No Rest for the Wicked

We've all heard this phrase from time to time and we all find ourselves exhausted at times and someone will remind us that there is "no rest for the wicked". But exactly what is being conveyed when this phrase is used? Let's take a closer look.

"wicked" in Old Testament Hebrew
05766 `"evel {eh'-vel} or `avel {aw'-vel} and (fem.) `avlah {av-law'}

or `owlah {o-law'} or `olah {o-law'}
from 05765; TWOT - 1580a,1580b; n m/f
AV - iniquity 36, wickedness 7, unrighteousness 3, unjust 2,
perverseness 1, unjustly 1, "unrighteously 1, wicked 1, wickedly 1,
1) injustice, unrighteousness, wrong
1a) violent deeds of injustice
1b) injustice (of speech)
1c) injustice (generally)
""ungodly" in Old Testament Hebrew
01100 b@liya`al {bel-e-yah'-al}
from 01097 and 03276; TWOT - 246g; n m
AV - Belial 16, "wicked 5, "ungodly 3, "evil 1, naughty 1
"ungodly men 1; 27
1) worthlessness
1a) worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow
1b) wicked
1c) ruin, destruction (construct)

There are also various other Strong's numbers that reflect the basic theme of "wicked" as described above.

Now some of the versions of Scripture in the New Testament use the word "wicked" in place of the word "ungodly" as used by the King James Version and others.

""ungodly" In the New Testament in Greek
765 asebes {as-eb-ace'}
from 1 (as a negative particle) and a presumed derivative of 576; TDNT - 7:185,1010; adj
AV - ungodly 8, ungodly men 1; 9
1) "destitute of reverential awe towards God[YHWH], condemning God, impious
""ungodly" in the New Testament in Greek 764 asebeo {as-eb-eh'-o}
from 765; TDNT - 7:185,1010; v
AV - live ungodly 1, commit ungodly 1; 2
1) "to be ungodly, act impiously
""wicked" in the New Testament in Greek 459 anomos {an'-om-os}
from 1 (as a negative particle) and 3551; TDNT - 4:1086,646; adj
AV - "without law 4, transgressor 2, wicked 2, lawless 1, unlawful 1; 10
1) "destitute of (the Mosaic) law
1a) "of the Gentiles
2) "departing from the law, a violator of the law, lawless, wicked
""wicked" again in the New Testament in Greek
113 athesmos {ath'-es-mos}
from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 5087 (in the sense of enacting); TDNT - 1:167,25; adj
AV - wicked 2; 2
1) "one who breaks through the restraint of law and gratifies his lusts

To be more specific is to lay the foundation that wicked, wickedness, etc. is kissin' cousin to ungodly, ungodliness, unrighteousness as found in the New Testament.

Do we see a pattern here? Destitute of law, lawless, wicked, ungodly, asebes, asebeo?
What is REST?

"rest" in the Hebrew Old Testament
07677 Shabbathown {shab-baw-thone'}
from 07676; TWOT - 2323d; n m
AV - rest 8, Sabbath 3, 11
1) Sabbath observance, sabbatism
1a) of weekly Sabbath
1b) day of atonement
1c) sabbatical year
1d) of Feast of Trumpets
1e) of the 1st and last days of the Feast of Tabernacles
"rest" again in the Hebrew Old Testament
07673 shabath {shaw-bath'}
a primitive root; TWOT - 2323, 2323c; v
AV - cease 47, rest 11, away 3, fail 2, celebrate 1, misc 7; 71
1) to cease, desist, rest
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cease
1a2) to rest, desist (from labour)
1b) (Niphal) to cease
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to cause to cease, put an end to
1c2) to exterminate, destroy
1c3) to cause to desist from
1c4) to remove
1c5) to cause to fail
2) (Qal) to keep or observe the Sabbath
"rest" in the Greek New Testament
2664 katapauo {kat-ap-ow'-o}
from 2596 and 3973; TDNT - 3:627,419; v
AV - restrain 1, rest 1, give rest 1, cease 1; 4
1) to make quiet, to cause to be at rest, to grant rest
1a) to lead to a quiet abode
1b) to still, restrain, to cause (one striving to do something) to desist
2) to rest, take rest

 See Hebrews 4:4-5

To understand "rest" is to understand it means "Sabbath", to cease, to desist, to rest. Exactly what was it that was being intimated in the 4th Commandment about "Remember the Sabbath to keep it set-apart"?

To understand "ungodly" or "wicked" as "asebeo" or "asebes" is to know that the root word there in the Greek is "SeB" which is also the root word in SaBbath. See the study on The Hidden Message in First Timothy.

One doesn't need to look very hard to see, even on its face, that the reason there is "NO REST FOR THE WICKED [or ungodly]" is because the "wicked" or "ungodly" are Gentiles destitute of the Mosaic law. They are ungodly, wicked, lawless, lawbreakers for breaking Yahweh's Sabbath commandment. The physically tired don't try to be wicked nor do they consider themselves as ungodly. However, the Scriptures plainly states that those breaking the law, are lawless and in His eyes, wicked and ungodly. That one special day that Yahweh set-apart for all people was not just because He required it to be so, He did it for your well being! He knew you needed it and that your body required it, even if your mind thinks otherwise. It is a MANDATE by Him. Breaking His perfect way for your life puts your body, mind, soul and spirit at risk in more ways than one.

Why do you suppose the 4th Commandment is the only one that starts with the word ‘REMEMBER"? Could it be because we have forgotten it and thought it to be of the least importance?

There is No SABBATH REST FOR THE WICKED/UNGODLY because they choose not to obey His command, neither do they Remember for they have been taught that GOD Yahweh changed, contrary to Malachi 3:6 "For I am (Yahweh), I change not."

Now you know why there is "No rest for the wicked" because there is "NO REST FOR THE SABBATH BREAKERS".

Friends, in May of 1998, my family and I stepped away from the Sunday "church scene" just for the specific purpose to test and to find out if there was anything to this Sabbath thing. We didn't know what we should do. We just did some basic food preparations the day before Sabbath and at sundown we stopped everything, shut everything off and just rested. By the end of Sabbath, we were totally rejuvenated and rarin' to go back to work. Within a month, we knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Sabbath REST was for real and that our Heavenly Father knew what He was doing by making it one of the 10 Commandments. There is no rest without the physical 7th Day Sabbath Rest of Yahweh.

Please, my friends, trust Yahweh, for if you cannot trust Him and believe that He meant the Sabbath to be a wonderful gift to you, how can you trust Him for His wonderful gift of His Son for salvation?

Maybe Sabbath is more important that what modern religions have minimized it to be? 

"Blessed [is] the man [that] does this, and the son of man layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath lest he profane it, "and keepeth his hand from doing any evil." YeshaYahu 56:2.

And many such verses are there in the Scriptures. During the New Testament times, it was unheard of and unthought of to break the Sabbath. It was the norm, as we might say. It was also known that it was a requirement (Law) that must be obeyed as well as all the Torah of Truth. Sabbath was being kept set-apart by all in the Scriptures including Messiah Yahshua. Not keeping the Sabbath was not even at issue in the New Testament. Their was some argument over some added "oral law" detail that Messiah made clear, but not that Sabbath was no longer valid. Yahshua did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill (fill with deeper/fuller meaning) and yet many believers, today, would have you believe otherwise. Many Christians today believe that Sabbath, now, is a "rest in jesus" and we can work our bodies seven days a week, endlessly, and have no physical consequences. That is the same logic among our Christian brethren that says "Yahweh's Law has been done away with but we better not break even the least of Caesar's laws (i.e.our local/State/Federal rules/ regulations/ suggestions/ ordinances/ laws). Nothing could be farther from the truth but that is a study for another time. If we'd be obedient to Yahweh's laws/commandments, we wouldn't need a fraction of the laws we have on "Caesar's" books today. Think about it. Why can't we just accept by FAITH that Yahweh's Ways, His Laws and His Right-rulings are all GOOD and will never harm us? Why do so many keep kicking against the pricks? Perhaps it is because we truly don't trust Him as having our best interest at heart. Yet we say we trust Him for salvation/deliverance? Think again!

If you want to rest in Yahweh's Salvation, you must first rest in/on His Sabbath. The 7th Day Rest is a set-apart rehearsal/shadow picture of Yahweh's 7th Millennial Rest.

"Yahweh, I want to REST in You!"

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find REST unto your souls. For My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light." MattithYahu 11:29-30.

Baruch haShem Yahweh!

See our study on The Burning Question - Sabbath - When is it?

See our study on Psalms 91 – The Three Prerequisites to His Protections

See our study on EliYah and the Prophets of Ba'al

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