Cultural Lie


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

Upon finishing the creative activity of the first six days, God rests. He takes time to sit back and enjoy what He has done and no creative work is done. Thus begins the pattern of life that remains with us today. Six days of work, one day of rest repeated over and over until Jesus returns. Unfortunately, what we have done is take that seventh day of rest and turn it into yet another work day. For the most part, we have lost our respect for rest.

As little as 50 years ago, there was a national recognition of Sunday as a day off for almost everyone. Stores were closed and even most restaurants. Even for those who didn’t go to church, it was a day off. Now, Sunday looks just like every other day of the week. We’ve lost something. God didn’t create us to live this way and it shows in our stress levels. Even Adam and Eve, created in perfection, were expected to take a day off. So, do we make an effort to reclaim that day of rest; is it really necessary? It certainly is if we want to live a full and satisfying life. But, once again, it requires a will and a determination on our part to exercise it. If you want a day of rest, you have to arrange the other six days so that you are able to have one.

God felt so strongly about this day of rest that He later included it in the 10 Commandments. The 3rd Commandment is “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” With that command He sets aside that seventh day for us to relax and worship. In His brilliant economy of time He gives us six days to accomplish our goals and one day set aside for us to reconnect with Him and worship Him. On that seventh day we take the time to regroup spiritually and just relax. I know – easier said than done. The world pushes on us and demands that those sacred 24 hours be expended for something more “useful”. We are victims of a cultural lie that says if we aren’t producing, we’re wasting precious time. Let me repeat – that’s a lie!

Reading these verses acts as a reminder as to how God established time and our use of it. Take the challenge to bring more relaxation to your Sabbath Day and less struggle. Relax.

On a completely different track – I want to take a couple of sentences to point out one phrase in the text for today; “and all the host of them.” There are two ways to see this phrase. Most of us wonder when the angels were created. There are some commentators who see them in this phrase, for they really are not mentioned in the creation story at all. The word “host” means army or warriors. So in this context, that could imply the angels. But- it could also simply mean the vast host of stars in the heavens. You can think that through for yourself. I just wanted to put it out there.

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