Healthy Blood Through Rest: 3 Biblical Principles

Discover the Ideal Work/Rest Balance

As way of reminder,  we are involved in a seven part study, Living Under God's Design: Seven Biblical Principles, that teaches us how to bring life to the body through healthy blood. The first principle was Healthy Blood Through Cleanliness, the second was Healthy Blood Through Fasting, and the third is Healthy Blood Through Rest.

The previous article in this series discussed the affects stress can have on our bodies, causing any number of physical ailments. We also looked at some practical ways to handle emotional stress. Now we will take a closer look at the physical side of rest, which affects both our physical and emotional well-being.

If our bodies are not getting the physical rest they need, it can be extremely difficult to deal with the emotional and physical stress that comes into our lives everyday. To live under God’s design, proper rest is extremely important. So, what is God’s design for us in this area of rest?

God has written in His Word and into the design of life three principles of physical rest.

Principle One: Work six days and rest on the seventh.

For the nature of this study, we will not be discussing all the theological implications of the Sabbath day. Rather we are simply taking a cursory look at the principle from Scripture in terms of rest.

From the creation of the world, God has instituted that one day in seven is to be set aside for rest. We see in Genesis 2:2-3 that God blessed and sanctified the 7th day. On that day God himself rested from His labors of creating and set in motion an example for us to follow, namely to work six days and rest one.

According to Exodus 23:12, this rest is designed not just for ourselves as individuals but also for our work animals, our slaves (employees), and the strangers living among us. This rest is given as a time of refreshing. In Exodus 34:21 the Israelites were commanded to take this rest even during harvest, which would have been the most laborious, lucrative, and pressing time of the year. God has given us this day for our good.

We must stop our normal six day activities and take one day to focus on personal rest, family relationships, and particularly our relationship with the Lord. Our bodies are designed to function best incorporating this day of rest into our week. The Sabbath rest is  God's gift to man. Mark 2:28 tells that the Sabbath was created for man and not the man for the Sabbath. We need to commit to taking this day as God has commanded - for our good.

Principle Two: Work the land six years and let it rest on the seventh year.

Again, there is not enough time here to discuss all the implications of this biblical principle, though they are far reaching.

Leviticus 25: 1-7 speaks of this Sabbath rest for the land, a time where there was to be no sowing nor pruning. This time of rest allowed for a revitalization and replenishing of the nutrients in the soil, allowing the next six years of crops to have the life giving qualities necessary to nourish the people of the land. It was also a time and opportunity to help the poor, for whatever grew naturally was free for everyone to eat, both man and animals.

In fact so important is this principle that God sent Israel into captivity one year for each seven year period they failed to obey this command to give the land the Sabbath rests God had ordained. God cares not only for people, but He cares about the earth and the land. 70 years God sent Israel into Babylonian captivity for breaking this law of the land Sabbath. One reason that God cares so much about the land Sabbath is because the land nourishes the food that His people eat.

For years America has acknowledged that there is a nutrient deficiency in our soil, and with the proliferation of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, the problem continues to grow.  Could this biblical practice of allowing the land to rest, renew and revitalize our soil? We believe so.

Principle Three: Work during the day and sleep during the night.

In the age of sleepless cities, all night shopping, and long work hours to make ends meet, getting enough sleep at night can be difficult - not to mention the sleeping difficulties that come with poor health and lack of exercise.

Yet the Scriptures teach that man is to labor during the day and sleep at night. Psalm 10:22-23 says, "When the sun rises ... man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening." The implication is that the normal working hours are during the daylight hours, and rest comes during the evening hours. This cycle involves working during the day and resting at night.

A normal day of physical activity should lead to pleasant sleep; physical activity during the day is one antidote for not sleeping. The rich man, according to Ecclesiastes 5:12, is permitted no sleep due to his abundance. The cultural implication in this verse is that the lack of physical activity impairs the ability to sleep. In contrast, the working man (who has labored under the sun) in Ecclesiastes 5:12 enjoys "sweet" sleep.

Man’s inventions and various contraptions have taken away man’s labor and as a result have made him weaker to the point of not sleeping during the night. Men have become physically weaker due to their labor saving inventions and therefore must set aside time for lifting weights or working out at the gym to get the physical activity necessary to supply health to the body. Time therefore is not necessarily gained, just traded. Or else the health suffers. Certainly man has accomplished many things in this world through his inventions but it has taken a devastating toll on him personally.

There are other principles imbedded in this rest/work cycle: namely balance. We are not to over work, nor over rest.

Don't Over Work

God's expectations for man and his work is that he gets the proper rest that he needs in the evening. Man is not to work around the clock as it were. Psalm 127:1-2 says that it is vain for a man to get up early and go to bed late, ignoring his rest for the sake of profit- "for the Lord gives to His beloved even sleep." We must have our rest.

If we are struggling to get the rest we need, it may be helpful to schedule some "down time" in the daily routine. There is truth the old adage after all: all work and no play (rest) makes Jack a dull boy.

Don't Over Rest

While God desires us to get the rest we need, we must be careful to not get too much sleep as this can lead to poverty (Proverbs 6:9-11) and physical harm by not getting the exercise needed to oxygenate and invigorate the body (1 Tim 4:8).

In conclusion: No doubt rest is important and overwork is not beneficial, nor part of God's design for our bodies. We must rest one complete day out of seven and fit our working hours out so that we don't overwork, risking our well-being.

Having looked at these three biblical principles concerning rest, we will next focus on how we might be able to improve our sleeping habits and experience deep sleep. The first step is to identify what good sleep looks like. But first, let's consider some unfortunate facts about the sleep problem in America.

Next: Sleepless in America

Return to: Biblical Health Study