Hebrews 4:1

Hebrews 4:1

The promise of entering His rest still stands.

We haven’t finished with the subject of God’s rest and how we, as His people, enter in and benefit from it. Moses had a tent that was pitched outside the camp of the Israelites and there he would go, with Joshua, to meet face to face with the Lord. On one occasion the Lord said to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14.

On another occasion, whilst preparing Moses and the people for their crossing into Canaan, the Lord instructed him that all able-bodied men must be armed and ready to go and fight but their wives and children should remain behind in the fortified towns that the Lord had given to them. This arrangement was to stay in place until the Lord gave His people “rest.” Deut 3:18-20. God also promised King David “rest from all his enemies.” 2 Samuel 7:11.

It is clear from these passages that the troubled, battling nation of Israel would experience times of great upheaval and conflict whilst they contended for the Promised Land. But, as time went on and their enemies were gradually conquered or retreated then, bit-by-bit, the people and the land would achieve “rest”. Rest is therefore, the time and place in our lives when we stop fighting, our enemies are subdued and we are able to be at peace with ourselves and with the Lord. We cannot achieve this without Him and “His Presence” that goes with us, but this is God’s ultimate aim for us all, if not in this life, then definitely in the life to come. 

Chapter 3 of this Epistle taught us that it is possible to miss out completely on the inheritance that the Lord has secured for us, that the Christian life is never a static process, that God’s intention is to take us a on a journey, a journey that will be costly, time-consuming and very tough at times. The climax involves fighting off the enemies that have taunted us, until we reach our place of contentment and rest in Him. There is a grave danger of missing out on the reward simply by being complacent, by sticking with our sins and by constantly rebelling against the Word of the Lord. Now we are being asked the question, do we want to fall short of all that the Lord has promised or are we prepared to keep pressing on? The “rest” can be enjoyed here in this life if we allow Messiah to reign and rule over us. although it comes at a price. (Isaiah 11:1-9) The ultimate rest will be ours in the life to come when the Lord sets us in His new creation. 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more