Why Rest?

[Israel] has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold—which they used for Baal,” [says the Lord God Almighty] (Hosea 2:8).

Like last Friday’s, this text ought to make us uncomfortable. At the very least, it should make us do some serious self-examination. A thing that Christians ought to do regularly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Again, Israel has been practicing all her religious rituals: the celebrations, festivals, Sabbaths, New Moons, etc. (2:11). From the outside, God’s people look very religious. They are doing their thing.

However, their hearts are not in it. It’s not that they aren’t feeling God’s presence; its that they have no desire to feel God’s presence. The religious rituals God prescribed were intended for the people to give God thanks for his blessings, to publicly recognize that life and wellbeing were all a gift from his hand. Israel’s festivals and celebrations were opportunities to give God thanks for these things and to rejoice in their covenant relationship.

Instead, the people had decided that it was really Baal who had blessed them with all these things. The took the things God gave them and offered them to Baal in thanksgiving. We should not read this text as an opportunity to turn our noses up at Old Testament Israel or to fill our hearts with pride, believing we behave better.

It’s the weekend. In our culture, weekends are frequently filled with self-absorption. We have done a hard week’s work, now we deserve some down time. This is also true of church life. Various movements over the past decades have reduced church to an event that ‘I like.’ If I don’t like it, I’ll find a church I do like. It’s about what we humans like and don’t like.

Israel was meant to gather to thank God and renew her covenant relationship with him. They gathered to acknowledge that they had broken covenant. They came to receive God’s grace and to be renewed in their covenant commitment. This should also be at the heart of Christian worship as we renew our life in Christ.

This does not mean that we cannot rest or relax. Rather, it invites us into a rest that produces covenant renewal; that renews our relationship with God and our commitment to his ministry of reconciliation in this world. It’s not likely that any of us worship a Baal god. Our temptation is to worship ourselves and to think so highly of ourselves that we think God owes us good things. He ought to make our lives easier.

Christian worship ought to humble us. As we lift our praises to God, we come to realize again how great he is and how small we are. So go worship this weekend, come worship the God of the Bible. Give him thanks for what we have received from him. He is our generous creator and sustainer. Come and be reconciled to him through Christ and join hands with others in worship – before him we are all equal.

As you journey on, hear Jesus’ invitation:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).