Seize the Moment – Day 619
Enter the Rest of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, November 26.
Have you entered the “rest” of God?
The Promised Land was not a place of rest until the kingdoms that served false gods were removed from the area. Deuteronomy 3 references places such as Bashan and Mount Hermon, which are just names to us, but were commonly known as the ancient domains of evil. The ancient worldview of these geographic locations is significant for us to be able to grasp the depth of God’s victories so that His people could enter His rest:
Canaanite (Ugaritic) peoples, then, literally believed Bashan to be the gateway to the Underworld—the dwelling place of the dead. … According to Jewish theology of the Second Temple period (from books like 1 Enoch), the sons of God (called “watchers”) of Gen 6:1–4 descended to Mount Hermon in Bashan before carrying out the deeds described in Gen 6:1–4. Bashan and Hermon thus had sinister reputations.[1]
God bless you!
YOUTUBE:
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Michael S. Heiser, “Bashan and the Gates of Hell,” in Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).