God’s Command to Rest

In Deuteronomy 28, we find a list of all the blessings and curses. The blessings begin with these words:

“If you diligently obey [hearken to] the voice of the Lord your God… all these blessings shall come upon you” (verses 1–2)

The curses begin with these words:

“If you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God... all these curses will come upon you” (verse 15)

They hinge on heeding or ignoring the voice of the Lord.

Obedience in worship is the appointed way to come into that attitude and relationship in which we really hear God’s voice. Or, to state it another way, we do not hear God’s voice unless we possess an attitude of worship. Then, in hearing God’s voice, we enter into His rest. Thus, worship is the way to rest. Only those who really know how to worship can really enjoy rest.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9–11, NIV)

Scripture brings out the fact that because of disobedience, the people of God failed to enter into rest. I am not insisting we observe the Sabbath or make Sunday the Sabbath. I am just pointing out that we can miss the fact that God has commanded us to rest.

I have come to believe that if I am busy seven days a week, every week, I am not pleasing God. Moreover, I am sure to endanger my health with this degree of busyness. God is doing something in my heart about Sabbath rest. I believe He can do something in your heart, too, that will cause you naturally to keep His divine, eternal, unchanging laws.