God created Man in his image and likeness. Man is his image-bearer. Saint Augustine, in his classic book titled ‘Confession’ writes, “O God, you have made us for yourself. Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.” The word ‘Rest’ is a very significant word used in the Holy Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New. In Genesis, the very first book it is written, “By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2-3). Does God need to rest? No! He is a spirit-being. He does not get tired or weird or exhausted of any work. The word ‘rest’ calls for an explanation. The main Hebrew and Greek words respectively are ‘Nuakh’, ‘shabbath’,   and ‘katapausin’. Commonly, they mean ‘to desist from work’, to stop from working.  But the deeper spiritual implication is having right relation with God, to believe in and trust on him, to internalise God’s character, dwell in him, having peace with him, and so on. The word is used in many places in the Bible.

God rested after finishing his creation work: this means that God had the experience of satisfaction about all that he had done. He created everything out of nothing, bringing into existence ex nihilo. Everything was good and very good. It must be noted here also that the word ‘rest’ refers to bodily or physical rest. However, underneath this meaning lies the deeper meaning of the self-satisfaction of a work, labour or task done well. God gave mankind a model for rest for physical, mental rest for continued work with freshness in physical as well as mental renewal, strength and refreshment. But the deeper meaning remains in place. It is to live in right relationship with God, which gives the inner peace, and sense of security and tranquillity which gives inner strength and vitality. We need rest physically, mentally, spiritually as we live in this world of problems in our daily struggles of life where God is our refuge and rest. He is beyond time and space and so on.

Rest is verily a part and parcel of labour just as our eye-lids are verily a part of our eyes. Without eye-lids, our eyes would not be able to serve us, and in the same way, without rest our bodies would not function. We need a spiritual rest just as we need physical rest. If we have done a job or finished a task faithfully and properly we enjoy a just rest. If we have not done that particular job or task we do not enjoy our rest.

Jesus gave more spiritual content to the Biblical concept of ‘Rest’. Matthew recorded in his Gospel what Jesus taught his hearers thus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Jesus promised people who live their lives honestly, faithfully and justly before men and before God even in the midst of troubles and hardship will find true rest and strength from God to face the worries and troubles of this world. It will be useful to consider the following excerpts from the great Psalm 91 in our reflection on the theme of Rest in the Bible:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust… Because he loves me, says the LORD, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him and show him my salvation.”

If we are faithful to God he is faithful to us. God’s promises are sure to be fulfilled. He is loving and kind for those who love him. Psalm 103 declares: “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, not will he harbour his anger forever, and he does not treat as our sins deserves or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” It should be noted that ‘fearing God’ in the Bible means ‘loving respect’ God.
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The writer is a Christian theology teacher and church leader