Rest Easy
Author: Evangelist
David Liebler
Date: Friday, April 04, 2014
This message is complements of
one Andrew Peterson who wrote the
song titled Rest Easy. In his song
you could find many truths that perhaps will speak even to you in some special
way, shape or form. Despite how the song ministers to us there seems to be a
simple truth of the matter. However, before we get to the punch line, if you
will let’s take a look how we got to this point.
When we were kids it seemed we
always tried to be better than someone. Whether it be our friends, parents or
even our brothers or sisters there was always some type of endeavor to prove we
were the better. Remember how it was? You just had to build the better stack of
leaves that fell in the fall. In the winter it was the best snowball or snow
fort. In the Summer it was how well you mowed the lawn and trimmed the hedges
and sidewalks.
On oh that dreaded lawn! Remember
if you thought you missed a spot you just had to go and find it and make it
right? There was no rest until it was made right by both your parents and
yourself. You just knew it had to be perfect if you wanted to get paid for the
task. There just was no rest whatsoever.
All this transferred itself into
our adult life where we always strived for perfection until we frankly beat out
the Jones if you will. You had to have
the better house, the better car, the better television set and so on. In the
era of CB’s it even was how far could you talk to someone: it was no longer if
you could talk to your friend down the street, oh no. Instead it was what
country could you talk to next legally/ And by George if you could not do it
legally you would try the dark side by going to that certain person who could
get you the right equipment for the least amount of price. All in all our life seems to be one of never
being able to rest until we proved we were the best.
Does all this gong about move
into the realm of our walk with God? Do we unknowingly going about trying to prove
to God and other members of the household of faith who we are? Is there some
form of doubt in our own mind that we just cannot rest until we prove something
to someone and to God?
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Let us
therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any
of you should seem to come short of it.
For he that is entered into his rest, he
also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Hebrews 4: 1-11
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Now
listen, if you will what Matthew Henry has to say about this issue of rest:
“The privileges we have under
the gospel, are greater than any had under the law of Moses, though the same
gospel for substance was preached under both Testaments. There have been in
all ages many unprofitable hearers; and unbelief is at the root of all
unfruitfulness under the word. Faith in the hearer is the life of the word.
But it is a painful consequence of partial neglect, and of a loose and
wavering profession, that they often cause men to seem to come short. Let us
then give diligence, that we may have a clear entrance into the kingdom of God.
As God finished his work, and then rested from it, so he will cause those who
believe, to finish their work, and then to enjoy their rest. It is evident,
that there is a more spiritual and excellent sabbath remaining for the people
of God, than that of the seventh day, or that into which Joshua led the Jews.
This rest is, a rest of grace, and comfort, and holiness, in the gospel
state. And a rest in glory, where the people of God shall enjoy the end of
their faith, and the object of all their desires. The rest, or sabbatism,
which is the subject of the apostle's reasoning, and as to which he concludes
that it remains to be enjoyed, is undoubtedly the heavenly rest, which
remains to the people of God, and is opposed to a state of labour and trouble
in this world. It is the rest they shall obtain when the Lord Jesus shall
appear from heaven. But those who do not believe, shall never enter into this
spiritual rest, either of grace here or glory hereafter. God has always
declared man's rest to be in him, and his love to be the only real happiness
of the soul; and faith in his promises, through his Son, to be the only way
of entering that rest.”
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John
Darby's Commentary reads as follows
“The apostle goes on to apply this
part of Israel's history to those whom he was addressing, laying stress on
two points: 1st, That Israel had failed of entering into rest, through
unbelief; 2nd, That the rest was yet to come, and that believers (those who were
not seeking rest here, but who accepted the wilderness for the time being)
should enter into it. “ |
According to
Torry, Smith's Bible Dictionary, Easton's Bible Dictionary the meaning
of the word rest is as follows:
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.
From answersingenesis.org
I came across this that may be of interest to some readers:
The ‘rest’
of Hebrews 4 clearly refers to the Kingdom of God. This type of rest was
alluded to right back at the time of creation, as well as at the time of the
Exodus. Nowhere in the text is it equated with the seventh day of creation,
nor is there any grammatical or contextual data suggesting any such equation.
Thus, the progressive creationists’ claim that the seventh day of creation is
still continuing is without any exegetical foundation whatsoever, making it a
worthless argument for non-literal creation days.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/tj/v13/n2/rest
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If the word rest truly means Rest, Restitution and Restoration:
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Does this mean that we are
attempting to pay God back for what He has done?
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You think about that for a moment
and in so doing ask yourself this question: Am I trying to pay back God? Frankly, if what Jesus said on the cross
when He said “It Is Finished” is correct then we are going
about trying to simply pay Him back when there is no need to whatsoever.
Therefore it simply comes down to
this in worldly terms: that snow fort you tried to make perfect it is already
done. That perfect snowball has already been accomplished. But wait, this
also means one other thing and it has to do with your level of doubt in this
entire situation.
Have you ever went fishing off the
banks of some river? If you put no
worm on that hook you could try all the live long day and still catch
nothing. So you strive from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon
and still have not caught a single
fish. Thus there was truly no rest for what was to be your lazy
Saturday and you were spouse to wash the car at high noon.
But wait, lets say you bated that
hook what do you think would have transpired? It is true to form that if you
give a fish something to eat they will tend to tell everyone about it and by
high noon you would have caught not only your limit but was able to enjoy the
remainder of the day with a washed car and being plopped down in front of the
television set able to watch your favorite team in peace and quiet, unless
that is a certain someone has given you a honey do list so long you would
think it was a Christmas list Santa got from some kid down the street.
The
point of the matter is as follows:
1.
As
Christians we have nothing to prove to God and to others in the faith.
2.
We do
not have to ever defend God for anything whatsoever. God is very able to
defend Himself and more than likely has been doing quite well at the task
anyway.
3.
Accept
the fact that when Jesus said “It Is finished” accept Him at His Word.
4.
Realize
that you do not have to repay God anything for what He has done.
5.
If there
is or has been any form of doubt ask His forgiveness and move onward.
I don’t know about you but I feel
good when I mow a lawn or trim a hedge and see that it is in such a menner
that I can take a long rest until it needs cutting again.
Thus,
I can truly
REST
EASY
IN
HIM
AND
WITH
HIM
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The following comes from
Using Strong Concorance
@
"rest"
occurs 275 times in 265 verses in the KJV Page 11 / 11 exact matches (Hbr 4:3 - Rev 20:5)
κατάπαυσις
Pronunciation
kä-tä'-pau-sēs
(Key)
1) a putting to rest
a) calming of the winds
2) a resting place
a) metaph. the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells,
and of which he has promised to make persevering believers in Christ
partakers after the toils and trials of life on earth are ended
σαββατισμός
Pronunciation
säb-bä-tē-smo's
1) a keeping sabbath
2) the blessed rest from toils
and troubles looked for in the age to come by the true worshippers of God and
true Christians
λοιπός
Strong's G3062 - loipos
Pronunciation
loi-po's
) remaining, the rest
a) the rest of any number or
class under consideration
b) with a certain distinction
and contrast, the rest, who are not of a specific class or number
c) the rest of the things that
remain
καταπαύω
Pronunciation
kä-tä-pau
1) to make
quiet, to cause to be at rest, to grant rest
a) to lead
to a quiet abode
b) to
still, restrain, to cause (one striving to do something) to desist
2) to rest,
take rest
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