The Rest Of God

by J. Renfrew | Category: N/a | Sept 1951

A brief consideration of this subject will lead to the conclusion. That, in the purposes Of God concerning His people upon earth, His desire that they might enter into His rest, has an important place. That this is true in our day, as it has been since the beginning, may be seen from a careful reading of the epistle to the Hebrews, chapters 3. and 4.

It was in the beginning that we first read of the rest of God, following upon the vast and glorious work of creation. Genesis 2.1-3 records

"And the heaven and earth were finished, and all the host of them.

And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and

He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

And God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it: because that in it He rested from all His work which God had created and tic."

Rest follows a finished work; and though we may but feebly grasp the wealth of meaning contained in these words, yet that which was of pleasure to God was to be made available for the benefit of man.

One ventures to suggest that Adam in the garden of Eden prior to his disobedience, knew something of that rest and refreshing; an experience that he was to lose in his disobeying the word of the Lord and to know in its place alienation from God, and the toil and sweat of cultivating the ground. In the giving of the law the matter of Gods rest was brought prominently before the people of God. The setting-apart of the seventh day as a sabbath unto the LORD was directly linked with the rest of God in creation; for in the giving of the commandment the words follow:

"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seeenth day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Exodus 20.11).

Thus in the observance thereof, the Israelite, as he rested from his six days labour, was caused to consider how that God also on the seventh day rested from His labours.

But God had something more in view for His redeemed people in the wilderness. He had a rest in view, His rest associated with the land of Canaan and the place of the Name. Concerning this He spoke to the people through Moses (Deuteronomy 12. 9). But, instead of obeying His word, they disbelieved it, and evoked the displeasure of the LORD (Numbers 14.29). In consequence the men of war did not enter into His rest, but died in the wilderness.

But God still in His grace sought rest for His people; and again after so long a time, He spoke in David (Psalm 95). The rest was in association with the house of God, which is described in 1 Chronicles 28.2, as the house of rest for the ark. Unto this was David's desire, as he entered into God's desire, expressed in Psalm 132

"Arise, 0 LORD, into Thy resting place;

Thou, and the ark of Thy strength" (verse 8).

"For the LORD hath chosen Zion;

He hath desired it for His habitation.

This is My resting place for ever:

Here will I dwell; for I have desired it" (verses 13, 14).

God still has a place of rest upon earth to-day. Stephen, in his de fence before the Sanhedrim, spake of this in quotation from Isaiah 66.1

"The Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands; as saith the prophet, The heaven is My throne, and the earth the footstool of My feet: What manner of house will ye build Me? saith the Lord: Or what is the place of My rest?" (Acts 7.48,49).

It is given therefore to those who are in the House of God, to enter by faith into His rest. This is not merely a rest from the labour of sin which the sinner enjoys when he comes to Christ. It is something which is conditional upon continued obedience to the word of God. That is why diligence is required on our part, lest any one should come short of the purposes of God for His people.

We have before us in Scripture the pattern of faithful service, in Moses, as servant, in God's House, and Christ, as Son over God's House. Only by following the example of obedience; and by laying hold "of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6.18; 3.6) will we enter into the rest of God, and be saved from the failure of God's people of old.

J. Renfrew | Sept 1951
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