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Sunday 19 September 2021

Genesis 2:1-3 - He rested on the seventh day

2:1

Creation was complete. This includes the “heavens and the earth” and “all the host of them”, i.e. it includes everything. Now this does not mean everything came to a halt, for God had work for man to do, as subsequent verses will reveal. The emphasis is on completion and perfection. 


2:2

God now rested from His work. This does not mean He has been idle ever since! The watchmaker picture of the universe, i.e. that God created everything then left it to its own devices, is a totally inaccurate picture. So far all that had been done had been done without man. Man had been created, but hadn’t done anything at this stage. But man was created with a purpose. The word for rest is sabat, which is where Sabbath comes from. 


2:3

However, the rest was not just for God alone, but for all mankind. Jesus said that God made the sabbath for man (Mark 2:27). Here we read that God blessed the Sabbath, indicating that it exists for all mankind. Rest is part of God’s gift to us. Have you noticed that tyrants will allow people no rest? When we are full of anxiety or worry we can find no rest? Lack of rest is a sure sign that something is far wrong.

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