Village Schools of the Bible

"The Rest of God" and "Archaeological Study Bible"

Book Reviews

Mark Buchanan has become one of my favorite contemporary authors. I was first introduced to the author with his first book, Your God Is Too Safe (Multnomah Publishers, 2001). The thesis of this book is that often we limit God by not taking risks. Mr. Buchanan’s God is a God who delights in taking risks. This book challenged by own thinking of God. The second book is titled, The Holy Wild (Multnomah Publishers, 2003). In this book the author portrays a God who is not tamed. Through the pages of this book the author helped me to better understand the character of God.

Now, I have just completed reading the newest book from Mark Buchanan’s pen. It is titled, The Rest of God (W Publishing Group, 2006). The book’s subtitle is, “Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath.” The writing of this book was long overdue, yet many Christians will choose to ignore its warnings because they have chosen to treat all days as if they were equal. But the Bible does tell us that God created one day to be different from the rest, and it was His purpose that His people treat that day differently. That day was known as the Sabbath. For us, it is usually Sunday.

Friends, I am old enough to remember when there were still “blue laws” on the books. Stores were closed on Sunday. Most restaurants were closed. I remember my Dad always filled up the car on Saturday evening because, if we took a short trip on Sunday, he did not want to run out of gas as many of the stations were closed. Sundays were days set aside for the worship of God, the enjoyment of family, and the mandatory nap. I know some of you might be saying, “How boring!” When I was a child, Sundays were truly different.

That has all changed today. Stores view Sunday as the most active shopping day of the week. Restaurants are open…and well used. I have heard that, at least in the Twin Cities, Sundays are the best business days for grocery stores. For many people, Sunday is viewed as: 1) putting in my time for God (and hope that the sermon does not interfere with my afternoon plans); and 2) spending time doing what I want to do.

Mark Buchanan jolts us with a thousand volts. He draws us back into the Scriptures and helps us to understand the nature and purpose for the Sabbath. As created beings, we need a day of rest. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need a day for quiet so we can listen to Him. Here is how he describes it: Sabbath is both a day and an attitude to nurture such stillness. It is both time on a calendar and a disposition of the heart. It is a day we enter, but just as much a way we see. Sabbath imparts the rest of God – actual physical, mental, spiritual rest, but also the rest of God – the things of God’s nature and presence we miss in our busyness (pg. 3).

The author begins his book in a most unusual way. His theme is rest; so, he begins with work. Before we appreciate God’s gift of rest, it is vital we appreciate his gift of work, he states (pg. 16). He then describes how we can cultivate a Sabbath heart, followed by how we can accept God’s rest. Included at the close of every chapter is a short section on ideas of how a person could begin to cultivate the concept described in that chapter. I found some of the ideas to be wildly creative, yet purposeful.

You may not enjoy this book immediately. In fact you may react as I did…how can he make such wild statements about the Sabbath; after all we are free in Christ. Yet, the more I read, the more convicted I became that I have become a legalist with regard to the Sabbath (Sunday). I do want to seek God’s rest. And I do want to have one day in which I can experience something different than the other six days provides. So, I recommend Mark Buchanan’s book, The Rest of God, to you. (By the way, this will be the selection for the November 28, 2006 session of the Village Schools Readers Club.)

A second book I want to spend just a moment describing is the newly released Archaeological Study Bible, published by Zondervan. Now, I must admit, that I am not a great admirer of study Bibles. I would prefer to do my own research. But, I found this study Bible to be different. It contained a wealth of information about the archaeological, historical, and cultural backgrounds of many of the Bible stories…materials omitted from most study Bibles. There are also many colorful pictures and maps that help the reader better understand what the Word is communicating. This study Bible also comes with a CD-ROM that includes many of the pictures and maps that are in the Bible itself, along with a downloadable NIV version of the Bible.

Although the price of this Bible is substantial – they list for $49.99, but many Christian bookstores have been selling them for $39.99 – I believe this will be a resource tool that I will use extensively. I recommend it to you.

As you read this article, the summer will be nearly gone, and the rigors of new programs and new opportunities for the fall will soon be upon us. But, I trust you will always find time for a good book. You will find that they soon become good friends.

Discussion Questions for The Rest of God

1. This book is subtitled, “Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath.” Why was there a need for a book to be written on a subject of rest?

2. What images do you have of Sabbath (Sundays) as you were growing up? Has your attitude toward that day changed? If so, in what ways?

3. What seems to be the prevailing attitude toward a day of rest today? What are some of the consequences of that attitude?

4. What does the author mean when he writes, “Sabbath is both a day and an attitude to nurture such stillness. It is both time on a calendar and a disposition of the heart. It is a day we enter, but just as much a way we see. Sabbath imparts the rest of God – actual physical, mental, spiritual rest, but also the rest of God – the things of God’s nature and presence we miss in our busyness.” (p. 3)

5. The very first chapter may just be the most important one in the book. Its theme is work. According to Buchanan, what is the relationship between work and rest? Why is a right view of work important if we are to understand the right view of rest?

6. What does the author mean by these words, “The opposite of a slave is not a free man. It’s a worshiper. The one who is most free is the one who turns the work of his hands into sacrament, into offering.” (p. 24)

7. According to the author, how does a person begin to cultivate a Sabbath heart? How do you cultivate a Sabbath heart?

8. On page 61 Buchanan writes, “The worst hallucination busyness conjures is the conviction that I am God. All depends on me. How will the right things happen at the right time if I’m not pushing and pulling and watching and worrying? What is your response to that statement?

9. Explain this statement: “Generous people have more time. That’s the irony: those who sanctify time and who give time away – who treat time as gift and not possession – have time in abundance.” (p. 83)

10. I found fascinating the discussion of the author of the differences in the ways the two recitations of the Fourth Commandment in Exodus and Deuteronomy. Do you agree with his conclusions?

11. How easy is it to become legalistic about the Sabbath? In what ways do we practice such legalism?

12. On page 139, the author describes a theology of play. What exactly is a theology of play? Why is it so important if we are to understand the rest of God?

13. Buchanan writes, “Some quality of life should mark the difference between our days of rest and celebration and our days of toil and production.” (p. 165). What does he mean? How have you modeled such a difference in your own life and family?

14. How is our keeping of the Sabbath here on earth an anticipation of the rest we will have in heaven?

15. What was your opinion of this book? Do you believe it is an important one for every Christian to read? Would you recommend it to a friend?