The Quest for Rest I

One of the most important theological motifs in the Old Testament is that of rest. In this series, we will explore the Old Testament motif rest from three distinct perspectives: Sabbath Rest, Promised Land Rest, and Temple Rest. This first post will focus on Sabbath Rest. 

The idea of the Sabbath Rest first appears in Genesis 2:2-3 (ESV): “2 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. 3 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.” God’s seventh-day rest follows His six day of creation works. As Genesis 2:3 makes clear, God furnishes the example for the celebration of the OT Sabbath; like God, God’s people in the Old Covenant work for six days and rest on the seventh (See the Sabbath command in Exodus 20:8-11).

God’s works of creation and Sabbath rest, however, do far more than provide a pattern for weekly human rest. They also set forth the goal of humanity’s calling and mission under God. In the beginning, God created the world and brought it to order. He then calls humans to follow in his footsteps; to subdue to the earth and rule over it with the wisdom and generosity of God (Genesis 1:28).  The Sabbath Day, then, is a weekly reminder of the goal of our mission: to enter God’s rest. As God creates and then rests; so, humans bring God’s wise dominion to the earth and then rest in his presence.

Here, it is important to distinguish what we mean by the term ‘rest’. Rest does not imply inactivity or inertia but ordered rule. As God brings the ‘formless and void’ world into order through his word (Genesis 1:2), so, humans are called to subdue the world under God’s loving care. As God then rests from his works of creation, so humans, having completed their mission, are invited to share in God’s rule and rest. Picture enjoying the fruit of your garden and sharing this joy with your neighbour. This image coincides with the Biblical concept of rest far more than, say, sleeping till noon. 

Unfortunately, Adam and Eve decide to rebel against God with disastrous consequences. Instead of being content as God’s image bearers and rulers under Him, Adam and Eve take power for themselves. Satan’s lie was that, by rebelling against God, humans could be their own gods and thus have mastery over good and evil (Genesis 3:5). Instead of subduing the earth under God’s wise rule and sovereignty, humans do their ‘works’ for their own name and glory. The disastrous result is the judgment of God’s curse (Genesis 3:17).

Sadly, Cain follows in the footsteps of his parents. In killing his brother, he rejects God’s authority and takes power for himself. By doing so, he becomes a ‘restless wanderer’ (Genesis 4:12, 14). Cain’s founding a city shows that he still wishes to subdue the earth and bring it to order. The problem is that he wishes to do so not for God’s glory, but for the glory of himself and his family (Genesis 4:17). 

We see this perversion of human works and rest most clearly in the narrative of the Tower of Babel.  The inhabitants of Shinar reject God’s works and instead use their considerable technological acuity to create a tower for their own name and glory (Genesis 11:4). The result is not rest, but the inevitable chaos which comes from rejecting God and his vocation for us.  The Tower of Babel provides a warning for those who wish to use technological ‘works’ to reach God’s rest. The only way to enter God’s Sabbath rest is to submit to his rule and thus to subdue the earth for his glory.

To fix the mess of the Tower of Babel, God calls Abram later known as Abraham. He promises him a multi-ethnic family which will reverse the curse and bring blessing (Genesis 22:18). In other words, through Abraham, God will restore the human vocation to subdue the earth and from that would flow the ultimate blessing of rest. 

To Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, God gave the weekly Sabbath Day as a reminder of this goal. God called the tribes of Israel to mediate his rule, blessing, and presence to the world. As the weekly Sabbath Day would have reminded them, the purpose of Israel’s vocation was to bring God’s wise rule into the world and eventually usher in the eternal Sabbath of salvation.

As the history of the tribes of Israel shows, however, Israel was unable to bring about God’s rest because they rejected God’s works. Instead of being a light to the nations and mediating God’s blessing to the world, Israel became like the other nations. They forgot their ‘works’ to subdue the earth under God. Instead, they, like the builders of the Tower before them, rejected God. The same chaos inevitably ensued. God finally had enough of his people’s sin and sent them into exile in Babylon. Essentially, God said to his people, if you wish to live like the Babylonians, you will now live with the Babylonians. 

The Babylonian Exile raised a serious problem pertaining to the human vocation: If Israel, God’s solution to bring about the eternal Sabbath rest, had rebelled against God, how could humanity enjoy rest and rule in God’s presence? Who would bring about God’s blessing when Abraham’s descendants could not? 

The Old Testament provides the answer. The Messiah, the Son of David, usher in God’s rule (2 Samuel 7:13-14). When the Messiah came, all would bow down to him as he rules in God’s presence as God’s Son (Psalm 2). The nations will rally to him as they receive his blessing, and his place of rest will be great (Isaiah 11:10). The faithful in Israel pondered God’s coming Messiah and waited patiently for the day that God would send the Messiah to complete humanity’s mission (‘works’) and inaugurate the era of God’s rest. Before long, that day would come.