Work and Rest

Is work a curse and rest a blessing? Genesis 2:1-3 reports that God rested from all the work which he has been doing. Does it mean that God distanced himself from the world and the rest of the creation after completing creating them?

God Completed the Work of Creating

God finished the work of creating the heavens, the earth, and the universe. The expression “all their vast array” is translated as “cosmos” in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Depending on the context of its use, the word “cosmos” can mean “the universe, the world, or the inhabitants of the world.” With reference to Genesis 1:1, our text affirms that God completed creating the sky, the earth, the universe, and everything by the seventh day.

God Rested from the Work of Creating

God completed the work of creating. Now, God rested from all his work. Does it mean that God no longer cares for the creation? At the surface level, God seems to distance himself from the creation as if it were left alone. However, a closer look at the passage reveals the specific idea of the divine rest. Our text does not simply read, “God rested from all his work,” but gives a relative clause “which he has been doing.” The New International Version uses the relative clause “which he has been doing” only twice in Genesis 2:1-3. But, the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, and literal English translations such as King James Version and New American Standard Bible use the clause three times.

God finished the work which he has been doing (Gen. 2:2a)

God rested from all his work which he has been doing (Gen. 2:2b)

God rested from all the work of creating that he has done (Gen. 2:3)

The last relative clause makes explicit the kind of work God has finished. More precisely, God finished the work of creating. One should not think that “God stop working.” Although God rested from the work of creating, he continues the work of maintaining the cosmos and providing our needs. Jesus, our Lord, declares that God is always at work, he enjoys no sabbatical leave.

God Instituted the Day of Rest

The seventh day is the day of rest. What does the Bible says about the origin of the day of rest?

First, God rested on the seventh day. God worked for six days. God the maker of time observes working time and resting time. God commanded that his chosen people observe the day of rest. The day of rest is an invitation to enjoy God’s creation and recognize God’s reign over our time.

Second, God blessed the seventh day. Previously, God blessed the creatures (Gen. 1:22) and humankind (Gen. 1:26-27). Now, God blessed the seventh day. The Sabbath (The day of Rest) is primarily a blessing. It affirms equality among human beings. The master and slaves, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the oppressed, the ruler and the ruled--- we all are equally entitled to our rightful rest.

Third, God sanctified the seventh day. On the first six days, God’s word concerning his creation was “good.” On the seventh day, he “sanctified.” The implication of this difference is that the climax of creation is the institution of the Sabbath, the day of rest, rather than the creation of human beings, the image of God. However, Jesus clearly teaches us that the Sabbath is for human being. The seventh day primarily was the day of rest, not the day of worship. More precisely, worship is not an activity of one day in a week.

Christians confessed that God is the Creator, who created everything including time. We also confessed that God is the redeemer, who rescued and made us his children. Through his creation and redemption, God invites us to observe the day of rest. Both work and rest are God’s blessings.