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The Creation of Rest

Words of Faith Final

The Creation of Rest
Words of Faith 1-12-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 2
     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.
    [4] This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

        God worked for six days and then stopped. That could have been it. He could have made a six-day week. But creation wasn't done until one more thing was added-- Rest.
        The Hebrew word is 'shabath' (shaw-bawt) and means to stop, cease, and desist. The day of "stop" was added by 'not adding' any more. It was done by 'not doing.'  God added the day of rest by stopping and resting.
          Because of this special creation, seven became God's special number. Seven is the number of completion. In six days, the Lord concluded all that needed to be done, but creation was not complete until the day of rest was added. Doing nothing more added just what was missing... nothing. Six was done, but seven was complete.
          God did not rest because He was tired. He did not rest because He needed to do so. He rested because He was done and desired to enjoy what was done. He also rested as an example. The sixth day clearly communicated that humans are made in the image and likeness of God. The seventh day clearly communicates that this image includes a pattern of rest. Have you ever heard someone say, "If the Lord needed to rest, you do, too"?  
      Although the Lord didn't need to rest, He knew that we would. This is part of the way He made us. The Lord knew that we would need to stop and be renewed. He knew that we would need to stop and enjoy the work of six days. He knew that we would need the completion of the seventh day.
             The Lord God gave the humans many gifts on the sixth day. He gave them animals, plants, work, and relationship. On the seventh day God gave this very special gift to the humans. The word Sabbath actually means "celebrate" as well as rest. It was not a burden or a requirement. Sabbath was a blessing, the blessing of stopping and enjoying.
             For humans, rest is not just a necessary part of our biology. Rest is also an act of faith. When we stop to rest, we are trusting that God will provide for us through the labor of six days. When we work seven days, we declare that our trust is in our "work" and not in God. This day reminds us that God is our provider, not our work.  
             The Lord God "sanctified" the seventh day or made it holy. What does that mean? Humans would ponder that for centuries. There were no commands as yet connected with this day. It was indeed a gift. One day was set apart by example for rest, the enjoyment of creation, and the enjoyment of God. Only later, after the fall, would the humans need to be commanded to enjoy this day.
             Have you received the gift of Sabbath? Are you following the example of the Lord God? Are you receiving a day of rest? Do you have time that is set for you to be renewed? Do you have time set apart simply to enjoy creation? Do you have time set apart for you to enjoy God?

          Father God, thank You for the seventh day. Thank You for setting apart time to enjoy. Help me to enjoy Your creation. Help me to enjoy You. Help me to rediscover Your pattern of work and rest. Help me to find the joy and delight of both. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.