Today, we study The Spirit of Rest.

• You say, “Wait, you just said the Holy Spirit is mentioned twice in Numbers and Deut. and REST is not part of the context, so what gives?”
  • The Spirit of Rest is how the prophet Isaiah viewed what was happening in Numbers. 
  • 600 years after the 40 years of wandering was recorded, Isaiah looks back on it.
    • Isaiah prophesied to Judah in the days between Assyria’s conquering of the Northern Kingdom and Babylonia’s capture of the SK of Judah.
    • Isaiah’s primary role is to encourage the people that Messiah IS coming - a Savior will be born, and ALL of the prophetic mentions of Messiah in Isaiah are fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
    • But Isaiah also pauses frequently to ask the Lord if he will allow the fate of the NK to befall the SK…

One such place is Isaiah 63. Having already given the context of reflecting back on Moses and the days of Egypt, Isaiah writes:

• (11) Where is he who put in the midst of them his Holy Spirit, 

(12) who caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, 

who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, 

(13) who led them through the depths? 

Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. 

(14) Like livestock that go down into the valley, 

the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. 

So you led your people, to make for yourself a glorious name.