How Did God Rest: Scriptural Interpretations of a Day of Rest

One of the most widely quoted and referred to passages in the Bible refers to the day of rest. This is the day that is considered by many faiths to be the sabbath day. It is a day that God took to rest after creating the world and all that is in the world. It is also the day many seek out the church for prayer, hold private meditation, or participate in some form of faith practice. One question many may ask though is what did God do to rest. Here are some interpretations of what that could mean and what might mean for you.

An Unmoving Day

Many interpret this passage to mean an unmoving day. This would mean that God did literally nothing on his day of rest. He did not create. He did not give names or life to anything. He simply rested. He stopped moving for the day. He allowed himself the time to rejuvenate and to reflect on the things he had accomplished over the course of creation. This translates as God's people doing the same. Reflecting on what they have accomplished, as well as looking into the next week. No work should be done, and allowing the body to rejuvenate is the goal.

Total Reflection

Another interpretation of how God rested deals with total reflection. Most people would look at this as reflecting on the week and seeing where changes can be made. These changes can range from being a better person, spouse, parent, co-worker, or any other part of this total reflection. For God, this may have been something similar to reflecting on what he wanted to happen and the world he had created. It may also refer to his plans for us, the children he created and loves. We can take this interpretation and apply it to our daily lives and day of rest by reflecting on the things we can change or avoid in the coming weeks in order to make ourselves better followers of God.

No Creating

One of the key things we know that God did when he rested was avoiding creating anything. No new lives, plants, oceans, or stars were created on the day of rest. For this reason, many Jews and Christians interpret that to mean that we are also not to create on the day of rest. Creating can be anything from starting a fire to creating electricity with the flick of a light switch. To rest, with this interpretation, means to avoid new creations and rest and reflect on things already created. 

These are just a few of the interpretations of what it meant for God to rest and how He may have done it. Overall, the general view is that we should all take a day of rest as God did. That taking a moment to stop, put God and faith first, and to enjoy the world around us is what should happen during our own day of rest.

For more information on how did God "rest" on the seventh day, contact a local church near you.

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