Old Testament Theology and the Rest of God

Rest is a largely neglected theme escaping Old Testament studies, yet is notably prominent in the text itself, arising at many of the key moments of the Old Testament--the creation, the flood, the conquest and exile of the land, the covenant with David, and the construction of the temple. Haydock explores the ways in which God's rest interacts with the direction of the narrative, noting also its role in shaping both Israel's worship and their messianic expectation. In this fascinating study, Haydock considers the importance and place of rest in the ancient Mesopotamian worldview, arguing that Israel's theology of rest played an important part in their message to the nations. This message of a sovereign and gracious God offering his rest to all peoples contrasts sharply with the nations' false perception of how ""rest"" was to be experienced and enjoyed. ""In this monograph Nicholas Haydock has done a service to all students of the Old Testament by drawing together in one place the various references to 'rest' in that first part of the Bible. He shows that there is a consistent understanding of rest throughout and that the concept is shaped throughout by a telic movement that points toward the ultimate solution of sin in the re-creation of the world. Readers will be challenged in their thinking and encouraged to broaden their understanding of God's redemptive purposes in the world."" --John Oswalt, Asbury Theological Seminary ""Haydock creatively brings together a number of important themes (tabernacle, temple, Messiah, land) and shows how a theology of rest unites them all. This is a stimulating contribution to biblical theology."" --Stephen Dempster, Crandall University ""Haydock has thoroughly examined the much-neglected scriptural concept of the 'rest of God, ' which formed such an important role as part of an Old Testament theology. He has not hesitated to show both the physical as well as the spiritual aspects of this gift of rest. He has traced the theology of rest through its different stages in Israel's history and demonstrated how the essence of this concept remained the same and constantly related to the word of God. The results of his study will need to be included in future Old Testament theologies."" --Walter C. Kaiser Jr., President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Nicholas J. Haydock has served both in the UK and overseas in Europe with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. He is also the author of The Theology of the Levitical Priesthood (Wipf and Stock), which similarly explored the missional concern of the Old Testament.