Monday

April 14, 2008 Ahh, Rest

Ahh, Rest

Hebrews 3: 1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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 works"; 5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest." 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 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, Do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

A resting, a wonderful rest. It is His 'good news'. But some hear and some don't. God rested, from His works, I am reading this not as the resting on the Sabbath, but the wonderful, glorious, peace that surpasses all understanding rest. We see it, we hear it, but miss the understanding to enter into 'it'. It is rest that doesn't just come when we repose or at the end of the day when we sleep, or at the end of the week when we are off work. And even in the 'rest' of the Sabbath, in the law, this rest is deeper that ceasing 'doing'. It is the rest that permeates your entire 'being' as we are in communion with Him constantly every moment of every day.

:3 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. 'wrath', the original Greek origin is 'oragomae' meaning; to stretch one's self out in order to touch or to grasp something, to reach after or desire something. As God in 'wrath' stretches Himself out, in His desire. And we obtain it by faith, believing.

:11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Be diligent, don't fall into 'Apetheia". Do you see it? The original Greek is apathy! Apathy; absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement, or literally - 'without feeling'. There it is, how can we rest, even in His Word, as it discerns our heart, when our heart is not 'feeling'?

Entering into His rest as my heart feels, really feels. As we stand before Him, we are not hidden from His sight, but naked before Him. And we have a God that passed through this realm of heaven, Jesus, and we can relate to Him as a man Who felt it all in order that we may feel..we then can come boldly to that wonderful place of 'rest' where mercy and grace are always waiting.

Video & Song
'Amazing Grace' LeAnne Rimes
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FM5kYUoMmuA

No comments:

Post a Comment