Friday, July 7, 2006
Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
GOD GIVES REST
The 4th of July holiday just past is a day set aside by our government to celebrate and remember the men and women who fought and worked to achieve freedom. How much of a day of rest was it for you? The holidays, whatever ones they may be, often become more tiring than the normal workday. We may, after a holiday, long for a day to do nothing -- a day of rest from everything.
God, having created humanity, understood this need of human nature and provides for it a day on which it might recoup its physical strength. In the Old Testament laws given to Israel, this Sabbath day rest was commanded. We today have no such law, yet weekends have been set aside for such a purpose.
However, the real rest that is needed is the rest for the soul. Six days of dealing with the world and its temptations are six days too many. Our souls need rest. God provides for it in worship services, bible studies, Sunday Schools. Two hours time for six days work, is that sufficient rest? Note that God provides an entire day -- a whole day to ponder, meditate, discuss in the safety of His fortress His Word, which gives to our souls the needed rest.
This Sabbath rest is further a shadow and a picture of a greater rest yet to come -- and to which we look and hope in Christ.
