Genesis, chapter two, says that God rested on the seventh day. Hebrews, chapter four, says that God is still resting.

Why?

Why is God resting when the world is so much in need of his help?

Is there more we should know about:

God’s Rest Day

NOT only do the Scriptures tell us that God ended his creative work on the sixth day, or epoch, but that he rested on the seventh day. We cannot conceive of God becoming weary and needing rest. In fact, the scripture declares that he does not: “Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?” (Isa. 40:28) God’s ‘rest’ on the seventh creative day must therefore have some other significance than that of recuperating from weariness.

Hebrews 4:10 reads, “He that is entered into his [God’s] rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” The obvious point of this text is that a Christian ceases from all endeavors to attain life through his own efforts and accepts instead the provision of life which has been made for him through Christ. And this is God’s provision; for he gave his Son to be man’s Redeemer with the promise that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16

In Isaiah 45:18 we read that God created the earth not in vain but formed it to be inhabited. Plainly it was not the Creator’s purpose that the earth be inhabited by a dying race, but by a living one. Death came upon the race through disobedience to divine law, but this did not thwart the divine purpose in the creation of man. God ceased his own active participation in the creative plan and commissioned his beloved Son to carry it through to completion.

Thus, just as we depend upon Jesus for life, so Jehovah depends upon him to provide life, that is, to carry forward to a glorious morning of perfection the Creator’s plan to have this planet filled with human beings in his image, worthy of living forever.

When Jesus was on earth his enemies condemned and persecuted him because he healed the sick on the Sabbath Day. He pointed out to them that works of mercy on the Sabbath Day were allowed under the Law given to the Israelites by God. Concerning this type of work Jesus said, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” (John 5:17) While the task of restoring the human race was assigned to Jesus by the Creator, nevertheless he is still interested in, and responsible for, the undertaking. Regarding this, Jesus said, “The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10) This, however, is not out of harmony with the declaration that God rested on the seventh day. His work on behalf of man, which is being accomplished through Jesus, is a work of mercy. His whole plan for the recovery of the human race reflects his love and mercy. It is, therefore, a work of mercy.

Obedience Developed

We have noted the upward, progressional sequence of the creative work, during the six days, or epochs, and it is but natural to expect that the work of the seventh should be more marvelous than that of its predecessors. The work of the first six days related largely to the creation of material things and earthly beings, while that of the seventh is characterized chiefly by the fact that it represents a development of mind and conscience through a process of education of human beings already created.

Back of every material thing, and responsible for it, is thought. Our automobile represents the thoughts of its designer, and responsible for the universe are the thoughts of God. The mechanical obedience of the stars to divine law is the result of God’s thoughts which designed the magnetic currents that enforce his law.

In the mind of the Creator was the thought to have this earth filled with a race of beings who would obey his law by intelligent choice to do so. These human beings were to be created in his image. They were to have the ability to think matters out for themselves and to reach definite, satisfactory conclusions.

But how could the Creator be sure that beings endowed with these powers would reach decisions in keeping with his will unless he arbitrarily controlled their thinking? He knew that this could be accomplished by giving them knowledge—not merely informing them of good and evil, but allowing them to learn by experience that his laws are right and just and good.

God foreknew that for a whole race to be thus educated would require the entire period of the seventh creative day, or epoch. Hence, after creating the first perfect pair, and giving them his law, he rested, while his beloved Son, his appointed representative, was empowered to carry out the divine plan of education through the trial, redemption, and restoration of the fallen race.

The Seventh Day Plan

Concerning the six creative days, the Scriptures inform us that it was the Spirit or power of God which operated to accomplish the divine intention concerning them. The same is true of the seventh day. The difference is that during the other six days it was largely the mechanical power of God, while during the seventh day the principal objective is attained by the power or influence of God’s thoughts which reflect his will. During the seventh creative day the thoughts of God are executed through his Son, Christ Jesus.

The sum total of God’s thoughts pertaining to the creation of the human race may properly be called the divine plan. Because that plan involves redemption and also recovery from death, it is a plan of salvation. Thus, after assuring us that the earth was not created in vain but to be inhabited, God declares, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” (Isa. 45:22) God then outlines the conditions upon which salvation from death can be obtained, saying: “I have sworn by myself, the Word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”—vs. 23

Here we have emphasized the thought of obedience to God and that the earth is to be inhabited by those who have learned to bow the knee in absolute fidelity to him. It is also made plain that this eventuates by way of salvation—being saved or recovered, from death. While God declares that it is his Word which will accomplish his intention, the Apostle Paul, quoting from this passage, shows that it will be through Christ.—Phil. 2:10,11

Only a few verses in the first chapter of Genesis are devoted to the work of the first six days of creation, but the entire Bible, beginning with the second chapter, is devoted to the work of the seventh creative day. In it is outlined the whole plan, and as a background of its every phase, is the expression of divine law. Certain members of the fallen race are invited to cooperate in the plan, but only upon the condition of absolute surrender of their wills to do the will of God.

God declares that this Word has gone forth in righteousness. That is true. Every requirement of his is righteous and designed to instill in those who obey, not only the principle of obedience, but also the glorious qualities of character possessed by the Infinite One whom they obey. This leads the obedient ones to the viewpoint of love in contrast with selfishness. They learn that the secret of true happiness is that of obedience to divine law and that true obedience leads to selflessness, in that the glory of God and the well-being of others come before their own interests.

The Bible Harmonious

The scriptural outline of God’s plan for the seventh creative day is consistent and harmonious from first to last. In the opening chapters we are told of the original creation of man, his disobedience to divine law, and the consequent loss of his life. In the closing chapters we are told of man’s recovery upon the basis of obedience to God’s law, as symbolized by the open books of Revelation 20:12. Following a reassuring promise that there shall then be no more death, we read, “He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make [create] all things new.”—Rev. 21:4,5

Yes, that will be the completion of the work of the seventh creative day. From one standpoint it will be a recreation. It is described by Jesus as “regeneration” (Matt. 19:28), and by Peter as “restitution.” (Acts 3:19-21) But it will, nevertheless, be the completion of the original plans of creation as indicated by the statement that the Lord will “make” all things new.

As the material earth was, and continues to be, brought to a state suitable for the habitation of man by a series of upheavals, deluges, tidal waves, etc., so God’s design for the human race created in his image to enjoy life everlasting, is accomplished by a long series of experiences, including the permission of evil, suffering and death.

These upheavals of human experience, like tidal waves of sorrow, have been necessary in order that the minds of the people might be trained to think properly and thus decide intelligently that the only key to genuine and everlasting joy is obedience to divine law. For six thousand years the Spirit of God has been brooding over the hearts and minds of men by means of the experiences divine wisdom has seen fit to permit. Thus they have been prepared, when under the righteous administration of Christ’s kingdom, which will operate in the earth during the final thousand years of the seventh creative day, to make that final choice of obedience which will result in everlasting life.

With few exceptions, the people have not as yet realized the meaning of the experiences through which they have passed, and will not understand until enlightened during the morning hours of this final creative epoch.

As with the other creative days, the seventh also began with an “evening,” dark and obscure, so dark that the prophet refers to it as “night,” saying that while “weeping may endure for a night, … joy cometh in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5) Yes, thank God, there is to be a morning, the completion of the seventh creative day, which will find man fully enlightened concerning the meaning of the long night of weeping through which he has passed.

Just as the buckling and twisting of the earth’s crust during the third creative day would seem to have no meaning until it was discerned that land and oceans were thereby separated, so the long night of weeping through which the human race has passed will be understood only in the light of the morning sunshine, when the divine purpose for the seventh creative day is clearly understood.

Meanwhile, and partly in order that the world may later have an additional example of loving obedience to divine law and its glorious results, Jesus makes the supreme sacrifice of his life to open the way for restoration, or re-creation.

As a further part of the seventh-day plan, the church of Christ joins him in his sacrifice. True Christians suffer and die with Jesus, inspired with the hope of living and cooperating with him in giving life to the remainder of mankind.—Rom. 6:3-5

Death came through Adam, and life comes through Christ, upon the basis of his sacrificial death. Modern critics have scorned the idea of a substitutional sacrifice as being necessary to salvation, but only the lack of careful thought could cause anyone to take this viewpoint, The human mind, which, even in its fallen condition, contains some remnant of the original godlikeness, considers that the greatest example of true nobility of character and of genuine love is willingness to lay down one’s life for another.

We glorify those who give their lives for their country. We sing the praises of one who is willing to dive into the ocean to save a friend at the risk of his own life. We honor those who unselfishly use their time and strength for the betterment of the human race in the fields of science and medicine. Why, then, should we shy away from the greatest exhibition of love of all time and call it bloody and revolting?

Yes, to give one’s life for another exhibits the godlike quality of love. In the divine plan the Creator gave his Son the opportunity of dying sacrificially, not to save one person alone, but in saving the one to save the whole race. Jesus accepted that opportunity, voluntarily taking upon himself the penalty of death which fell upon Adam. In the scales of divine justice, love thus balances the account, making it possible for all who have died because of Adamic sin to be restored to life through Christ.

And so, in the “morning” of the seventh creative day, when the darksome shades of the previous “evening” time shall be dispelled, the world will learn that God, their Creator, loves them, and that he gave his Son to die for them. They will learn also that the Son willingly sacrificed his life because he, too, loved them.

Of that time the prophet declares that the knowledge of the glory of God shall fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14) When Adam was created, he knew something of the glory of God, but he did not possess the depth of knowledge that all mankind will obtain during the morning of the seventh creative day. That ocean-deep knowledge of God’s glory will enable all individuals of the human race to decide more wisely than did Adam. Then, awakened from the sleep of death, Adam himself will be better equipped to face the issue of obedience or disobedience.

Peter declares (Acts 3:23) that it will then come to pass that those who will not hear, or obey, will be destroyed from among the people. And the reverse is true. Those who do obey will not be destroyed, but will continue to live forever. Jesus establishes this fact even more convincingly, declaring that those who then obey divine law shall obtain everlasting life, and also that they shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world.—Matthew 25:34,46

Then the divine purpose concerning man will be fully accomplished. Not one man alone, but the whole race created in Adam will be in the image of God and will be kings of the earth. The earth will have been subdued as God directed, and will be a veritable garden like the sample prepared for man in Eden. If there should be a minority who, in the light of full knowledge, choose to disobey God’s law, they will be destroyed; for the earth will be inhabited only by the obedient. These will be free from sickness and death. All tears will have been wiped away, and unbounded joy will spring forth everywhere! Then it can be recorded in the eternal record book of God’s creative works that “the evening and the morning were the seventh day.”

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