Resting in The FATHER’S LOVE!

Biblical “REST”—Much more than sleep!

Matthew 11:27–30  27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.  28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

“REST” is the spiritual result of knowing the FATHER and living in HIS LOVE!

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJV)

In the mind of Jesus, “REST” is the result of knowing the Father as the Son knows Him.  Jesus promises everyone who will exchange their life’s heavy yokes and burdens for His (which are easy and light), He will reveal the Father to them, and they will find REST for their souls.

Hebrews 4:1–10  1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest (since Israel failed to enter His rest), let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.  2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.  3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest, (Ps.95:11)’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world (the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world, Rev.13:8).

4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” 

The “Seventh Day” is symbolic in scripture of completion, perfection, and rest.  In Christ, “today” is the Seventh Day!  Today is the day of completion, perfection, and rest!

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it (That’s us—NOW!), and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience (they refused to believe), 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David (Ps.95:7-8), “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts (opposite of believing faith).”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest (Josh 22:4), then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.  9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. (NKJV)

Ephesians 2:8–9  8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)

“Another day” began at the cross!

John 19:30  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (NKJV)

The Father RESTED on the Seventh Day!

Genesis 2:1–3  1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.  2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (NKJV)

Exodus 20:8–10  8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.  In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. (NKJV)

The Fourth Commandment reminds us the Father finished His work and RESTED on the Seventh Day.

The Father’s promise: “MY PRESENCE will give you REST!”

Exodus 33:12–14  12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’  13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.  And consider that this nation is Your people.”  14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (NKJV)

David is a prime example of a man who knew how to REST in The FATHER’S LOVE!

We recently talked with a man who is a screen writer.  He is working on a script in which the main character is a modern version of David in the Bible.  He was having difficulty understanding the essence of David’s character and especially why David was called “a man after God’s own heart,” in light of his many despicable sins.  Suddenly a light came on when a co-writer explained David in this way: He said, “David knew that no matter what he did, even to the extreme of taking another man’s wife and getting her pregnant, trying to cover it up, then when that didn’t work, having the man killed so he could marry the woman.  Yet, despite his many sins and total unworthiness, David knew that nothing he did or could ever do would cause his Heavenly Father to love him less or more!  He was absolutely rock solid in his faith that no matter what, he was secure and could rest in the Father’s love for him.  Therefore, when he sinned (missed the mark of The Father’s will), rather than receiving God’s wrath and condemnation, he received the Father’s love and kindness which brings us to repentance (Rom.2:4).  But, “for whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives (Heb.12:6).”

The Father sent the prophet Nathan to confront David, telling him a parable about a rich man who took a poor neighbor’s lamb.  Nathan then directly accused David of Uriah’s murder and taking Bathsheba.  As punishment, God declared that someone close to David would seize his wives and lie with them publicly.  Despite this and the many consequences that would come, David confessed his sins and repented.  In Psalm 51, David poured out his heart, acknowledging his wrongdoing and seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Forever, David is known as “a man after God’s own heart,” and an example of what it means to Rest in the FATHER’S LOVE!

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Our study would be incomplete without this perfect depiction of our Father’s unconditional love and forgiveness.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells of the youngest son coming to his father to ask for his inheritance ahead of time.  Under Mosaic law, the youngest son would only receive one-third of the father’s inheritance (Deut.21:17).  He then took the inheritance and ran away to spend it foolishly having a good time.  When he quickly ran through all the money, he was reduced to working in a pig pen where he realized the pigs ate better than he.  For a Jew, to tend to pigs was the height of humiliation since they were deemed unclean according to the Old Testament dietary laws.  He thought of his father’s servants who were fed well and had shelter at night.  Having reached the end of his rope, the young son came back home hoping his Father might hire him as a servant.  Instead, He was accepted as a son with open arms by his Father.  The older son was outraged; he was angry that his father had allowed his brother to return, and even more disturbing was the gift of a robe, a ring, and a huge feast in his honor, with the choicest of the fatted calves.

What stands out most to me is the son’s thinking that he could WORK as a SERVANT to be reconciled to his father.  But despite all he had done to hurt his father and divide the family, he was still a SON, and it was quite enough to return home and REST in The FATHER’S LOVE!  WELCOME HOME!  Hallelujah!