Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

1. The Heavens and the Earth were Completed
   1. Heavens and the earth= all of creation (merism)
   2. Finished—carries with it a sense of completion; finish a task, finish a race
   3. Work—designated as skilled labor; work performed by a craftsman

1. The Sabbath for Israel (c.f. Leviticus 19:30 and 23:3)
   1. Honoring the Sabbath one of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11)
   2. Observing the Sabbath was a way to recognize God’s control of the cosmos
   3. Leviticus 23-25 equates Sabbath to rest; Every 7^th year took a Sabbath from farming

1. What does it mean that God rested?
   1. God is not limited in his power in that he needed to take a break
   2. God ceased from his work of previous 6 days and settles into the stability of the cosmos he created
   3. Ancient understanding: a deity would rest only in the temple; indication that the cosmos is God’s temple (Isaiah 66:1)
      1. Many of the things in the Jewish temple were symbolic of things in the cosmos
   4. 7^th Day Dedication/Celebration to recognize God’s work in creation

“Genesis 1 can be seen as a creation account focusing on the cosmos as a temple. It is describing the creation of the cosmic temple with all of its functions and with God dwelling in its midst. This is what makes day 7 so significant, because without God taking up his dwelling in its midst, the (cosmic) temple does not exist. The most central truth to the creation account is that this world is a place for God’s presence.” (John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One, pp. 84-85)

1. The 7^th Day is Holy
   1. Made holy means to be set apart; God expects us to set apart time for him
   2. The Sabbath is to honor God; but its effect is for man’s inner renewal (Mark 2:27; c.f. Matthew 11:28-30)
   3. Our ultimate rest is found through faith in Christ (Hebrews 4:4-13)

1. How Ought We to Apply the Sabbath to Our Lives?
   1. Rest does not equate to being a lazy bum; it may involve rest from work- but more so it’s finding time to draw strength from God
   2. We must take time to draw our attention back on our Creator
   3. You (and your family) will suffer if you don’t take time to find rest in God—as best as you can, do not allow work or activities consume your schedule
   4. If it cannot always be a Sunday; find other time to take to draw strength from the Lord (devotional time; a prayer walk)
   5. Farmers: try to take time for a Sabbath after the ‘busy season’
   6. While fellowship, prayer, and scripture reading ought to be an important part of taking a Sabbath, it can also include productive things that are restorative (i.e. hiking, carpentry work, knitting, songwriting, etc.)
   7. If you don’t have ever have time to take a Sabbath (time to be renewed in the Lord), you may need to re-think your priorities—being faithful to God does mean making sacrifices (which, in the end are to our benefit)