II (i)
II (i) John C.Gray
Matthew 11: 28-30; Numbers 10: 33-36
How fine it is that our sister has rest! "Come to me", the Lord says, "all ye who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest". Of course, she came to rest when she accepted in faith Jesus as Saviour many, many years ago, but it does not stop at that. I think as believers we experience rest from Jesus all along the pathway. So we have this invitation, "Come to me, all ye who labour and are burdened and I will give you rest". The emphasis is on Come to me ... and I will give you rest. It is a feature that arises from God's own thought, because in creation He worked for six days, but on the seventh day He rested; and He set it for His own earthly people as the Sabbath. So it is quite clear that God had in mind that men and women should share His rest. Isaiah says "The wicked are like the troubled sea, which cannot rest", (chap 27: 20). The wicked, of course, are the wicked in God's eyes, those who are still going on in their sins, and who do not know Jesus as their Saviour. But I would like to concentrate on the fact that our sister had enjoyed rest from Jesus and now after all the turmoil and troubles of bodily weakness, she has rest with Christ. She is in a place which is different; with Christ, which is paradise. The thief on the cross was told that: "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise", Luke 23: 43. What blessedness that is! Complacency, delight, peace. Of course, peace is a close associate of rest and Christ has made peace. He is our peace. He has brought to us the peace of God. Some of us were hearing about that last night: "the peace of God ... shall guard your hearts", Phil 4: 7.
But then there is reference to our souls "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest to your souls". Our sister experienced that, taking Jesus and finding confidence. Inwardly, in her links with Christ, she relied on Him and found rest in Him as in the yoke. How fine that is! How delightful to think that through the troubles and testings and trials of the way in which we are as men and women, God is fashioning us to bring out the lustre of His own work; that which goes on in secret. How delightful it is to God to see that while there was a meek and lowly Man here for thirty-three and a half years, there are now persons who are after the same order. Our sister knew the features of Jesus and displayed them, particularly kindness and help. She went in the yoke with Jesus and found rest in her soul. It is a great matter if we go the way that Jesus goes. So many try to twist and turn the way to what we want (even when we know our sins forgiven), but I think our sister accepted the yoke and knew rest in her soul. She was ready to accept the will of God. We remember it says of David "having in his own generation ministered to the will of God, fell asleep", Acts 13: 36. Wonderful thing to have confidence that if we do the will of God, we will fall asleep in Jesus; find paradise; find delight; find something which is beyond the area of the first and the old man. It is a great thing therefore to find that what looms up as difficult to us becomes straightforward. The Lord says it is easy: "for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". Why is that? Because He takes things on. He is in the yoke with me. He goes along with me and I serve and move as Jesus moves and the will of God is accomplished.
When we look at Numbers chapter 10, we find that it is not an individual, but a company of persons who are moving out. These were God's favoured, earthly people. He had saved them out of Egypt and now they were in an area which was difficult. It represents, I suppose, the public position, the position of the testimony in the wilderness, but it is interesting to see that the ark of the covenant is there - that is Christ, Christ in the testimony. It says, "And they set forward from the mountain of Jehovah and went three days' journey; and the ark of the covenant of Jehovah went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a restingplace for them". This has been likened, as we know, to Luke's presentation, "the ark of the covenant of Jehovah", that is bringing to us the grace and the love of God and the blessedness of the manhood of Jesus; and He is searching out a resting-place for them. Think of the Lord's care in that. Think of the way in which the Lord would search out the resting place for them; that is collectively and our sister had the privilege of having part in that. Then it says later, "And it came to pass when the ark set forward"; no mention exactly of the ark of Jehovah - just the ark, the ark of God. That brings us to John's presentation, that is the glory of the Person, who was there; that the lowly Jesus was no other than God Himself. What a privilege then to have the understanding of Him coming in and of His desire that there should be a resting-place for the saints. And then when the ark sets forward, there are enemies to be faced. Christ has faced them! He has faced death! It is like the ark going through the Jordan. Wonderful matter that it was in the Jordan; but then, coming out triumphant! What power Christ has, providing a resting-place. So He goes in the strength and power of His own Person! "Rise up, Jehovah, and let thine enemies be scattered". How Satan was taken aback in one sense, but totally defeated. The power of Christ is greater than all that Satan or anyone can do! What confidence that gives!
But then it says, "when it rested", that is the ark came to rest. It should be said, of course, that it was not normal for the ark to go forward first. It was intended that the ark should be protected in the midst of the tribes. So many of the tribes went forward first, then the ark in the middle and the remaining tribes followed. But this is the initiative of Christ in view of a resting-place for the saints. So it says, "Return, Jehovah, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel". I wonder how many of us still experience the ark resting and the return to the myriads of the thousands of Israel. It is the collective position. When the Lord in John's gospel said, "I am he, they went away backward the fell to the ground". He adds, "if therefore ye seek me, let these go away", (chap 18: 6-8). Think of the protection He had in mind for His own; seeking a resting-place, but protecting His own. I am sure our sister experienced the joy and understanding of that as she faced the will of God, especially in these latter months, as our brother has said. Think of the myriads of the thousands of the saints of the assembly as we apply it to ourselves today! What a privilege it is to enjoy it collectively so if the Lord was able to protect before His death, He is quick to come to them after His resurrection and bring peace. He comes into the midst and says, "Peace be to you". What a wonderful experience to know, in the breaking of bread, the Lord's presence in the midst! What a privilege our sister had! And we too can have the privilege as subject to the will of God of finding that not only Christ in His power has secured a resting-place, but also it can be enjoyed together. Zephaniah says, "He will rest in his love; he will exult over thee with singing" (chap 3: 17), and the saints of the assembly enjoy that now. The children of Israel will come into it in the world to come, but it is our privilege to know it now.
What a wonderful thing it is, therefore, for our brother to find comfort in the sense that our sister is at rest and also that she has found the company where, we can say, "Return, Jehovah, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel". May it be so in the Name of the Lord Jesus! Amen.