Genesis 2:2–3 gives us the account:
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
God’s rest was not due to fatigue or weariness. Isaiah 40:28 reminds us:
“The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.”
The word “rested” means He ceased from creating. His work of creation was complete and perfect, requiring nothing more. This rest established an important pattern for humanity, the rhythm of work and rest. It became the basis for the Sabbath command in Exodus 20:8–11:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
God blessed and sanctified the seventh day, setting it apart as holy. This teaches us two key truths:
Completion of Creation: God’s rest signifies the perfection and sufficiency of His creative work. Nothing was lacking.
Divine Pattern for Humanity: Humans need physical rest and spiritual renewal. The Sabbath principle calls us to pause from labor and focus on God as Creator and Sustainer.
Ultimately, this rest points to Christ. Hebrews 4:9–10 says:
“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”
Through Jesus, believers enter spiritual rest, trusting in His finished work for salvation rather than striving by their own efforts.
