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The term "restive" is not directly found in the Bible; however, the concept can be explored through various scriptural themes and narratives that address restlessness, impatience, and resistance to authority or guidance. In a biblical context, restiveness can be understood as a state of unease or unwillingness to submit to God's will, often leading to spiritual and moral consequences.

Biblical Examples and Themes:

1. Israel's Restiveness in the Wilderness:
The Israelites' journey through the wilderness is a prime example of restiveness. Despite witnessing God's miraculous deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites frequently displayed impatience and disobedience. In Exodus 32, they grew restless waiting for Moses to return from Mount Sinai and constructed a golden calf to worship, demonstrating their inability to remain steadfast in faith. This act of rebellion resulted in severe consequences, as God punished them for their idolatry.

Exodus 32:8 : "How quickly they have turned aside from the way I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf, have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’"

2. King Saul's Impatience:
King Saul's restiveness is evident in his failure to wait for the prophet Samuel to offer sacrifices before a battle with the Philistines. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul's impatience led him to unlawfully perform the priestly duty himself, resulting in God's rejection of his kingship.

1 Samuel 13:13-14 : "You have acted foolishly, Samuel declared. You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command."

3. The Restlessness of the Wicked:
The Bible often contrasts the peace of the righteous with the restlessness of the wicked. In Isaiah 57:20-21, the wicked are described as being like the turbulent sea, unable to find peace due to their sinful nature.

Isaiah 57:20-21 : "But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and muck. 'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'"

4. The Call to Rest in God:
In contrast to restiveness, Scripture calls believers to find rest in God. Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, emphasizing the peace and contentment found in submission to His lordship.

Matthew 11:28-29 : "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Spiritual Implications:

Restiveness in a spiritual sense often stems from a lack of trust in God's timing and purposes. It can manifest as impatience, rebellion, or a refusal to submit to divine authority. The Bible encourages believers to cultivate patience, faith, and obedience, trusting in God's sovereignty and perfect plan. Through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to overcome restiveness and embrace the peace that comes from a life surrendered to God.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (a.) Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn; drawing back.

2. (a.) Inactive; sluggish.

3. (a.) Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition; refractory.

4. (a.) Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still; fidgeting about; -- applied especially to horses.

Library

The Bishop at Work
... box and jackal to the Lionheart, and who now swept through England with a thousand
knights, trying cleverly and faithfully to rule the restive English and to ...
/.../marson/hugh bishop of lincoln/chapter v the bishop at.htm

Soul-Rest.
... You may leave the minister who thumps the desk and listen to a man with
a nasal twang, but you are still restive and unsatisfied. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/rees/the heart-cry of jesus/chapter viii soul-rest.htm

Jeroboam
... It was, no doubt, a difficult office to fill, for the tribe was restive and powerful,
but it would be very profitable, because the system on which taxes were ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/jeroboam.htm

The Wonderful Skill with which Origen Prepares Gregory and ...
... prohibition; sometimes assailing us in the genuine Socratic fashion, and again
upsetting us by his argumentation whenever he saw us getting restive under him ...
/.../argument vii the wonderful skill with.htm

As the Foam Upon Water
... By the strange inscrutable spread of rumor, sweeping with the air, the tidings of
the miracle and the rise of Seraiah poured in upon the restive hundreds that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the city of delight/chapter xx as the foam.htm

About the Book
... legs at the same time, while the second Missie Ammal held an umbrella over her head,
and the third exhorted the picture, which speedily got restive, to sit ...
/.../wilson-carmichael/things as they are/chapter i about the book.htm

Tee Advice of Hotep
... It would take a profounder soul than any they had displayed to understand and
sympathize with the restive genius hidden under the smooth exterior they saw. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xvi tee advice of.htm

"He Hardened his Heart"
... servants. He could not understand why Egypt should be restive under the same
afflictions that he had borne with fortitude. Summoning ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxx he hardened his.htm

In Step with Jesus.
... service. They tell me that where cattle are yoked for work it is usual to
put a young restive beast with an old, steady-going animal. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/in step with jesus.htm

See, World! Thy Life Assailed.
... When tongues of bad men grieve me, Of peace and name deprive me, My restive heart
I'll still; Their evil deeds enduring, Of pardon free assuring My neighbour ...
/.../gerhardt/paul gerhardts spiritual songs/see world thy life assailed.htm

Thesaurus
Restive (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Restive (1 Occurrence). Jeremiah 2:23 How are you able
to say, I am not unclean, I have not gone after the Baals? ...
/r/restive.htm - 7k

Restless (6 Occurrences)

/r/restless.htm - 8k

Restitution (21 Occurrences)

/r/restitution.htm - 13k

Resources
Restive: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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