AND HE RESTED
Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 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. 3 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. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
The Lord blessed the seventh day with the honor of his resting from all his work, and the “celebration” of all that he had pronounced as very good. This was a double blessing placed by God upon this seventh day. For not only did he end his work and rested, but he also blessed and sanctified it. That Hebrew word translated rested appears 71 times in the scriptures. And it is most often translated to mean “to cause to cease.” But it appears in Leviticus 23:32 as the English word, “celebrate.” In it he states, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. So the Lord was not resting in any way due to exhaustion! But his resting was to enjoy his creation and celebrate its being very good.
For there was to be honor connected to Himself regarding this seventh day of his rest and refreshment in it! Exodus 31:17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
And as the Lord rested in the completion of the natural creation, so does he rest with those created in Christ Jesus in the spiritual creation! Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
It is this rest in Christ’s finished work of redemption within the hearts of God’s chosen people that fulfills this “sign” lasting “for ever” from God to Israel. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
As the Lord God finished his work of creation, so the Lord Christ has finished his work in salvation! John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And then we have the victorious proclamation from the cross that redemption was accomplished! John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
The Lord Jesus sovereignly proclaimed that no man could take his life from him. He alone had the power to die whenever he chose to lay down his life! John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. And we have this witness that he would not “give up the ghost (his spirit),” until the redemption was “finished.” Then was justification set and the Father was satisfied!
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, (not just look upon the nails, thorns, or the spear, but the Father was observing the travail of the soul), and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
And the salvation of a lost soul is every bit as much a creation as was the natural creation! Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
For the physical creation of the natural realm reflects the spiritual creation of the realm of the redeemed! 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
The Apostle Paul writes this of the two Adams – (speaking of the first man, Adam, and Christ, the last Adam): 1 Corinthians 15:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. For as those born naturally will take on the nature of the first man Adam. So those who are borned again take on the image of the last Adam – Christ! Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
The calling forth of the light in Genesis 1:3 prefigures the calling forth of the light of the knowledge of the glory of God into the hearts of those being created in redemption! For both the earth and the sinner were void of God’s glory, and abode in darkness before the Light appeared. And it was the Eternal Son of God, in which both of these lights appeared! For he is both the light of the world and the light of life! Remember that the sun, moon and stars were not created until the fourth day! So this light on the first day was the introduction of the Son – the light of the world, into a visible Presence. John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
In a garden, the first Adam sinned and plunged us all into darkness! But in a garden, (John 18:1, 19:41), the last Adam came forth to pay our debt and bring all believers back into his marvelous life and light! For by his death and resurrection the entire church obtained a positional justification! Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. And then each and every individual for whom he died are experientially justified by faith in him! Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
At the cross the Judge of all the earth struck the gavel and proclaimed the entirety of the elect, “Not guilty!” For his Son, the Heavenly Advocate – the Lord Jesus Christ – had paid the debt! Then when each believer comes in their day and time to faith in Christ, the Bailiff comes to our prison cell with the release order from the Judge to let us out of prison! “Loose him and let him go,” is the command from the Master of the prison! Then the positional justification established at the resurrection of the Lamb of God, comes to be applied in an experiential justification by the Holy Spirit! Blessed be God! Jesus hath done all things well! Mark 7:37.
It is in this rest that we come to know the Creator more perfectly. Notice in the Genesis 2:4 verse, listed above, that he is called “Lord God” for the very first time. In every reference to him in all the previous verses he is simple called, “God.” That word means, “mighty.” And it is used of “gods,” and “goddesses.” It is also used for angels and judges. But when he comes to have finished his work and is celebrating his rest, he is now more clearly seen as the Lord God – “Jehovah Elohim!” The mighty self Existent, Eternal One.
And we can study the pages of the scriptures and come to know a lot of correct information concerning the person of Jesus of Nazareth. But you can only come to know him as very God in the personal relationship provided in his rest of redemption! For he has no rest to celebrate without those made one spirit with him in his revelation to them by grace, through faith! Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
To all others seeking to know him in works, before his rest, he is but “god.” That is a cold, religious term, used to fit almost any kind of ‘higher power’ one cares to imagine! But true salvation is not of works, lest any man should boast! (Ephesians 2:9). And justification by works provides one with a very different kind of “god” than the true Jehovah Elohim – the Lord God! Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Also we notice that in this seventh day of rest there is no evening! In all of the preceding days of creation, without fail, there was said to be “the even and morning.” (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31). But not so with this seventh day! It has no evening. For we read in the Revelation that there is no night in the new Jerusalem – the true, spiritual church! Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
For not only does the Lord have the description as the light of life, but he instructs his church that they are the light of the world. (Matt. 5:14). Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
The prophets foretold of this day. Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Isaiah 58:10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: 60:19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 60:20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Deuteronomy 11:21 That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
And also the location of the garden is said to be eastward. The direction of the rising of the sun’s daily light. Here the revelation of the glorious Creator would begin until they all come to be of one faith in that perfect day of light before him! Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
And that Hebrew word, here translated as eastward, also has the meaning of ancient and eternal as seen in Deuteronomy 33:15 & 27 respectively. For the revelation of the Lord God has been from the very beginning. It is of ancient origin and of eternal endurance.
And as this light is the manifestation of God himself, we see him referred to in Daniel as the Ancient of days. Daniel 7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
Pastor Gene Breed, July 10, 2015
