Journeying in Genesis: Does God Rest Because He Gets Tired?

“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.”

Genesis 2:3

One of the first things we wonder when we read this is – does God get tired? Psalm 121 tells us that He does not slumber or sleep. Isaiah 40:28 says,

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

his understanding is unsearchable.”

So why did He rest? He doesn’t get tired or need a refueling. When Jesus, God in the flesh, was on the earth He did sleep and get tired because He graciously chose to live in a human body. But on this seventh day of creation, God did not need a nap or a break.

With final touches in place, God finished or ceased the work. He could now enjoy the tranquility of a job well done to say the least. The word rested is the Hebrew שָׁבַת shâbath. It means to repose, cease, celebrate, etc. You can see where the word Sabbath comes from. Sabbath can mean intermission. This seventh day grand finale included rest or intermission, because it was also a grand beginning. The heavens and the earth and everything in it were finished, but there was a whole lot more left to unfold in this story of the ages.

God rested from all his work that he had done in creation, because there was nothing more to do concerning what was made. Therefore He blessed the day and made it holy. How intriguing! We will look at this interesting and important truth moving forward.