³ … although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.”

Summary of God’s creation story, the first two chapters of the Bible, is foundational to understanding the Christian legacy. In short, in just the same way that God rested from His work, we as believers also rest from our work. Now this uses the term “work” in a fairly broad sense of labor in general. In God’s work, His creativity resulted in something beautiful and wonderful. But in our work, there was stress and failure. But both involved work. And if God’s rest from His work (which was good) was of great value, then how much better is our rest from our work (which was no-so-good).

Now there are some similarities in this work. The writer to the Hebrews was referring to the work of trying to gain righteousness through the Law. The Law is good because it reflects God’s righteousness and holiness. But, we being unrighteous and unholy, are completely defeated by the Law’s standards. That is the message of the Bible from the third chapter (Genesis 3) to the end – humanity’s failure and the Creator’s plan of restoration, to bring us all into line with the God revealed in Genesis 1-2, the One who created (worked) and who rested (enjoyed His creation). Indeed, after the sixth day of creation (which was completed after He made Adam and Eve), the next thing we see God doing was coming down to fellowship with His image-bearers (Gen 3:8).

Let’s regress for a moment in our thoughts. The idea that God rested does not mean that somehow in the creation He exhausted Himself. Here the term simply means He ceased from His creative activity. He effortlessly had spoken all things into existence.

As believers in the Living God, we should emulate Him in our lives in all things. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Eph 5:1). Paul puts it this way, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Peter echoes this, “It is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’ ” (1 Pet 1:16). Therefore, why do we often act contrary to God’s example, who rested after His work? We worry about God’s love for us, whether we are fully accepted in Him, whether He is still holding our sin against us. We are saved, redeemed and restored to that place of fellowship which was lost in the garden. He has brought us into the sonship relationship with Himself. Enjoy your rest, Christian!