The Place of Rest
It's amazing how much the Scriptures speak of rest. It is in the Garden of Eden, it's the goal of the deliverance of Israel and establishment in the Promised Land (see Joshua 14:15). It is there after Othniel's judgeship over Israel (Judges 3:11). It is also now here in 1 Kings 8 (the longest chapter in the book) after Solomon's dedication prayer.
1 Kings 8:54–57 (ESV) Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,
This is the desire of God: rest for you with Him. It is why Jesus came. Because if Moses, Joshua, Othniel, or Solomon could have done it, He wouldn't have needed to go to the Cross. He came to give us rest.
Matthew 11:28–29 (ESV) Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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.
Now in the first creation - we see God speaking and bringing light into the dark, and order into the chaos in order to establish a place for God and man to dwell. Here Solomon is preparing a place for God and man to dwell. The implication is clear and Rabbi Jonathan sacks writes about this as well. We are partners with God to bring the world to rest.
Do you know what that means? It means many Christians have to rethink their whole idea of what it means to be IN the faith. We are ambassadors of REST first and foremost. Our highest priority is to work with the power of the Holy Spirit to shine light in the darkness and bring order out of chaos so that people can finally be at rest. We do this with our TESTIMONY.
Who needs rest? Everyone.
The person who thinks their relationship to God is dependent on their good works after salvation. They need rest. They need to the true Son of Solomon has built which man failed to build - a tabernacle of rest.
The person who thinks SOMETHING other than God will satisfy them and give them rest - THEY need God's rest! They work long hours and sacrifice friends and family on the altar of success and achievement thinking they will eventually make enough to be at rest. Little do they understand that work, while good and healthy, can also become "god" and turn into a cruel task master.
The person who thinks SOMEONE other than God will satisfy them. People like the Samaritan woman who Jesus found at the well in the heat of the day all alone and broken from 5 failed relationships and mixed up in fornication. What was her response after having met Jesus?
John 4:28–29 (ESV) So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
1 Kings 8:54–57 (ESV) Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,
This is the desire of God: rest for you with Him. It is why Jesus came. Because if Moses, Joshua, Othniel, or Solomon could have done it, He wouldn't have needed to go to the Cross. He came to give us rest.
Matthew 11:28–29 (ESV) Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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.
Now in the first creation - we see God speaking and bringing light into the dark, and order into the chaos in order to establish a place for God and man to dwell. Here Solomon is preparing a place for God and man to dwell. The implication is clear and Rabbi Jonathan sacks writes about this as well. We are partners with God to bring the world to rest.
Do you know what that means? It means many Christians have to rethink their whole idea of what it means to be IN the faith. We are ambassadors of REST first and foremost. Our highest priority is to work with the power of the Holy Spirit to shine light in the darkness and bring order out of chaos so that people can finally be at rest. We do this with our TESTIMONY.
Who needs rest? Everyone.
The person who thinks their relationship to God is dependent on their good works after salvation. They need rest. They need to the true Son of Solomon has built which man failed to build - a tabernacle of rest.
The person who thinks SOMETHING other than God will satisfy them and give them rest - THEY need God's rest! They work long hours and sacrifice friends and family on the altar of success and achievement thinking they will eventually make enough to be at rest. Little do they understand that work, while good and healthy, can also become "god" and turn into a cruel task master.
The person who thinks SOMEONE other than God will satisfy them. People like the Samaritan woman who Jesus found at the well in the heat of the day all alone and broken from 5 failed relationships and mixed up in fornication. What was her response after having met Jesus?
John 4:28–29 (ESV) So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
A lot of people get caught up in the fact that she turns into an evangelist for Christ after their encounter. That's true. But look closer and she how she got there. What did she do first? She "LEFT her water jar." That object of toil and labor was set aside because she had met the One with living water for her soul.
He has rest for you today. Will you stop your busyness to receive it? It's more than a day off. It's life with God.
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