There is a " rest " that only GOD can give. We read in the Bible in many places where true " rest " only comes from HIM. In this post we will see some of those examples with the children of Israel. The " rest " that only GOD could give to them and how that wonderful " rest " was given and could be relied upon even when they were not altogether faithful. We will start in the Book of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 25:19a " Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your GOD has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your GOD is giving you to possess as an inheritance, "
Joshua 1:13-15 " Remember the WORD which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ' The LORD your GOD is giving you rest and is giving you this land. Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as HE has given you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your GOD is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD's servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.' "
Joshua 21:43-45 " So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which HE had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that HE had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand. Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. ALL came to pass. "
Joshua 23:1-3, 8-11 " Now it came to pass, a long time after the LORD had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua was old, advanced in age. And Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them: ' I am old, advanced in age. You have seen all that the LORD your GOD has done to all these nations because of you, for the LORD your GOD is HE WHO has fought for you. ... but you shall hold fast to the LORD your GOD, as you have done to this day. For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your GOD is HE WHO fights for you, as HE has promised you. Therefore take diligent heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your GOD. Or else,..."
2nd. Samuel 7:8-11 " Now therefore, thus shall you (Nathan the prophet) say to MY servant David, ' Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over MY people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for MY people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them anymore, as previously, since the time that I commanded judges to be over MY people Israel, and have caused you to rest from all your enemies. Also the LORD tells you that HE will make you a house.' "
1st. Kings 5:2-5 " Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: ' You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the LORD his GOD because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the LORD put his foes under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my GOD has given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the LORD my GOD, as the LORD spoke to my father David, saying, ' Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for MY name.' "
1st. Kings 8:56 " Blessed be the LORD, WHO has given rest to HIS people Israel, according to all that HE promised. There has not failed one WORD of all HIS good promise, which HE promised through HIS servant Moses."
1st. Chronicles 22:6-9 " Then he (David) called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the LORD GOD of Israel. And David said to Solomon: ' My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of the LORD my GOD; but the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ' You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for MY name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in MY sight. Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give " peace and quietness " to Israel in his days.' "
1st. Chronicles 23:25 " For David said, ' The LORD GOD of Israel has given rest to HIS people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever; "
2nd. Chronicles 14:6-7 " And he (Asa) built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. Therefore he said to Judah, ' Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our GOD; we have sought HIM, and HE has given us rest on every side.' So they built and prospered. "
Matthew 11:28-30 And JESUS said, " Come to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take MY yoke upon you and learn from ME, for I AM gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For MY yoke is easy and MY burden is light. "
There are also warnings given to those who refuse the rest that only the LORD can give and the reasons that many do not and will not enter into that rest. Let us look into the Book of Hebrews for those warnings.
Hebrews 3:7-12 " Therefore, as the HOLY SPIRIT says: Today, if you will hear HIS voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested ME, proved ME, and saw MY works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ' They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known MY ways.' So I swore in MY wrath, ' They shall not enter MY rest.' Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living GOD; "
Hebrews 3:16-19 " For who, having heard, rebelled ? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses ? Now with whom was HE angry forty years ? Was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness ? And to whom did HE swear that they would not enter HIS rest, but to those who did not obey ? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."
Hebrews 4:1-11 " Therefore, since a promise remains of entering HIS rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the WORD which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest as HE has said: ' So I swore in MY wrath, they shall not enter MY rest, ' although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For HE has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way, 'And GOD rested on the seventh day from all HIS work,' and again in this place: ' They shall not enter MY rest.' Since therefore it remains that some must enter it and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of unbelief, again HE designates a certain day, saying in David, ' Today,' after such a long time, as it has been said: ' Today, if you will hear HIS voice (WORD), do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, then HE would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of GOD. For he who has entered HIS rest has himself also ceased from his works as GOD did from HIS. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. "
GOD's rest is for those who come to HIM by faith; for those HE comes to, and they who believe, by faith, what HE says in HIS WORD. The people of the Old Testament were saved the same way the people of the New Testament were saved and all the people up to present day are saved. People in the Old Testament believed, by faith, what GOD was going to do in sending a SPOTLESS LAMB, a SAVIOR that would be the final sacrifice to take away their sin permanently; once for ALL !
People of the New Testament and everyone thereafter also believe, by faith, that GOD sent HIS only begotten SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST as the SPOTLESS LAMB, the SAVIOR to come and be sacrificed; once for ALL. JESUS came, born of a virgin as the Scriptures had foretold. JESUS laid HIS own life down on the cross as a requirement of GOD the FATHER as full payment for the sin of mankind. JESUS was buried in a new tomb and rose again from the dead on the third day. Death could not hold HIM because HE was without sin. GOD the FATHER raised HIM from the dead because HIS SON was sinless and paid our sin debt in full. JESUS is the Jews MESSIAH, HE is our SAVIOR and REDEEMER, HE is GOD in the flesh and to enter HIS rest is to take HIM at HIS WORD...............
" But what does it say ? ' The WORD is near you, even in your heart ' (that is, the WORD of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS and believe in your heart that GOD has raised HIM from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to Salvation. For the Scripture says, ' Whoever believes on HIM will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same LORD over all is rich to all who call upon HIM. For 'whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.' " Romans 10:8-13
Today is still the day of Salvation; DO NOT REFUSE TO ENTER HIS REST !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Perfect!
ReplyDeleteI have gone back quite a bit to the posts that were done so grandly by HIS touch. HE has impressed on me to do more but at the moment I am stretched too thin and have to finish a few projects that I promised people. But I love when HE gives me a verse, a subject, a smile to give to others. HE is perfect and I am HIS !
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