Rest (Genesis 2:1-3)

Well, the past two weeks have been crazy! I apologize for not posting a new post last week. Things have picked up at work, school, and home. Most of you know my wife is pregnant, our first. Well, we find out in a week the sex of our baby. Needless to say we’re excited! We really don’t prefer a boy to a girl or vice versa, we’re just happy to be having a baby! We’re fulfilling God’s mandate in Genesis 1 to be fruitful and multiply.

Genesis 2:1-3 is a continuation of the creation story started in Genesis 1. This passage talks about the completion of God’s work and the rest God takes on the seventh day. Verse 2 reads,

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

God’s world was done. Everything was perfect. Everything was in its proper place and performing its proper function. Can you imagine such a world? Then we move from creating and working to rest. Can you imagine God resting? Someone asked once, “Doesn’t He have to like always be doing something?” Well, Scripture would tell us, “no!” God worked hard for six days and then rested. He did nothing! Genesis even goes on to say in verse 3,

God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

So, we have a day where God is not doing anything and He blesses this day and makes it holy.

Questions to ponder:
- What do you think about God resting?
- Why did He do it?
- If you believe we’re made in His image, what does this teach us about ourselves?
- Does this passage of Scripture bother you? If so, how?
- Do you rest each week?

*I sure could use some rest!