God's True Rest—part 2

The writer of Hebrews connects this rest with God’s rest at creation when “the works were finished from the foundation of the world … And God did rest the seventh day from all His works” (4:3,4). The connection between the rest into which God invites the believer and His own rest at creation, though close, may not be immediately apparent; a little reflection, however, will make it clear.

When God had finished His six days’ work at creation, that which had been planned from eternity at last found visible expression. The earth stood forth in its pristine beauty, the angels rejoiced, the sons of God shouted for joy, and the morning stars sang together. With what amazement and wonder the angels watched the unfolding of the wisdom and the power of God, as “He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” They saw light infiltrate the darkness, and beauty begin to take form. When as the climax, God took lifeless clay and out of it formed a man; when out of man He took a rib and builded it into a woman; when the man and the woman met, one the perfect compliment of the other; when the angels understood that what had been created for the sake of the beings just formed; when they began to fathom—though as yet only vaguely—that all this had a bearing on sin, which so mysteriously had appeared in the universe and which threatened to disrupt the previous harmony of heaven; when they realized that God in His goodness had permitted them to witness the supreme divine prerogative of the Godhead, the creation of life, and they themselves would be called upon to have a part in the unfolding drama of the eradication of sin from the universe, their joy knew no bounds. Christ, by whom God had made the worlds, had been exalted before their eyes (Hebrews 1:2). They had seen Him create; they had seen Him breathe life into a lifeless form and create a man in His own image, a candidate for immortality, capable of reaching even greater heights than those of which they themselves were capable. Wonderful was their God, and equally wonderful was the One whom they had just seen reveal the power of the Godhead.

The day following the creation of man was the greatest of all days. God understood, of course, what the angels but dimly comprehended, and man not at all—the meaning and the cost of creation. He saw the future. He knew of sin and the dark days coming; but He also knew that the supreme step had been taken that would eventuate in the complete vindication of God and the final cleansing of the universe from sin. He looked forward to the time when one pulse of harmony should beat throughout creation, one song of harmony rise from every tongue, when the family in heaven and earth should unitedly raise their voices in praise to Him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb.

Read Part 3