Gen.2:1-3 – Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed — the seventh day, and sanctified — it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
This is a very unusual thought, “God rested from all His work”. If you know anything about the Lord and the scriptures you know that this rest was not a rest as the result of being tired. The Lord is all powerful and none of His efforts deplete His infinite power and energy. This is a different kind of rest than we know, this is a supernatural rest of enjoyment and delight in all He has done. The word rest in this passage is the Word Sabbat – this is the definition of that word from Strong’s Dictionary.
Sabbat – A verb meaning to repose, to rest, to rid of, to still, to put away, to leave. Most often, the word expresses the idea of resting (i.e., abstaining from labor), especially on the seventh day. It is from this root that the noun for Sabbath originates, a word designating the time to be set aside for rest. The verb is used of God to describe His resting after the completion of creation.
This rest of God gives us a glimmer of light as to the way the Lord observes His work of creation. He said that His work of creation was good and He took time to delight in it. Here is how the Passion Notes describe this.
“God was not weary; he simply rejoiced in his masterpiece. God’s work in us, for us, and through us, continues through time. God’s last day of creating (6th) is man’s first day. As soon as man was created, he rested with God. In this way, he became one with God, dwelling with him and resting in his accomplishments. There is no mention of evening and morning completing the seventh day, for God’s Sabbath rest endures forever, and there is no night there. Our true Sabbath rest is found in the finished work of Christ.”
So what is the message that this rest of God brings to us today? First of all it speaks to us about being still and just observing what God has done. His artistry is all around us and it is only in stopping and enjoying all that His hands have made that we can begin to appreciate His greatness. We look at the work of creation and we are blown away by His greatness and creativity. We ponder His great work of redemption at the cross and we are smitten by His grace. Heaven is that rest that we will enjoy and admire His greatness for eternity. For now we can enjoy His rest everyday and set aside the Lord’s Day for rest, recovery, worship, and contemplation.
