Numbers 28:9-10 (KJV)
And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: [10] This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
Here we find something interesting of the Sabbath. Priests are commanded to WORK twice as hard on Sabbath day. They are to offer 2 lambs, beside the 2 lambs of the continual offering. What does this mean? First of all, it shows Christ's work in winning the eternal Sabbath of our souls for us. Christ not only died for our daily sins which we commit on this world, but He died to give us the eternal Sabbath that awaits us.
Also, this law signified what Christ would be doing on the Sabbath when He comes. Christ would be working on Saturday. He healed the man with the withered hand according to Matthew 12:12-13. On Sabbath day He taught in the synagogue and healed a man with an unclean spirit according to Mark 1:21-27. And on Sabbath Day It is again recorded:
Mark 6:5 (KJV)
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
His desire was to do mighty work on the Sabbath, but He was constrained at that time because of the people's unbelief. How about the time when Christ healed the man born blind? How about the time the woman with the bent back was straightened? There are numerous other references to Christ's double work on the Sabbath. What is the meaning of His work on the Sabbath?
Firstly, Sabbath is the day when man rests, but it is when God does His work in us. God began working after man fell, and has not stopped, not even on Sabbath. Read what Christ said:
John 5:16-17 (KJV)
And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. [17] But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
In fact when man rests, it is time for God to do the work. When man rests in God, that is the time when God begins His work. Even when we are working for God, we must be at the same time resting in Him, that God may work through us. We will never achieve or do anything of value to God if we are not always resting in Him:
Matthew 11:29-30 (KJV)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Christ's yoke is easy because Christ is the one doing all the work. We only need to go along with the ride. See this amazing part of the verse: take my yoke... and you will find REST! Not work. This is an amazing thing. This is the key to doing God's work that counts. It is to rest in Christ. It is Christ that works in us, the grace of God, not us. How glorious!
Jesus Christ IS our Sabbath. He is our rest. He is the one who has done all the work for us. He has satisfied God for us. He even died for all our transgressions. He even prays for us. His Spirit cries Abba Father in us already. He intercedes and atones for our sins every day. He lived the perfect life for us so that our imperfect works God would forget and He would only consider His Son's good works. And Hallelujah, it is still His works in us. What is it then, that we are to do? We are to STOP the works what we are doing, for the WAGES of sin is death, and just REST in Him. This is repentance, to stop. He is our Sabbath, because He is the one who works for us.
What do we learn from this law then? If Christ has done all this work, so that we may have rest, we also are compelled to do the same. We work NOT to satisfy God, but so that others may have the rest in God. We work for others. As Paul has said:
Philippians 1:21-24 (KJV)
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. [23] For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: [24] Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
To Paul to live was labour, for what? That Christ may be found in others. He wasn't alive to work for God. Of course, he WAS working for God, but he was labouring mainly that others may find rest and joy of faith in Jesus Christ. For read what he says:
Philippians 1:25-26 (KJV)
And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; [26] That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
So we learn that one must work, that another may rest and enjoy and have life. One must die, that another may have life. This is what Jesus Christ has done for us, and that is what He is doing for us. He has retained His wounds of his death. In fact, He appears as one who has been slain even in heaven now:
Revelation 5:6 (KJV)
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
He was dead, now lives, and lives forevermore, but His wounds He has kept and He still appears dead. Why? So that we may live forever. If then, can we not dare to die and to work and to suffer for others? We do this for their benefit, that they may come to know Christ, and that they may rest and enjoy God. This is the fruit of our labour. While we work, we take joy in another having pleasure. This is what it means to be Christian. We don't do this because we want to be right before God, but for the benefit of others. Let's for a moment step back and stop 'doing things for God', but do things for others, that they may enjoy, and rest in God. Let's stop being so selfish. Working to be right with God is not of faith and therefore it is sin, and it is evil, idolatrous, self-glorifying, and boastful. We are right with God already if we have believed. But let us work for others, especially for fellow believers, if we have tasted that God is good. Let us be imitators of Christ.
The law is therefore an encouragement also to pastors and leaders in the church. It is their job on Sunday to work twice as hard. To win God's pleasure? No. But so that people who have worked all week may truly rest in God because of their work, that they who have been wounded all week may be healed on Sunday, in exchange for our pain in labour.
Beside the continual offering. This phrase suggests that our own daily faith in Christ must not cease when we are working the works of God for other's rest. We can be so caught up with working for others, that we forget our personal faith in and dying with Christ everyday. As Paul said, Lest I preach others and myself found to be a castaway, we must care for our own souls, whilst we are caring for others. That is why we must take the yoke of Christ, through which we find rest for our souls. Blessed be Christ, our rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment