The prophesies of the Old Testament (“O. T.”) are many – both words of despair and judgment as well as words of Good News. The word “rest” is used in both testaments and has a variety of meanings. It was first used by God Himself during creation when on the seventh day “God rested.” (Genesis 2:2) Jesus himself talks about rest (spiritual) in Matthew’s gospel. “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Two of God’s prophets (Major Prophets per the Canon) in particular offered words of warning, persecution, and judgement – but they also had words of encouragement and consolation/comfort. These two men were Isaiah and Jeremiah. The former major prophet warned Israel re: Assyrians and then later derided Judah for their false worship with the ultimate enslavement by the Babylonians. Jeremiah lived and prophesied decades later and after the Assyrians had carried off the northern tribes (722 BC). Jeremiah’s words were warnings of God’s judgment for their misdeeds. Judah was carried off beginning in 605 BC with the major deportment occurring in 586 BC for forty more years.
I have prepared a table that was useful to me to show some similarities and differences in the two prophets.
| Description | Isaiah | Jeremiah |
| Beg. Ministry | 740 BC | 628 (26) BC |
| Israel’s enemy | Assyrians (north)
Babylonians (south) |
Babylonians (south) |
| Book Divisions
· Warning · Console/Comfort · Suffering, Persecution, Judgment
|
Chapters 1-39 Chapters 40-55 Chapters 56-66 |
Chapters 1-29 Chapters 30-33 Chapters 34-52 |
From the table above we can see that these two men of God also preached the Good News. Chapters 40-55 in Isaiah are referred to as a Book of Consolation. His opening words are “comfort.” In Jeremiah’s case, he opens chapter thirty with these words, “the days are coming declares the LORD, when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity.”
In each instance, the whole of Israel had lost its way! Yes, they lost their God, the YHWH who delivered them from the chains in Pharoah’s Egypt. They were delivered to the Land of Milk and Honey as promised. Yet they disobeyed and failed to rid the land of the false gods. Regardless of their sin and apostasy, God is truly loyal to His promises. As my title implies, God promises His rest. Jeremiah 31:2 says, “I will come to give rest to Israel.” In one of my earlier blogs entitled, “The Weeping Prophet: A Message of Destruction,” I remark on the word rest and how it was used by the Messiah himself. Matthew 11 records His words for us, “Come unto Me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). The author to Hebrews promises eternal rest to those of faith. (Hebrews 4:3). The Greek word (anapausis) has a variety of meanings. The list includes intermission, cessation, of any motion, business, labor. (Strong’s Greek 372, biblehub.com)
The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah were not only speaking of Israel’s consolation in physical terms but is also Messianic and eternal regarding the rest (cessation of any motion, labor) that is eternal. Isaiah in particular elaborates on the “Suffering Servant” in chapters 52-53. The verbs are past tense as if Christ’s suffering had already occurred.
Is today any different than the experiences of the Israelites? I suggest not too dissimilar. Oftentimes we place other gods before our God and fail to see His greatness. Isaiah’s words of comfort and consolation apply to you and me today just like that of God’s chosen. “He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace…and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, paraphrased) God’s comfort that is spoken by Isaiah reminds us that we too have “our sins paid for.” (40:2b) Let us be ever thankful for the sacrificial death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of our LORD that we too will see our eternal rest with Him. To God be the glory. Amen.
Peace
Connected in Him, I stand
GHR
