HIS REST, OUR FLESH
Monday – September 25, 2017
The Lord is so good to give us His Word, we do not have to guess about who He is, who we are, the way of salvation, or the consequences of slapping away His gentle extended Hand.
Hebrews 4:8-12 (KJV)
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
I have been talking about the rest of God. We looked at the seventh day of this creation. Let’s review that from the Book of Genesis. If we do not take the time to review and understand the origins of this idea, the rest of God, we can never understand Hebrews. Skipping the explanation of the initial concept is like picking up a book to read and starting about two-thirds of the way through the book. Everybody (I hope) knows that starting a book anywhere except the first page is knuckleheaded yet the peoples of the Church do it all the time.
Genesis 2:1-3 (KJV)
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Before I continue with the idea of the rest of God, God’s rest, I want to point out something from the third verse above. Note that this current existing physical reality came about by a combined process of creation (new from spiritual matter) and making (using available physical building blocks). God (Elohim) stopped making and creating on the seventh day (spiritual completion) because everything that mankind would need to be super successful was in place. Now it would be the responsibility of the man He was making to enter into that rest (all that God provided, the provision of God for His people). God set the man up in a special place in Eden called the Garden of Eden, I suspect a mirror image of the Garden of God in Heaven. This very special and opulent place was to be home base from which Adam and those to follow would launch the projects directed of God to make the whole earth a Garden of Eden.
When the work of the Cross and the necessary things that followed were completed God once again entered rest for all that we would was provided in super abundance. God entered into rest and we are to enter into that rest with Him, into His provision, we are to lay aside our flesh directed work. We like Him are to cease from our work and enter into His provision. The Kingdom of God is Eden, our sphere of influence is the Garden of Eden, the world is the field in which we are to us the provisions of God to spread Eden everywhere with Garden of Edens starting to touch one another throughout the earth. We frequently hear the term that the work of Jesus on the Cross was all sufficient just as the work of God in the making and creation was all sufficient. I hope that is has provided insight, shown a light where perhaps it was dark or shadowy. Now before I finish for today let’s turn our attention to the following familiar verses.
Hebrews 4:10-12 (KJV)
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Our labor, our job, is to discern what is the leadership of our flesh, our lusts, and what is the leadership of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will always work with the finished work of Jesus, amplifying Jesus and expanding the Kingdom of God on a solid foundation. If we are still working with our own provision we have not entered that rest (of God) and Scripture is clear it is because of unbelief (we fear, not trusting God). The opposite of love (obedience of the Word) is fear which is not believing the Voice/Word of God. Remember the Apostle John tells us that perfected love casts out all fear and that fear is very bad for it has torment (1 John 4:18). Fear is bondage and eighteen is the number of bondage.
As we look at the passage above we are reminded that the number ten relates to our responsibility which is to make the effort to enter the rest of God. The number eleven has to do with alignment, we are to align with the purposes of God. The number twelve has to do with the perfect government of God. In order to function in any part of the government of God in the earth or Heaven we must allow the Word of God to discern the thoughts and intents of our heart. I know that many times we like to think of ourselves as being pure as the driven snow when our thoughts and intents may be wickedness in the sight of God. We must be honest with ourselves and allowing this discernment to happen, repenting (changing our mind not making excuses), and then diligently on purpose changing our thoughts and words. In that moment, the trajectory of our lives is eternally changed.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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