GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 2

GRIFFIN COMMENTS—GEN 2 (Gen 2:1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. God now came to the end of any work He would do on this particular project. He may have had another project in eternity past, and He may do so in eternity future, after all, eternity does not end and it seems something ought to be going throughout all that spaceof time. The term finished here leaves the idea of Biblical perfection which usually means mature, complete in its purpose, adjusted, equipped, etc. The dictionary definition for perfection is misleading as far as I am concerned and I feel it would have been better for translators to avoid it in most places becausethe words do not imply perfection as found in the dictionary. There are around a dozen words in the Old Testament translated perfect, and about the same amount or Greek words in the New Testament. But here God finished the work, not making it a perfect work like in the dictionary, but a mature and complete and equipped work that can continue to change into greater development. Finished does not mean that there will be no more work on it or from it, but that it has now reached its full potential for the purpose God made it. (Gen 2:2) And 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. Somehave said that becausethis scripture says, “On the seventh day God ended His work,” that He worked on that day. But here again we have a problem with language. This is simply saying that on the seventh day God was ready for rest becauseHe had finished His work. But the finishing was done on the sixth day, not the seventh. We understand that God resting from His work did not mean He was tired, but that He was finished. (Gen 2:3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. God blessed this day and set it aside for a day of rest for all the world and for all time. He did not establish the seventh day Sabbath on this day for GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 2—PAGE 1