Saturday's Special

Did you know that God designed Saturday to be a day of rest. In Genesis chapter one God made the earth in six days, Sunday being day one through to Friday being day six. Saturday was the end of the week, a day of reflection, appreciation and satisfied rest. 

So, here's the question. How are your Saturdays? Or maybe I should ask do we use Saturdays in the way God designed them to be used. Is it to us a day of reflection, appreciation and satisfied rest?

Have you ever thought why God rested on the seventh day as recorded in Genesis 2:1-3. Think about it; if God is so powerful and strong why did he need to rest? I mean - was he exhausted after all the effort of creating; had he used all his energy? I don't think so. In Isaiah 40:26 we are taught that God is 'strong in power'. Again in verse 29 it states that 'he does not faint not grow weary'. Many verse assest to the fact 'that God is all powerful'. So I conclude he didn't rest because he was weary!

So why did he rest?

There are many reasons given for rest in the Bible. 

Sometimes it is because of physical tiredness. Jesus told his disciples 'come ye apart into a desert place and rest a while', Mark 6:31. 

After the flood, in Genesis 8:4 the ark rested after weathering the storm of God's judgment. This rest is after the storm is past. As a Christian that's were I rest. The Lord Jesus bore the storm of God's judgment for my sin and I rest as a result. Do you?

In Genesis 18:4 Abraham shows hospitality to his unexpected guests and invites them to rest.

The concept of a day of rest is enshrined in the civic life of Israel in Exodus 31:15. God commands the people to observe a day of rest on the seventh day. Failure to this will result in severe punishment. At this stage God explains that the day is not just to be known for not doing things i.e. no work but it was to be a day that was devoted 'holy unto the Lord'. In other words it has a positive reason. To devote time for spiritual matters. While the New Testament does not command the Christian to observe the Sabbath (Saturday) the principle of a day of rest is just as valid. That's why Christians have traditionally ended up with Saturday and Sunday off. 

Do you take time to devote to God and spiritual matters at least once a week?

This could go on as there is a principle at stake here. Not the ceremonial keeping of the sabbath but finding rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 11:29 and Hebrews 4:9,10 make it clear that real rest is found through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. 

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