Rest in Christ

“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,” (2 Thessalonians 1:7)

According to the National Sleep Foundation, infants require ten to fifteen hours of sleep each day, toddlers and children up to the age of thirteen require an average of twelve hours of sleep each day, teenagers require eight to ten hours of sleep, people from the ages of eighteen to sixty-four require eight to nine hours of sleep each day, and people age sixty-five and above require at least seven to eight hours of sleep, but the average American is only receiving six to seven hours of sleep each night. The human body requires rest. Without adequate rest our bodies will not function properly. The lack of sleep has been proven to lead to a lower immune system, our brains cannot function properly when deprived of sleep, we are more likely to have heart problems, the risk for cancers increase, the risk of diabetes increases, we are more likely to gain weight, and the list goes on. The feeling of being exhausted is not a pleasant feeling and perhaps you have experienced some of the effects of a lack of proper rest. The word translated “rest” in our English Bibles comes from the Greek word “anesis” which means “relaxation, relief, ease, or liberty.” Rest is for those who are weary, those who are exhausted from their labors, and those that cannot continue in their current physical state. As we look at Scripture, we are given hope because although we may not receive the rest that is needed in this life, if we are faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10), we will receive the rest for which we are searching.

Rest is something that was created by God. After God created the heavens, the earth, and all the hosts of them in the six days of creation, God ended His work and rested on the seventh day (Gen. 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11). Many still use this pattern and will rest on every seventh day. God used this pattern as He established the Law of Moses and commanded that the children of Israel observe days, weeks, and years. The sabbath day was to be one day out of each week that was to be a day of rest from physical labor, commanding that the people, their sons and daughters, their servants, their livestock, and the foreigners in their land follow the pattern God set forth in creation and rest on the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11). In the Law there was also an entire year that was to be observed for rest. The Sabbatical Year was to be an entire year when the land would receive rest, prohibiting the people from sowing in the field or pruning the vineyards, neither could they reap anything that grew in the fields that year as it was designed to be a time of rest for the land (Lev. 25:4-5). The fiftieth year was also to be a time observed for rest, as it was to be a year of jubilee and a time of restoration (Lev. 25:10-11). Just as God commanded the children of Israel to rest, He granted them rest. The promise was given to the people that they would inhabit a land flowing with milk and honey and when they went into this land, they would inhabit it and be able to rest (Deut. 12:10-11). Just as God promised this rest, He delivered the land and rest to the people. God gave to the children of Israel everything that was promised to them, they received all the land, the Lord gave them rest according to all that He swore to them, and there failed not of anything the Lord promised them (Joshua 21:43-45). God commanded and gave rest to the Israelites.

God promises rest for all of eternity. To whom does this promise belong? The promise of eternal rest is not given to the unbelievers, as they are promised eternal punishment in the lake which burns with fire (Rev. 21:8). The wicked are not promised eternal rest, as they have been promised to face the wrath of God, receiving eternal torment (Rev. 14:9-11). God promises rest to those that fear Him (Heb. 4:1). The fear of the Lord and the keeping of His commands is the whole duty of man (Eccl. 12:13) and the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). The promise of rest belongs to those that believe and obey Jesus Christ (Heb. 4:3). Jesus promised that those that accept His invitation to come to Him will receive rest (Matt. 11:28-30). The promise of rest is given to those who are troubled (2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Peter 4:12-13). Those who are living according to the commands of God and are troubled by the wicked deeds of the unbelievers will be able to rest for eternity when this life is over. The promise of rest is given to those who are faithfully keeping the commands of God, laboring as God has commanded (Heb. 4:11).

The child of God can continue laboring in this life because we have a promise of a future rest (Matt. 11:28-30). The time is coming that our work on this earth will be done, as it is appointed unto every person to die (Heb. 9:27), and for those that continue to labor for God, we can have hope of rest that is to come (Rom. 14:8-9; Rev. 21:4). Those that die in the Lord will be blessed as their labors follow them and they will be granted eternal rest in heaven (Rev. 14:13).