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Hebrews 4:9 – There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God
The word “Sabbath” means “rest,” not seventh.” The Greek term used here, sabbatizō does refer to the “7th” day, but rather the keeping of the rest. Keeping a rest is a paradoxical thought that fits well with the relationship of works and faith.
“Christians often assume that the New Testament does not require God’s people to observe Shabbat and go on to claim that Sunday has replaced Saturday as the Church’s day of worship (see 1C 16:2N). But this passage, and in particular v.9, shows that Shabbat-observances is expected of believers. From Co 2:16-17, which says that Shabbat was a shadow of the things that were to come, but the substance comes from the Messiah, we learn that the essence of Shabbat-observance for believers is not following the detailed rules which halakhah sets forth concerning what may or may not be done on the seventh day of the week. Rather, as v.10 explains, the Shabbat-keeping expected of God’s people consists in resting from one’s own works, as God did from his; it consists in trusting and being faithful to God (vv.2-3). Although the specific ‘works’ from which the readers of this letter were to rest were animal sacrifices (see 6:4-6N), by implication all self-struggle, in which one relies on one’s own efforts instead of trusting God, is to be avoided; and in this the author is making the same point as Sha’ul does at Ro 3:19-4:25.” (Stern, p.673)
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