Rest Multiplied

Ecclesiastes 4:12
New Living Translation
¹² A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Rest is a God-idea. The fact that it is mentioned numerous times throughout the Bible tells us that it is something God wants us to understand. Biblical rest means to cease from an activity because it has been completed. God established the principle of rest in the second chapter of Genesis: “³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” (NLT) He rested, not because He was tired, but rather because He had done all that He wanted to do. Man had only to operate within the guidelines God had mandated to enjoy life. Which, of course, we know did not happen. There is a principle in the Bible called “the Law of First-Mention.” It says that the meaning of the word where it was first used in scripture continues throughout the Bible. So “rest” throughout the Bible always refers to ceasing from effort because a work has been completed.

A second place the concept of rest is found in Hebrews 10:12 (NLT): “But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.”  In essence when Jesus sat down, He was reflecting a position of rest. He had finished the job He had agreed to do before the foundation of the earth. There was nothing left for Him to do to bring salvation to His Father’s creation.

The third place we find the mention of rest is in Hebrews 4:9-11(KJV): “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” This rest is achieved only with the help of Holy Spirit Who leads us into that place. It mentions “laboring” to enter the rest because the voices of the world will always try to distract us from what Holy Spirit is saying.

Why is so much emphasis put on rest? It is because the place of rest is where receiving the promises of God are found. Man has a natural propensity to rely on “work” or “effort” to get the things he wants because that is how the world gets things without God. Even after becoming born-again that mindset spills over into our spiritual lives and we often get distracted from God’s desire to “give” us things that come from His heart and not from our efforts.

As the scriptures above confirm, the entire Godhead has a part in releasing rest into our lives. That is comforting and reassuring to know in the chaotic world in which we live.  Tying that fact to the reference scripture above – that a triple-braided cord is not easily broken – gives us a visual that we can wrap around our minds around when life is not cooperating. We have Father, Son and Holy Spirit on our side actively involved in providing rest for us.  Rest allows us a place of refuge and protection from the negative challenges we face. It is ours for the taking! It is a GRACE-gift and, as with all things that come from GRACE, it is indeed amazing!

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