December 8, 2024

Hebrews 4.10 (NIV)

Anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

Creativity is work.*

Because scholars can’t agree on who wrote the book of Hebrews, nor even the intended audience, it often leaves us with unanswered questions. This verse is no exception! In our approach to this passage, we will not reach a definitive conclusion as to what in the world the author was talking about but let us explore some possibilities as we learn something about the nature of God.

The writer states that God rested from his work. The only vacation day I find on God’s record is the one he took after six days of creation. There is nothing in the Genesis story to indicate that God rested because he was tired; he rested because the job was done. Think of God’s rest on the seventh day in terms of “no longer working,” as opposed to taking a nap. He rested from his creative activity, not from his job of being God.

In light of God’s rest being merely the cessation of a particular job, perhaps we can say that we have entered into his rest as well. The work of salvation is done; God completed his job as Creator and now, through Jesus Christ, he has completed his job as Savior. We cease from “self-justifying works,”* and by faith we rest in Christ.* We can rest assured that the job is done!

While false systems emphasize the do, Jesus emphatically proclaims, “Done!”*