The Place of God's Rest
Robert Wurtz II

Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest? (Acts 7:49)

If I were to ask why Christ came and died on the cross what would you answer? The typical response would be that He died to save us from our sins; the implication being, to save us from eternal damnation (Hell). This is true as far as it goes, but it is not the complete truth. Jesus Christ came that we might have eternal life; but what is eternal life? Is it merely to be saved from the wrath of God? Is it a promise of blessings in this life and the next? Is it streets of gold and mansions bright? Jesus answers the question in John 17, As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. We find here Christ's definition of eternal life and it stands in contrast to eternal death. We know that the second death is eternal death. Eternal death is to be eternally separated from knowing God in peace and being united with the wrath of God. Eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ. This is knowledge in the sense that we find in John 10:14ff- but for all eternity.

Reconciled to God

God has always desired to restore the fellowship He had with Adam and Eve in the Garden before they fell into Sin. God is holy and cannot remain in the presence of sin without bringing judgment. When God began to draw near to man he had to deal with the terrible defilement that sinning caused. For this He made a covenant that we know as the 'Old Covenant'. It was designed for the old man; that is, for man as he is 'in' Adam. Later God would give the New Covenant tailored for those that are 'in Christ', the One New Man; that is, the last Adam. (I Corinthians 15:45) God knew men would break these covenants so He set up a means by which the wrongs could be righted. This we know as a sacrificial system. Sins, individual transgressions of the covenant, have to be dealt with before God can draw near and remain near on an ongoing basis.

God in a Building?

Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word (Isaiah 66:1, 2).

Although God appeared to man at different times and places, even moving among them in the Wilderness Tabernacle and Temple, He ultimately intended to make His dwelling place 'in' men. Not a building or a structure or a 'spot' on a map, but to this 'man' or to this 'one' will I look. God was looking to live in men and women. The first man God dwelled in in this sense was Jesus Christ. He was the Temple of the Living God when He walked the earth. (John 2:19) Yet He is quoted as making a stunning statement in Mark15:48; I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. Another temple made without hands? First, He was referring to Herod's Temple (with hands) and the Temple of the Body of Christ (without hands). Whether or not these religious leaders misquoted Jesus is beside the point, because the theology of what they said was spot on. Jesus Christ intended to pitch a Temple that was not the works of mens hands, but was and is the working of the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 8:1ff) Post Pentecost God began once again to walk with man in sweet fellowship and communion- only this time the Garden of Eden was in the Temple of men and womens bodies. He desired to be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and made that desire possible once He ascended into Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to baptize those that truly believe into His One Body.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (I Corinthians 12:12)

So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (Romans 12:5)

God's Path to the One Body of Christ

God always desired a place of rest. But since the Garden of Eden man has not been kind to welcome God or present himself as a holy dwelling place for Him. From Genesis 3 to Genesis 6 man was on the fast track to absolute destruction. The people did not like to retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:28). They did not seek after God- in fact they fled from Him and resisted Him on every hand. In Genesis 6:3 God said that His Spirit would not always strive with man, but that his days would be 120 years. Some men began to call on the name of the Lord, but by the days of Noah there were only 8 people that would heed the call of God to repentance. The world was destroyed by water and Noah’s family then began to swiftly replenish the earth. But over time man drifted almost completely away from God again until there were only tiny pockets of people that feared the Lord.

This is a tragic fact, yet the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him (II Chronicles 16:9). God found such a man in Abram and called him out of Ur of the Chaldees into the land that He swore unto him.

God Returning Among Men

God appeared to Abraham and started a process by which He would slowly bring man back into fellowship with Him on a large scale. God had to deal with man’s sin problem on the one hand and a rebellious nature on the other. Men typically seek a ‘personal peace’ and want to be left alone to do their own will unthwarted. But from time to time throughout the Old Testament God would find a person whose heart is perfect towards Him and would seek to reveal Himself.

Abraham was such a man. Abraham built altars and became a praying man. He sought the face of God in the mountain and from place to place. It was his desire to please God and do what was right. Abraham's nephew Lot, on the other hand, pitched his tent towards Sodom and filled his heart and mind with the vexing torments of other people’s sins. God could never be at rest in such a person’s life. So Lot never knew the closeness of fellowship with God that Abraham knew. He wanted a little bit of compromise in his life and God could not walk with him as a friend as He did with Abraham.

Lot could have chosen the path Abraham took. He could have shared in his altar experiences. But Lot wanted just enough Egypt to safely keep God on retainer, but never to have a close relationship with Him as did Abraham. Lawyers in our times are prepaid to be on retainer so they will come running when they are needed. This is how many people treat God. Lot was no different. He wanted to keep God at a safe distance so he could live in compromise.

Over time Abraham would have a promised son named Isaac and Isaac would have Jacob (Israel). Lot's life ended in disaster beyond words. The consequence of his compromise would be felt for generations. Each of these men had to come to their own personal decision to serve God. The God of their father’s had to become their God.

These Are Our Examples...

Jacob (Israel) had 12 sons that became the 12 Tribes of Israel. Most of these sons bore many children and did not walk in the way of their father Jacob, but Joseph feared the LORD and God showed Himself strong through him. The 12 Tribes of Israel were slaves in Egypt 400 years and multiplied into the hundreds of thousands. They remembered the God of their fathers and cried out to Him. God raised up a deliverer in Moses. With a mighty outstretched arm God delivered all of the children of Israel from Pharaoh and Egypt. At first they seemed to be happy to go, but soon they began to grumble and complain.

God cannot rest in an environment of unthankfulness and He will bring swift judgment. If He stays he has to judge the sin. If He does not deal with the sin then His unique presence has to leave. God drew very near to Israel when Moses went up on the mountain. He came down and his face was glowing with the radiance of God's glory. This was their opportunity. Did the people line up to see Moses' face? Did they long to look upon him with awe and wonder savoring every glimpse of God's majesty? Did they ask Moses' what it was like to be with God or perhaps they could get permission from God to come up? No on all counts. In fact, they tried to cover his face to shield themselves from any remembrance of God. The would accept the book, but they did not want God near.

When Moses came to the Mountain and God was seeking to draw near to his people once again- the people found out that they did not really want their God.