Online Reporter
GREETINGS, beloved, in the name of Jesus Christ. Exodus 33:14 says, “And He said, My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”
When we read in the book of Exodus 33 from verse 1, we find God telling the children of Israel that they would be taken to the land He had promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The only problem was that God said He would not go with them, meaning His presence would not be with them, but He would send His angel to lead them there.
This means that God was saying He would keep His promise as a covenant-keeping God, but His presence would not accompany them. Why? Because the children of Israel were stiff-necked, rebellious and disobedient to God’s statutes.
We read in verses 12–16 how Moses pleads with God, saying that if His presence does not go with them, then He should not send them from where they are. Moses understood, because of his relationship with God, that God’s presence was more important than reaching the Promised Land safely. He recognised that reaching the Promised Land with the angel and with God’s presence were two different issues.
This is where we hear God saying to Moses, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Today, I want to fo-cus on the second part of that verse: “and I will give you rest.” I want us to examine the word rest.
What is rest? “Rest” has several definitions, but I will focus on the biblical meaning.
In the Bible, “rest” has multiple connotations, including:
(i) Physical rest – ceasing from labour, relaxation and rejuvenation (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11).
(ii) Spiritual rest – trusting in God’s provision, surrendering worries and anxieties and finding peace in Him (Matthew 11:28-30; Psalm 23:4).
(iii) Sabbath rest – a dedicated day of rest and worship to honour God and renew oneself (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).
(iv) Eternal rest – the ultimate peace and rest believers will experience in heaven, in the presence of God (Revelation 14:13; Hebrews 4:9-11).
God grants us rest in various dimensions. There is internal rest, rest that comes from the environment and also a dimension of rest that is declared through proclamation.
Let’s briefly consider the life of Solomon, the great king and son of David. We will discover that there is a dimension of rest that God gave to Solomon, which came as a result of a declaration made by God.
The Bible states in 1 Kings 5:2-4: “Then Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: You know how my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which were fought against him on every side, until the Lord put his foes under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.”
Here, according to scripture, God gives Solomon rest on every side. This dimension of rest came as a result of a declaration made by God. It was the rest that God had promised the children of
Israel through Moses long before, in Exodus 33:14, when He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
The Bible further states in 1 Kings 8:56 (NKJV): “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses.”
This shows that God had promised the children of Israel rest through a declaration or proclamation. This rest referred to their settling in the land of Canaan, which God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Despite the hardships faced, God remained faithful and not one word of His promise failed.
Notice the word ALL. Unlike his father David, who was a man of battles, Solomon was blessed not only with wisdom and wealth but also with rest. This demonstrates that rest is a gift from God. Rest is given by God, it cannot be bought nor fought for — it is a gift.
God, in His wisdom, knows that wealth and riches amount to nothing without rest. He chose to give Solomon what He did not give to his father David: rest. Rest is a divine discretion. It’s remarkable that, despite His love for David, a man after God’s own heart, God did not grant him rest.
I want to say this to some of you: despite the challenges and hardships you face — whether in ministry, family, business or personally — God remains faithful to His promise of giving us rest. Not one word of His promise will fail.
God has promised that His presence will go with us and that He will give us rest. His word does not return void; it accomplishes that for which it is sent. He watches over His word to perform it.
Let us understand this: rest is not money. You can have money and still lack rest. Rest is not owning a house or man-sions, you can own ten houses and have no rest.
Rest is not laziness or not working.
We have heard of some businesspeople who own houses and cars yet cannot sleep in their own homes — they are sometimes seen sleeping in car parks or underground garages.
What is the value of money, cars or degrees without rest?
This rest that God promised the children of Israel referred not only to their physical settlement in Canaan but also carried spiritual implications. It speaks of inner peace and spiritual rest that come from being in God’s presence and following His will.
In 1 Kings 5:4-5, it states: “But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to my father David, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for My name.’”
David desired to build the temple of the Lord, but because of the battles he fought and the blood on his hands, God did not permit him. Instead, God granted Solomon rest on every side so he could focus on building the temple.
Notice that, in Solomon’s case, rest was also connected to building. Because of the rest God gave him, he could now dedicate himself to constructing the house of God.
Rest, therefore, is a gift from God. It is given by Him — hence, in Exodus 33:14, He declares, “I will give you rest.” You do not buy it, you do not fight for it — rest is a gift.
Rest is peace. It does not necessarily mean the absence of war, as in Solomon’s case. When adversaries or enemies are present, yet their presence is equal to their absence, that is called rest. It means they exist as though they do not—this is true rest.
Exodus 33:14 highlights two vital truths:
(i) My presence will go with you
(ii) And I will give you rest
Without God’s presence, there is no rest. These two are inseparable. Rest flows from being in God’s presence.
Ladies and gentlemen, we need both: first His presence, then His rest.
May God grant us rest, as He has promised us—rest for our families, ministries, and individuals. If we are constantly battling poor health, poverty, disunity or strife, it becomes difficult to build anything meaningful.
May God give us rest in every area of our lives—financially, health-wise and within our families. This is His promise and declaration to us as His children: that His presence will be with us and that He will give us rest.
I invite you now to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Believe in your heart, confess with your mouth that He is Lord, and you shall be saved.
May God bless you all.
For prayer and counselling, please contact: [email protected] or WhatsApp number: 0772494647.
