The Most Beautiful Song (A Nighttime Meditation)

“And He rested on the seventh day.” (Gen. 2:2) After six days of work, the Creator rested. Most of us, I would imagine, think of this language as indicating that God worked for six full days, and then rested on the seventh, as if He needed a break. Are there actual days in heaven? Is there a sun that orbits around heaven every 24 hours? No, there isn’t, so “days” are something that God created for us. A day; a measurement of time— something unheard of in a place such as heaven where time cannot exist—is but a unit of work for God, not a length or progression as we see it. If I were to make six items, you might say that I did six units of work. Likewise, God did six days of work, and He rested on the seventh. The seventh day He just let speak for itself. We know that a day must be but a second to God (II Peter 3:8).

In music sometimes there are rests. At that point in the song, the music stops for a moment—not because the musicians where tired and needed a break, but because that rest was a part of the beautiful melody. It was a time to reflect and allow the music to sink in and be absorbed by the listener. This universe is a melody to God, and He is delighted in it. Even the word “universe” gives relevance to music. The first part of the word, uni, means one, and the second part is verse: one verse.

God rested on the seventh day, not the eighth, ninth, and tenth. God rested for a moment but the music continued on. Today was a note in God’s one-verse song. Today was part of a beautiful melody that has been playing since Creation. Even though there was sin and wickedness in the world today, it did not keep God’s creation from being beautiful. God’s righteousness and glory are the melody, and it drowns out all the other noise. And though sin is contrary to God, it is in the same key of God’s sovereignty—the key of God’s perfection that rules all His creation. So even though evil is different from the tune which God is playing, it actually harmonizes quite well. Which brings me to my conclusion: When a song ends, the background sounds die off, so that all that’s left is the melody. When the Great Composer ends this song, He will silence evil, so that all that will remain is His beautiful, pure righteousness.