What Does the Bible Say about Rest?
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American men and women who work full-time average 9.05 and 8.28 hours per workday, respectively. With everything a day brings – work, meals, personal care, childcare (if applicable), etc. – how do we find the time to do anything else, including rest?
G.E. Miller, on 20 Something Finance says, “…there are few things that stress us out on a consistent basis like work does, especially when it takes away from all of the other things that life has to offer.”
For Christians, regular church activities during the week can often add to the stress. Rest is difficult for us and for unbelievers too because we can’t shut off our brains. We need true rest. But what exactly does true, godly rest look like?
Where Does the Bible Mention Rest?
Genesis 2:2 is the first mention of rest, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.”
A few other places in Scripture that mention the same type of rest include Exodus 5:5, 16:30, 23;2, 23:32, Isaiah 66:23, and Matthew 12:1.
Matthew 12:8 says, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath [rest].”
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Why Did God Rest After Creating the World?
Genesis 2:3 states, “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.”
Our first question may well be, “Why would our infinite Father need to rest?” The Bible tells us He never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4) and He never faints or grows weary (Isaiah 40:28). Therefore, the rest the Lord God speaks of here must be something we don’t normally equate with our understanding of the word. The Hebrew word used in Genesis 2:3 for rested is šāḇaṯ, which when translated is “Sabbath.”
As we exegete the passage (Genesis 2:1-3), we further comprehend the character of the Lord’s rest. God had not discontinued all His activity on the seventh day. What He did was rest from His Creation work (Genesis 1). The previous six days saw God creating everything by His Word, but when He completed that work, He didn’t stop sustaining all things (Nehemiah 9:6), including His plan of redemption after Adam’s fall (Genesis 3:14-15, 21).
Furthermore, God continues working, as Jesus reminds us in John 5:17, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” If the idea of God resting is still confusing, Pastor Don Stewart reminds us “ Oftentimes Scripture simplifies the language about God's nature and works so that we finite humans can better understand.”
In the light of Genesis 2:2-3, the following verses speak of the same sort of rest.
Exodus 16:30 – “So the people rested on the seventh day.”
Exodus 20:11 – “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Exodus 31:17 – “It is a sign forever between Me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”
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Bible Characters Who Needed Rest
Old Testament
Joseph (Genesis 37-50) - The account of Joseph’s active life spans thirteen chapters in the Bible. Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his robe and dumped him into an empty cistern. From there his brothers sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites, who then sold him as a slave to Potiphar, a noble in the Egyptian court. His wife took a liking to Joseph and when he thwarted her advances, she conspired to have him thrown in prison. His life took many turns before God gave him favor in the Pharaoh’s eyes and made him second-in charge of all Egypt. But before that event, Joseph surely cried out to the Lord for rest due to his brothers’ deceit and abandonment.
David (1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Psalms) – Because King Saul disobeyed the Lord (1 Chronicles 10:13), David was chosen to be Israel’s next king. The anointing came before Saul died, however, and Saul sought David’s life in various ways, to the point David fled and even lived among Israel’s enemies, the Philistines.
Job (The book of Job) – Job provides a pointed lesson for us in how to rest in God. In the midst of his great loss, accusatory friends, and physical suffering, Job cried, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
New Testament
Jesus – Who better to give us a model for rest than our Lord Jesus? On the night before He was betrayed, He cried out to the Father, “saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus rested in the Father’s will.
Paul – Paul knew his ministry was about to end, and he encouraged Timothy with these words, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6-7). Paul knew all his rest was found in the Lord.
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Why Is It Important for Us to Rest?
We cannot boast of the attributes that belong to God alone, including His eternal alertness (2 Chronicles 16:9) and might (Psalm 147:4-5). We are mere mortals who are subject to all the infirmities stemming from the fall (Genesis 3). We get tired. We burn out when we work day after day and perhaps month after month without rest. Fatigue brings lack of focus and, at its worst, it causes sickness.
Other than the physically restorative sleep the Lord has granted us, we can take restful time in:
- Prayer
- Bible reading and meditation
- Communion with family (church family, too)
- Walking in nature
- Enjoying a meal with loved ones
- Reading a good book
And the list goes on with those things which will edify and encourage others. Writer and encourager Jeannie Waters adds, “God designed believers with Truth-absorbing hearts which need the Light of His presence and His Word every day.”
How to Balance Between Rest and Laziness or Distraction
Now that we have seen the true nature of godly rest, we can strike a balance when we need a break from the ordinary work of life.
God created us to work (Genesis 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9), but the work He gave us is to be fruitful. We cannot complain of being tired after a day spent playing video games, scrolling social media, or watching stupid movies that have no redeeming value. God gave man work before the fall, when everything was good. But since the fall, sin corrupts our work and our rest, unless both are devoted to the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24).
It really is an easy task; work hard and get physical and spiritual rest in the Lord’s provision of all we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).
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What Is God’s Rest?
In addition to our earthly rest, we need the ultimate rest — God’s rest. Exodus 20:8-11 gives us a view that God’s seventh day of rest serves as a template for our own Sabbath. As His children, we live and work well through the week and then stop regular labor for a day.
Sinclair Ferguson, in his daily podcast, Things Unseen, shares a wonderful look at Sabbath rest. He said Adam’s first full day was God’s seventh, and it was like “God was telling him He wanted Adam’s existence to begin by admiring everything He had made and then go on and imitate Him.”
Our weekly Sabbath rest is celebrated on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:9-11) because Jesus’ resurrection occurred on the first day of the week. Though we are commanded to glorify the Lord in all we do (Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Corinthians 10:31), Sundays are for celebrating Christ’s finished work on the cross. Our Sabbath day of rest allows us to reflect on what’s coming — our eternal rest in God’s presence. Scripture tells us “for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from His works as God did from His” (Hebrews 4:9-10).
The ESV Study Bible adds even more insight into God’s rest. Joshua’s generation looked at rest as entrance into the Promised Land, but God’s rest is referenced in Hebrews 4:7 as “so long afterward.” The surety of entering God’s rest means, “ceasing from the spiritual strivings that reflect uncertainty about one’s final destiny. It means enjoyment of being established in the presence of God and to share in the everlasting joy God entered when he rested on the seventh day.” We rest when we find our total satisfaction in Him.
A Prayer for God to Give You Rest
Father God,
I need the rest only You can give. A good night’s sleep is temporarily restorative, and I am so thankful to You for it. But it’s not holy rest as that which comes from You. Help me know I cannot do everything, and I must leave so many things in Your sovereign hands. Thank You for Your promise to us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we will one day enter Your holy rest and see you face-to-face. What a glorious day that will be. I love you, Father.
In Jesus’ name I pray and give thanks,
Amen.
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