Practice for Eternal Rest

Tuesday, October 11

Practice For Eternal Rest
By: Allison Hand

In Hebrew, there are two words for rest in Genesis 2:1-3 that show us insight into how we can find rest. Check it out:

“So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. By the seventh day God completed His work that He had done, and He rested…..God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from His work of creation.”

We only see the one word “rest” here but in Hebrew, it says the word rest twice! 

God rested and rested basically.  The first rest means God stopped working (shabbat). 

The second one means God dwelt with his creation (nuakh).  

We stop (shabbat) in order to (nuakh) dwell in the presence of God. Shabbat is not a command, but rather a promise we are invited to. 

Since the creation of the world, God has been the giver of rest. The seventh-day rest. 

He instituted festivals of rest and remembrance. He promised a land of rest to the Israelites. 

All these instituted rests weren’t permanent though. So God sent Jesus to dwell in us and when we dwell with Jesus we find our eternal rest. 

When we forget God we forfeit rest. 

You may be like me and say, “Wait, I don’t forget God.”

But when we busy ourselves or even try and find our own rest we move further away from God’s rest.

Rest is a gift from God. 

Resting in God’s presence is an invitation to practice for eternity in God’s presence.

Rest is dwelling with our Maker.