Rest and Work

Adapted from: Rest and Work by Sam Holm

In a world where we're constantly connected and always working, the concept of true rest feels almost foreign. Yet from the very beginning of creation, God established a perfect rhythm of rest and work that challenges our modern understanding of productivity and purpose.

What Does the Number Seven Mean in the Bible?
The number seven appears throughout Scripture as a symbol of completeness and perfection. In biblical Hebrew, seven is deeply connected to the idea of fullness - something we all long for but rarely experience. Instead of finding this completeness, we often find ourselves working endlessly, fighting chaos with no real rest in sight.

The Seventh Day Was Different
Genesis reveals that after six days of creating, God did something remarkable on the seventh day - He rested. But this wasn't because He was tired. The text tells us "the heavens and the earth were finished" - creation was complete and perfect.

Unlike the first six days, which each ended with "there was evening and there was morning," the seventh day has no such ending. It's described as a day without end, where God's presence fills His creation completely.

Rest as God's First Gift to Humanity
Here's something profound to consider: the very first full day that Adam and Eve were alive was a day of rest. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy - the first thing in all of Scripture to be called holy. Remarkably, it wasn't a place that was made holy, but a time.

This stands in stark contrast to other ancient creation stories, where humans were created to be slaves to the gods. The Israelites, who had just escaped slavery in Egypt where they never got a day off, heard their origin story and learned that rest was God's first gift to humanity.

We Don't Work FOR Rest - We Work FROM Rest
This is the key principle that changes everything: we don't work in order to earn rest or to perfect things. Instead, we work because God has already perfected everything and completed the ultimate work.

For Christians, this truth becomes even more powerful when we consider Jesus' words from the cross: "It is finished." Just as God completed creation perfectly, Jesus completed the work of salvation perfectly. We don't work to earn God's favor - we work in response to what He has already accomplished.

Work as Worship Flowing from Rest
When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, the Hebrew word for "work" is the same word used for worship and service throughout the Old Testament. This isn't coincidental - our work is meant to be an act of worship, a response to what God has already done.

The text says God placed man in the garden "to work it and keep it." These same two words are used to describe how the Levites served in the tabernacle. Our daily work, whatever it may be, is an opportunity to serve and worship God.

What About the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
God gave Adam and Eve freedom to eat from every tree in the garden except one - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This wasn't about withholding information from them. Rather, it was about authority versus independence.

The issue wasn't intelligence but arrogance - the desire to live independently from God's direction on what is good and evil. God was saying, "Don't try to live life doing what you want. Live because I have completed it perfectly for you."

Every Christian is Called to Ministry
Whether you're a pastor, teacher, student, homemaker, or work in any other field, God has placed you there to do ministry. Your workplace, school, or home is the garden God has given you to work and keep.

As Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." We are saved by grace through faith, not by works - but we are saved FOR good works that God has already prepared for us.

Sabbath as a Gift, Not a Burden
Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Rest isn't meant to be a legalistic requirement but a gift that points us back to the finished work of Christ. It's not just a day off - it's a day to stop trying to achieve something God has already achieved for us.

Jesus' Invitation to Rest
Jesus extends this same invitation to us today: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

This isn't about earning rest through our labor - it's about receiving rest as a gift and then allowing our work to flow from that place of rest as an act of worship.

Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to flip the script on how you view work and rest. Instead of working frantically to earn a break or to prove your worth, start each day remembering that God's work is already complete. Your value isn't determined by your productivity but by God's finished work on your behalf.

Consider these questions as you apply this truth:

• Am I working from a place of rest in God's completed work, or am I working to try to earn something from God?
• How can I view my daily work - whether at home, school, or in my career - as an act of worship?
• What would change in my approach to work if I truly believed that God has already prepared good works for me to walk in?
• How can I practically incorporate rest into my life as a gift from God rather than something I have to earn?

Remember, we don't work for rest - we work from rest. Let this truth transform how you approach both your work and your rest this week.