To rest or not to rest? – that is the question.

Genesis 2:2-3 records that on the seventh day, God rested. While we have heard several sermons about God resting on the seventh day, from which an extrapolation of the need and importance to rest, is exposited, it is important to note that the verses read that God “ended” his work and he rested. He “blessed” the seventh day and “sanctified” it (declared it holy), because it was the day when he rested.

The first thing to note is that we must complete the work that we have been tasked with i.e., just as God ended the work of making new things before he rested, we must end our work as well. The good news is that God who began the good work in us will bring it to  completion (Philippians 1:6) as we are ambassadors of his, making things new by presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ, for whoever is in Christ is a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). Also when we rest, we must bless the Lord for having given us rest. Jesus said, the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath (Mark 2:27) i.e., in other words, rest, that is important, is necessary so that man can take his mind and body off the things of this world, a chasing after the wind, and focus on God and the things above, blessing God and keeping the sabbath (rest) holy, just as God did. Well, the fourth commandment in the ten commandments is to “Remember the sabbath (rest) day, to keep it holy. ” (Exodus 20:8)

Points to ponder:
To rest or not to rest? –  that is the question. We must rest only when we end our work (and God will help being our work for him to completion) and when we rest we must bless God and keep our rest holy.

Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
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.

Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Mark 2:27 (KJV)
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Exodus 20:8 (KJV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.