DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A PLACE OF REST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A PLACE OF REST

"Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them." (Joshua 18:1)

The land of promise was being conquered and the land was being divided among the tribes of Israel. The land was being subdued before them. Their wanderings were done and it was time to find a place for the Tabernacle, the place of worship, to be settled. It was a temporary home for the Tabernacle until it was moved to Jerusalem under King David. That place was Shiloh.

The word Shiloh in the Hebrew means "a place of rest." Even though there were still territories to be subdued, the place of worship found a resting place at Shiloh. This was symbolic in the sense that the wanderings were over. The nation had at last come into its home-land. The fulfillment of this is recorded in Joshua 21:43-44a: "So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession if it and dwelt in it. The LORD gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers."

But there is another aspect of the word, Shiloh. There was a prophecy given in Genesis. Jacob was giving his last words of blessing on each of his sons. When he came to bless Judah, he prophesied, "The scepter (a symbol of a king) shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people." (Genesis 49:10) It is generally considered that this prophecy was about the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus. That is why some translations capitalize the pronoun "Him" as a reference to the Messiah.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Billy Graham wrote a pamphlet entitled "Peace with God." When we place our trust in Him, we enter into His rest, and we are at peace with God. The song-writer said it this way: "My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed. I trust the ever-living One, His wounds for me shall plead."

There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God. "Since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it" (Hebrews 4:1). When our hearts are in turmoil, we need to come back to our Shiloh. He is a shelter for our souls, a place rest and peace.

Love, Dad