301. Peace and No Beasts
Ezekiel 34:25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
God promises a covenant of peace and a kingdom without wild beasts in which we can live safely, even in the desert and in the woods. Jesus has earned for us and given to us a covenant of peace. He has placed peace in the heart, where the kingdom is located. This inward kingdom becomes the visible and never-ending new heaven and new earth in which we will live in Paradise forever when we die. Meanwhile, while we wait we enjoy the peace of God and peace with God by faith. Peace in the heart is a sometimes tangible fulfilled promise. It is guaranteed in the covenant of blood.
The interesting aspect of this promise is that there will be no wild beasts in the Kingdom of God. There is nothing to fear. Adam had dominion over all animals, he knew and named them all, and no animal was wild or ferocious until the curse of the Fall into Sin. During Jesus’ temptation in the desert He was “with the wild beasts,” while the angels ministered to Him. Isaiah promises a time when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and a little child shall lead them.
The promise, “the evil beasts will cease out of the land,” is a graphic picture that the Curse has been removed from the earth and its people. Jesus became a curse for us. The curse is no longer on us or in us, but we still live with the curse on the earth and the sin that remains in us So we still live with wild, carnivorous, poisonous and dangerous beasts. Thus, Spiritually, however, the evil beasts within the soul have ceased their power over us who have received Jesus Christ as our Savior. The devil and the demons still ravage and roar and scare and lie, but the truth always overcomes the lie. Whenever the believer repents and believes the gospel the evil beasts are crushed anew. Since sin is forgiven the Serpent and Death have lost their sting. In the “safe place” we “dwell safely.”