian Sabbath. The issue of the Sabbath has plagued many people. Many have reached various and sundry conclusions concerning the Sabbath day or Sabbath days. And I am sure that probably with the brief study that I'm going to do in four messages, I will not convince anyone who does not want to be convinced or whose mind is already made up or someone who's just drawn their own conclusions and are just unwilling to listen or unwilling to change. The problem that you have in discussing the Sabbath is simply this.

There are so many different views from individuals who regard different days and different times, and they even differ as to when a Sabbath would begin and when it would end. Yet some who hold certain opinions will condemn all others who disagree with them. In fact, there are some that hold their positions so dogmatically, they believe and teach that anyone who worships on Sunday is lost and is of the devil. In fact, if you're traveling north on I-75, after 475 and 75 comes together, you will see a big billboard on the left condemning all Sunday worship and saying, anyone who worships on Sunday is of the devil. Just that plainly stated. So, on the other hand, there are some who are a bit more gracious than that and give a little leeway and say, well, you may be saved if you do worship on Sunday. But they too usually have gone into Phariseeism, into legalism, in their interpretation and in their application of the Sabbath. In other words, basically what they come down to is this: they demand that you worship in their way on their day.

And if you don't worship in their way and on their day, then there's no way that you could possibly be right with God. In other words, you're just simply under the judgment of God. That simple. You've got to remember that man is always a creature of extremes. It is hard, it is difficult sometimes to go down the middle of the road, and when I say the middle of the road, I mean by avoiding the ditches and the pitfalls on each side of the road. We always have a tendency to swing from one extreme to the other.

There has to be a cautious concern when you begin to study the issue of the Sabbath. Just like there has to be a cautious concern whenever you begin a study on any doctrine in the Bible, especially those doctrines where good men disagree. Now let me tell you something, folks. I've preached for 44 years. There are still a lot of things that I do not know. The man under whom I learned a great deal, he personally had taught the Bible for over 50 years. That did not include his own personal study. That did not include his own education. I'm just simply saying, you're going to have areas where you find that good men disagree because the Bible is not necessarily clear dogmatically on certain issues.

Warning Against Pharisaical Mentality

Using Matthew 12 and 15, Weaver illustrates how the Pharisees condemned Jesus for not following their Sabbath traditions, even when those traditions contradicted God's law. He stresses avoiding such an attitude.

For instance, if you take eschatology. Why in the world do you think you have amillennialism, postmillennialism, historic premillennialism, and dispensational premillennialism? And the answer is because men disagree on when Christ is returning. The interesting thing is this: all four of those positions believe and teach that Jesus Christ is coming back literally, visibly, and bodily. They just disagree as to when and how He's returning. And yet there are people who will fight you tooth and toenail if you do not agree with them on their eschatological position. In fact, I've been in churches where if you held to a different eschatological position than they did, they would certainly never allow you to teach or to preach in their church.

All I'm trying to say is this: you have to avoid at all cost a Pharisaic mentality. It was Saint Augustine who came up with this little bit of interesting, gracious wisdom. He said, "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity." And it's hard sometimes to be charitable and gracious and kind to people who disagree with you, especially when you're very dogmatic on some particular issue.

Now I'm not talking about areas where the Bible is plain. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the deity of Jesus Christ. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the infallibility of the Scripture. I'll just tell them very plainly, you're wrong. But there are areas in which good men disagree. So what do I mean when I say you have to be cautious that you do not develop a pharisaical mentality? Let me show you.

Look back in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12 and let's begin there with verse 1. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 1. Let me show you how far the Pharisees went. Matthew chapter 12 beginning with verse 1. Watch carefully. Matthew 12 verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."

"But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple." "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

Now, the Pharisees were so Pharisaical, they were even condemning Jesus Christ. Why? Because He did not follow their interpretation and their application of the Sabbath laws. In fact, if you will look in Matthew chapter 15, you will find that the Pharisaical interpretation and the Pharisaical application of the Sabbath was even contrary to the law of God. Matthew 15:

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?" "For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

By the way, let me remind you, this was not a sanitation issue. This was a ceremony that the Jews were involved in. It was ceremonial, had nothing to do with sanitation.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"Why do thy disciples wash not their hands before they eat bread? But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." So here the Pharisees then had their own interpretation of what the Sabbath day was. And they held to that interpretation to such an extent they were not only willing to condemn Christ and His disciples, they were also willing to hold their interpretation and their application even when it contradicted the plain law of God. So that is what I mean when I say you have to beware of a pharisaical, literally misinterpretation and misapplication of scriptures. Now, we're going to do what I'm going to call a cursory study of the Sabbaths. We're not going to spend 15 weeks on the issue. We will spend about four. And I'm going to show you numerous principles from the Word of God, and I hope from these principles and the multitude of scriptures that I'm going to show you, that you will be able to draw for yourself the biblical conclusion and you can see what the Bible really genuinely teaches concerning the Sabbath.

The Superiority of Christ in Hebrews

Weaver explains that the book of Hebrews demonstrates Christ's superiority over prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. The key word 'better' is used repeatedly to show that Christ and the New Covenant excel the Old.

Now, I want you to turn back to the book of Hebrews because Hebrews chapter 4 is going to be our main text. I will not be expounding this text today. I am going to take a verse and go back to the Old Testament and show you how that verse is to be interpreted and applied. But first of all, let me just try to give you an overall understanding of the book of Hebrews. Remember I told you that the title of this message is "The Superiority of Christ." The book of Hebrews was written to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is superior in every way. For instance, without me reading these verses, you can jot them down, you can look at them later. But in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 3, the Bible teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the prophets. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the Old Testament. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the New Testament. The Bible says very plainly that God has spoken fully, finally, totally, completely in these last days by His Son, Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the angels. He says, "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" To none of them. So Jesus Christ is not only superior to the prophets, Jesus Christ is superior to the angels.

Hebrews chapter 3, and I'll go over this momentarily, but Hebrews chapter 3 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Moses. Hebrews chapter 4 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Joshua. Hebrews chapter 5 teaches the superiority of Christ over Aaron, the high priest. Now let me just spell it out for you like this. There is no man nor any group of men that are superior to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets, to all the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. There is no ordinance. There is no ceremony. There is no festival. There is no day over which Jesus Christ is not superior. Jesus Christ is superior in every way, in every detail. That is why, and you will hear me quote this several times, Colossians 1 and verse 18 says this concerning Christ:

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." In all things He might have the preeminence. So Jesus Christ then is presented in the book of Hebrews as better than anyone and anything. In fact, one of the key words in the book of Hebrews is the word "better." Just showing you that Jesus Christ is better. For instance, look in Hebrews 1 and verse 4. Hebrews 1, verse 4: "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." So Christ is better than the angels. If you look in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9, talking about those who have truly, savingly believed in Jesus Christ, the Bible says in Hebrews 6 and verse 9: "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." Why?

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 1:4

Why are God's people supposed to be better than the Old Testament saints? Let me tell you why. Because they had the types, they had the emblems, they had the pictures. We have the reality. Look in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 7. Without me explaining all of these verses, I'm just trying to demonstrate the word "better." "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." Look, if you would, in verse 19. Hebrews chapter 7.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:19, 22

"For the law made nothing perfect."

Isn't that interesting?

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:19, 22

"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."

Jesus Christ is talked about as the better hope. We don't draw nigh unto God through the law. We draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ. Look, if you would, in verse 22, Hebrews chapter 7: "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." Or a better covenant. Look at Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6. Now the Bible says: "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." Well, Jesus Christ is the better mediator, better than Moses. He has a better covenant, which has better promises. Look if you would in Hebrews 9 in verse 23, just showing you the word "better."

"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these;" that is with the animal sacrifices, "but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Jesus Christ was far superior to all of those sacrifices in the Old Testament. Look in Hebrews 10 and verse 34 if you would. Hebrews 10 verse 34: "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." Let me ask you a question. Had you rather spend 70 years in Canaan land or eternity with our Lord in heaven? I'd say that tends to be a little better. Look in Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 16: "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." Look in Hebrews 11 verse 35, just the word "better": "Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection." And then if you look in Hebrews 12 and verse 24: "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." I hope as you read through the book of Hebrews and you underline the word "better" that you're getting the idea that everything that we have in Jesus Christ and everything about Christ is better than what they had in the Old Testament.

Jesus Christ is superior. Now, the Old Covenant was glorious. How do I know that the Old Covenant was glorious? Because the Bible says it was. But the New Covenant, the New Testament, is more glorious. How do I know that? Because of the Bible. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And I want you to note, if you would please, these words. Because here is a comparison, and I have preached on this passage, in fact, 7 or 8 messages, I think, on the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant. But notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 3, verses 7 and 8, because now the Bible is comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 7.

The Glory of the New Covenant

From 2 Corinthians 3, Weaver shows that the Old Covenant glory was real but is surpassed by the greater glory of the New Covenant in Christ. The old glory fades in comparison.

He says: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," that's when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, "so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" Now you remember when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. He came down off the mount. His face shone so much that the children of Israel could not look upon it. And Moses had to put a veil upon his face as he spoke to the children of Israel. But when he went back in the tabernacle to talk with God, he took the veil off. Now I want you to look at verse 7. Please watch this. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," and it was, "so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance;" look at this next phrase, "which glory was to be done away." The glory of the Old Testament is to fade away. Does that mean the Old Testament is not the word of God? No. Does that mean that we don't preach from the Old Testament? No. Does that mean there are no applications from the Old Testament? No. Well, but it says the glory was to be done away with. How? Watch this. He said, "How shall not the ministration of the spirit," that is that of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, "be rather glorious?"

Now skip down to verse 10: "For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." Now look what he said. How is the Old Testament glory done away? It is absorbed and excelled by the glory that we now have. In other words, the glory of the Old Testament is nothing compared to the glory of the New Testament. Let me put it like this: the prophets, the ceremonies, the rituals, the festivals, the days, none of this can equal the glory that we have in Jesus Christ.

That's exactly what he's saying. So the glory of the old faded away in the sense that it was so excelled by that which we have in the new.

Christ's Superiority Over Moses

Hebrews 3 is examined to show Christ as Son over His house, while Moses was a servant. Christ is worthy of more glory, and the author gives Moses an 'honorable burial' before focusing solely on Christ.

Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. And I want to very quickly read down to verse 7. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:1-7

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness)."

Now in order to understand the argument in chapter 4, you must really understand chapter 3, because chapter 3 is where the author begins his argument. I want you to look at verse 1: "Wherefore, holy brethren," he's talking to us,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:1-7

"partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."

He didn't say consider Moses. He didn't say consider Aaron. He didn't say consider the Old Testament prophets. He said you consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ. Remember the passage that I quoted earlier, Colossians 1 verse 18? "That in all things he might have the preeminence." Jesus Christ far exceeds the superiority of Moses. Moses was superior in the Old Testament.

There's no two ways about that. But in the New Testament, Christ so far excels and exceeds Moses that Moses is properly buried. Let me give you a quote. The quote is by A.W. Pink and he's commenting on Hebrews chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. Here's what he says: "But Christ as a son over his own house. Here's the final proof that Christ is counted worthy of more glory than Moses. The proofs presented in this passage of our Lord's immeasurable superiority are seven in number and may be set forth thus: Moses was an apostle, Christ the Apostle. Moses was a member of a house, Christ was the builder of one. Moses was connected with a single house, but Christ built all things, being the creator of the universe. Moses was a man, Jesus Christ is God. Moses was but a servant, Christ is the Son. Moses was a testimony of things to be spoken after, Christ supplied the substance and fulfillment of what Moses witnessed to. Moses was but a servant in the house of Jehovah."

"Christ was a son over his own house." And then he quotes John Owen. The Puritan Owen quaintly said, "Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses, but treats not about him any more, and therefore he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial. He puts this glorious epitaph on His grave: Moses, a faithful servant of the Lord in His whole house." And that's true. After you read this in Hebrews chapter 3, the rest of the book of Hebrews is all about Christ and His superiority. Now listen, Christ did indeed build His house. He is building His house.

The Rest of God in Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3-4

Weaver connects the rest spoken of in Psalm 95 (the Canaan rest) with Hebrews 3-4, noting that the Israelites failed to enter because of unbelief. The rest is a place of ease and quietness.

It will be developed and applied later on in this brief series. But notice if you would, Psalm 95 beginning there with verse 7. Psalm 95 verse 7:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 95:7-11

"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear 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."

Now go back to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 95:7-11

"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day 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 alway err in their heart."

"They have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest." Now let me ask you a question. And I'm not going to develop this thought today. It will be developed far more next Sunday. But what rest was God talking about? It had to be the Canaan rest, or the Canaan Sabbath, because He's talking about bringing these people out of Egypt. And by the way, the promised land in Deuteronomy 12 in verse 9, in 1 Chronicles 23 verse 25, and in Psalm 132 and verse 14 is indeed called a rest. Now, ask yourself this question: Was the promised land to which David is referring, was that promised land the true rest or was it merely a picture of that which was to come?

Now the Hebrew word for rest literally refers here to a rest or a resting place, a place of ease and quietness. When you get to Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 11, the Greek word once again just simply refers to a resting place. Now it is true that metaphorically the word sometime is used to refer to the blessedness in which God dwells, but in the context he is talking about the promised land. Now I'm not going to deal with the Canaan rest today; that'll come next week. But look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. And notice if you would please. He said in verse 4: "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."

Now, there's a combination here of the Canaan rest and the creation rest. I'm going to separate them so we can deal with them one at a time. Verse 4 primarily deals with what you and I would call the creation Sabbath. Verse 4: "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." Everyone knows that is the creation Sabbath.

The Creation Sabbath in Genesis 2

Weaver examines the creation Sabbath, emphasizing that God rested because He was satisfied with His completed work. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit, not as a burden.

Hold Hebrews 4 but turn in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 2. And let's go there and consider the creation Sabbath. I want you to look at this Genesis chapter 2, and let's read the first three verses. Genesis chapter 2, verses 1, 2, and 3. Genesis 2:

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:1-3

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

Now I want you to note this seventh day is a celebration of God's creation. You say,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:1-3

"But now brother Weaver, in this passage, it is called the seventh day and not the Sabbath."

I understand. But if you would hold Genesis 2 and look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11, you will see that it is also called the Sabbath day.

Notice if you would. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Now, if you'll look back at Genesis chapter 2, the second chapter of Genesis begins with these words: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." The very next thing that we read about is the institution of the Sabbath rest. In other words, to institute the Sabbath rest was God's first act after he had created the world, made it fit for human habitation.

There are a number of truths that have to be pointed out. Mark this down. The primal or the original Sabbath was a rest day. That is emphasized in this verse by repetition. For instance, look at it, verse 2: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." So he rested on the seventh day. He ended his work. Therefore, the prime element in the Sabbath is rest. And I don't care if you study the creation Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath, and once we come to the Christian Sabbath, you're still going to find that the basic principle is rest. It is not worship. It is rest.

Now, stronger language is used in Exodus 31. I want you to look there. Hold Genesis 2, but look in Exodus 31 and verse 17. Exodus 31, verse 17. Look what God says concerning the Sabbaths. He said:

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:17

"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."

Now I've got some questions and I hope you can answer them. If you can't, I will attempt to answer them for you. What in the world does Scripture mean when it says that God rested? Another question intimately connected with the first question is, what are we to learn and apply from the fact that God rested? When the Scripture says that God rested, obviously, the word does not imply inertia. When you use the word inertia, it means basically lifelessness, dullness, drowsiness, the inability to function, much like your teenagers when they stay out too late or, you know, don't get enough sleep. That's inertia. I don't feel like getting up. I don't feel like eating. I don't feel like, you know, that's inertia. Very obviously, that cannot be applied to God. God did not shut down, so to speak, after He created the world. Moreover, you cannot say that God was tired, weary, or exhausted.

Look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and verse 28. Isaiah 40, verse 28. Watch carefully. I'm trying to tell you that the Bible says that God rested, but that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, worn out, weary, and exhausted. Isaiah 40 and verse 28, look at what the Bible says concerning God. God says this, Isaiah 40 verse 28:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:28

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"

"There is no searching of his understanding." So God was not tired. God was not weary. God was not exhausted. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 121 verse 3: "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." God does not need sleep. God does not sleep. So when the Bible says that God rested, we can obviously state that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, weary, overworked, exhausted, and tired out.

How do we interpret this? What does it mean when it says that God rested? I believe that there are several answers to that question. First, we could say initially that His rest was a rest of complacency. Now when I say a rest of complacency, I'm not using the word the way we use it today. If I said that Doc is complacent, today, that means that he's apathetic. He's not willing to do anything. He's, you know, he's sorry. That would be a good word. But that's not what the word complacent is used here. That's not how it's used. The word complacent means satisfied.

For instance, look in your Bible to Genesis 1 in verse 31. When we talk about the rest of complacency, we're talking about the rest of satisfaction. And Genesis 1 in verse 31, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:31

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made."

What does it mean when it says God rested? God was absolutely, totally satisfied and delighted in everything that He created.

It was just the way He ordained it. It was perfect and it was made for His honor and His glory. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, you will see that spelled out very plainly. Revelation 4 and verse 11, notice how our Lord is praised. Revelation 4 verse 11:

Scripture Reading — Revelation 4:11

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

So what does it mean when it says that God rested? First of all, it means it was a rest of complacency. It was a rest of satisfaction. God was pleased with what He had done. Secondly, we could say that when God ended His work and rested, it was an indication that His accomplishment or His undertaking was accomplished, that it was finished. God finished what He ordained to do. His work ended, therefore He rested. It implies that God's working in creation was of a reasonable kind. It was not aimless. It was not pointless. For instance, if I endeavor to build a barn, say a 20 by 40, and I work hard at building that barn, I have my plans drawn up. I build that barn according to those plans. When I get through with that barn, do I keep working on that barn? The answer is no. I've worked reasonably. I had an aim. I had a purpose. It was accomplished.

God's Rest as Satisfaction and Completion

God's rest is not due to weariness but complacency (satisfaction) and the completion of His creative work. He continues to work providentially. The Sabbath was blessed because God rested in it.

I sit back and rest in it. Now, so it means then that when God created the world, He had a specific end. He had a specific purpose, He had a specific aim, and seeing it accomplished, He withholds then His creative energy. He doesn't create anymore. He rests. There's no more new worlds being created today. God created everything in six days. No need to keep building. No need to keep creating. The rest does not necessarily imply that God did nothing. If you look in verse 2: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." The Bible just simply is saying that God ceased with His creation. It does not say that He did not do a work of any other kind. He did work.

How do we know that? Here's how we know that. If God had ceased totally, absolutely, completely, what would have happened to His creation? It would have been gone. We know that He continued to work providentially because the Bible says in Hebrews that He upholds all things by the word of His power. Have you not ever read Psalm 104? The Bible says that all creatures wait upon Him. If God withholds His hands, they have nothing. They die. God did work in the sense that He continued His providential dealings, upholding all things by the word of His power and supplying the needs of His creatures.

Do you remember what our Lord said in John 5 in verse 17? He said it like this:

Scripture Reading — John 5:17

"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

In other words, the Bible clearly teaches, and I'm not getting into this right now, but the Bible clearly teaches that there is indeed lawful work to be done on Sabbath days. Our Lord said Himself, "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days," Matthew 12 and verse 12. You know the story how our Lord said, you can lead your ox away to water. You can supply food for it. That's work. You can heal on the Sabbath days. That's work. So, when the Bible says that God rested, that does not mean that he did not function in other spheres as well. Secondly, as you look back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 2, the primal or the original Sabbath was blessed by God. Look in verse 3: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

Now I want you to understand this. It's important to understand that the reason why God blessed the Sabbath day was not because it was the Sabbath day. There's nothing special about the Sabbath day. God did not bless the Sabbath day because it was the Sabbath day. God blessed the Sabbath day because in it He rested. Therefore, when the Sabbath law was written upon the tables of stone, it did not say, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy," but "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Again, the Bible does not say he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. No, he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. How did God hallow the Sabbath day? The Sabbath was hallowed by God by resting in it and blessing it.

Man's Need for Rest and the Purpose of Sabbath

Weaver quotes Fairbairn to show that man, like God, should work purposefully and then rest, reflecting on his labor and eternal matters. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit.

Undoubtedly, there is indeed an application of this truth for our benefit. There is nothing wrong with each of us taking a day of rest. We have to understand that a Sabbath rest is not to be a hindrance, but a help. It is not to be a burden, but a blessing. And I'm going to tell you something. Believe me or not, but the older you get, the more you find out you are not God, the more you find out you are flesh and blood, and you need to rest. Young people think they can go forever and live forever. It doesn't work like that when you get older, I can assure you. There's nothing wrong with that. I want to give you some quotes. This quote is by Patrick Fairbairn. Patrick Fairbairn has written extensively on the Old Testament. And he said this, now I want you to think about this: "Having appointed it to a distinctive end," talking about the Sabbath, "having appointed it to a distinctive end, he conferred on it a distinctive character that its creature man might from time to time be doing in his line of things what the creator had already done in his own might after six successive days of work."

"Take one to reinvigorate his frame, to reflect calmly upon his past, and view the part he has taken and the relations he occupies on the outward visible theater of this world in light of the spiritual and the eternal. It was to be his calling and his destiny on earth not simply to work, but to work as a reasonable and moral being after the example of his maker for specific ends. For this, he needed seasons of quiet and repose and thoughtful considerations, not less than time and opportunity for active labor as otherwise, he could neither properly enjoy the work of his hands nor obtain the higher part of his nature that nobler good which is required to satisfy it." Now this is what he's saying. Man is to work like God. He's to work purposefully, deliberately, and then he's to stop and to rest in what he has done, consider what he has done, and consider his time as compared to eternity. Consider that all of his labor here is basically for his own mouth, and then he's going to die and be gone. And if he only makes preparation for this life, he's in trouble.

Now, our Lord said it very explicitly in Mark 2 in verse 27. We're not turning there, but here's what our Lord said: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." The Sabbath was made for man, so that we could rest, that we could repose after our Lord. Now, we're talking about the creation Sabbath. Listen carefully, and I'm going to prove this, I hope, to you biblically next Lord's Day. But listen, we cannot force, nor can we make, God's creation Sabbath commensurate equal to our Saturday, the seventh day of our week. In order to grasp the significance of the creation Sabbath, we need to understand first and foremost, it was God's rest. In it, God rested. Why did God rest and bless the Sabbath day calling it a Sabbath? Because in it He rested. It was God's rest in celebration of creation. Now listen, there is absolutely no way to determine from the Bible on which day God rested. You say, "Well, the Bible says He rested on the Sabbath day."

The Impossibility of Identifying the Original Seventh Day

Weaver argues that we cannot determine which day of our week corresponds to the creation Sabbath. Adam's first full day was a day of rest, beginning his life in God's rest.

Yes, He did. But which day did He start work on? You've got to remember back then, there were no days of the week. Yes, there was a day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six. Yes, there were six days. But God didn't start Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then rest on... The Bible doesn't say that. Now, if you want to say that that's what you believe, that's one thing. But when you try to bind my conscience to what you believe, that's quite another thing. There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday. There were no names for the days at creation with the exception of numbers. Now, I want to give you a quote from Fairbairn again, then I want to point something out from the Bible. Listen to what Fairbairn said: "God, therefore, when he had finished the work of creation by making man, sanctified the seventh day, his own seventh, but man's first."

"For man had not first to work and then to reap, but as God's vicegerent, nature's king, and high priest, with the Sabbath begins the sacred history of man, the day on which he stood forth to bless God, and in company with Eve, entered into his divine calling on earth." Are you listening to me? What day was man created on? Help me out. He was created on what day? The sixth day. The sixth day. What was the next day? The seventh day that God blessed.

How was Adam to start his week? By resting. Worshipping God the first day of his week. He started with the Sabbath. Now whether or not Adam kept that Sabbath, I don't know. Arthur W. Pink gives a very vivid argument that Adam was created on the 6th day and before the 7th he was a sinner, before the 7th was over. And his main point is that in Colossians 1 verse 18 that in all things Christ must have the preeminence. That means that Christ is the only one who ever kept the Sabbath perfectly.

But I'm simply pointing out, notice if you would, it is God's rest. And Adam then was to begin his week, his time on earth in God's rest. So man then began his week with a day of rest. God's Sabbath was man's first day.

Now, the Scripture begins and ends with the rest of God. Are you listening? Adam failed to keep God's rest and he was driven from the garden. He was unable to abide in God's rest. Why? Help me out now. Because of his unbelief. Why did Adam not stay in the garden? He did not believe God. He believed the serpent. He believed the serpent. And they disobeyed God. And God drove them out of the garden.

Unbelief Prevents Entering God's Rest

Adam, the Israelites, and later generations failed to enter God's rest due to unbelief and disobedience. True rest requires faith and obedience, not mere ritual observance.

Let me ask you a question. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, did they enter into the promised land? No. No, no, no. Go in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I want you to watch this. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, then we'll go to the book of Hebrews. Notice if you would. First Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading there verse 1. Look what the Bible says.

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased." "For they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."

Now watch if you would, this is very informative. Verse 5, talking about these men that came out of Egypt: "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." Wow. With many of them God was not well pleased? Would you care to tell me how many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into the Promised Land? Two. Joshua and Caleb. But with many of them, all of them with the exception of two, God overthrew them in the wilderness. Now why did God overthrow them in the wilderness?

Go in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Watch this carefully. "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." Whoa, whoa, wait a minute now. Did you just hear what I read? He said, the reason these people did not enter into God's rest was because of unbelief. The rest, the works, were finished from the foundation of the world, therefore the rest was already there. The rest was there when Adam was created, but Adam didn't abide in that rest. God then gave a Canaan rest, and the people did not go into that because of their unbelief, their sins, and their rebellion. And the few that did get into Canaan land, after a few short years, guess what? God cast them out too. Why? Because of their unbelief. Because of their sin. Because of their rebellion. Listen to me carefully. To enter into God's rest requires faith and obedience. To enter into God's rest is not an observance of ceremonies and rituals and days and months. People did that in the Old Testament and God condemned them.

If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, look in Amos, Amos chapter 5. Notice please, Amos chapter 5. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look in Amos chapter 5 and let's begin reading there verse 21. You see folks, you can observe days and months and years. You can observe ceremonies and rituals down the line. Doesn't mean a thing if there is no real genuine faith and obedience. Look in Amos chapter 5 verse 21. Look what God says to Israel. Here's what he says, Amos 5 verse 21: "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies."

"Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Now, wait a minute. Did not God ordain the feast days? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the Sabbaths? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the sacrifices? Yes, He did. But now God is looking at these people and says, "I hate them. I won't have them. They turn my stomach."

"I will not have them." Why? Skip down, verse 24: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts." Here's what they did. They kept all the days, they kept all the rituals, they did it ceremonially. But at the same time, they were worshiping false gods. There was no faith. There was no obedience. Days and ceremonies and rituals are worthless without faith.

Now, I told you and I'm going to prove it before I finish this brief series. The Bible starts and ends with rest. But in order to rest in the sovereign God of heaven and earth, there must be faith and there must be obedience. One last passage. I want you to turn back to Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. Look what God says. Isaiah 57 and verses 20 and 21. Isaiah 57, verse 20 and 21.

Rest Only in Christ

Weaver concludes that the only true rest is found in Jesus Christ, who offers rest to the weary. Our imperfect obedience cannot save; we need Christ's perfect obedience.

"But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." What are the wicked like? They're like the troubled sea which cannot rest. The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. If you rest in Him, you rest in His works, not yours. His obedience, not yours. It is true we must be obedient. It is true we must have faith. But let me tell you something folks, my little sniveling, partial obedience that I give to the law of God could never, under any circumstances, save me. Why? Because if you violate the law on one point, you're what? Guilty of all. I have to have a perfect obedience. And that perfect obedience can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Even in the Old Testament, there is no Israelite, there is no Old Testament Hebrew that kept God's law perfectly. They did not keep God's Sabbaths perfectly. They did not keep God's festivals perfectly. And God judged them because of it. The only rest is the rest of God, which we find in Jesus Christ, who is superior to the prophets, to the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. He's superior to anyone and anything, because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. And it was Christ who said, which I will quote later, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And you shall find peace for your souls. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray that You would help us to understand, open our eyes, open our intellect, grab us, Lord, by Your power and by Your Spirit, and give us, Lord, the ability to perceive, to see, and to comprehend the truths of Thy word.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Superiority of Christ

Summary: Jesus Christ is superior to all Old Testament figures and institutions, including prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and the Sabbath itself.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'The book of Hebrews was written to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is superior in every way.' He lists examples from Hebrews 1-5 and emphasizes the repeated use of 'better'.

Danger of Pharisaical Legalism

Summary: A rigid, man-made interpretation of the Sabbath can lead to condemning others and contradicting God's Word, as seen in the Pharisees.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 12 and 15, showing the Pharisees condemned Jesus for Sabbath practices and made God's commandments void by their traditions.

Rest as the Core of Sabbath

Summary: The primary element of the Sabbath is rest, not worship. This is seen in the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, and ultimately the Christian Sabbath.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'The prime element in the Sabbath is rest. It is not worship. It is rest.' He points to Genesis 2 and Exodus 31.

Faith and Obedience Required for Rest

Summary: Entering God's rest requires genuine faith and obedience, not mere external observance of days and rituals.

Evidence: Weaver cites Hebrews 4:2-3 and Amos 5:21-24, showing that without faith, rituals are worthless. He states: 'To enter into God's rest requires faith and obedience.'

The New Covenant's Greater Glory

Summary: The New Covenant in Christ has a glory that far exceeds the Old Covenant, absorbing and excelling it.

Evidence: Weaver expounds 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, noting that the Old Covenant glory 'was to be done away' and is 'nothing compared to the glory of the New Testament.'

God's Rest as Satisfaction and Completion

Summary: God's rest after creation was not due to fatigue but to satisfaction in His completed work and the cessation of creative activity.

Evidence: Weaver explains from Genesis 2 and Isaiah 40:28 that God does not faint or grow weary; His rest is 'a rest of complacency' and indicates His work was finished.

The Sabbath Made for Man

Summary: The Sabbath was instituted for man's benefit, providing needed physical rest and spiritual reflection, not as a burdensome regulation.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Mark 2:27 and Fairbairn's commentary on man's need for seasons of quiet and repose after the pattern of God's rest.

Impossibility of Dogmatic Day Identification

Summary: It is impossible to determine with certainty which modern day corresponds to the original seventh day of creation, so binding consciences to a specific day is unwarranted.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday.'

Key Arguments

Christ's superiority means He is Lord of the Sabbath

Summary: Since Christ is superior to all, including the Sabbath, He has authority over it and its observance.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 12:8: 'For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.' He also emphasizes Colossians 1:18 that Christ has preeminence in all things.

The Old Covenant glory is surpassed by the New

Summary: The glory of the Old Testament, including its Sabbaths, is absorbed and excelled by the greater glory of the New Covenant in Christ.

Evidence: Weaver explains 2 Corinthians 3:10: 'For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.'

Moses is inferior to Christ and his role is fulfilled

Summary: Hebrews 3 shows Moses as a faithful servant, but Christ as the Son over His house. Moses' role is honorably concluded, and Christ is now the focus.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Pink and Owen: 'Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses... he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial.'

The creation Sabbath was God's rest, not a day of worship

Summary: The original Sabbath was a celebration of creation's completion, characterized by God's rest and satisfaction, not primarily a day for human worship.

Evidence: Weaver states: 'The primal or the original Sabbath was a rest day... the prime element in the Sabbath is rest. It is not worship.'

God's rest does not imply inactivity or weariness

Summary: God's rest means He ceased creating and was satisfied, not that He was tired. He continues to work providentially.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 40:28 and John 5:17 to show God does not faint and that He and the Father continue to work.

The seventh day cannot be identified with Saturday

Summary: There were no named days at creation, only numbered days. We cannot know which modern day corresponds to the original seventh day.

Evidence: Weaver says: 'There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday.'

Unbelief, not failure to observe a day, bars from rest

Summary: The Israelites failed to enter Canaan because of unbelief, not because they kept the wrong day. True rest is entered by faith.

Evidence: Weaver cites Hebrews 4:2-3 and 1 Corinthians 10:5, emphasizing that the word did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith.

Ritual observance without faith is rejected by God

Summary: God hates empty ritual, including feast days and sacrifices, when not accompanied by faith and righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver reads Amos 5:21-24 where God says He hates their feast days and will not accept their offerings because of their idolatry and injustice.

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1-10

Context: Main text for the series; introduces the concept of entering God's rest and the warning against unbelief.

Matthew 12:1-8

Context: Jesus and His disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath; Pharisees condemn them; Jesus declares He is Lord of the Sabbath.

Matthew 15:1-9

Context: Pharisees criticize disciples for not washing hands; Jesus rebukes them for making God's commandment void by tradition.

Colossians 1:18

Context: Christ is the head of the church and is to have preeminence in all things.

Hebrews 1:4

Context: Christ is made so much better than the angels.

Hebrews 7:19, 22

Context: The law made nothing perfect, but a better hope did; Jesus is the surety of a better testament.

Hebrews 8:6

Context: Christ is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises.

2 Corinthians 3:7-11

Context: The Old Covenant ministration of death was glorious, but the New Covenant ministration of the Spirit is more glorious; the old glory is done away.

Hebrews 3:1-7

Context: Christ is counted worthy of more glory than Moses; Moses was a servant, Christ a Son over His own house.

Psalm 95:7-11

Context: Quoted in Hebrews 3-4; warns against hardening hearts and not entering God's rest due to unbelief.

Genesis 2:1-3

Context: God finished creation, rested on the seventh day, blessed and sanctified it.

Exodus 20:11

Context: The Lord made heaven and earth in six days and rested the seventh; therefore He blessed the Sabbath day.

Exodus 31:17

Context: The Sabbath is a sign; in six days God made heaven and earth and on the seventh He rested and was refreshed.

Isaiah 40:28

Context: The everlasting God, the Creator, does not faint or grow weary.

Genesis 1:31

Context: God saw everything He had made and it was very good.

Revelation 4:11

Context: God created all things for His pleasure.

John 5:17

Context: Jesus says, 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.'

1 Corinthians 10:1-11

Context: Israelites in the wilderness are examples; most were overthrown because of unbelief and sin.

Amos 5:21-27

Context: God hates Israel's feast days and sacrifices because of their idolatry and lack of righteousness.

Isaiah 57:20-21

Context: The wicked are like the troubled sea that cannot rest; there is no peace for the wicked.

Historical References

Pharisees' Sabbath traditions

Context: The Pharisees had developed extensive oral traditions about Sabbath observance that often contradicted God's law, leading them to condemn Jesus and His disciples.

Augustine's saying on essentials and non-essentials

Context: Weaver quotes Augustine: 'In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.' Used to encourage graciousness in disputable matters.

A.W. Pink and John Owen on Moses' burial

Context: Weaver quotes Pink and Owen commenting on Hebrews 3, saying the apostle gives Moses an honorable burial and then focuses solely on Christ.

Patrick Fairbairn on the Sabbath

Context: Fairbairn is quoted regarding the purpose of the Sabbath for man's rest and reflection, and that God's seventh day was man's first day.

Billboard on I-75 condemning Sunday worship

Context: Weaver mentions a billboard that says anyone who worships on Sunday is of the devil, illustrating extreme dogmatism on the Sabbath issue.

Important Quotes

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

Significance: Weaver uses this Augustinian principle to urge caution and graciousness when discussing doctrines where good men disagree, such as the Sabbath.

There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday.

Significance: Weaver argues against dogmatic insistence on Saturday as the Sabbath, since the original seventh day cannot be identified with our modern calendar.

To enter into God's rest requires faith and obedience. To enter into God's rest is not an observance of ceremonies and rituals and days and months.

Significance: This quote summarizes the central application: true rest is a matter of heart faith and obedience, not external ritual observance.

The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

Significance: Weaver concludes that ultimate rest is found only in a relationship with Christ, not in any day or ceremony.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.

Significance: Quoting Mark 2:27, Weaver emphasizes that the Sabbath was given for human benefit, not as a burdensome regulation.

Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses, but treats not about him any more, and therefore he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial.

Significance: Weaver quotes John Owen to illustrate that Hebrews 3 marks a transition where Moses' role is honorably concluded and Christ's superiority is the focus.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

Significance: From Amos 5:21, this quote shows that God rejects ritual observance when it is not accompanied by genuine faith and righteousness.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean that Christ is 'Lord of the Sabbath,' and how should that affect our view of Sabbath observance?

Context: Weaver cites Matthew 12:8 and emphasizes Christ's superiority over all things, including the Sabbath.

How can we avoid a Pharisaical mentality when studying doctrines like the Sabbath where good Christians disagree?

Context: Weaver warns against the Pharisees' attitude and quotes Augustine's principle of unity, liberty, and charity.

In what ways is the New Covenant 'better' than the Old Covenant, and how does that impact our understanding of the Sabbath?

Context: Weaver traces the word 'better' through Hebrews and contrasts the glory of the two covenants in 2 Corinthians 3.

Why is it significant that God's rest after creation was a rest of satisfaction and completion rather than weariness?

Context: Weaver explains from Genesis 2 and Isaiah 40 that God's rest was not due to fatigue but to complacency in His finished work.

What does it mean that the Sabbath was 'made for man,' and how should that shape our practice of rest?

Context: Weaver quotes Mark 2:27 and Fairbairn's comments on man's need for physical rest and spiritual reflection.

How does the impossibility of identifying the original seventh day affect arguments that require Saturday observance?

Context: Weaver argues that we cannot know which modern day corresponds to the creation Sabbath, so binding consciences to Saturday is unwarranted.

Why did the Israelites fail to enter God's rest, and what does that teach us about the relationship between faith and rest?

Context: Weaver cites Hebrews 4 and 1 Corinthians 10, emphasizing that unbelief, not failure to keep a day, prevented them from entering.

How does Amos 5 challenge the idea that meticulous observance of religious days and rituals is pleasing to God?

Context: Weaver reads Amos 5:21-24 where God rejects Israel's feast days because of their idolatry and injustice.

Applications

Rest in Christ's finished work

Summary: Believers should find their ultimate rest in the completed work of Christ, not in their own efforts or ritual observances.

Evidence: Weaver concludes: 'The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.' He emphasizes that our imperfect obedience cannot save.

Practice graciousness in disputable matters

Summary: When discussing doctrines like the Sabbath where good men disagree, we should maintain unity in essentials, liberty in non-essentials, and charity in all things.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Augustine and warns against a Pharisaical mentality that condemns others who differ on non-essential matters.

Prioritize faith and obedience over ritual

Summary: External observance of days and ceremonies is worthless without genuine faith in God and obedience to His commands.

Evidence: Weaver cites Amos 5 and Hebrews 4 to show that God rejects empty ritual and that entering rest requires faith.

Take time for physical and spiritual rest

Summary: Following God's pattern, we should set aside regular time to rest from our labors, reflect on our work, and consider eternal matters.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Fairbairn on man's need for seasons of quiet and repose, and notes that the Sabbath was made for man's benefit.

Avoid binding others' consciences where Scripture is not explicit

Summary: Since we cannot dogmatically identify the original seventh day, we should not impose our convictions about a specific day on others.

Evidence: Weaver argues: 'There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was... when you try to bind my conscience to what you believe, that's quite another thing.'

Recognize Christ's preeminence in all areas

Summary: In every aspect of life and doctrine, Christ must have the preeminence. He is superior to all Old Testament types and shadows.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes Colossians 1:18 and the theme of Hebrews that Christ is better than prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:06:26Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:43:13Z

Clean Transcript

The Superiority of Christ Part 1 of 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. I'm going to begin a message today which in all probability is going to extend at least into four messages. I might can finish it in three but I rather doubt it. So we're going to read Hebrews chapter 4 verses 1 through 10. The message is entitled "The Superiority of Christ." Look at Hebrews chapter 4, verse 1: "Let us therefore fear."
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"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 limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day."
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"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." The message is on the superiority of Christ, and my plans, by the grace of God and Him willing, for the next four Sundays, I'm going to be trying to deal with what is known as simply the Sabbath issue. I'm going to show you three points from Scripture. We're going to consider the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, and then the Christian Sabbath. The issue of the Sabbath has plagued many people. Many have reached various and sundry conclusions concerning the Sabbath day or Sabbath days. And I am sure that probably with the brief study that I'm going to do in four messages, I will not convince anyone who does not want to be convinced or whose mind is already made up or someone who's just drawn their own conclusions and are just unwilling to listen or unwilling to change. The problem that you have in discussing the Sabbath is simply this.
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There are so many different views from individuals who regard different days and different times, and they even differ as to when a Sabbath would begin and when it would end. Yet some who hold certain opinions will condemn all others who disagree with them. In fact, there are some that hold their positions so dogmatically, they believe and teach that anyone who worships on Sunday is lost and is of the devil. In fact, if you're traveling north on I-75, after 475 and 75 comes together, you will see a big billboard on the left condemning all Sunday worship and saying, anyone who worships on Sunday is of the devil. Just that plainly stated. So, on the other hand, there are some who are a bit more gracious than that and give a little leeway and say, well, you may be saved if you do worship on Sunday. But they too usually have gone into Phariseeism, into legalism, in their interpretation and in their application of the Sabbath. In other words, basically what they come down to is this: they demand that you worship in their way on their day.
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And if you don't worship in their way and on their day, then there's no way that you could possibly be right with God. In other words, you're just simply under the judgment of God. That simple. You've got to remember that man is always a creature of extremes. It is hard, it is difficult sometimes to go down the middle of the road, and when I say the middle of the road, I mean by avoiding the ditches and the pitfalls on each side of the road. We always have a tendency to swing from one extreme to the other.
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There has to be a cautious concern when you begin to study the issue of the Sabbath. Just like there has to be a cautious concern whenever you begin a study on any doctrine in the Bible, especially those doctrines where good men disagree.
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Now let me tell you something, folks. I've preached for 44 years. There are still a lot of things that I do not know. The man under whom I learned a great deal, he personally had taught the Bible for over 50 years. That did not include his own personal study. That did not include his own education. I'm just simply saying, you're going to have areas where you find that good men disagree because the Bible is not necessarily clear dogmatically on certain issues.
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For instance, if you take eschatology. Why in the world do you think you have amillennialism, postmillennialism, historic premillennialism, and dispensational premillennialism? And the answer is because men disagree on when Christ is returning. The interesting thing is this: all four of those positions believe and teach that Jesus Christ is coming back literally, visibly, and bodily. They just disagree as to when and how He's returning. And yet there are people who will fight you tooth and toenail if you do not agree with them on their eschatological position. In fact, I've been in churches where if you held to a different eschatological position than they did, they would certainly never allow you to teach or to preach in their church.
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All I'm trying to say is this: you have to avoid at all cost a Pharisaic mentality. It was Saint Augustine who came up with this little bit of interesting, gracious wisdom. He said, "In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity." And it's hard sometimes to be charitable and gracious and kind to people who disagree with you, especially when you're very dogmatic on some particular issue.
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Now I'm not talking about areas where the Bible is plain. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the deity of Jesus Christ. I'm not going to be gracious and kind to someone who denies the infallibility of the Scripture. I'll just tell them very plainly, you're wrong. But there are areas in which good men disagree. So what do I mean when I say you have to be cautious that you do not develop a pharisaical mentality? Let me show you.
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Look back in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 12 and let's begin there with verse 1. Matthew chapter 12 and verse 1. Let me show you how far the Pharisees went. Matthew chapter 12 beginning with verse 1. Watch carefully. Matthew 12 verse 1: "At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."
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"But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple."
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"But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."
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Now, the Pharisees were so Pharisaical, they were even condemning Jesus Christ. Why? Because He did not follow their interpretation and their application of the Sabbath laws. In fact, if you will look in Matthew chapter 15, you will find that the Pharisaical interpretation and the Pharisaical application of the Sabbath was even contrary to the law of God. Matthew 15: "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"
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"For they wash not their hands when they eat bread." By the way, let me remind you, this was not a sanitation issue. This was a ceremony that the Jews were involved in. It was ceremonial, had nothing to do with sanitation. "Why do thy disciples wash not their hands before they eat bread? But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."
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"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." So here the Pharisees then had their own interpretation of what the Sabbath day was. And they held to that interpretation to such an extent they were not only willing to condemn Christ and His disciples, they were also willing to hold their interpretation and their application even when it contradicted the plain law of God.
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So that is what I mean when I say you have to beware of a pharisaical, literally misinterpretation and misapplication of scriptures. Now, we're going to do what I'm going to call a cursory study of the Sabbaths. We're not going to spend 15 weeks on the issue. We will spend about four. And I'm going to show you numerous principles from the Word of God, and I hope from these principles and the multitude of scriptures that I'm going to show you, that you will be able to draw for yourself the biblical conclusion and you can see what the Bible really genuinely teaches concerning the Sabbath.
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Now, I want you to turn back to the book of Hebrews because Hebrews chapter 4 is going to be our main text. I will not be expounding this text today. I am going to take a verse and go back to the Old Testament and show you how that verse is to be interpreted and applied. But first of all, let me just try to give you an overall understanding of the book of Hebrews.
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Remember I told you that the title of this message is "The Superiority of Christ." The book of Hebrews was written to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is superior in every way. For instance, without me reading these verses, you can jot them down, you can look at them later. But in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 through 3, the Bible teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the prophets. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the Old Testament. Doesn't matter how great the prophets were in the New Testament. The Bible says very plainly that God has spoken fully, finally, totally, completely in these last days by His Son, Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over the angels. He says, "For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" To none of them. So Jesus Christ is not only superior to the prophets, Jesus Christ is superior to the angels.
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Hebrews chapter 3, and I'll go over this momentarily, but Hebrews chapter 3 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Moses. Hebrews chapter 4 teaches the superiority of Jesus Christ over Joshua. Hebrews chapter 5 teaches the superiority of Christ over Aaron, the high priest.
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Now let me just spell it out for you like this. There is no man nor any group of men that are superior to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is superior to all the prophets, to all the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. There is no ordinance. There is no ceremony. There is no festival. There is no day over which Jesus Christ is not superior. Jesus Christ is superior in every way, in every detail. That is why, and you will hear me quote this several times, Colossians 1 and verse 18 says this concerning Christ:
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"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." In all things He might have the preeminence. So Jesus Christ then is presented in the book of Hebrews as better than anyone and anything. In fact, one of the key words in the book of Hebrews is the word "better." Just showing you that Jesus Christ is better. For instance, look in Hebrews 1 and verse 4. Hebrews 1, verse 4: "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." So Christ is better than the angels. If you look in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 9, talking about those who have truly, savingly believed in Jesus Christ, the Bible says in Hebrews 6 and verse 9: "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." Why?
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Why are God's people supposed to be better than the Old Testament saints? Let me tell you why. Because they had the types, they had the emblems, they had the pictures. We have the reality. Look in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 7. Without me explaining all of these verses, I'm just trying to demonstrate the word "better." "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." Look, if you would, in verse 19. Hebrews chapter 7.
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"For the law made nothing perfect." Isn't that interesting? "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God." Jesus Christ is talked about as the better hope. We don't draw nigh unto God through the law. We draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ. Look, if you would, in verse 22, Hebrews chapter 7: "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament." Or a better covenant. Look at Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 6. Now the Bible says: "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises." Well, Jesus Christ is the better mediator, better than Moses. He has a better covenant, which has better promises. Look if you would in Hebrews 9 in verse 23, just showing you the word "better."
#24 | 17:29 to 18:38 | cleaned
"It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these;" that is with the animal sacrifices, "but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these." Jesus Christ was far superior to all of those sacrifices in the Old Testament. Look in Hebrews 10 and verse 34 if you would. Hebrews 10 verse 34: "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."
#25 | 18:40 to 19:17 | cleaned
Let me ask you a question. Had you rather spend 70 years in Canaan land or eternity with our Lord in heaven? I'd say that tends to be a little better. Look in Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 16: "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." Look in Hebrews 11 verse 35, just the word "better": "Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection." And then if you look in Hebrews 12 and verse 24: "And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." I hope as you read through the book of Hebrews and you underline the word "better" that you're getting the idea that everything that we have in Jesus Christ and everything about Christ is better than what they had in the Old Testament.
#26 | 19:19 to 20:30 | cleaned
Jesus Christ is superior. Now, the Old Covenant was glorious. How do I know that the Old Covenant was glorious? Because the Bible says it was. But the New Covenant, the New Testament, is more glorious. How do I know that? Because of the Bible. Look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And I want you to note, if you would please, these words. Because here is a comparison, and I have preached on this passage, in fact, 7 or 8 messages, I think, on the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old Covenant. But notice, if you would, 2 Corinthians 3, verses 7 and 8, because now the Bible is comparing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 7.
#27 | 20:31 to 21:23 | cleaned
He says: "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," that's when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, "so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" Now you remember when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments.
#28 | 21:23 to 21:55 | cleaned
He came down off the mount. His face shone so much that the children of Israel could not look upon it. And Moses had to put a veil upon his face as he spoke to the children of Israel. But when he went back in the tabernacle to talk with God, he took the veil off. Now I want you to look at verse 7. Please watch this. "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious," and it was, "so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance;" look at this next phrase, "which glory was to be done away." The glory of the Old Testament is to fade away. Does that mean the Old Testament is not the word of God? No. Does that mean that we don't preach from the Old Testament? No. Does that mean there are no applications from the Old Testament? No. Well, but it says the glory was to be done away with. How? Watch this. He said, "How shall not the ministration of the spirit," that is that of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, "be rather glorious?"
#29 | 21:55 to 23:11 | cleaned
Now skip down to verse 10: "For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious."
#30 | 23:11 to 23:30 | cleaned
Now look what he said. How is the Old Testament glory done away? It is absorbed and excelled by the glory that we now have. In other words, the glory of the Old Testament is nothing compared to the glory of the New Testament. Let me put it like this: the prophets, the ceremonies, the rituals, the festivals, the days, none of this can equal the glory that we have in Jesus Christ.
#31 | 23:30 to 24:06 | cleaned
That's exactly what he's saying. So the glory of the old faded away in the sense that it was so excelled by that which we have in the new.
#32 | 24:08 to 24:19 | cleaned
Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. And I want to very quickly read down to verse 7. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness)."
#33 | 24:21 to 25:25 | cleaned
Now in order to understand the argument in chapter 4, you must really understand chapter 3, because chapter 3 is where the author begins his argument. I want you to look at verse 1: "Wherefore, holy brethren," he's talking to us, "partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." He didn't say consider Moses. He didn't say consider Aaron. He didn't say consider the Old Testament prophets. He said you consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ. Remember the passage that I quoted earlier, Colossians 1 verse 18? "That in all things he might have the preeminence." Jesus Christ far exceeds the superiority of Moses. Moses was superior in the Old Testament.
#34 | 25:25 to 26:44 | cleaned
There's no two ways about that. But in the New Testament, Christ so far excels and exceeds Moses that Moses is properly buried. Let me give you a quote. The quote is by A.W. Pink and he's commenting on Hebrews chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. Here's what he says: "But Christ as a son over his own house. Here's the final proof that Christ is counted worthy of more glory than Moses. The proofs presented in this passage of our Lord's immeasurable superiority are seven in number and may be set forth thus: Moses was an apostle, Christ the Apostle. Moses was a member of a house, Christ was the builder of one. Moses was connected with a single house, but Christ built all things, being the creator of the universe. Moses was a man, Jesus Christ is God. Moses was but a servant, Christ is the Son. Moses was a testimony of things to be spoken after, Christ supplied the substance and fulfillment of what Moses witnessed to. Moses was but a servant in the house of Jehovah."
#35 | 26:44 to 28:08 | cleaned
"Christ was a son over his own house." And then he quotes John Owen. The Puritan Owen quaintly said, "Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses, but treats not about him any more, and therefore he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial. He puts this glorious epitaph on His grave: Moses, a faithful servant of the Lord in His whole house." And that's true. After you read this in Hebrews chapter 3, the rest of the book of Hebrews is all about Christ and His superiority. Now listen, Christ did indeed build His house. He is building His house.
#36 | 28:09 to 28:51 | cleaned
You remember the Bible says in Ephesians 2 and verse 10 that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2 and verses 20 through 22 that we are built a holy temple unto the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. If you look in Hebrews 3 and verse 6, the Bible says, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we." So Christ is indeed building His house. Now the interesting thing is this: when you get down to verse 7 and verse 8 particularly, in fact you could say down through verse 9, the author of the book of Hebrews is now quoting from Psalm 95 verses 7 through 11. I want you to hold Hebrews 3 but turn back to Psalm 95. I'm not going to be developing Psalm 95 today. I'm going to mention it.
#37 | 28:51 to 30:05 | cleaned
It will be developed and applied later on in this brief series. But notice if you would, Psalm 95 beginning there with verse 7. Psalm 95 verse 7: "For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear 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." Now go back to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7: "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day 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 alway err in their heart."
#38 | 30:06 to 31:08 | cleaned
"They have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest."
#39 | 31:09 to 31:16 | cleaned
Now let me ask you a question. And I'm not going to develop this thought today. It will be developed far more next Sunday. But what rest was God talking about? It had to be the Canaan rest, or the Canaan Sabbath, because He's talking about bringing these people out of Egypt. And by the way, the promised land in Deuteronomy 12 in verse 9, in 1 Chronicles 23 verse 25, and in Psalm 132 and verse 14 is indeed called a rest. Now, ask yourself this question: Was the promised land to which David is referring, was that promised land the true rest or was it merely a picture of that which was to come?
#40 | 31:20 to 32:22 | cleaned
Now the Hebrew word for rest literally refers here to a rest or a resting place, a place of ease and quietness. When you get to Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 11, the Greek word once again just simply refers to a resting place.
#41 | 32:24 to 32:39 | cleaned
Now it is true that metaphorically the word sometime is used to refer to the blessedness in which God dwells, but in the context he is talking about the promised land. Now I'm not going to deal with the Canaan rest today; that'll come next week. But look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. And notice if you would please. He said in verse 4: "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."
#42 | 32:39 to 33:20 | cleaned
Now, there's a combination here of the Canaan rest and the creation rest. I'm going to separate them so we can deal with them one at a time. Verse 4 primarily deals with what you and I would call the creation Sabbath. Verse 4: "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." Everyone knows that is the creation Sabbath.
#43 | 33:20 to 33:48 | cleaned
Hold Hebrews 4 but turn in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 2. And let's go there and consider the creation Sabbath. I want you to look at this Genesis chapter 2, and let's read the first three verses. Genesis chapter 2, verses 1, 2, and 3. Genesis 2: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Now I want you to note this seventh day is a celebration of God's creation. You say, "But now brother Weaver, in this passage, it is called the seventh day and not the Sabbath." I understand. But if you would hold Genesis 2 and look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11, you will see that it is also called the Sabbath day.
#44 | 33:49 to 35:10 | cleaned
Notice if you would. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
#45 | 35:11 to 35:30 | cleaned
Now, if you'll look back at Genesis chapter 2, the second chapter of Genesis begins with these words: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." The very next thing that we read about is the institution of the Sabbath rest. In other words, to institute the Sabbath rest was God's first act after he had created the world, made it fit for human habitation.
#46 | 35:31 to 36:11 | cleaned
There are a number of truths that have to be pointed out. Mark this down. The primal or the original Sabbath was a rest day. That is emphasized in this verse by repetition. For instance, look at it, verse 2: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." So he rested on the seventh day. He ended his work. Therefore, the prime element in the Sabbath is rest. And I don't care if you study the creation Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath, and once we come to the Christian Sabbath, you're still going to find that the basic principle is rest. It is not worship. It is rest.
#47 | 36:12 to 37:13 | cleaned
Now, stronger language is used in Exodus 31. I want you to look there. Hold Genesis 2, but look in Exodus 31 and verse 17. Exodus 31, verse 17. Look what God says concerning the Sabbaths. He said: "It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."
#48 | 37:14 to 37:46 | cleaned
Now I've got some questions and I hope you can answer them. If you can't, I will attempt to answer them for you. What in the world does Scripture mean when it says that God rested?
#49 | 37:47 to 38:06 | cleaned
Another question intimately connected with the first question is, what are we to learn and apply from the fact that God rested? When the Scripture says that God rested, obviously, the word does not imply inertia. When you use the word inertia, it means basically lifelessness, dullness, drowsiness, the inability to function, much like your teenagers when they stay out too late or, you know, don't get enough sleep. That's inertia. I don't feel like getting up. I don't feel like eating. I don't feel like, you know, that's inertia. Very obviously, that cannot be applied to God. God did not shut down, so to speak, after He created the world. Moreover, you cannot say that God was tired, weary, or exhausted.
#50 | 38:09 to 39:16 | cleaned
Look in your Bibles to Isaiah 40 and verse 28. Isaiah 40, verse 28. Watch carefully. I'm trying to tell you that the Bible says that God rested, but that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, worn out, weary, and exhausted. Isaiah 40 and verse 28, look at what the Bible says concerning God. God says this, Isaiah 40 verse 28: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"
#51 | 39:17 to 39:53 | cleaned
"There is no searching of his understanding." So God was not tired. God was not weary. God was not exhausted. In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 121 verse 3: "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." God does not need sleep. God does not sleep. So when the Bible says that God rested, we can obviously state that does not mean inertia. That does not mean that God was tired, weary, overworked, exhausted, and tired out.
#52 | 39:54 to 40:35 | cleaned
How do we interpret this? What does it mean when it says that God rested? I believe that there are several answers to that question. First, we could say initially that His rest was a rest of complacency. Now when I say a rest of complacency, I'm not using the word the way we use it today. If I said that Doc is complacent, today, that means that he's apathetic. He's not willing to do anything. He's, you know, he's sorry. That would be a good word. But that's not what the word complacent is used here. That's not how it's used. The word complacent means satisfied.
#53 | 40:37 to 41:24 | cleaned
For instance, look in your Bible to Genesis 1 in verse 31. When we talk about the rest of complacency, we're talking about the rest of satisfaction. And Genesis 1 in verse 31, the Bible says this: "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made." What does it mean when it says God rested? God was absolutely, totally satisfied and delighted in everything that He created.
#54 | 41:24 to 42:04 | cleaned
It was just the way He ordained it. It was perfect and it was made for His honor and His glory. If you would look in your Bibles to the book of Revelation chapter 4 and verse 11, you will see that spelled out very plainly. Revelation 4 and verse 11, notice how our Lord is praised. Revelation 4 verse 11: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
#55 | 42:04 to 42:45 | cleaned
So what does it mean when it says that God rested? First of all, it means it was a rest of complacency. It was a rest of satisfaction. God was pleased with what He had done.
#56 | 42:45 to 42:56 | cleaned
Secondly, we could say that when God ended His work and rested, it was an indication that His accomplishment or His undertaking was accomplished, that it was finished. God finished what He ordained to do. His work ended, therefore He rested. It implies that God's working in creation was of a reasonable kind. It was not aimless. It was not pointless. For instance, if I endeavor to build a barn, say a 20 by 40, and I work hard at building that barn, I have my plans drawn up. I build that barn according to those plans. When I get through with that barn, do I keep working on that barn? The answer is no. I've worked reasonably. I had an aim. I had a purpose. It was accomplished.
#57 | 42:58 to 44:10 | cleaned
I sit back and rest in it. Now, so it means then that when God created the world, He had a specific end. He had a specific purpose, He had a specific aim, and seeing it accomplished, He withholds then His creative energy. He doesn't create anymore. He rests. There's no more new worlds being created today. God created everything in six days. No need to keep building. No need to keep creating. The rest does not necessarily imply that God did nothing. If you look in verse 2: "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." The Bible just simply is saying that God ceased with His creation. It does not say that He did not do a work of any other kind. He did work.
#58 | 44:11 to 45:32 | cleaned
How do we know that? Here's how we know that. If God had ceased totally, absolutely, completely, what would have happened to His creation? It would have been gone. We know that He continued to work providentially because the Bible says in Hebrews that He upholds all things by the word of His power. Have you not ever read Psalm 104? The Bible says that all creatures wait upon Him. If God withholds His hands, they have nothing. They die. God did work in the sense that He continued His providential dealings, upholding all things by the word of His power and supplying the needs of His creatures.
#59 | 45:34 to 46:35 | cleaned
Do you remember what our Lord said in John 5 in verse 17? He said it like this: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." In other words, the Bible clearly teaches, and I'm not getting into this right now, but the Bible clearly teaches that there is indeed lawful work to be done on Sabbath days. Our Lord said Himself, "Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days," Matthew 12 and verse 12. You know the story how our Lord said, you can lead your ox away to water.
#60 | 46:36 to 47:08 | cleaned
You can supply food for it. That's work. You can heal on the Sabbath days. That's work. So, when the Bible says that God rested, that does not mean that he did not function in other spheres as well. Secondly, as you look back in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 2, the primal or the original Sabbath was blessed by God. Look in verse 3: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
#61 | 47:09 to 47:49 | cleaned
Now I want you to understand this. It's important to understand that the reason why God blessed the Sabbath day was not because it was the Sabbath day. There's nothing special about the Sabbath day. God did not bless the Sabbath day because it was the Sabbath day. God blessed the Sabbath day because in it He rested. Therefore, when the Sabbath law was written upon the tables of stone, it did not say, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy," but "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Again, the Bible does not say he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. No, he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. How did God hallow the Sabbath day? The Sabbath was hallowed by God by resting in it and blessing it.
#62 | 47:49 to 48:43 | cleaned
Undoubtedly, there is indeed an application of this truth for our benefit. There is nothing wrong with each of us taking a day of rest. We have to understand that a Sabbath rest is not to be a hindrance, but a help. It is not to be a burden, but a blessing. And I'm going to tell you something. Believe me or not, but the older you get, the more you find out you are not God, the more you find out you are flesh and blood, and you need to rest.
#63 | 48:45 to 49:32 | cleaned
Young people think they can go forever and live forever. It doesn't work like that when you get older, I can assure you. There's nothing wrong with that. I want to give you some quotes. This quote is by Patrick Fairbairn. Patrick Fairbairn has written extensively on the Old Testament. And he said this, now I want you to think about this: "Having appointed it to a distinctive end," talking about the Sabbath, "having appointed it to a distinctive end, he conferred on it a distinctive character that its creature man might from time to time be doing in his line of things what the creator had already done in his own might after six successive days of work."
#64 | 49:35 to 50:26 | cleaned
"Take one to reinvigorate his frame, to reflect calmly upon his past, and view the part he has taken and the relations he occupies on the outward visible theater of this world in light of the spiritual and the eternal. It was to be his calling and his destiny on earth not simply to work, but to work as a reasonable and moral being after the example of his maker for specific ends. For this, he needed seasons of quiet and repose and thoughtful considerations, not less than time and opportunity for active labor as otherwise, he could neither properly enjoy the work of his hands nor obtain the higher part of his nature that nobler good which is required to satisfy it."
#65 | 50:27 to 51:19 | cleaned
Now this is what he's saying. Man is to work like God. He's to work purposefully, deliberately, and then he's to stop and to rest in what he has done, consider what he has done, and consider his time as compared to eternity. Consider that all of his labor here is basically for his own mouth, and then he's going to die and be gone. And if he only makes preparation for this life, he's in trouble.
#66 | 51:20 to 51:56 | cleaned
Now, our Lord said it very explicitly in Mark 2 in verse 27. We're not turning there, but here's what our Lord said: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath." The Sabbath was made for man, so that we could rest, that we could repose after our Lord. Now, we're talking about the creation Sabbath. Listen carefully, and I'm going to prove this, I hope, to you biblically next Lord's Day. But listen, we cannot force, nor can we make, God's creation Sabbath commensurate equal to our Saturday, the seventh day of our week. In order to grasp the significance of the creation Sabbath, we need to understand first and foremost, it was God's rest. In it, God rested. Why did God rest and bless the Sabbath day calling it a Sabbath? Because in it He rested. It was God's rest in celebration of creation. Now listen, there is absolutely no way to determine from the Bible on which day God rested. You say, "Well, the Bible says He rested on the Sabbath day."
#67 | 52:00 to 53:51 | cleaned
Yes, He did. But which day did He start work on? You've got to remember back then, there were no days of the week. Yes, there was a day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six. Yes, there were six days. But God didn't start Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and then rest on... The Bible doesn't say that. Now, if you want to say that that's what you believe, that's one thing. But when you try to bind my conscience to what you believe, that's quite another thing. There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday. There were no names for the days at creation with the exception of numbers. Now, I want to give you a quote from Fairbairn again, then I want to point something out from the Bible. Listen to what Fairbairn said: "God, therefore, when he had finished the work of creation by making man, sanctified the seventh day, his own seventh, but man's first."
#68 | 53:51 to 55:06 | cleaned
"For man had not first to work and then to reap, but as God's vicegerent, nature's king, and high priest, with the Sabbath begins the sacred history of man, the day on which he stood forth to bless God, and in company with Eve, entered into his divine calling on earth." Are you listening to me? What day was man created on? Help me out. He was created on what day? The sixth day. The sixth day. What was the next day? The seventh day that God blessed.
#69 | 55:08 to 55:45 | cleaned
How was Adam to start his week? By resting. Worshipping God the first day of his week. He started with the Sabbath. Now whether or not Adam kept that Sabbath, I don't know. Arthur W. Pink gives a very vivid argument that Adam was created on the 6th day and before the 7th he was a sinner, before the 7th was over. And his main point is that in Colossians 1 verse 18 that in all things Christ must have the preeminence. That means that Christ is the only one who ever kept the Sabbath perfectly.
#70 | 55:45 to 56:38 | cleaned
But I'm simply pointing out, notice if you would, it is God's rest. And Adam then was to begin his week, his time on earth in God's rest. So man then began his week with a day of rest. God's Sabbath was man's first day.
#71 | 56:40 to 57:00 | cleaned
Now, the Scripture begins and ends with the rest of God. Are you listening? Adam failed to keep God's rest and he was driven from the garden. He was unable to abide in God's rest. Why? Help me out now. Because of his unbelief. Why did Adam not stay in the garden? He did not believe God. He believed the serpent. He believed the serpent. And they disobeyed God. And God drove them out of the garden.
#72 | 57:01 to 57:41 | cleaned
Let me ask you a question. When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, did they enter into the promised land? No. No, no, no. Go in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I want you to watch this. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, then we'll go to the book of Hebrews. Notice if you would. First Corinthians chapter 10. And let's begin reading there verse 1. Look what the Bible says.
#73 | 57:42 to 58:22 | cleaned
"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased."
#74 | 58:27 to 58:50 | cleaned
"For they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
#75 | 58:52 to 59:22 | cleaned
Now watch if you would, this is very informative. Verse 5, talking about these men that came out of Egypt: "But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness." Wow. With many of them God was not well pleased? Would you care to tell me how many of the original men that came out of Egypt got into the Promised Land? Two. Joshua and Caleb. But with many of them, all of them with the exception of two, God overthrew them in the wilderness. Now why did God overthrow them in the wilderness?
#76 | 59:22 to 1:00:09 | cleaned
Go in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 4. Watch this carefully. "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."
#77 | 1:00:09 to 1:00:48 | cleaned
Whoa, whoa, wait a minute now. Did you just hear what I read? He said, the reason these people did not enter into God's rest was because of unbelief. The rest, the works, were finished from the foundation of the world, therefore the rest was already there. The rest was there when Adam was created, but Adam didn't abide in that rest. God then gave a Canaan rest, and the people did not go into that because of their unbelief, their sins, and their rebellion. And the few that did get into Canaan land, after a few short years, guess what? God cast them out too. Why? Because of their unbelief. Because of their sin. Because of their rebellion. Listen to me carefully. To enter into God's rest requires faith and obedience. To enter into God's rest is not an observance of ceremonies and rituals and days and months. People did that in the Old Testament and God condemned them.
#78 | 1:00:48 to 1:02:04 | cleaned
If you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Amos, look in Amos, Amos chapter 5. Notice please, Amos chapter 5. Hosea, Joel, Amos. Look in Amos chapter 5 and let's begin reading there verse 21. You see folks, you can observe days and months and years. You can observe ceremonies and rituals down the line. Doesn't mean a thing if there is no real genuine faith and obedience. Look in Amos chapter 5 verse 21. Look what God says to Israel. Here's what he says, Amos 5 verse 21: "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies."
#79 | 1:02:05 to 1:02:56 | cleaned
"Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." Now, wait a minute. Did not God ordain the feast days? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the Sabbaths? Yes, He did. Did He not ordain the sacrifices? Yes, He did. But now God is looking at these people and says, "I hate them. I won't have them. They turn my stomach."
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"I will not have them." Why? Skip down, verse 24: "But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the LORD, whose name is The God of hosts." Here's what they did.
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They kept all the days, they kept all the rituals, they did it ceremonially. But at the same time, they were worshiping false gods. There was no faith. There was no obedience. Days and ceremonies and rituals are worthless without faith.
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Now, I told you and I'm going to prove it before I finish this brief series. The Bible starts and ends with rest. But in order to rest in the sovereign God of heaven and earth, there must be faith and there must be obedience. One last passage. I want you to turn back to Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57. Look what God says. Isaiah 57 and verses 20 and 21. Isaiah 57, verse 20 and 21.
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"But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." What are the wicked like? They're like the troubled sea which cannot rest. The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. If you rest in Him, you rest in His works, not yours. His obedience, not yours. It is true we must be obedient. It is true we must have faith. But let me tell you something folks, my little sniveling, partial obedience that I give to the law of God could never, under any circumstances, save me. Why? Because if you violate the law on one point, you're what? Guilty of all. I have to have a perfect obedience. And that perfect obedience can only be found in Jesus Christ.
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Even in the Old Testament, there is no Israelite, there is no Old Testament Hebrew that kept God's law perfectly. They did not keep God's Sabbaths perfectly. They did not keep God's festivals perfectly. And God judged them because of it. The only rest is the rest of God, which we find in Jesus Christ, who is superior to the prophets, to the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to Aaron. He's superior to anyone and anything, because Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. And it was Christ who said, which I will quote later, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And you shall find peace for your souls. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray that You would help us to understand, open our eyes, open our intellect, grab us, Lord, by Your power and by Your Spirit, and give us, Lord, the ability to perceive, to see, and to comprehend the truths of Thy word.
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Teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. In Christ's name we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:06:26Z

The Superiority of Christ Part 1 of 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver introduces a four-part series on the Sabbath issue, emphasizing the superiority of Christ over all Old Testament figures and institutions. He warns against a Pharisaical mentality in interpreting the Sabbath and begins by examining the creation Sabbath from Genesis 2, showing that God's rest was a rest of satisfaction and completion, not weariness. The ultimate rest is found only through faith and obedience in Jesus Christ.

Introduction to the Sabbath Issue

Weaver introduces the topic of the Sabbath, noting the many conflicting views and the danger of legalism. He emphasizes the need for caution and charity in studying doctrines where good men disagree.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:1-10

"Let us therefore fear." "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 limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day."

Warning Against Pharisaical Mentality

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?" "For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

By the way, let me remind you, this was not a sanitation issue. This was a ceremony that the Jews were involved in. It was ceremonial, had nothing to do with sanitation.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:1-9

"Why do thy disciples wash not their hands before they eat bread? But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."

The Superiority of Christ in Hebrews

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 1:4

Why are God's people supposed to be better than the Old Testament saints? Let me tell you why. Because they had the types, they had the emblems, they had the pictures. We have the reality. Look in Hebrews chapter 7 and verse 7. Without me explaining all of these verses, I'm just trying to demonstrate the word "better." "And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better." Look, if you would, in verse 19. Hebrews chapter 7.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:19, 22

"For the law made nothing perfect."

Isn't that interesting?

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 7:19, 22

"For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God."

The Glory of the New Covenant

From 2 Corinthians 3, Weaver shows that the Old Covenant glory was real but is surpassed by the greater glory of the New Covenant in Christ. The old glory fades in comparison.

That's exactly what he's saying. So the glory of the old faded away in the sense that it was so excelled by that which we have in the new.

Christ's Superiority Over Moses

Now, with that in mind, I want you to go back in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. And I want to very quickly read down to verse 7. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:1-7

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness)."

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 3:1-7

"partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."

The Rest of God in Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3-4

Weaver connects the rest spoken of in Psalm 95 (the Canaan rest) with Hebrews 3-4, noting that the Israelites failed to enter because of unbelief. The rest is a place of ease and quietness.

It will be developed and applied later on in this brief series. But notice if you would, Psalm 95 beginning there with verse 7. Psalm 95 verse 7:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 95:7-11

"For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear 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."

Now go back to Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7:

Scripture Reading — Psalm 95:7-11

"Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day 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 alway err in their heart."

The Creation Sabbath in Genesis 2

Weaver examines the creation Sabbath, emphasizing that God rested because He was satisfied with His completed work. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit, not as a burden.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:1-3

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."

Now I want you to note this seventh day is a celebration of God's creation. You say,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 2:1-3

"But now brother Weaver, in this passage, it is called the seventh day and not the Sabbath."

I understand. But if you would hold Genesis 2 and look in your Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 20 and verse 11, you will see that it is also called the Sabbath day.

Now, stronger language is used in Exodus 31. I want you to look there. Hold Genesis 2, but look in Exodus 31 and verse 17. Exodus 31, verse 17. Look what God says concerning the Sabbaths. He said:

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:17

"It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:28

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?"

For instance, look in your Bible to Genesis 1 in verse 31. When we talk about the rest of complacency, we're talking about the rest of satisfaction. And Genesis 1 in verse 31, the Bible says this:

Scripture Reading — Genesis 1:31

"And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made."

What does it mean when it says God rested? God was absolutely, totally satisfied and delighted in everything that He created.

Scripture Reading — Revelation 4:11

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

God's Rest as Satisfaction and Completion

God's rest is not due to weariness but complacency (satisfaction) and the completion of His creative work. He continues to work providentially. The Sabbath was blessed because God rested in it.

Do you remember what our Lord said in John 5 in verse 17? He said it like this:

Scripture Reading — John 5:17

"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

Man's Need for Rest and the Purpose of Sabbath

Weaver quotes Fairbairn to show that man, like God, should work purposefully and then rest, reflecting on his labor and eternal matters. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit.

The Impossibility of Identifying the Original Seventh Day

Weaver argues that we cannot determine which day of our week corresponds to the creation Sabbath. Adam's first full day was a day of rest, beginning his life in God's rest.

Unbelief Prevents Entering God's Rest

Adam, the Israelites, and later generations failed to enter God's rest due to unbelief and disobedience. True rest requires faith and obedience, not mere ritual observance.

Rest Only in Christ

Weaver concludes that the only true rest is found in Jesus Christ, who offers rest to the weary. Our imperfect obedience cannot save; we need Christ's perfect obedience.

The Superiority of Christ Part 1 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	zFA1ywuhjGY
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Genesis: Creation, Fall, and Dominion
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	86

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction to the Sabbath Issue: Weaver introduces the topic of the Sabbath, noting the many conflicting views and the danger of legalism. He emphasizes the need for caution and charity in studying doctrines where good men disagree.
Warning Against Pharisaical Mentality: Using Matthew 12 and 15, Weaver illustrates how the Pharisees condemned Jesus for not following their Sabbath traditions, even when those traditions contradicted God's law. He stresses avoiding such an attitude.
The Superiority of Christ in Hebrews: Weaver explains that the book of Hebrews demonstrates Christ's superiority over prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. The key word 'better' is used repeatedly to show that Christ and the New Covenant excel the Old.
The Glory of the New Covenant: From 2 Corinthians 3, Weaver shows that the Old Covenant glory was real but is surpassed by the greater glory of the New Covenant in Christ. The old glory fades in comparison.
Christ's Superiority Over Moses: Hebrews 3 is examined to show Christ as Son over His house, while Moses was a servant. Christ is worthy of more glory, and the author gives Moses an 'honorable burial' before focusing solely on Christ.
The Rest of God in Psalm 95 and Hebrews 3-4: Weaver connects the rest spoken of in Psalm 95 (the Canaan rest) with Hebrews 3-4, noting that the Israelites failed to enter because of unbelief. The rest is a place of ease and quietness.
The Creation Sabbath in Genesis 2: Weaver examines the creation Sabbath, emphasizing that God rested because He was satisfied with His completed work. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit, not as a burden.
God's Rest as Satisfaction and Completion: God's rest is not due to weariness but complacency (satisfaction) and the completion of His creative work. He continues to work providentially. The Sabbath was blessed because God rested in it.
Man's Need for Rest and the Purpose of Sabbath: Weaver quotes Fairbairn to show that man, like God, should work purposefully and then rest, reflecting on his labor and eternal matters. The Sabbath was made for man's benefit.
The Impossibility of Identifying the Original Seventh Day: Weaver argues that we cannot determine which day of our week corresponds to the creation Sabbath. Adam's first full day was a day of rest, beginning his life in God's rest.
Unbelief Prevents Entering God's Rest: Adam, the Israelites, and later generations failed to enter God's rest due to unbelief and disobedience. True rest requires faith and obedience, not mere ritual observance.
Rest Only in Christ: Weaver concludes that the only true rest is found in Jesus Christ, who offers rest to the weary. Our imperfect obedience cannot save; we need Christ's perfect obedience.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Christ's superiority means He is Lord of the Sabbath

Since Christ is superior to all, including the Sabbath, He has authority over it and its observance.

Weaver cites Matthew 12:8: 'For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.' He also emphasizes Colossians 1:18 that Christ has preeminence in all things.

The Old Covenant glory is surpassed by the New

The glory of the Old Testament, including its Sabbaths, is absorbed and excelled by the greater glory of the New Covenant in Christ.

Weaver explains 2 Corinthians 3:10: 'For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.'

Moses is inferior to Christ and his role is fulfilled

Hebrews 3 shows Moses as a faithful servant, but Christ as the Son over His house. Moses' role is honorably concluded, and Christ is now the focus.

Weaver quotes Pink and Owen: 'Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses... he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial.'

The creation Sabbath was God's rest, not a day of worship

The original Sabbath was a celebration of creation's completion, characterized by God's rest and satisfaction, not primarily a day for human worship.

Weaver states: 'The primal or the original Sabbath was a rest day... the prime element in the Sabbath is rest. It is not worship.'

God's rest does not imply inactivity or weariness

God's rest means He ceased creating and was satisfied, not that He was tired. He continues to work providentially.

Weaver cites Isaiah 40:28 and John 5:17 to show God does not faint and that He and the Father continue to work.

The seventh day cannot be identified with Saturday

There were no named days at creation, only numbered days. We cannot know which modern day corresponds to the original seventh day.

Weaver says: 'There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday.'

Unbelief, not failure to observe a day, bars from rest

The Israelites failed to enter Canaan because of unbelief, not because they kept the wrong day. True rest is entered by faith.

Weaver cites Hebrews 4:2-3 and 1 Corinthians 10:5, emphasizing that the word did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith.

Ritual observance without faith is rejected by God

God hates empty ritual, including feast days and sacrifices, when not accompanied by faith and righteousness.

Weaver reads Amos 5:21-24 where God says He hates their feast days and will not accept their offerings because of their idolatry and injustice.

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1-10: Main text for the series; introduces the concept of entering God's rest and the warning against unbelief.
Matthew 12:1-8: Jesus and His disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath; Pharisees condemn them; Jesus declares He is Lord of the Sabbath.
Matthew 15:1-9: Pharisees criticize disciples for not washing hands; Jesus rebukes them for making God's commandment void by tradition.
Colossians 1:18: Christ is the head of the church and is to have preeminence in all things.
Hebrews 1:4: Christ is made so much better than the angels.
Hebrews 7:19, 22: The law made nothing perfect, but a better hope did; Jesus is the surety of a better testament.
Hebrews 8:6: Christ is the mediator of a better covenant, established on better promises.
2 Corinthians 3:7-11: The Old Covenant ministration of death was glorious, but the New Covenant ministration of the Spirit is more glorious; the old glory is done away.
Hebrews 3:1-7: Christ is counted worthy of more glory than Moses; Moses was a servant, Christ a Son over His own house.
Psalm 95:7-11: Quoted in Hebrews 3-4; warns against hardening hearts and not entering God's rest due to unbelief.
Genesis 2:1-3: God finished creation, rested on the seventh day, blessed and sanctified it.
Exodus 20:11: The Lord made heaven and earth in six days and rested the seventh; therefore He blessed the Sabbath day.
Exodus 31:17: The Sabbath is a sign; in six days God made heaven and earth and on the seventh He rested and was refreshed.
Isaiah 40:28: The everlasting God, the Creator, does not faint or grow weary.
Genesis 1:31: God saw everything He had made and it was very good.
Revelation 4:11: God created all things for His pleasure.
John 5:17: Jesus says, 'My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.'
1 Corinthians 10:1-11: Israelites in the wilderness are examples; most were overthrown because of unbelief and sin.
Amos 5:21-27: God hates Israel's feast days and sacrifices because of their idolatry and lack of righteousness.
Isaiah 57:20-21: The wicked are like the troubled sea that cannot rest; there is no peace for the wicked.

Historical References

Pharisees' Sabbath traditions: The Pharisees had developed extensive oral traditions about Sabbath observance that often contradicted God's law, leading them to condemn Jesus and His disciples.
Augustine's saying on essentials and non-essentials: Weaver quotes Augustine: 'In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.' Used to encourage graciousness in disputable matters.
A.W. Pink and John Owen on Moses' burial: Weaver quotes Pink and Owen commenting on Hebrews 3, saying the apostle gives Moses an honorable burial and then focuses solely on Christ.
Patrick Fairbairn on the Sabbath: Fairbairn is quoted regarding the purpose of the Sabbath for man's rest and reflection, and that God's seventh day was man's first day.
Billboard on I-75 condemning Sunday worship: Weaver mentions a billboard that says anyone who worships on Sunday is of the devil, illustrating extreme dogmatism on the Sabbath issue.

Important Quotes

In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.

Weaver uses this Augustinian principle to urge caution and graciousness when discussing doctrines where good men disagree, such as the Sabbath.

There is no way absolutely to know which day the seventh day was. It is impossible to derive and make the seventh day here Saturday.

Weaver argues against dogmatic insistence on Saturday as the Sabbath, since the original seventh day cannot be identified with our modern calendar.

To enter into God's rest requires faith and obedience. To enter into God's rest is not an observance of ceremonies and rituals and days and months.

This quote summarizes the central application: true rest is a matter of heart faith and obedience, not external ritual observance.

The only true rest there is, is that which is found in God, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

Weaver concludes that ultimate rest is found only in a relationship with Christ, not in any day or ceremony.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.

Quoting Mark 2:27, Weaver emphasizes that the Sabbath was given for human benefit, not as a burdensome regulation.

Here the apostle taketh leave of Moses, but treats not about him any more, and therefore he gives him, as it were, an honorable burial.

Weaver quotes John Owen to illustrate that Hebrews 3 marks a transition where Moses' role is honorably concluded and Christ's superiority is the focus.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.

From Amos 5:21, this quote shows that God rejects ritual observance when it is not accompanied by genuine faith and righteousness.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean that Christ is 'Lord of the Sabbath,' and how should that affect our view of Sabbath observance?

[Context]

Weaver cites Matthew 12:8 and emphasizes Christ's superiority over all things, including the Sabbath.

[Question]

How can we avoid a Pharisaical mentality when studying doctrines like the Sabbath where good Christians disagree?

[Context]

Weaver warns against the Pharisees' attitude and quotes Augustine's principle of unity, liberty, and charity.

[Question]

In what ways is the New Covenant 'better' than the Old Covenant, and how does that impact our understanding of the Sabbath?

[Context]

Weaver traces the word 'better' through Hebrews and contrasts the glory of the two covenants in 2 Corinthians 3.

[Question]

Why is it significant that God's rest after creation was a rest of satisfaction and completion rather than weariness?

[Context]

Weaver explains from Genesis 2 and Isaiah 40 that God's rest was not due to fatigue but to complacency in His finished work.

[Question]

What does it mean that the Sabbath was 'made for man,' and how should that shape our practice of rest?

[Context]

Weaver quotes Mark 2:27 and Fairbairn's comments on man's need for physical rest and spiritual reflection.

[Question]

How does the impossibility of identifying the original seventh day affect arguments that require Saturday observance?

[Context]

Weaver argues that we cannot know which modern day corresponds to the creation Sabbath, so binding consciences to Saturday is unwarranted.

[Question]

Why did the Israelites fail to enter God's rest, and what does that teach us about the relationship between faith and rest?

[Context]

Weaver cites Hebrews 4 and 1 Corinthians 10, emphasizing that unbelief, not failure to keep a day, prevented them from entering.

[Question]

How does Amos 5 challenge the idea that meticulous observance of religious days and rituals is pleasing to God?

[Context]

Weaver reads Amos 5:21-24 where God rejects Israel's feast days because of their idolatry and injustice.

Applications

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