The Rest of God: Resting to Build [podcast]

“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalms 116:3-9

With all the turbulence, all the unrest going on, at times, I’ve found myself losing my place of rest in the LORD. Like Peter, when I look away from the Savior, my life begins to sink down into depression, lack of love, joy, and peace, descending instead of ascending, and dismally dark. Yet, the Holy Spirit ever draws my heart to Christ, to repentance, back to faith and rest. This Bible verse is on the wall in my restroom:

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10

Didn’t our LORD Jesus foretell us that this would be the case in the final days before He returns?

“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:25-28

I’m also remind of this amazing Bible verse:

“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.” Hebrew 4:9-11

If we don’t return to our LORD as the very “first love” of our lives, there is the danger of falling into a state of “unbelief” would could mean nothing but the loss of saving faith and impending eternal doom.

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” Revelation 2:4-5

“There is neither adversary nor evil occurrent”

“But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent.” 1 Kings 5:4 

King David had just died and his son Solomon was commissioned to build the temple of worship to the LORD, something David desired to do but was unable. God didn’t allow him to because he was a man of war (1 Chronicles 22).

FB Meyer on the succession of Solomon from his father David:

“David, before his death, had made great preparations for building the Temple, but had not been permitted to proceed with its construction. “Thou didst well that it was in thy heart,” 2Ch_6:8. God credits us with what we would have done, had it been in our power. But now war on every side had been exchanged for peace, and the time for temple-building had come. A great principle is here involved which has many applications.”

Preparations for Building the Temple

“And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David. 2 And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying, 3 Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of the LORD his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrent. 5  And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.” 1 Kings 5:1-5

There was rest. There was a season where no “adversary nor evil occurrent” was attacking God’s people. “Occurrent” meaning “occurrence,” or “plague”, i.e; “rebellion, famine, pestilence, or other suffering”. David had had many such “occurrences” (2 Samuel 15:14; 2 Samuel 20:1; 2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Samuel 24:15). This is what the millennial reign of Christ and His people will be like where no “adversary nor evil occurrent” will be allowed to be present or tempt them in the temple of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21-22).

As we gaze at the transition between David and his son Solomon and how God disallowed David from building the temple and assigned/ordained Solomon to do so in a time of peace, we should perhaps ask of the LORD to show us the significance in this (1 Kings 5:4).

“And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; 2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.” 2 Samuel 7:1-2

It bothered David that he was dwelling in a palatial estate (palace) while the ark of God was sitting in a tent. See 1 Chronicles for details of this transition and why God forbid David and commissioned his son Solomon to build the temple. David was a man of war (beginning with slaying Goliath) and Solomon a man of peace.

Perhaps we can observe that in our own lives there are times, seasons of conflict which give way to seasons of peace and great fruitfulness.

Adam Clarke on 1 Kings 5:4:

“There is neither adversary – אין שטן eyn satan, there is no satan – no opposer, nor any kind of evil; all is peace and quiet, both without and within. God has given me this quiet that I may build his temple.”

Just as much conflict came in the days of king David and then rest ensued with Solomon, so after much persecution was leveled against the early church, rest and fruitfulness followed. Saul had wreaked havoc on the church but was now saved into it. Surely this accounted for much of the terror being vanquished which gave way to this time of peace and edification and comfort as the disciples walking in “the fear of the Lord.”

“Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.” Acts 9:31

After the beloved Joseph had suffered unjustly and greatly for many years, he entered into a season of great fruitfulness, blessed to forget the toil he’d been through. In fact, this is reflected in the naming of his two sons

“And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famin e came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest of On bare unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh (means to forget): For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house. 52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim (means fruitfulness): For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” Genesis 41:50-52

After suffering greatly and much due to a wicked woman who falsely accused him, Joseph was lifted from the prison pit to the palace. By God’s grace he endured the long season of death and burial to be elevated into a resurrection season where he named his first child forgetfulness due to God blessing him to forget all the unjust toil he suffered. He then named his second son after the fruitfulness of the new season he was enjoying. God allows these seasons of stripping to put ourselves aside and allow Him to truly reign. Job’s sufferings and Paul’s thorn is another example of such (2 Corinthians 12:7-12).

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, AFTER that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10

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