REFLECTIONS ON THE REST OF GOD AND THE JUBILEE

REFLECTIONS ON THE REST OF GOD AND THE JUBILEE

              International School of Ministry, New Life Restoration Church

                             November 26th, December 3rd & 10th 2013

 

                        FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END

 

Beginning in Genesis and ending in the Revelation, the delightful theme of God’s rest runs like a golden thread.  On six occasions, He looked upon what He had done and saw that it was ‘good,’ He then saw all that He had created and made “Behold, it was VERY good” (Genesis 1:31).  All was done in six days and had not brought tiredness but joy!  God’s activities on the seventh day were four, He (a) finished His work, (b) rested contentedly in what He had done, (c) blessed the seventh day, and (d) made that day holy.  The earth and its creatures had become His dwelling place, a home for God!   God reigned in rest in the midst of His own.

 

THE MARRING AND THE MAKING

 

The creation has not remained and matured in the rest of God, providing Him a sanctuary home.  The toils of sin have entered in: the restlessness of souls striving ceaselessly to attain a harmony and peace became the norm.  The sweat of the brow and the ache for rest and fulfillment replaced the perfect movement of a heart that rests in God’s Sovereignty and is happy under His ruler-ship.  But God!  Yes, we rejoice to say, “But God!”  “Come unto Me and find rest to your souls,” (Matthew 11:28) said Jesus Who chose to work so much on Sabbath days and bring God’s salvation in Israel.  He lived in the rest of God, worked in the Sabbath of His Father’s will and finished all at Calvary.  He was raised from the dead and sat down in the place of rest at His Father’s right hand till the time of uttermost salvation and Jubilee should come.  Just read the Gospel of John and make a note of every time the Sabbath is mentioned and Jesus speaks of ‘work’ and ‘works’ and you will be amazed!

 

REST AND JUBILEE IN PAST, PRESENT AND TO COME

 

And how shall we better understand and experience these wonders now?  We can begin by looking at God’s rest and His jubilee in past days in Israel, the Sabbath every seventh day, the greater Sabbath of a whole year every seven years and the climax every fifty years in Jubilee.  These types and figures will help us and point us to Christ in Whom the Father rested and trusted restfully in His Father.  He took the toils of sin upon Himself and bore them away that we should live our lives in His Sabbath.  To rest from our own works and trust in what He has done and look forward to the Eternal Rest that is to come when He returns is the true Christian life.  Then the whole new creation shall be His dwelling and shall be in eternal Sabbath with Him.  This is THE Jubilee!  And we await that for the perfect has not yet come (1 Corinthians 13:10) but we see Jesus (Hebrews 2:9) and if we will hear His voice we shall enter into His rest in our daily experience and shall share in His works (Hebrews 4:10).

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