City Life Starter

Written by Paul Lane

The Word

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. ² And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. ³ So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Genesis 2:1-3 (ESV)

²⁷ And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸ So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27-28 (ESV)

Reflection

“And the first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command, my love
That was there at my command, my love” 
-Ewan MacColl

On each the six days of creation, the Bible says that there was morning and there was evening, and then it declares the end of the day.  This does not happen on the seventh day.  On this day God blessed it, made it holy, and then He rested from His creation.  I think we reach too quickly for the image of a lazy Sunday afternoon, falling to sleep in front of the TV playing an old movie or a football game.  But we should really be thinking about the image of a master craftsman stepping back to look at what He has created.  In this passage it is as if God is saying, “ah, yes.  This is what I was looking to make.”  There is a sense of deep satisfaction here.

Another thing to note is that this day is timeless and endless.  It may seem like a small thing to modern ears, but that fact that the Hebrews had a day, marked as holy, not bound by time meant that they could worship their God anywhere.  All the other religions around them required worship to occur in a specific place.  While it is true that later, the holy of holies was a specific place, it was not that way in the beginning.

As you think on the sabbath, look on the beauty of this creation.  There is an order there that is not often discussed.  God first made a realm, and then He filled it.  On day one God made the sky, and then He filled it with lights on day four.  On day two He mad the seas, and then He filled it with creatures on day five.  Finally, on day three He made the land, and then He filled it with cattle and man on day six.  “Yes, yes.  Very good,” says the craftsman to Himself.

Also, there are four relationships sketched out in this part of the story, which will become the framework for everything else that happens: God to creation, God to man, man to man, and man to creation.  The thing to notice here is that all these relationships are in perfect balance on this first sabbath.  God is recognized for who He is, man neither worships man nor creation, all fellowship is pure, and creation serves its purpose.  And so it was, in the beginning.

Application

Neither my wife nor I have the skill to play musical instruments.  When we were young, we each had a short, failed attempts at learning the recorder and flute.  But we both love music and decided that we would give this ability to our kids, whether they liked it or not.  It would be a gift that they could have with them wherever they went.

In a similar way, God gives us the Sabbath.  Sabbath just means one in seven, but this day of rest, this day of adoration, is meant to be a gift to us.  It is a day to pull back, get perspective, and to appreciate God’s beauty. 

Over the past few years, my appreciation for Genesis 2, and the completeness of God’s original work, has continually grown.  It is a wonderous and lofty place in which we were created.  What was God thinking to do such a thing?  So, the application is to turn off the rest of the world for a bit and attend the sabbath.  It is there for you.

There is a song that my dad liked to whistle.  It was his favorite song.  Listen to the tempo of it.  And the words seem to fit the theme of Genesis 2.  It makes me think of Eve, singing to Adam, in a time that was, very good.

“The First Time Ever I saw Your Face”

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for the moon and the stars.  Thank You for the seas and the sky.  Thank You for the hopes and the dreams.  Thank You for Your love for me.

Teach me to slow down and read Your word, that I might come to know Your sabbath.  I pray that I can learn to carry the burden You give me and no more.  And I pray that I learn to participate in the sabbath as You intended it for me.  In Jesus’ name, amen.