The Doctrine Of Work And Rest
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, February 10, 2026 (Donate)
It is remarkable that Christians today often have to re-explain
something as basic as work and rest. And yet, these doctrines are
frequently misunderstood, distorted, or disconnected from their biblical foundation.
Ironically, the modern world benefits immensely from
concepts of labor, productivity, weekends, vacations, and even retirement, all
of which ultimately trace back to Scripture—Genesis 1-11 to be more precise!
Work and rest are not human inventions; they are divine institutions
established by God Himself for the benefit of man.
God designed and created us and our earthly environment; He
would know what our bodies need most. And this is the case in both a perfect
world and the sin-cursed and broken world that has transpired since Genesis 3.
What Is Work?
Biblically, work is purposeful activity carried out under
God’s authority. Work did not originate after the Fall. Before sin entered the
world, God placed Adam in the garden “to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15).
Work, therefore, is not a curse; it is part of God’s original design for
mankind. For those who do a job well done, there an amazing satisfaction
behind it And that is part of God’s design.
Man was created to reflect God’s character, and God Himself
is portrayed as the ultimate Worker. There is a joy in it when done with the
right heart. Genesis opens with God actively working: creating, shaping,
separating, naming, and blessing.
Work, in Scripture, is tied to stewardship. Man is called to
cultivate the earth, exercise dominion under God, and use creation responsibly.
Man is profoundly made in the image of a working God. Granted, all of God’s
work is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4) and we fall short far too often since
Genesis 3 and the curse upon creation.
After the Fall, work became more difficult and frustrating
(Genesis 3:17–19). We now deal with thorns and thistles and blood, sweat, and
tears! But take note, work did not lose its dignity or purpose. Scripture
consistently treats honest labor as good, honorable, and necessary.
What Is Rest?
Rest, biblically understood, is not laziness or idleness.
Rest is the cessation of normal labor for the purpose of recuperation, restoration,
praise and worship, learning from God’s Word, joy, and trust in God. God
Himself rested after creation, not because He was weary, but because His work
was complete and He did this as an example to man (Exodus 20:11; Mark 2:27).
“And on the seventh day God ended
His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work
which He had done” (Genesis 2:2, NKJV).
Rest didn’t mean complete cessation either—consider that God
continued to work to uphold all things into existence. Rest is a declaration of
dependence.
By resting, man acknowledges that the world continues because God sustains it, not because man never stops working. True rest should direct our hearts from productivity to worshipping and praising God and learning from His Word and this helps keep us from getting caught up in our own works and worship the work of our hands.
The Work-Rest Cycles
The Weekly Work-Rest Cycle
The foundational work-rest rhythm of a week is established in creation
itself. God worked for six days and rested on the seventh, blessing and making
it holy (Genesis 2:1–3). This pattern is later put into the Fourth
Commandment as part of the Mosaic Covenant (Old Covenant):
“For in six days the Lord made the
heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh
day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11,
NKJV).
Exodus 31:17 also shows that this pattern was a sign that
goes back to creation, not merely Israel’s culture.
The weekly cycle teaches balance. Work is required,
but it is limited. Rest is commanded, but it is purposeful. God sets boundaries
on labor to protect mankind from both exploitation and self-destruction.
Between the seventh day of rest (Sabbath) and the Lord’s Day
(because Christ resurrected on the first day), this forms the basis for the
weekend.
The Daily Work-Rest Cycle
Scripture also recognizes a daily rhythm of labor and
rest. Psalm 104:23, NKJV states,
“Man goes out to his work and to
his labor until the evening.”
The regular pattern of morning labor and nighttime rest
reflects God’s ordering of time itself: day for work, night for rest which was likely
His model of working during Creation Week. This daily cycle shows that sleep
itself is a gift from God (Psalm 127:2).
The Jubilee Work-Rest Cycle
Beyond weekly and daily rest, God instituted
long-term rest cycles for the land and for society. Every seventh year was a
sabbatical year when the land rested (Leviticus 25:4), and every fiftieth
year was the Year of Jubilee. During Jubilee, debts were forgiven, land
was returned, and economic reset was enforced. This system prevented perpetual
poverty, generational exploitation, and unchecked accumulation of power.
The Jubilee cycle demonstrated that God is the true owner of
all property and wealth. Israel was reminded that they were stewards, not
absolute owners.
How Jesus Respected The Work-Rest Cycle
Jesus fully honored God’s design for work and rest. He
worked diligently in His earthly ministry, often to the point of physical
exhaustion, yet He also withdrew to rest and pray (Mark 6:31). Jesus affirmed
the Sabbath’s purpose when He said,
“The Sabbath was made for man, and
not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NKJV).
He corrected legalistic abuses of rest without abolishing
its principle. Christ also fulfilled the deeper meaning of rest by offering
spiritual rest to the weary:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NKJV).
In Christ, believers find ultimate and eternal rest from the
burden and weight of sin and its punishment, while still honoring God through
faithful labor. In Christ, we look forward to a new heavens and new earth that
will be perfect. Try to imagine how amazing work would be in a perfect world
again!
The Value of Work
Scripture is clear that work is a moral obligation. The
apostle Paul states plainly,
“If anyone will not work, neither
shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10, NKJV).
This principle shows man’s responsibility and rejects laziness
or slothfulness and entitlement. Work is the ordinary means by which God
provides for individuals, families, and communities.
At the same time, Scripture condemns exploitation, fraud,
and oppression in labor. Sadly, the secular mindset that permeates our society
opens the door to all sorts of terrible things like this.
Nevertheless, work is valuable not merely because it
produces income, but because it reflects obedience to God’s design.
Currency Types in Scripture
The Bible recognizes multiple forms of wealth and currency.
And these are still relevant today.
Livestock and Property
In the ancient world and all the way up to today, wealth was
often measured in land, livestock, and productive assets. I grew up on a farm
where land, our cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, and grain were valuable commodities.
Abraham, Job, and Solomon are described as wealthy with
property and herds. This category corresponds today, not just with farm assets,
but also real estate, businesses, investments, and productive enterprises.
These forms of wealth should be signs of stewardship, and long-term
responsibility.
Gold, Silver, and Precious Metals
Another form of wealth that Abraham, Job, and Solomon had
was measured in gold. This actually goes back to Genesis and God giving it value
in Genesis 2:11-12.
Abram was very rich in livestock,
in silver, and in gold. (Genesis 13:2, NKJV)
Then all his brothers, all his
sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and
ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all
the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of
silver and each a ring of gold. (Job 42:11, NKJV)
All King Solomon’s drinking vessels
were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure
gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of
Solomon. (1 Kings 10:21, NKJV)
Scripture often references gold and silver as the currency
of exchange and stores of value. Proverbs 16:16, NKJV states,
“How much better to get wisdom than
gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.”
While precious metals are acknowledged as valuable,
Scripture consistently places moral and spiritual priorities above material
wealth.
The Bible warns against trusting riches while recognizing
that material resources can be used righteously when submitted to God’s
authority.
Conclusion
The doctrine of work and rest is woven into the fabric of
creation, law, wisdom literature, and the life of Christ. Work is dignified,
necessary, and God-ordained. Rest is commanded, meaningful, and
faith-affirming. Together, they form a rhythm that protects mankind from
idolatry, exhaustion, and even from despair.
When properly understood, our work should glorify God,
provide for our needs, and serves others. Rest, on the other hand, should be
used to restore and rejuvenate our body, reorient our soul with God’s purposes,
and reminds man that God alone is sovereign.
In a restless world that seems to be obsessed with
productivity and consumption, the biblical doctrine of work and rest remains
both timeless (pun intended!) and incredibly necessary.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various
churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers
in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding
news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight
Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
