Knowing The Word in Genesis 2:1-3, The Seventh Day, God Rests

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host [the stars and angels?] of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work [of creating] that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. [The terms “heavens and earth,” “God,” and “create” reappear in the reverse order to that of 1:1, showing the author's intentional literary form.] 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. [It is unusual that something inanimate, such as time, is blessed by God who blesses real people and concrete things. It probably implies that those who honor the rest of the seventh day will be blessed. “The seventh day” is repeated three times, each in a phrase of seven Hebrew words, drawing special attention to the Sabbath, which is the pinnacle of creation. On another note, it is only those created in the image of God who can enjoy the Sabbath—plants and animals and the natural order cannot. Therefore, being created in the image of God means one is also created to enjoy the Sabbath. Of course the ultimate Sabbath is found in Revelation 21-22.]

[According to Gordon Wenham, the number 7 shows up in interesting ways in Genesis 1:1-2:3. 1:1 consists of 7 words, 1:2 of 14 (7 x 2) words, and 2:1-3 of 35 (7 x 5) words. In this section God is mentioned 35 times, earth 21 times, heaven 21 times, and the phrases “and it was so” and “God saw that it was good” 7 times each. Not only is the seventh day of the week holy, but so too are the seventh month of the year and the seventh year (Lev 23:23-43 and 25:8-22). Genesis is a carefully composed work, not a casually written account of creation. While we may view God’s work on the first six days as of most importance, with day six, the creation of humanity, as the most important, the repeated symbolism of 7s directs our attention to the seventh day, God’s day of rest. The creation of humans is not the goal of creation. Its goal is the divine rest on the seventh day. The ideal of rest and harmony is seen in the implied vegetarianism of man and animal indicated by God assigning them the plants to eat. Man is created in the divine image, which means he is supposed to imitate God’s activity in certain respects, in this context most obviously by working for six days and resting on the seventh. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, is a return to that place of rest with God and man restored together. Genesis 1 is really a triumphant invocation of the God who has created all men and an invitation to all humanity to adore him who has made us in his own image. It is a splendid introduction to the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose so that through them the nations of the earth should be blessed. This chapter has disclosed man’s true nature. He is the apex of the created order. The whole narrative moves toward the creation of man. Everything that is created is made for man’s benefit. While man shares with the plants and animals the ability to reproduce, he alone is made in the divine image and given dominion to subdue the earth. The divine image enables man to be addressed directly by God and makes him God’s representative on earth to rule over creation benevolently. And finally, if the other parts of creation were designed for man’s benefit, so too was the Sabbath.]