LET US LABOR TO REST

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest” (Heb. 4:11).

Seems to be a contradiction in terms, labor to rest; but in reality it is not. Let us eagerly strive and earnestly pursue to count all our works as “dung and filthy rags” and to “cease from our own works,” cease from trusting ourselves, cease from going about to establish our own righteousness (Rom. 10:3-4) and to rest, relax and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, who accomplished all righteousness and all salvation for us (Rom. 8:32; Col. 2:9-10; Phil. 3:7-9).

This is impossible for any sinner to do apart from almighty grace! However, when the Lord is pleased to reveal Himself unto us, it is the delight of faith (Heb. 12:2), the joy of hope (2 Thes. 2:16) and the burning desire of love to come to Christ and rest in Him (1 John 4:19). He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Oh Lord, give us grace to rest in thee!

God’s Providence and Man’s Responsibility

Suppose a man should say to you, “I will not open my store today because I do not know if God has decreed that I should sell my goods or if God has ordained anyone to buy from me.” Suppose that he then added, “I shall neither eat nor drink this month, for God has fixed the length of my life and I shall die at the appointed time.” Would you not conclude that the man was either mentally ill or a total fool?

EVEN SO, the man who declares, “There is no need to search the Scriptures, seek the Lord, nor strive to enter the kingdom of God; for, if I am elected and ordained to life, I will be saved,” IS ALSO A FOOL! It is true, “the election hath obtained it,” and “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed;” but, let me tell you, in this matter of seeking the Lord, repenting toward God, and believing on Christ, you have no more concern with the secret counsels and purposes of God than you have in the length or quality of your life on earth.

DO WHAT GOD COMMANDS YOU TO DO; believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, reach out (like the weary woman) and touch the Lord, cry out for mercy like Bartimaeus of old, and THEN YOU SHALL KNOW YOUR ELECTION OF GOD. “God maketh rich and God maketh poor;” but the man who draws the paycheck is the man who goes faithfully to work; and the man who enjoys eternal glory is the man who goes believing to Christ Jesus!

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1991)

ICHABOD

And she named the child Ichabod, saying, the glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken (1 Sam. 4:21-22).

Ichabod, what a strange name to give unto a son but that is what this mother did with her last dying breath. If you go back and read the story given in 1 Samuel 4, you will find that Israel carried the Ark of the Covenant of God to the battlefield against their enemy. They thought that God would give them the victory because of the Ark. But just the opposite happened, God killed 30,000 of the army of Israel. The Ark of God was taken by the Philistines and Hophni and Phinehas, the two wicked priests of Israel were also slain. Not only that but also their father, Eli, the high priest also died. (1 Sam. 4:18).

When the daughter-in-law of Eli heard the bad news of the Ark of God being captured it caused her to go into early labor. When she gave birth to her son the good news of the birth could not quench her sorrow and she named the child Ichabod, which means, “The glory of God is departed.”

The Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat on the Ark is where God promised to meet with His people (Exodus 25:22), it was the prescribed way of worship. With the Ark being removed there was no way to approach or worship God. The Ark of the Covenant was a type and picture of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Ark represented the glory and power of God to save sinners through Christ and His glorious sacrifice and blood atonement for sin (Heb. 1:3; 2:17; 9:11-26).