Sabbath in Creation
Sabbath in Creation
“So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.” Genesis 2:1-3 CSB
How God Introduces Himself
How do you typically introduce yourself?
When you introduce yourself to someone, you share the most important things about you—relationships, work, activities you enjoy. In those first moments, you give fundamental information that’s core to who you are.
In Genesis, especially the opening chapters, God is introducing Himself to the world. He’s letting humanity know who He is, what He’s like, what He values. So it’s interesting that in the opening story of the Bible, he tells us that he creates, he does good and loving work (a major contrast to the other gods of the Ancient Near East), and that he… shabbats.
This word “shabbat” means to cease, to stop, to delight.
That’s what God wants you to know about him. When he created the world, at the end of each day, he observed it, delighted in it, and called it good. Then when all of creation was complete, God stops. He takes in his creation—it’s almost like he says, “This is good and this is enough.”
This is important because God is showing us how he views work and rest so we can follow his example. Here are three meditations from God’s first Sabbath:
1. Sabbath Puts Work in Its Proper Place
Many men have an unhealthy relationship with work. Some avoid it. Others wrap their identity in it. The first sin is laziness. The second is idolatry.
The practice of Sabbath is embracing God’s rhythm of six days of work and one day of rest. We embrace the gift of work without being defined or ruled by it.
2. Sabbath Refuels Your Soul
In the creation story, God’s blessing is connected to reproduction. He blesses plants, animals, and people with the command to multiply. So at first glance, it feels strange that he would bless a day. But the beauty those who practice Sabbath know is that it refuels you, is life-giving to your soul, and adds to your days. As Walter Brueggemann writes in Sabbath as Resistance, “People who keep sabbath live all seven days differently.”
3. Sabbath Is Holy
In the passage, God makes the sabbath day holy. For most of us, when we see the word “holy,” we think of moral purity. But it means to be set apart—different than the other days.
In the first Sabbath, the God who rules over all creation rested, and he knew what he was doing. When we treat all seven days the same, we’re saying that God can’t be trusted without our being in control. The Sabbath being set apart as holy is an act of humility where we trust God to rule our world without us. And that’s really good for your soul.
Question for Reflection: What is your relationship with work? Do you avoid it or place too much identity in it? How could practicing sabbath help?
Practice: Try turning off your phone for 24 hours (6pm to 6pm) to set apart the Sabbath and slow down to enjoy life.