“Arise, O Lord, and come to Your resting place. . .” (Psalm 132:8)
God rests. An amazing thing to consider. He rested on the seventh day after six days of creative activity. How delightful and deeply satisfying that first Sabbath must have been for Him. The world was beautiful. Every detail was completed in perfection. The man He created was in complete harmony with Himself. Their dialog that day was manifestly meaningful and full of purpose. No sin had tarnished the man or the paradise. With a great sigh of satisfaction the whole endeavor was announced very good.
Adam was created not only with a soul (a mind, volitional ability and emotion) but also with a significant dimension which distinguished him from all the animals: Adam had a spirit. This innermost component was literally God’s dwelling place. It is accurate to say that the human spirit was always intended to be His resting place- - -the place of divine convergence and habitation.
At the moment of sin this spirit was snuffed out in the garden- - -the greatest tragedy in all human history. “In the day you eat of it. . .you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). The death occurred instantly---the spirit died. The body began the death process of decay which would take some time before returning to the elements. The soul, being indestructible, lived on but was subject to moral erosion due to the loss of its most vital organ: the spirit, where God had formerly dwelt in unadulterated nearness.
Mankind languished as a result. Most humans, from the beginning until the present, have never understood what was lost. Consequently, should it surprise us that so few have little appreciation or attention directed toward what can be saved!
The new birth is the lighting of the internal human candle that had been snuffed out. To be born again is a radical reality. With proper care, the person thus saved can foster that candle into a blazing torch of spiritual power. Such an atmosphere is a delightful resting place for the Almighty Whose very throne room is cascaded in brilliant color and unapproachable light (see Revelation 4 & 5 and I Timothy 6:16).
Our present natural body is of the old order of things but has the potential of housing the most glorious of eternal things- - -a whole new order of life- - -eternal life.
Psalm 132 described the physical realities of the ark and temple built on a plot of real estate in Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies within the temple precincts was a picture of His ultimate resting place- - -a snapshot - - -a shadow of a greater reality which was the throne room within you; the temple of the Holy Spirit; all in good time elegantly restored (saved).
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