The Promised Land!

What does the Promised Land mean to you?  


When I think back of the things that I have been taught and even expressed in my life, the first thing that comes to mind is the Israelites while they were in the wilderness God was with them always a cloud by day a pillar of fire by night.  God took care of them, clothed and feed them and then as they crossed over into the promised land it appeared that God was gone now they had to work.  


I remember the analogy of God has brought you out of Egypt and all your hardships and now with all of his provision you have been in the wilderness and you are on your way to crossing over into the promised land and that is where the work starts!  Now I don’t know about you but why would I want to go to a place that it appeared that God had left me and on top of that it was up to me and works to accomplish everything?  I think I would be looking at the people and saying let’s take a vote, who wants to stay?  


I am so thankful that God showed me the truth in that the Promised Land is God’s Rest!


You may ask, why do you say this or what makes you think that?  I found this answer in a lot of different ways, and to me it simply just makes since.  I did find Hebrews gives this answer more validity.  Now remember that when reading the Bible it is good to ask, who was this written to?  So of course Hebrews was written to the Jew and they had an understanding of the Old Covenant and its teachings.


Let’s turn now to Hebrews chapter 4 starting with the 4th verse;


Hebrews 4:4-11 (MWBE)


4 Scripture records the seventh day as being introduced for the prophetic celebration of God’s perfect work. What God saw satisfied his scrutiny.  (Behold, it is very good... and God rested from all his work. Gen.1:31, 2:2; God saw more than His perfect image in Adam, He also saw the Lamb and His perfect work of redemption! Rev.13:8)
5 In Psalm 95 the same seventh day metaphor is reiterated: "O, that they would enter my rest!"
6 It is clear then that the there is still an opportunity to enter into that rest which Israel failed to access because of their unbelief, even though they were the first to hear the good news of God’s intention to restore mankind to the same Sabbath that Adam and Israel had lost.
7 So, now again many years later, he points specifically to an extended opportunity when he announces in David's prophecy, "Today when hearing my voice, do not do so with a calloused heart. Be faith sensitive."
8 If Joshua, who led the new generation of Israel out of the wilderness  (where their parents perished through unbelief), had succeeded in leading them into the final Rest that God intended, David would not so many years later have referred to yet another day  (that still remains as an open invitation to mankind to enter into their rest: the living blueprint of their design. This confirms that the history of Israel was a mere shadow and prophetic type of that Promise that was yet to be fulfilled.)
9 The conclusion is clear: the original rest is still in place for God’s people.  (The people of this planet are the property of God, Ps.24:1)
10 God’s rest celebrates His finished work; whoever enters into God’s rest immediately abandons his own efforts to complement what God has already perfected.  (The language of the law is “do”; the language of grace is “done.”)
11 Let us therefore be prompt to understand and fully appropriate that rest and not fall again into the same trap that snared Israel in unbelief.


People have to come to the realization that it is not what they can do to be like Jesus, it is not even asking the question, what would Jesus do?  It is participating in what Christ is in you.  Jesus is your Sabbath-Rest!  

In Psalms you can see it described this way:

Psalm 71:3 (KJV)

3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

This is my interpretation of this verse; 

Jesus you are my Tabernacle, where I find Rest, your finished work is my Salvation, In Christ I dwell. 

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. 


In closing I want to read this passage that I used in an earlier message.  I believe it relates to this one as well and bears repeating;


Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)


 28-30 "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."


So enter into the Promised Land that God has for you, enter into God’s Rest!


God loves you!