The Rest Of It All

[0:00] A pastor's reflections. The rest of it all. Exodus 33, 14. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

[0:35] The world we live in today has no concept of what it is to truly be at rest. To the world, rest is the absence of work, duty, or activity.

[0:48] Unfortunately, there are many times where rest means nothing more than having an opportunity to indulge the flesh. However, even though the world does not always get the concept of rest correct, what they do understand is that rest is important.

[1:08] Rest was built into the very fabric of creation. Genesis 2, 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.

[1:23] In Exodus 33, God is answering Moses' prayer for God's presence to be in the midst of the people of Israel. God would be in their midst, and the result of his presence would be rest.

[1:37] Of all the reasons Moses might have desired God's presence, I am not sure rest was at the top of his list. Protection, provision, assurance, those are all very good reasons to desire God's presence.

[1:53] But rest? Why rest? Isaiah 11, 10. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people.

[2:06] To it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious. Matthew 11, 28. Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

[2:19] God's rest is not an absence of work, but the finishing of work. Rest comes after work, not as a result of a removal of work.

[2:34] John 19, 30. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. By entering into the finished work of God, you and I can enter into the rest of God.

[2:52] God's presence to Moses was not something that Moses had to maintain. It was something he simply needed to believe in and rest in. We can rest in the abiding presence of God not by an absence of work, but by entering into a finished work.

[3:11] John 6, 29. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent. Today, do your part in the work of God so that you might enter into the rest of God's presence.

[3:29] Believe on the one he has sent. Father, thank you that we enter into your glorious rest by faith in a finished work. Thank you that Jesus has done all of the hard work so that we might partake in your restful work.

[3:46] Help us today to rest in your presence. Amen.