Psalm 132:15-16

Psalm 132:15-16 continued

The Land of Rest

The concept of “rest” is one that comes up again and again in the Scriptures and it is obviously one of the keys to understanding this Psalm. I have wrestled with this over the years, not least because of Hebrews chapters 3-4 which clearly talk about the failure of many Israelites to enter God’s rest because of their unbelief. Those chapters also point the finger at us, the church, and warn us not to be found to have fallen short of God’s rest! Again, unbelief and disobedience are the hindrances to entering the “rest” of the Lord. 

It is clear, that when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and taken through the Red Sea, they were a picture of our deliverance from sin and slavery to sin, and also of baptism which washes us clean and symbolises our death to the old way of life. Unbelief and disobedience kept the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years although the Lord continued to provide for them. The icing on the cake was always going to be the Promised Land, the land of Canaan that had been pledged by the Lord to Abraham. To enter that land they underwent another baptism, through the River Jordan. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is our parallel, for without His power and enabling, we will never conquer the land the Lord has promised to us. And that is the point, the Promised Land is not heaven although it embraces heavenly blessings. In our Promised Land we have to fight for survival, we have to triumph over the devil’s schemes. We have to wear our spiritual armour every day until we come to an end of ourselves and are able to “rest” in the provision and protection of the Lord. “Rest” comes when we are completely surrendered by faith to Him, when we have fought the battles inside of ourselves and the temptations outside in the world. “Rest” is when, by faith, we are able to invite the Lord our God, to preside in His Temple and our “Land” is at peace. It is at this moment that we, His priests, will be completely clothed with salvation, and we will be able to ever sing for joy! Now, read Hebrews chapter 4!

 

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