Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand...
In the last post, we discussed the behavior which provokes God's wrath perhaps more than anything else -- covenant rebellion. In today's post, we'll pivot to what I believe to be the opposite of God's wrath: His rest. If covenant rebellion provokes God to anger, it follows quite logically that God's rest is brought about by covenant fidelity. Furthermore, if God's anger causes the earth to flood, it also follows that God's rest might cause the creation to flourish. This is a basic premise of what I call the "creation-covenant connection" which has been discussed many times on this blog.
So today's post won't dwell on the negative connotations of this pair of opposite states. If you want that, re-read the last post. :) Today's post is all about the positive side.
Let's begin in Doctrine & Covenants 59, which centers on and connects these concepts beautifully:
1 Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments.
2 For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them.
3 Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength. (D&C 59)
After outlining various commandments, the Lord then says this:
16 Verily I say, that inasmuch as ye do this, the fulness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth;
17 Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards;
18 Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart;
19 Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul.
20 And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion.
"It pleaseth God" to offer earth's abundance to us -- this is the central purpose of the creation in the first place.
Finally, we get this:
21 And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
22 Behold, this is according to the law and the prophets; wherefore, trouble me no more concerning this matter.
23 But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come.
A basic pattern is outlined in these verses. Covenant fidelity brings temporal and spiritual blessings. Ignoring the purpose of the creation (the everlasting covenant) and misusing the creation brings about His wrath. Jacob makes this same point and then teaches how we can be presented by Christ unto God as "first-fruits of Christ" as we "attain to a perfect knowledge of Him."
9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?
10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.
11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.
12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come? (Jacob 4)
It seems the earth can serve the exact same function for each of us that the ark served for Noah if we choose to live according to the covenant. We came to earth by the power of His word. The earth was created by the power of His word. The Lord can "command the earth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure."
In this post, Stisa summarizes the different between the first provocation (Adam and Eve's transgression in the Garden of Eden which brought about the fallen state in which we now live) and the second provocation (misusing our time in mortality rather than using it to serve God). This terminology comes from the account of Moses leading Israel to the promised land but their refusal to enter in the land that was flowing with milk and honey on account of the size and strength of the inhabitants of that land. They feared rather than trusting in God. They refused to enter in. As a result, God caused Moses to lead them back into the wilderness and wander. (If you ask me this sounds a metaphor of mortality.) A forty day trip became a forty year wandering. God is particularly displeased with the fact that the people refuse to remember the miracles which made their escape from Egypt possible. (See Numbers 14:11, 22.) The punishment for their refusal to trust God and His power to lead them is harsh: "Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home..." (Numbers 14:30, NIV) The theme remains consistent: covenant fidelity and placing our trust solely on God leads us into His rest. There is no other way.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did ... in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (Psalm 95:6-11, NIV)
"God's rest"
I've been pondering this concept of "rest" for some time now, trying to find the most succinct wording to summarize what I believe it means. I've settled on this passage from Moses 7:43 quoted at the start of this post: "Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand;"
I love this wording because it encapsulates two critical elements of covenant fidelity:
- Keeping covenants allows us to find favor in God's eyes through the grace of Jesus Christ -- He "smiles upon [us]."
- Keeping covenants allows God to keep His promise to uphold us and "prosper us in the land" -- He "[holds] it in his own hand."
"Remember"
In the next post in this series (I warned you it would be a long series!) we will shift our focus to the very important scriptural word "remember." We'll talk about what it means for us to remember God, and also what it means for God to remember us. Spoiler alert: it has everything to do with the everlasting covenant.