Perfect and Complete Rest – Bible Study 2 – Gen. 2:1-2

Icebreaker – What is your ultimate restful activity?

Genesis 2:1-2
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

This Hebrew word for rest is essentially the same as the word seven, and the word complete. So basically, God was saying, it is the seventh day and I have completed my task, there is nothing more to do.

I find this interesting because God has done this twice. He did it the first time, creating everything for man that they needed to be sublimely happy. But, because of their ingratitude they delivered their authority (Gen. 1:28) over to the devil (Gen. 3).

God did this a second time by having Jesus come here on earth.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:(II Pe. 1:3)

He pronounced, tetelestai It is finished. He provided relationship with the Father through His death on the cross. The Sabbath which came from the law was a type and shadow of the rest that comes from right relationship with Him.

What keeps us from the rest of God?

The Jews even made resting a set of regulations and rules. It became “work” to rest. But our rest is in Christ. God always meant for our rest to be complete in Him, because of the work He’s completed in and for us.

¹⁰And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col. 2:10

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; Phil. 1:6 NKJV

Remember, the idea of rest is equal with the idea of completion.

Adam and Eve were unable to enter into perfect rest because of their unbelief and disobedience.

What does Hebrews say kept the children of Israel from the rest of God? Unbelief

Hebrews 4:2 (Amp)

²For indeed we have had the glad tidings [Gospel of God] proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith (with ^[c]the leaning of the entire personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) by those who heard it; ^[d]neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe).

Can we enter into perfect rest today?

Hebrews 4:1 (Amp)

¹THEREFORE, WHILE the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered [today], let us be afraid [^[a]to distrust it], lest any of you should ^[b]think he has come too late and has come short of [reaching] it.

They were unwilling to mix the message of deliverance with faith.

What is our message of deliverance?

How do you see people not mixing the Good News with faith?

Even though, through Jesus our rest is complete we still have to receive this rest by faith.

Hebrews 4:4-11

⁴For in a certain place He has said this about the seventh day: And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.

    ⁵And [they forfeited their part in it, for] in this [passage] He said, They shall not enter My rest.

    ⁶Seeing then that the promise remains over [from past times] for some to enter that rest, and that those who formerly were given the good news about it and the opportunity, failed to appropriate it and did not enter because of disobedience,

    ⁷Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.

    ⁸[This mention of a rest was not a reference to their entering into Canaan.] For if Joshua had given them rest, He [God] would not speak afterward about another day.

    ⁹So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath-rest reserved for the [true] people of God;

    ¹⁰For he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors ^[a]peculiarly His own.

    ¹¹Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

How do we enter this rest? Hebrews 4:7 ⁷Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.
1) Today, hear His voice
2) Don’t harden your heart

God’s rest is to cease from the weariness and pain of human labors in order to be right with God.

Have you tried to labor in order to be right with God?