Our Father is not only generous in giving us the gift of rest, He’s actually so eager to give us the gift of rest that He’s willing to work so that we can enjoy it. God works so that we can rest. We can see this play out when God works to rescue His people from slavery in Egypt.
In Egypt, the Israelites were making bricks for Pharaoh’s vanity projects (Exodus 5:1-9). Pharaoh and his cronies were cruel taskmasters. He even told his Egyptian slave drivers “to make the work harder for the people so that they keep working” (Exodus 5:9). When the Israelites tried to take a break, the slave drivers would whip them back into action.
The Israelites couldn’t escape their enslavement to these cruel slave drivers. They were downtrodden, beaten and bruised. But what did the gracious, loving Lord do? He rescued them! And after being rescued from this cruel, demeaning, and nonstop work as slaves in Egypt, what does God call them to do? Rest.
In Deuteronomy we read: “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
The Israelites were enslaved to work, but God frees them to rest! With the slave-driving work masters of Egypt behind them, God calls His people to stop and look back and remember what He did for them. Enjoy it. I’ve done this for you, I’ve set you free, enjoy this day. His people can rest because He has redeemed them for it. He’s so eager that they rest that He even commands them to rest. Let that sink in for a moment: God commands His people to rest. I haven’t met many managers who command their employees to rest!
This is the kind of God our kind Father is. The Sabbath commandment isn’t there to stifle fun; it’s less an obligation and more an elevation to joy. God is commanding His people to enjoy the privilege that He Himself enjoys and has worked hard to give to them. This is a staggering truth.
In ancient myths, we find gods who forced their human subjects to work for them so that they could sit back on their celestial thrones and relax. Humans were to pander to the needs of the gods. But our God is not like those gods. No, our God works to set His people free and He blesses them with rest.
We may or may not be in a church that continues to observe the Sabbath day. Either way, the promise of the command still stands. God is inviting us to experience His rest and He’s willing to work to ensure we can.
Respond: Next, we’ll turn to see reasons why we might be nervous to stop and rest. But before we do, why not turn to God and praise Him for being the kind of God who commands His people to rest?
Next article – How We Rest: Relinquishing and Trusting
Stephen Unwin is a writer and editor with Our Daily Bread Ministries. He has degrees in sound engineering and theology and is currently studying for a PhD on the theology of gift and gratitude. He’s married to Katy and they live in Melbourne, Australia.
