Provider of Rest

Had a thought today! It's just a little shift - but somehow big as well! Today is Sabbath. I love Sabbath. It's a day we've been given to rest - no work involved! Just rest in his goodness, notice his gifts, and cherish the relationships he's given us!

"The Sabbath was made for man..." - the words of Jesus himself! (Mark 2:27) It came at the end of creation week, when God had finished making all that was a part of our world, and "... it was very good" - his words. (Genesis 1:31) And then it says that God rested from all he had made, blessed the seventh day and made it holy. To commemorate the completion of his "very good" world!

In time, it also came to represent the Israelites' rescue from slavery in Egypt by God (Deuteronomy 5:15). And then, by the redemption of our lives by Jesus, it represents the rest we receive in losing ourselves in him. He accomplished for us what we could not do, so that we could rest in him. (Hebrew 4:9-11) So the Sabbath is not only a physical day, blessed by God, it is also symbolic of so many gifts from him!

These things I have known for years, but the subtle shift I heard today went back to the story of creation. God had spent the week creating. Then he rested on the seventh day and issued a decree that it be sacred forever. And I realised this - we were to rest - from his work! At that point we had done nothing. He did all the work and then gave us rest. And yes - he knew we'd physically need it! We tend to never stop otherwise! But it's also all part of the same theme running throughout the Bible.

It applies to every subsequent commemoration meaning! God did the work - and we get to rest! And while I know we're very aware of that in the redemption story - it's right there at the beginning of time! At creation itself! God creates. God provides. It is very good. And before he send us out to be creative too, he wants us to take a minute, and recognise that he is the source. He finishes what is needed. And we can rest in that. We rest in his rest.

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