Beloved, does "Hurry Up and Rest" sound like an oxymoron?
Not in God's vocabulary it does not!
I am in the epistle to the Hebrews this morning. Been in Hebrews for a while now. What an awesome book! For some reason, instead of reading Chapter 12 as I was "supposed to", I found myself back in Chapter 4. But, since it starts with the word "Therefore", I just had to glance back into Chapter 3. All right, now I'm going backwards!
Isn't it awesome that no matter how we read the Word of the Lord, even backwards, it's sure to be as glorious as its Author?!
3:17 says He was angry with all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses, because they "sinned" and "did not obey". I was wondering how did they sin, how did they not obey?
I was praying, "Lord show me, help me see what they did, that made You "angry forty years". What makes You angry?
And the Lord opened my eyes to see the answer right there in v. 19: "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Is there a sin greater than unbelief?)
What had happened? God had promised to take them into a land that "flows with milk and honey". He even helped them believe by sending the twelve spies into the land to bring report of all the good things that were awaiting them. But what did the spies do? Ten of the twelve came back with a discouraging report.
It's like walking into a majestic palace with glorious gardens, awesome furnishings and marvelously set tables full of delicacies waiting to be enjoyed. And being told, all this is yours. You may enjoy them at no cost for the rest of your life. But then, seeing a miniscule cob web in a darkened corner or some dust on a windowsill and deciding to turn all that away.
God had made them glorious promises but all they could see were imposibilities.
And all that after they had seen the sea open and they crossed on dry land.
What was their sin? UNBELIEF!
Going into Chapter 4, it tells us a similar promise remains for us: entering His rest! Many times in the Scriptures we're told not to fear. But here it actually tells us to FEAR! Fear of not entering that rest! We're called to enter His rest! To rest in Him.
Why is FAITH needed? V. 2 says "the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it". Romans 10:17 says "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." In this Romans verse, "Word" in the Greek translation is "RHEMA". Whereas in Hebrews 4:2 the Greek translation is "LOGOS".
So when the hearer mixes the Word (Logos) they hear with faith, what they end up getting is RHEMA! Logos not being mixed with faith, profits the hearer nothing!
Fear not entering His rest! He is our Sabbath Rest!
Verse 10 says "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."
2 Peter 1:4 says we too were given "exceedingly great and precious promises".
The only way they can be claimed is by FAITH!
Lord Jesus, increase in us Faith! Help us mix the Word we hear with faith so it will not be unprofitable to us. Speak to our hearts Rhema, Your Word that is powerful enough to change our hearts more and more into Your image. Help us rest in You just as You have finished the works and rested! Thank You Father! Amen!
