Hebrews 12:26-29 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.
In a world trembling with uncertainty–political unrest, economic turmoil, natural disasters–God is speaking again. Not in whispers, but with the shaking that reorders lives, redefines kingdoms, and removes everything that cannot stand in the presence of His glory. He is preparing us for a kingdom that cannot be moved. But in the midst of the shaking, there is rest — a deep, unshakable rest reserved for the people of God. Not rest as the world gives — temporary relief or distraction — but the kind that anchors the soul in the storm, the kind that is rooted in Yeshua (Jesus), our rest.
Just as Israel left the wilderness and entered Canaan, so we are invited to leave the wilderness of striving and fear and step into our inheritance. Canaan was not heaven — it had battles, failures, and victories. But it was still the land of promise and rest. For us, that rest begins even now as we walk by faith and obedience. Hebrews tells us, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:6-9). That rest is both present and future — entered by faith today and fulfilled in glory at His return. It is the rest of knowing that He is enough. That the battle is His. That the inheritance is secure. And that nothing eternal can be shaken.
Rest is not passive — it is the result of surrender. We rest by trusting in the finished work of Yeshua. We rest by obeying His voice even when the ground beneath us quakes. Faith and obedience are not burdens–they are the wings that carry us into divine peace. Every shaking strips away the false securities of this world and drives us deeper into the one foundation that cannot be moved. The enemy cannot shake what God has sealed. Not our calling, not our future, not our peace. When everything else is removed, what remains is the eternal.
The greatest rest is still to come. When Yeshua, our greater Joshua, returns, He will calm every storm, crush every enemy, and establish His reign of perfect peace. What Canaan only foreshadowed, His Kingdom will fulfill — freedom from toil and tears, fullness of joy, and unbroken fellowship with our King. No more struggle — only triumph. No more shadows — only light. And best of all, we will dwell forever in His presence, having entered His perfect Rest. So begin today — begin this Shabbat — to step into that rest. Lay down your striving, lift up your eyes, and let His peace rule in your heart as a foretaste of the glory to come.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Continuing this study of Mashiach Ben Yosef (Messiah “Son of Joseph”), I want to focus on another aspect of the rabbis’ understanding; that Mashiach ben Yosef will come first, and prepare the world for the Kingdom of the Lord.
Another aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef, is that the world would resist his authority.
When Joseph told his family of his dreams, they were outraged at the suggestion that their younger brother would reign over them. They simply had no idea that God would make Joseph exactly the kind of ruler they needed.
When Joseph became ruler over Egypt, his name was changed, and his identity was altered so that he no longer appeared or lived as a shepherd son of Israel from the land of Canaan, but as an Egyptian Prime Minister. The transformation was so thorough that when his ten brothers arrived in Egypt he was totally unrecognizable to them. This true story beautifully illustrates Mashiach ben Yosef (Yeshua/Jesus at His first coming), and contains a prophetic picture pointing to Yeshua and His Jewish people living today as we approach the Second Coming.
Joseph, the son of Jacob grew up caring for flocks, a shepherd boy,(Genesis 37:2). While we might have a romantic view of an easy pastoral life among sheep and goats, the main responsibility of a shepherd was to protect the flock against hungry predators (wolves, lions, etc.) looking for an easy meal, actually quite a dangerous job. The shepherd loved his sheep; and Joseph was a good shepherd.
The creation of the world was completed by God in 6 days. He rested on the 7th day and sanctified it, the Sabbath, Shabbat. When Yeshua died for the sins of the world, his followers hurried to take Him down from the cross so they would not violate the commanded time to rest. [Luke 23:54-56] So the Messiah completed His work of redemption just before entering into Shabbat. As He died, He said, “It is finished!” [John 19:30] Finishing His work and entering the grave opened the way for humanity to enter His rest, the rest He entered after creating the world.
Does it ever happen to you – that something terribly simplistic just suddenly becomes clear? I realized something about us the other day. We, humans, are such addictive creatures.
This verse in Nehemiah connects the observance of a Holy day with the joy of the Lord. Our identity as “saints” (literally, “holy ones”), called to be holy, means we are and ought to be set apart from the world. But does that mean a solemn and joyless life of boredom as some have been led to believe? I have heard statements like, “I’m miserable, but at least I’m holy!” No, to be simultaneously holy and miserable is “oxymoronic” (if I may coin an adjective). It contradicts the very Spirit of God!