One of the assurances and promises of God to his chosen is prosperity, but one that is accompanied with rest. There are many wealthy people who do not have rest, rightly called ‘peace of mind,’ in our common parlance. Their wealth is accompanied with battles, anxiety and fears. They battle with their neighbour and community, with their health and immediate families. They cannot live without human security around them. They feel hate all around their environment. And so they find it difficult to truly appraise themselves as wealthy and happy. God desires rest for us both here and in eternity. This is explicit in both the OT and the NT.
In Genesis 49:15, Jacob spoke, “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between two burdens; he saw that rest was good, and that the land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear a burden and became a band of slave.” For whatever it was worth, a good rest and land made Issachar to commit his life to slavery. Sadly, many are in this situation. Sabbath Day is not only a day of worship, it is also a day God separated for rest (Exodus 34:21). It is in fact called ‘solemn rest’ (Leviticus 23:3). Rest is a promise given by God as part of His covenant obligation to His people. “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:14).
Rest signifies the presence of God. Wherever He allows His altar to be built enjoys divine rest. In Numbers 10:33-36, the account of the departure of the Israelites from Sanai was given, and it reads: “So they set out from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days journey to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.” Many are so quick to run to locations where they can find prosperity without bothering about their ‘solemn rest.’ God desires a promised land of rest as well as a land of milk and honey for His people. The case of Isaac is instructive.
It is only in the location God has assigned that anyone can be very restfully prosperous. His promise is always supported by His rest. God’s rest is also His peace which passes all understanding. “And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly, I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distress, for Christ sake. For when I am weak I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). The concluding part of the foregoing verses is to assert that our rest and peace in this world lie in God through Christ once we are where He has assigned us to be.
It is only unbelievers that do not enjoy the rest of God (Psalm 95:11; Heb 3:11). And in Hebrew 4:1-3ff, 9), “Therefore since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 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.”
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The true prosperity of Isaac was found in God’s place of rest. In all the other locations where Isaac dug wells, he did not see the face or presence of God. But God appeared to Isaac in Beersheba! “And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” The Bible goes go to list four things Isaac did immediately. They are: “So (i) he built an altar there and (ii) call the name of the Lord, and (iii) he pitched his tent there, and (iv) there Isaac’s servants dug a well” (Genesis 26:23-25).
The four things Isaac did at Beersheba signified that he had found rest both with himself and his God. He did not go down to Egypt, he was no longer living with the Philistines, and he was no longer at Gerar. He had established a relationship with God; and only at a location approved by God Himself. Our prayer, as you read this is that you will not be short of God’s promised rest. “Weaknesses, infirmities, reproaches, may come our way, but we pray that we shall be overcomers because of the assurances God has given us in Christ Jesus;” wherein our rest lie. Like Isaac, we all shall erect altars of appreciation of the goodness of God upon us. We shall be where our calling God’s name will be answered. Let us therefore pitch out tents in the right and divine locations.
Isaac was not only blessed; he had an appreciative communion with God. So, those envious of you, contending with you; your haters and troublers, shall seek your peace and covenant as Abimelech did with Isaac (Genesis 26: 26-28). Let us make peace and live right. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). And as Apostle desired, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).
Shalom and be blessed.
The Rev’d Dr Karo Ogbinaka, an Anglican priest of the Diocese of Lagos West, lectures at the Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos. He is a member of the Editorial Board of The Trumpet.
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