5 Bible Characters Who Benefitted from Rest
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Rest is a word that we often associate with guilt. We see it as a privilege, an activity that most people do not have the time to engage in. Thus, we are reluctant to take the time to cease from activity and find strength. If we do, we feel like we are not being productive.
Yet God gave us rest as a gift, not something to make us feel ashamed or guilty. Our Lord chose to cease from His work on the seventh day of creation, which is the basis for the Sabbath. On the seventh day of each week, the people of Israel were to stop their work in honor of God. This day testified to their trust in the Lord to provide what they needed – that the daily enterprises of life did not depend on them alone.
When Jesus came, He shook the assumptions of the religious leaders by healing on the Sabbath. They had turned the day into another box to check off on their lengthy list of legalistic rules. But Christ came and showed us that He fulfilled the Sabbath, for in Him, we can cease our rule-keeping and religious striving, and rest in the salvation He offers. Because of what Jesus did, one day believers will enter the rest that was promised long ago (Hebrews 4:9-11).
The Bible invites us into the stories of several key people to show us how we, too, can benefit from the rest that the Lord provides. It is a wonderful blessing and gift, but also a discipline we must practice. Intentionally resting is countercultural, as it resists society’s worship of busyness and the temptation to measure our worth by productivity.
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1. Jacob
During Jacob’s journey to Haran to find a wife, he stopped for the night to sleep. There, he had a dream of a ladder or stairway leading up into heaven with angels on it, going up and down (Genesis 28:12). Above this ladder was the Lord, who revealed Himself to Jacob that night: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac” (Genesis 28:13).
The Lord promised to give Jacob and his descendants the land on which he was sleeping (Genesis 28:13-15). His descendants would become a great people and spread across the land. Just as God had made this covenant promise to Abraham and Isaac, He was reaffirming it to Jacob (Genesis 12:1-3; 26:24).
In this night of rest and dreaming, Jacob encountered the living and true Lord. Before this, he had never known God personally or sought Him. Jacob responded to the awesome vision by worshiping the Lord and naming the place “Bethel,” which means “house of God” (Genesis 28:16-19). He also made a vow to worship the Lord as God, set up a place of worship there, and give a tenth of all he had if the Lord would be with him and bring him safely home (Genesis 28:20-22).
Having a dream of the Lord probably will not happen to us when we sleep, but we can rest in the promises of the Lord. Jesus fulfilled the promise as the seed of Abraham, making the blessings available to all who believe (Galatians 3:14-16, 26-29). Whenever we lay down our heads to slumber, we can take heart knowing that we have the assurance of a joyful eternity with the living Lord. Such a promise can give us hope, no matter what we experience in life.
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2. David
God gave David rest from the enemies who had pursued him to take his life (2 Samuel 7:1). However, that was not the first time David had received God’s rest. The Lord had shown up throughout his years of fleeing, providing shelter and strength when the young shepherd needed it most.
An interesting aspect of David’s life is that he worshiped the Lord during these times of difficulty. When he hid in caves, afraid of Saul’s murderous plans, he found rest by trusting in the Lord. In Psalm 37, he encouraged this type of rest which could be found regardless of the situation or the plans of others. As he wrote, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass” (Psalm 37:7).
By choosing to rest in the Lord, David was strengthened and encouraged during fearful nights in caves and wilderness. He was able to be still and to trust instead of fretting over his circumstances. The Lord showed Himself to be a trustworthy refuge and shelter in times of trouble (see 2 Samuel 22:1-3). This was not solely head knowledge about who God is, but something that David knew as a practical reality.
David’s example of rest is not one we typically consider. We often think of ceasing activity and receiving revitalizing nourishment, which are important forms of rest. However, David’s life shows us that having a still spirit and ceasing from fretful worrying is another – just as vital – type of rest. We receive this by leaning into the Lord and remembering that He is in control.
Times of rest give us the benefit of experiencing God’s sustaining power, to be still and know that He is the Ruler and Sustainer of all (Psalm 46:10).
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3. Elijah
After someone experiences a great spiritual victory, we would expect that person to be energized and excited to continue serving God.
That is not how Elijah felt.
After he had powerfully proved the Lord's preeminence on Mount Carmel, he was terrified by Jezebel’s vow to take his life because of the death of the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 19:1-2). He fled and traveled alone into the wilderness, exhausted in mind, heart, and spirit. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed, “I have had enough, Lord … Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4). Tired and weary, he fell asleep.
God did not rebuke the prophet but allowed him to rest. He sent an angel to him with food and water, providing Elijah with the physical rest and nourishment he needed (1 Kings 19:5-8). Only after the prophet had time to sleep and eat did he venture forward in the power of God to Mount Horeb. There, he encountered the Lord in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:11-13).
The combination of rest and God’s appearance in a whisper reminded Elijah that he was not alone in these unfaithful and evil times. The Lord planned to use many more people to confront the evil in Israel and carry out His purposes (1 Kings 19:15-17). Besides that, He had preserved a faithful remnant: “seven thousand in Israel — all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18). Because he rested, Elijah encountered the Lord and received the comforting truth that he was not alone.
All followers of Christ need physical rest – to sleep and nourish our bodies. This is a loving gift from our Savior whenever we are tired or weary in spirit. When we take the time to lay down our complaints at the Lord’s feet and enter the rest He gives, we open ourselves to the opportunity to experience His presence. He might not appear in the ways we want, in flaming might and power, but He is there in our quiet pleas and soul-hungry prayers. He gives us the restful presence of Himself.
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4. Jesus
Our Lord was busy during His earthly ministry. Not only did crowds constantly follow Him to receive healing and teaching, but the religious teachers were always trying to trap Him. Despite the demands of His work, Jesus regularly took time to rest. He found refreshment by getting away from others to spend time with His Father (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35). As Luke 5:16 says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Doing this was essential for His ministry of teaching, healing, and declaring the good news of the kingdom. He drew strength from these times with His Father. However, He also provided the disciples with a living example of the need to spend time alone with God. Christ showed us what it looks like to live a balanced life of fruitful work and soul-nourishing rest.
Some of us might be tempted to think that Jesus, as God the Son, does not understand the toil of packed schedules. We must remember, though, that our Lord added humanity to His divinity when He came into our world. He knows how it feels to be tired and hungry and is aware of the human need for physical, emotional, and spiritual replenishment. He slept on a boat, even as a storm raged because He was tired (Matthew 8:23-25). Also, He regularly partook in meals for nourishment and to engage in loving interactions with others (Matthew 9:10; Luke 7:36).
Through Christ’s example, we see how vital it is to have a rhythm of work and rest in our lives. Jesus always took time to replenish by praying and spending time alone with the Father. Believers today should take heed of this and ensure they are not trying to work in their strength alone. We can turn to the One who offers us rest for our souls and live through His power (Matthew 11:28-30).
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5. Mary of Bethany
Martha was caught in a flurry of activity. She had opened her home to receive Jesus and worked to have all the preparations ready. To her surprise and frustration, though, she found that her sister, Mary, was not helping her. Instead, Mary sat at the feet of Christ listening to His teaching.
When Martha confronted Jesus about her sister’s lack of help, He did not give the reply she would have expected. He told her, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
Unlike Martha, who had been swept away by anxious activity, Mary was resting at the Savior’s feet. She was receiving the life-giving words for which her soul yearned. Our Lord was not going to take that gift of rest away from her.
When Jesus came again to their house after the death of Lazarus, Mary already knew she could take her grief to the Lord. She fell at His feet and wept (John 11:32). Likewise, Martha had benefitted from the earlier lesson of Mary’s rest. She ceased all other activity to go and listen to Christ (John 11:21-27).
We all long for a restful relationship that can only be found in Jesus. The more we go to Him to sit at His feet, listening and learning from Him, the more we will find our souls satisfied. As Saint Augustine of Hippo eloquently expressed in prayer to God in his Confessions, “Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee.”
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