Scripture：Genesis 2:1-3
(Prayer→Reading→Meditation+Contemplation)
My meditation:
The first reference to God's ordination and
sanctification of the Sabbath (Hebrew shâbath
or shabbat) in today’s verses is a
very special event. It is not difficult for us to see that God is both working
and resting in his Creation. We have seen before that God is well-planned and
orderly in His Creation. His order includes
the law of working and resting. This law is important to us and the rest of
the world. It is very important to know how to work and rest for it not only
affects the human body but also the human mind and spirit.
Through faith, we see not only God’s creation, but
also His appreciation of His creation in a relaxed and restful manner. Indeed, shabbat means to stop, cease and repose.
As we are like God, we should follow His law of work and rest. Even after the
Fall of Adam and Eve, God’s sabbatical law is still valid and it should be
respected by all of us. Why? God not only stopped on the seventh day but also consecrated
this day as a holy day (Genesis 2: 3). God blessed the seventh day and “sanctify”
(Hebrew qadash) it. Sanctify is
mentioned the first time here in the Bible.
Coming
back to Sabbath, does God need to rest? We know that God is supreme and almighty. The Bible [Psalm
121: 4] even says that He does not slumber or sleep. We therefore cannot say
that God needs to rest! Why did He set up the Sabbath then? A reasonable
speculation is that it is set for mankind and the other creatures. The Bible
[Heb 4: 9] also says, “There remaineth therefore a rest (Sabbath) to the people
of God.(KJV)” It is obvious that the Sabbath
in question is not the present-day Saturday (or Sunday) but the ultimate and
eternal promise of rest! No wonder that it says in Judaism that "more than Israel has kept Shabbat,
Shabbat has kept Israel."..........
Question:
Is
resting important to you? Do you have room for the Sabbath in your life?
Howard
