REST OF THE LORD

Having grown up as a member of a church which relies mainly on lay membership leadership, I have heard many interesting remarks about the Sabbath Day being a day of REST. Sometimes the remarks were said with the intent to be funny, sometimes spoken sarcastically, sometimes longingly sighed and sometimes even uttered with a degree of disbelief.

There were always those who would give counter statements such as: a change is as good as a rest, or I obey this command by always taking a nap during the afternoon of the Sabbath, or there is no rest for the wicked, none of which gave me an understanding of what was meant by this day being a day of REST.

After 3744 designated days of rest I thought it might be about time to come to a better understanding about this thing the Lord called REST and thereby coming to know what He really expected of me on this set apart day.

Along with the usual definition which comes immediately to mind about REST, Webster’s exhaustive also wants us to consider such ideas as: freeing oneself from that which wearies them, to become founded, to remain confident, fixed or supported, to become vested, to be settled in your views, greeting another as in ‘God give you rest,’ coming under the providence of another as in ‘rest with,’ amount still due, along with many other alternatives to the usual thought of someone becoming motionless.

As I looked at the uses of the word ‘REST’ found in the dictionary, most of the alternate uses implied or demonstrated either mental or physical activity which indicated the possibility of effort or labor on one’s part.

Leaving man’s definitions and going to the scriptures I found that inactivity was one of the least intended meanings of the word REST, but moreover it involved some kind of active interaction between man and his Maker.

I found that more often the understanding of the word REST in scriptural references could better be understood if another word was substituted which helped to enlighten us to what the writer was trying to convey. I will try to demonstrate what I am trying to say with the following scriptures:

Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest (comfort - happiness); yea, he shall give DELIGHT unto thy soul.

Isaiah 14:3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest (freed from) from thy SORROW, and from thy FEAR, and from the HARD BONDAGE wherein thou wast made to serve.

Deuteronomy 25:19 Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest (victory - protection - blessing) FROM all thine ENEMIES round about, in the land which the Lord thy God GIVETH thee for an INHERITANCE to possess it…

Psalms 38:3 There is no SOUNDNESS (rest) in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest (peace - comfort) in my bones because of my sin.

Alma 12:34 Therefore, whosoever REPENTETH, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on MERCY through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a REMISSION of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest. (forgiveness - salvation - mercy)

Alma 13:16 16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might LOOK FORWARD on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest (understanding – knowledge - faith) of the Lord.

3 Nephi 27:19 And no unclean thing can enter into HIS KINGDOM; therefore nothing entereth into his rest (place where God dwells) save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are TROUBLED (rejoice - be no longer troubled) with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.

1 Chronicles 23:25 For David said, The God of Israel hath given (promise - blessing) unto his people, that they may DWELL IN JERUSALEM FOREVER.

1 Kings 5:4 But now the Lord my God hath given me rest (delivered from temptation) on every side, so that there is neither ADVERSARY NOR EVIL occurrent.

Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested (blessed - hallowed) the seventh day: wherefore the Lord BLESSED the Sabbath day, and HALLOWED it.