God Works and Then Rests VS Man Rests and Then Works
Genesis 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished his work; on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Genesis 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and set it apart as holy, because on it he rested from all his work of creation and construction.
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day; set it apart as holy.
Exodus 20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
Exodus 20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, neither you nor your sons nor your daughters, neither your servants nor your female servants, neither your livestock nor the sojourners in your towns.
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and on the seventh day he rested; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
|
Item |
God Works and Then Rests |
Man Rests and Then Works |
|
Meaning |
God initiates all work, completes it fully, and then enters rest |
Man first enters God’s rest, enjoys Him, and then works from that rest |
|
Reason |
God is the source, origin, and finisher of all things |
Man is a created vessel designed to receive and cooperate |
|
Metaphor |
A builder finishes the house and then rests |
Children move into a completed home and help from enjoyment |
|
Way |
Work → Completion → Rest |
Rest → Enjoyment → Work |
|
Function |
Manifests God’s sovereignty, power, and perfection |
Enables man to work with God, not by himself |
|
Explanation |
God worked six days and rested on the seventh because everything was finished |
Man’s first day was God’s Sabbath—he began with rest |
|
Result |
God is satisfied and at rest |
Man is supplied, empowered, and aligned with God |
|
Mutual Relationship |
God’s rest becomes man’s foundation for work |
Man’s work becomes the expression of God’s rest |
|
OT Example |
God rested after creation |
Adam enjoyed Eden before tending it |
|
NT Example |
Christ finished redemption and sat down |
The apostles were filled before serving |
|
Application |
God does not need human effort to complete His work |
Man must not serve God by self-effort |
|
Burden |
God desires to be honored as the unique source |
God desires man to acknowledge his dependence |
|
Prophesying Guidance |
Declare: God has finished; I enter His rest |
Declare: I enjoy the Lord before I serve |
|
Conclusion |
God’s work always comes first |
Man’s rest must always come first |
|
Relatd Scriptures |
Gen. 2:2–3; Heb. 4:9–10; John 19:30 |
Gen. 2:15; Acts 2:1–4; 1 Cor. 3:9; Heb. 4:10 |
Spiritual Reminders:
l True ministry flows from God’s rest and enjoyment
l Serving without rest leads to self-effort and frustration
l Yielding to God enables empowerment and fruitful service
l Reflect daily on God’s work, not your own labor
*Please refer to the 2025 Thanksgiving International Symposium on the All-Inclusive Christ as Revealed in the Gospel of Matthew, Part Five: Christ as the Giver of Rest
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