Genesis 2:1-3 Resting Time
God has been busy. He just finished creating Heaven and Earth. Now it is time to sit back and take a breath. It is time to rest.
Something I hadn’t really noticed before is that God was busy creating Heaven while He was also creating our earth. “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the hosts of them” (verse 1). The word “them” is plural so God was busy putting His new house in order as He was creating ours. I wonder what timeline He used for His home. Did He put water, birds, fish, vegetation, and animals in His home? I know He didn’t need the sun, moon and stars as He is light Himself. On the days when fewer things were created for the earth, is that when He put more time into working on Heaven?
Speaking of time, how many “hours” were in His creation days? We are told “that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). So did He create all that there is in one “earth week” or one “God week?” He could have used either timeframe because HE is GOD and is able to do whatever He chooses.
I wonder if He had the angels crafting His Temple, if He handcrafted it, or if He spoke it into being during His creative process. We know that when He gave Moses the plans for the temple they were a copy of what was in Heaven. He gave special skills and understanding to those who actually built what He described. Imagine, never having really seen a “cherubim” and being able to recreate it from an image HE placed in your heart! I wish those things were still available to be viewed today. I would love to see what God showed them.
God also made the angels, including Lucifer during His creation time. It amazes me that God made man, knowing that we would fail Him and cost His Son His life, but He even made the angels and Lucifer KNOWING that they would be the downfall of man!!! He not only gave us free will but created the instrument of temptation to challenge that choice making procedure. WHY?!? Because He wanted to make sure that those who follow Him and love Him do so of their own free will. Not because they were programmed to but because they TRULY love Him.
After EVERYTHING is done, it is time to rest. God didn’t “rest” because He was tired or worn out from all His work. He rested because it was time to let His creation make the next move. But He also wanted to model something for us. He knew what was coming in the days ahead. He knew that once sin entered the world that our bodies would begin to die. It didn’t happen instantly but the process started.
Part of the results of our sin was the necessity to work. No longer would the crops grow without keeping the weeds out. No more free ride to plenty. By the sweat of the brow would everything be gained. He knew that we would need to regain the energy expended during our work. God put that into His original design. He modeled a regular season of rest and mandated it be followed.
I think it is interesting that God didn’t say, “When you get everything done, go ahead and knock off for a while.” Instead He said to rest on the seventh day. In case you didn’t notice, there is ALWAYS something more that needs done. He knew that if He didn’t institute it and model it we wouldn’t know how important it was. It is interesting that even those who don’t claim to know Him still recognize the need for rest. In today’s world though, even rest is suffering the result of wanting more and More and MORE.
Have you ever noticed though that when you give Him time your time seems to go further? He blesses what we commit to Him. Try it and see the difference setting aside a little time for rest and reflection on Him can make.
Thank You Father for Your model of rest. I know I would skip it if You didn’t show me how important it is. In this time in my life I do too much of it. I need a better balance but that balance would require a better balance for my husband. THANK YOU for helping him make progress towards that goal. Help me not push him too fast or become over committed trying to go the other way.
Thank You for loving me enough to take a chance on me. I still don’t really understand why You even bothered with us, but I’m glad You did. I hope in some way I make You feel You made a good choice.
