Friday 14 January 2011

Background

"Don't follow your ancestors example!" That seemed to be thewarning in yesterday's reading. But it might be possiblefor the author's readers to dismiss the whole argument as a bit ofancient mythology. Not many of us will share the experience ofthose early Israelites - enslaved in a repressive regime, preventedfrom worshipping but then released into the wilderness to fighttheir way through to a land promised to them by their God. Theywere in a situation very different from us and they had a faithvery different from us. There is no chance that we will even betempted to follow their example.

But the author expands the argument. He reminds us this principlegoes back to the beginning of all things in Genesis 2, when at the climax of creation, Godrests. This principle then stands at the time of the Passover andthe escape from Egypt and leads to God withdrawing the promise fromthem. But then it's repeated in the words of the psalmist (David,according to the author) with a reminder to the readers that itapplies in their own time. And then the author of Hebrews makes itclear it applies just as much in his own time, and so it appliestoo today.

This principle of putting our trust, our faith, in a living God isan eternal principle. It's the basis of so much of our faith -trusting that God is, trusting in what God has done and believingthat God will also bring us too to a place of rest. We are calledinto a pilgrimage of obedience which ends in us coming to rest withGod. That struggle between faith, obedience and rest on the oneside and self-sufficiency, disobedience, and no rest on the other,is a struggle which has lasted forever and is as real to today asit has ever been.

To Ponder

How far do we strive to be self-sufficient and torun from the living God?

What's your story? If this principle of restinghas lasted for ever, how is it working out in your life?

What do you think it would be like to turn to aliving God and find God's own rest?