Marching To Zion

Recently I have written a few posts on what it means to "labor (or be diligent) to enter into that rest" (Heb. 4: 11) and this is a postscript to those posts. 

Hardshells do not believe that the "rest" of Hebrews chapters three and four is connected with final rest in heaven for they think that such a view teaches salvation by works. I have shown this to be false reasoning in numerous postings going back ten years or so when Hardshell Jason Brown and I debated this point. But, Hardshells sing a song called "Marching To Zion." Here are some lines from that famous hymn:

The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets 

Before we reach the heavenly field, before we reach the heavenly fields 

Or walk the golden streets, or walk the golden streets. 

Then let our songs abound, and every tear be dry. 

We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, we’re marching through Immanuel’s ground 

To fairer worlds on high, to fairer worlds on high. 

We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion. 

We’re marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God, The beautiful city of God, of God!

In these lines the hymn writer speaks of "sacred sweets" that believers enjoy in life "before" they "reach that heavenly field," which place is the same as Zion, the hill of Zion, the New Jerusalem and its golden streets, the "fairer worlds on high." The hymn writer not only speaks of the believer's life as a time of enjoyment of Zion's sacred sweets but as a time when they are "marching through Immanuel's ground." But, though the Lord has sanctified the land, the very ground upon which we walk, by his having himself walked upon it in the flesh, yet this ground (as it is now) is not our place of permanent rest. That yet awaits for the time after the return of Christ, when the believer enters into full enjoyment of the kingdom of God.

But, "marching" is action, or work. It requires effort to march. So, my Hardshell brothers, if you can sing about marching to Zion, why can you not talk about expending effort to enter God's rest? They essentially mean the same thing. We are marching towards the heavenly Canaan like the children of Israel. We are "pressing towards the mark" as we have previously observed.

Are you marching to Zion with the people of God? Are you enjoying even in this life those thousand sacred sweets from the hill of Zion? If not, will you come and go with us? Christ offers rest to all. Simply call upon the Lord and make covenant with him and you will be able to "taste and see that the Lord is good." (Psa. 34: 8)