Page 8 - March 2025 - Truth & Tidings

Undeserved Rest and spiritual provision supernaturally
God delights in rest, and from the delivered to them (Neh 9:19-21), they be-
beginning of Israel’s history, God had gan to “loathe” the manna that spoke of
Christ (Num 21:5). Despite the Law being
guaranteed them rest in the Promised repeated again in Deuteronomy, and the
Land if they would obey Him (Gen 12:1- nation being given the fresh reminder of
3; Deu 12:1-10). They were given seven the promise of rest (Deu 12:1-10), they fell
annual feasts to observe, beginning with into the same sins.
the Passover and ending with the Feast
of Tabernacles, setting the entire scene The book of Joshua finally records their
of their redemption, restoration and rest. crossing of the Jordan, entrance into and
Observing Israel presently, one would distribution of the land. Although they
have to agree that they are in conditions experienced a brief taste of restful condi-
that are far from restful! It’s a wonder to tions (Jos 21:44), they launched into the
any student of Israel’s history that God has tempestuous and ever-changing period of
been so exceedingly long-suffering. Never Judges, where they resorted to doing that
in the history of humanity has there been which was “right in their own eyes” (Jdg
a nation so immensely privileged. Yet, in 17:6; 21:25). On and on this nation would
spite of all of God’s faithful dealings and go – so much promised to them, so much
His desire to bless His people, their re- to look forward to, only to throw it away
sponse has been such that it should cause when it was theirs to have.
anyone to blush. How tragic that, after the With the kingdom divided, 10 tribes
promised Abrahamic blessings in Genesis, scattered, and the promise of the Messiah
they would end up as slaves in a foreign on the horizon, one would have thought
land. In the record of that grand Exodus, that a new generation would be only too
we read that the Lord, by His mighty arm, glad to herald a change. But when their
brought them out of Egypt through the own promised Messiah came, the One
impossible predicament of the Red Sea. who had unfailingly led them to this very
And yet, with a dead idol before them, this point, they spat in His face, desiring a
“stiffnecked” people cried, “These be thy murderer instead, and killed the Prince
gods, O Israel, which have brought thee of Life (Act 3:14-15). Yet, it would be fol-
up out of the land of Egypt” (Exo 32:8-9). 1 lowing all this that Matthew would take
No sooner do we have the instructions his pen, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and
of the offerings concerning Christ in Leviti- indelibly record our Lord’s impassioned
cus than we find Nadab and Abihu offer- plea, “Come unto me, all ye that labour
ing strange fire and being struck dead. In and are heavy laden, and I will give you
Numbers, though they had both material rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For
KJV. my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”

72 TRUTH kTidings March 2025