Gary Hoffman has a good look at the statement by Joshua, of “Choose you this day,” over at his blog. I encourage you to go read it. When I read it I was reminded of Hebrews Chapters 3 and 4.  In Hebrews 3:15, “while it is said, ‘Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked me,” speaking of those who were disobedient in the wilderness journey, and died because of their rebellion. Verses 18 and 19 says that those disobedient ones would not enter into His rest. They were disobedient (Verse 19) because they didn’t believe what Yahweh said.

Then, in Chapter 4, of Hebrews, we are warned not to be rebellious and disobedient as those in the wilderness were, echoing Paul’s warning in 1st Corinthians 10. The warning in Hebrews 4:1, is of not entering into the rest of Yahweh. He said, “Today, If you hear His Voice, do not harden your heart,” in Hebrews 3:15. And then continues the thought into talking about the rest of the LORD.

There is only one day of rest given by Yahweh, and that is His weekly Sabbath, and the annual Sabbaths of His other appointed times (Moedim/Feasts).

The writer of Hebrews says that we have heard the same gospel as they did – showing us the proper order of the giving of the gospel – but they didn’t mix what He said with faith (they didn’t believe what He said), therefore it was of no profit to them. It’s as Paul writes in Colossians 2, the commandments and doctrines of men are of no value.

What rest is the writer of Hebrews talking about, specifically, here? Hebrews 4:3–5 make it clear. It is the Sabbath day set apart from the foundation of the world, when our Creator finished His labor of creation, and rested on the Sabbath day. AGAIN, in Verse 7, we are reminded that Yahweh “fixes a certain day.”

We don’t see the Sabbath of the Creator abolished, set aside, changed, or left to us to define, here in Hebrews 4, as some falsely teach. We see quite the opposite.

Verse 9 says, “There remains therefore a Sabbath (seventh day, just as defined earlier in the chapter, in perfect unity with Torah and the Prophets) for the people of God.”

Verse 10; “For the one how has entered into His (Yahweh’s) rest has himself also rested from his works, as God (our Creator) did from His.” We know when and how He rested. In the beginning, after six days of creating (work), He rested. We are to rest as He did, on the day He set apart for rest, established from the beginning.

We are told that the believer’s rest is in Yeshua (Jesus). But if we are to rest as the Creator did, how can that be? Is the Creator, who rested on the Sabbath Day, now resting in Yeshua?

None of that makes sense. Today (Sabbath) is the day, HIS DAY. Choose this Day, whom you will serve. The men of this world, worshiping a god of their own making, inspired by the liar to add to and subtract from what god said, lead men and women who profess to know the Creator to choose a day of their own. But Today, on His Day, we are to hear His Voice.

The revelation of the Messiah to His creation is through the observance and keeping of His appointments (Sabbaths) beginning with the weekly reminder of the seventh day Sabbath.

The weekly cycle of six days, culminating in the Sabbath Day, has stood the test of time and man’s feeble attempts to change the calendar. Even though the calendar has changed as the months and number of days cycle through the year, the weekly cycle has remained constant in all societies around the globe.

But the ultimate attempt to change times and seasons has been done by those who profess to know Him. And it is the changing of His Appointed Times (Feasts/Moedim), including and foremost the weekly Sabbath, by those in Judaism and in traditional Christianity that is the problem.

Believing that we are to rest on His Sabbath Day, as He rested, is connected to salvation. Keeping Sabbath will not save us. But if we are rebellious against Him, disregarding His Sabbath Day, in favor of our own day, or no day at all, or any variation less than exactly what He said, is a heart problem.

Many rightly say, “God knows my heart.” Yes He does. He knows that my heart is desperately wicked, to the point that I can’t know it in and of myself. But He can show me my heart.

My heart is exposed to be wicked when I determine to ignore what He said, and go my own way. He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” The heart that says, “I don’t have to keep His commandments,” doesn’t love Him. There’s a heart problem.

Do I believe what He said, that He created everything I need from the foundation of the world, and then He rested from His work? And do I believe that to the point that I can rest in His provision on His Sabbath Day, not working to provide for myself?

It all comes down, just as the writer of Hebrews said, to belief or unbelief.

Choose you this Day. Today is the Day. The warning, “Do not harden your heart,” as they did, and their bodies were strewn about the wilderness. (Hebrews 3 and 4, and 1st Corinthians 10, and The Torah)