God rested?
- Thread starter OneGodBeliever1
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God "rested" in that He had completed all of His creative work. There was nothing else to do in that sense.
God never grows tired or weary; the Scriptures tell us that also.
Even though we as mere humans DO grow tired and weary, in many cases we "rest" because we have completed or accomplished a certain task. It's not always because said task has made us tired.
God never grows tired or weary; the Scriptures tell us that also.
Even though we as mere humans DO grow tired and weary, in many cases we "rest" because we have completed or accomplished a certain task. It's not always because said task has made us tired.
"It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.
be refreshed A primitive root; to breathe; passively, to be breathed upon, i.e. (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air) -- (be) refresh selves (-ed).
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: naphash
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-fash')
Short Definition: refreshed
be refreshed A primitive root; to breathe; passively, to be breathed upon, i.e. (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air) -- (be) refresh selves (-ed).
naphash: to be refreshed
Original Word: [FONT="]נָפַשׁ[/FONT]Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: naphash
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-fash')
Short Definition: refreshed
That had me curious. I dug a little and found this, strangely enough, on a site that answers the claims of Islam:
The text is essentially saying that God was refreshed in the sense of receiving satisfaction from what he had created since he saw that everything he made was very good:
"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day." Genesis 1:31
Putting it simply, saying that God rested and was refreshed is simply a vividly poetic way of saying that Yahweh received great delight and pleasure after surveying the work of his creation.
The word refreshed is even used in a similar way in the English. One can speak of being refreshed in the sense of restoring one’s physical energies or in the sense of being delighted. For instance, if a person were to say that his heart was refreshed then the obvious meaning would be that the person was glad and joyful, not that he was physically restored.
The text is essentially saying that God was refreshed in the sense of receiving satisfaction from what he had created since he saw that everything he made was very good:
"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day." Genesis 1:31
Putting it simply, saying that God rested and was refreshed is simply a vividly poetic way of saying that Yahweh received great delight and pleasure after surveying the work of his creation.
The word refreshed is even used in a similar way in the English. One can speak of being refreshed in the sense of restoring one’s physical energies or in the sense of being delighted. For instance, if a person were to say that his heart was refreshed then the obvious meaning would be that the person was glad and joyful, not that he was physically restored.
God can do ALL things is a blanket statement that needs to be qualified....
He can do ALL things within the boundaries of his HOLY, Righteous character and or in line with his eternal truth......
For example....
God CANNOT LIE.................just saying....
God is constrained by his HOLY nature and HOLY character.....
He can do ALL things within the boundaries of his HOLY, Righteous character and or in line with his eternal truth......
For example....
God CANNOT LIE.................just saying....
God is constrained by his HOLY nature and HOLY character.....
A
Just in case you aren't satisfied with anyone's answers here, or if you still need clarification, I advise you to ask God directly. He above anyone would know how He rested, doesn't that make sense? 
[James 1:5] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.
And once God Himself gives a man understanding on a matter, nobody can steal that truth away from him.
[James 1:5] If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.
And once God Himself gives a man understanding on a matter, nobody can steal that truth away from him.
God "ceased" - God created perfection & there was nothing wanting...
...It is in this context "rest" is used - it's NOT that God was tired.
..."THE SEVENTH DAY" was intended to be perpetual.
Our 1st Parents were intended to "live in" the 7th day ( In God's rest) eternally...
...This didn't happen & our 1st Parents were expelled from God's Rest.
...It was THEN that man had to contend with weeds, etc.
After sin WORK entered into the equation.
...It is in this context "rest" is used - it's NOT that God was tired.
..."THE SEVENTH DAY" was intended to be perpetual.
Our 1st Parents were intended to "live in" the 7th day ( In God's rest) eternally...
...This didn't happen & our 1st Parents were expelled from God's Rest.
...It was THEN that man had to contend with weeds, etc.
After sin WORK entered into the equation.
The idea behind the questioner's mind, is that the God of the bible is flesh and bones (like humans) because of the claims on 'resting' and 'refreshing'.
First of all, we know that God is immaterial, He is spirit and the question about rest can not be a fleshly rest and/or refreshing.
We know that the word rest also means ceasing/completing/not at work. In the same manner, mass = Energy at rest.
Secondly, we need to ask, how God creates- the method that God uses to create doesn't warrant tiredness, therefore the question about fleshly refreshment doesn't arise at all. It is ok to say that rest means God completed creation work and refreshing means He was pleased.
3rdly, Even by human standards (which is what the scriptures are- for our understanding), the command about keeping the sabath holy doesn't mean that we tire ourselves for 6 days and the refresh our flesh on the 7th day. The 7th day was set apart for worship in the old covenant which was basically a prophesy of what was to come in the new covenant. In the new covenant, all laws are compressed to one which is Love- if you love, you have kept sabath and that's what Exodus 13 promise was all about.
Let me explain just a little. The 1st 4 of the 10 commandments (including keeping the sabath holy) are about obeying and loving God and the rest are about loving your neighbors. Jesus comes and says all commandments are about love- the greatest being loving God and the second being loving your neighbor. He later says, no one can love God who they can not see but hate their neighbor, so loving thy neighbor is actually loving God because man was created in the image of God on the last day. That is how all commandments are about Love.
Paul says in Hebrews 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10. For he that entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. 11. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall the same example of unbelief.
So, clearly, the rest and the refreshing being talked of has nothing to do with fleshly rest.
First of all, we know that God is immaterial, He is spirit and the question about rest can not be a fleshly rest and/or refreshing.
We know that the word rest also means ceasing/completing/not at work. In the same manner, mass = Energy at rest.
Secondly, we need to ask, how God creates- the method that God uses to create doesn't warrant tiredness, therefore the question about fleshly refreshment doesn't arise at all. It is ok to say that rest means God completed creation work and refreshing means He was pleased.
3rdly, Even by human standards (which is what the scriptures are- for our understanding), the command about keeping the sabath holy doesn't mean that we tire ourselves for 6 days and the refresh our flesh on the 7th day. The 7th day was set apart for worship in the old covenant which was basically a prophesy of what was to come in the new covenant. In the new covenant, all laws are compressed to one which is Love- if you love, you have kept sabath and that's what Exodus 13 promise was all about.
Let me explain just a little. The 1st 4 of the 10 commandments (including keeping the sabath holy) are about obeying and loving God and the rest are about loving your neighbors. Jesus comes and says all commandments are about love- the greatest being loving God and the second being loving your neighbor. He later says, no one can love God who they can not see but hate their neighbor, so loving thy neighbor is actually loving God because man was created in the image of God on the last day. That is how all commandments are about Love.
Paul says in Hebrews 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day. 9. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10. For he that entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. 11. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall the same example of unbelief.
So, clearly, the rest and the refreshing being talked of has nothing to do with fleshly rest.
Somebody might ask,If GOD created the world In 6 days and GOD can do anything,why did HE create a day and then rested on that day?
Gen 1:14Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the dayfrom the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;
Time is as a result of observing the sun, without the sun, there's no time.