The point here is not rest merely, but "His rest"; that is, God's rest. The prominent thought of God from the beginning was to have rest. As soon as everything was made, and He saw that it was very good, He rested. The Sabbath was the sign of it, and in the time that is coming, it is said, "He will rest in His love." Zeph. 3:1717The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17). The great desire of man, too, is to rest. It is man's ideal; it is God's reality. The question for each of us is, Are we looking for a rest before God's rest? There is rest of conscience for us "Come unto Me, all ye that labor...and I will give you rest" but it is not that. Neither is it rest of soul: "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Matt. 11:28, 2928Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Matthew 11:28‑29).
It is the day when everything will be in unbroken rest, gathered around Himself His rest. Is that the rest we are looking for? What is the desire of every man from the politician down to the lowest and the poorest? He is looking for the day when he can lay down his cares and cease from toil, rest on his laurels, spend a happy old age in the bosom of his family, have a bright sunset in some little spot he has retired to.
If you had asked the Apostle Paul, however, in what way he expected to spend the evening of his days, he would have answered, I expect to be martyred. It becomes a testing question to everyone, therefore, whether it be God's rest he is looking for, or whether it is a rest in time. Are you waiting for God's Sabbath; are you looking for no rest till this comes? We shall never find our resting place until we get into God's rest, and that rest is not on earth; it is in heaven.