{"id":182,"date":"2011-08-16T19:57:03","date_gmt":"2011-08-16T19:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/articles1\/?p=182"},"modified":"2014-10-21T13:58:20","modified_gmt":"2014-10-21T13:58:20","slug":"the-creational-sabbath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/the-creational-sabbath\/","title":{"rendered":"The Creational Sabbath"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Gordon Cook<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pastor Pi\u00f1ero and Pastor Martinez have asked me to bring four messages on the subject of the worship day. In the Old Testament it was called the \u201cSabbath.\u201d We often call it the \u201cLord\u2019s Day\u201d from a New Testament perspective. That\u2019s the subject I am going to address in these four meetings. Tonight we are going to look at it from the very beginning, the Creational Sabbath. So we go all the way back to Genesis chapter 2. And that\u2019s where I would want you to turn in your Bibles please\u2014Genesis chapter 2, beginning at verse 1:<\/p>\n

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A few years ago I stood at the foot of Mt. Rushmore, one of the most memorable-historical sites in the United States of America. And as you probably know, carved into that massive granite mountain are the faces of four different presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. And it took approximately fourteen years before that project was finished. Now, apparently from time to time they have to power wash and clean the faces of those four presidents. If not, a significant disfiguration can result from the smog and the pollutants in the air. And I\u2019m sure most Americans\u2014I\u2019m a Canadian by the way\u2014would agree that that\u2019s a very important monument to preserve. But now what would you think if someone came along and began to use chisels and hammers and removed the distinctive facial features of those four presidents? They decided to reshape their noses, their eyes and their chins, and so much so that you really couldn\u2019t tell the difference between George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, or Jefferson (he looked very much like Roosevelt when they were finished). I\u2019m sure that would bother you. I\u2019m sure the American public would be in an uproar. People would be incensed. It would be viewed as vandalism. And in all likelihood those responsible for that would be put behind bars. Nobody has a right to deface or to radically change the distinctive features of your former presidents. How dare they? How could they? Well something very similar is happening today in churches across the land. <\/p>\n

The face of worship is changing. We are losing the distinctive elements of worship. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

James Montgomery Boice who was pastor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, when he was alive, made a similar protest over the loss of the distinctive aspects of worship. He says this:<\/p>\n

In recent years, I have noticed the decreasing presence, and in some cases the total absence, of service elements that have been associated with God\u2019s worship\u2026It is almost inconceivable to me that something called worship can be held without significant prayer\u2026 The reading of any substantial portion of the Bible is also vanishing.1<\/SUP><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And then he mentions how preachers today are trying to be personable, tell funny stories, and stay away from any topics that might make people unhappy and leave the church. He mentions another distinction that is being lost: the confession of sin. Instead of coming to church to admit our transgressions and seek forgiveness, we come to church to be told that we are pretty nice people and we don\u2019t need forgiveness. And then he says this, \u201cOne of the saddest features of contemporary worship is that the great hymns of the church are on the way out. They are not out entirely, but they are going\u2026\u201d The distinctive elements of worship are being blurred or lost, aren\u2019t they? It seems that more and more people are taking hammers and chisels to God\u2019s face of worship. <\/p>\n

And there\u2019s something else that is being lost: the distinctive day of worship. Some would argue, \u201cWell, isn\u2019t every day a worship day?\u201d Well, yes, every day should be a day where we as Christians live for God, under the eye of God. Every day we should be taking advantages of the means of grace, especially in terms of the private means: prayer, Bible reading, and meditation everyday. We should love God with the totality of our beings. But, we can\u2019t give ourselves to God in a full orb, undistracted way every day, can we? We have to work. We have to provide for our families. We have to go to school. Life can get very busy and hectic. And it\u2019s not always easy is it, to find quality time and quantity time for God every day? God knows that. And so God gave man a special rest day, or a worship day. And, that\u2019s what I want us to consider this evening. <\/p>\n

I want us to stand in front of Mt. Rushmore, the Mt. Rushmore of worship, and look into the face of the Sabbath day, or what we call the Lord\u2019s Day, and appreciate its distinctive features. What makes this day so special, so distinct? Well there are three things I want us to consider this evening. Here they are and I trust we\u2019ll follow them through one by one:<\/p>\n

1. The origin of God\u2019s distinctive worship day
\n 2. The nature of God\u2019s distinctive worship day
\n 3. The purposes of God\u2019s distinctive worship day<\/p>\n

The Origin of God\u2019s Distinctive Worship Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

First of all then the origin of God\u2019s distinctive worship day. Somebody has said that if you really want to understand something in a real good way you have to study origins. That makes sense, doesn\u2019t it? Let me give you a little warning. I am from Canada. And what are Canadians most famous for? You\u2019re probably thinking not very much. Well, there\u2019s the game of hockey. That\u2019s probably what they\u2019re most famous for. And if you really want to understand and appreciate hockey you have to travel up to Canada. You should know that. But did you know this? Do you know where football begins? It\u2019s an American sport. I realize that. But it began in Canada. Sorry. It began at McGill University at Montreal in 1874. Now, I\u2019ll probably get thrown out for saying that, but most people don\u2019t know that, do they? They don\u2019t know the origins of football, and it probably doesn\u2019t really matter if you do. But, when it comes to worship, and when it comes to the worship day, you and I better know the origins of this day. And most people\u2014even most Christians\u2014if you were to ask them, \u201cWhen did the Sabbath day\u201d\u2014or the worship day of God\u2014\u201cbegin?\u201d they probably couldn\u2019t tell you. Or, if they gave an answer, most would say, \u201cIt began with Moses\u201d or \u201cIt began with the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai with the lightning and the thunder.\u201d But that\u2019s not where it began. No, its origins can be traced back to an earlier stage in redemptive history. The Sabbath day predates Moses. How do you know that? Well, we could say in several ways. <\/p>\n

First of all, we could say in terms of circumstantial evidence. We can point to a pre-Moses Sabbath worship day. And I say that in light of the fourth commandment. How does it begin? \u201cRemember the Sabbath day.\u201d That intimates, doesn\u2019t it? If you\u2019re going to remember that means something has already been there. Just like when you come to the Lord\u2019s Supper. You remember the Lord, right? You remember what He did; something in the past. So the very word \u201cremember\u201d intimates a prior existence or an earlier institution. That\u2019s circumstantial evidence, but it\u2019s evidence. Plus, there\u2019s evidence in the book of Genesis, and even into the early chapters of Exodus, of a seven-day week. The book of Genesis, chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 17, chapter 21, chapter, 31, chapter 50, Exodus 7, 12, and 13, all make reference to a seven-day week. That\u2019s circumstantial evidence, but it\u2019s still evidence. But, let me say this, the evidence for a Sabbath day that predates Moses is more than circumstantial. I would argue it\u2019s quite conclusive. Just pick up a concordance and go looking for the word \u201cSabbath\u201d and you will find that the very concept is embedded in your Bible way back as far as you can go in human history. The first mention of the Sabbath takes us right back to creation. We can speak of a Creational Sabbath, or what sometimes has been called \u201cGod\u2019s Sabbath.\u201d We go all the way back to Genesis chapter 2, the passage that was read earlier in your hearing. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m personally convinced that Adam, the very first man who stood on planet earth, knew something about setting aside a day for God. And we see something of that idea here. Genesis chapter 1 and 2 as you know is the story of creation; it\u2019s the story about beginnings. It\u2019s the story about origin, isn\u2019t it? It\u2019s the story about the beginning of time; the beginning of life; the beginning of marriage; the beginning of work; and the beginning of the Sabbath. Genesis 1:1, notice how it starts: \u201cIn the beginning\u2026\u201d So this is the book about beginnings, and I\u2019m sure you know that the first chapter of Genesis is structured by God\u2019s speaking voice. God speaks in verse 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, and 24. Seven times God speaks in that first chapter. And then that chapter, Genesis 1, is also structured by days. So it\u2019s structured by God\u2019s speaking voice, but it\u2019s also structured by days. You have this repeated formula. There was evening and there was night, or there was morning and there was night. Verse 19, for example: \u201cSo the evening and the morning.\u201d You find that in verse 5, 13, 19, 23, and 31. And that\u2019s an expression for a 24-hour period. <\/p>\n

We shouldn\u2019t be embarrassed, should we; about six days of creation? The six days remind us of how powerful God is. God could have made the world in six hours, couldn\u2019t He? Six seconds. But here\u2019s the question that I think we need to ask: why did God make the world in six days? Why not ten days? Why not four months? Well, one of the reasons at least is because God wants you and I to live disciplined, structured lives. God doesn\u2019t want you and I to live aimlessly, or without purpose, meaning, and significance. God wants your life to be shaped by the structure of time. Now if you think that\u2019s reading too much into Genesis 1 and 2, I would simply turn you to Exodus 20. <\/p>\n

Turn, if you will, to Exodus 20 where you have the giving of the law. I\u2019m sure you know that the Bible is a book of progressive revelation. Things that are planted in seed form grow and flower later on. Things become clearer, more patent. And that\u2019s true about God\u2019s worship day, the Sabbath. With the giving of the law God gives amplification and explanation to the creation story, and helps us understand why in six days He made the earth and why there was a seventh day. So when you turn to Exodus 20, God\u2019s going to shed more light on why He did what He did back in Genesis 1 and 2. Exodus 20:9\u2014notice there\u2019s a clear reference to six days of creation: \u201cSix days you shall labor and do all your work.\u201d Why? Verse 11: \u201cFor in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth\u2026\u201d Notice that the fourth commandment is not just about one day. It\u2019s about seven days. I don\u2019t think that\u2019s always been appreciated. The whole commandment is about wise time management, isn\u2019t it? Use your time the way God tells you to use your time. God wants you to manage your time well. And there\u2019s something else here that explains the structure of time and why God gives us a seven day week of work and rest, and Genesis 1:26 is the key. <\/p>\n

I remember John Calvin, reading one of his quotes, or one of his chapters in the Institutes, he says, \u201cMan will never understand himself, unless he first looks into the face of God.\u201d In Genesis 1, when we look into the face of God, we see God the Creator, don\u2019t we? But you have to look into the face of God, and understand who God is, to understand His creature, named \u201cman.\u201d And what do we learn about man from Genesis 1:26? We learn this: man was made in the image of God. And that word, that \u201cimage of God,\u201d is a very pregnant phrase. It would take months to really unpack what it means. It\u2019s profound. I don\u2019t think there has been any theologian who has completely understood the depth and profundity of that phrase. But it means that everything that makes you human, distinct from the animals, has something to tell us about what that means. And I hope this doesn\u2019t insult anyone, but your great ancestor was not a monkey or an ape. You didn\u2019t crawl out of a pool of slime. No, you were made by God. And you were not only made by God, you were made like God. You were made in His image. Animals don\u2019t punch a time-card, do they? God made this world in six days, and he wants you and I to work six days. The six days of work are to order our lives and allow us to reflect God\u2019s image. When you go to work on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, maybe you work on Saturday, or do work around the home, you are to behave, or you are to look like God. <\/p>\n

Luther said, \u201cMan was not created for leisure, but for work.\u201d Even in the state of innocence. Yes, the curse has made work harder. But work itself is not part of the curse, is it? Adam would have gone to work every day whistling, wouldn\u2019t he? He would have been thrilled to go into that garden excited that he could bring glory to God and reflect God by his labor. And in light of creation, brethren, and in light of God\u2019s likeness, you can understand why the Bible gives so many warnings against laziness, or indulgence, or indolence. If you don\u2019t work, or if you\u2019re lazy, you are guilty of defacing the very image of God. God is a worker, and God wants you and I to work. He wants us to reflect Him by our labor. <\/p>\n

But now there\u2019s more to the story of creation. We learn something else that God does in the beginning. Genesis 2:1-2, look again at that text because that\u2019s the key text that we want to focus on this evening. \u201cThus the Lord\u201d, we are told, \u201cmade the heavens and the earth\u201d. He finished what he had done there. And then \u201con the seventh day\u201d verse 2 \u201cGod ended His work which He had done\u201d. God now rests. Here\u2019s the question again: why does God rest? Does He do it for Himself or does He do it for us? Did God need rest? The Bible says God doesn\u2019t get weary or tired. Does He? God doesn\u2019t need sleep. God doesn\u2019t need rest like you and I need rest. God\u2019s always active. Every day it rains we know God is active. God is working in terms of His providence. So, what does it mean: \u201cGod rested\u201d? Well, the text literally says this, \u201cGod\u2019s Sabbath.\u201d God\u2019s Sabbath is on the seventh day, and the idea is this: God set aside something. He left it alone, He ceased to create. There was a complete break from His previous labor of six days. <\/p>\n

Now as we saw earlier, work and rest are forged (24:18) together in the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment isn\u2019t just about keeping the Sabbath day, is it? It\u2019s about working six other days. Work and rest get inscribed on stone. The fourth commandment is about working and about resting. And God draws attention here to the seventh day in His commandment: one day of rest after the six days of work. God wants you and I to be like Him. We\u2019re made in His image. God is a working God, and God is a resting God. Do you see? God is a working God, and God is a resting God. God wants us to shape our week by work and by rest. And the fact that both work and rest are forced (25:22) together in the fourth commandment of Exodus 20 argues that both are creation ordinances, God can\u2019t think of one without the other, and neither should we. And when I speak of a creation ordinance I hope you know what I mean. I\u2019m simply saying that this was something that was instituted by God at creation for all mankind. Does God want every man to work? Does God want every man to rest? <\/p>\n

If you want to get a treatment on the creation ordinances the finest book on it is John Murray\u2019s classic work, Principles of Conduct. I was re-reading it this past week. That was one of the books that we studied in the Academy at Trinity years ago. He deals with these matters of the creation ordinances and here\u2019s how he defines them: \u201cThese creation ordinances, as we may call them, are the procreation of offspring,\u201d\u2014having children\u2014\u201creplenishing the earth, subduing of the same, dominion over the creatures, labour, the weekly Sabbath, and marriage\u2026There is a complementation of these mandates,\u201d says Mr. Murray, \u201cand they interpenetrate one another\u201d2<\/SUP>. They come like a packaged gift of three; the big ones: the big one of marriage, the big one of labor, and the big one of Sabbath. God gave man this gift of three\u2014each was a gift. He gave him a gift of marriage, a gift of work and labor, and a gift of the Sabbath. But they come together. That\u2019s the point that Murray is making. There is a complementation, but these penetrate one another. And so, if you reject one, it won\u2019t be long before you reject the others. <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t we see that happening today? Think about it. Marriage in this country is at an all-time low. Fewer adults are married than ever before. There\u2019s more divorce, more singles who simply don\u2019t want to get married, and there\u2019s more people living together more than ever before in this country called America. Marriage is in trouble. There\u2019s one of the creational ordinances. <\/p>\n

What about work; the protestant work ethic? That\u2019s suffered to, hasn\u2019t it? How many people do you know who work hard and work honestly? People don\u2019t want to work today, they want to play. Today there are websites dedicated to the mockery of employment with names like \u201cishouldbeworking.com\u201d and \u201cboredatwork.com\u201d. And then people go to the other extreme. They don\u2019t work or don\u2019t want to work; the other extreme is that\u2019s all they want to do: work. And so they make an idol out of work. They become workaholics. That\u2019s all they think about. That\u2019s all they breathe: work. The creational ordinance of marriage has suffered. The creational ordinance of work has suffered. And we all know this, don\u2019t we? The creational ordinance of the Sabbath has suffered. <\/p>\n

From 1776 to 1960\u2014that\u2019s a lot of time\u2014Sabbath-keeping had a place of universal acceptance among Protestant Christians in America. Today it has virtually disappeared. We have forgotten God; God the Creator. And it shows itself by trampling upon the creational ordinances of marriage, labor\/work, and the Sabbath. And it\u2019s clear that that\u2019s true even in terms of redemptive history. That\u2019s why you have almost a complete silence after the Sabbath was instituted in Genesis 2, but you have a fall in Genesis 3. You hear virtually nothing about the Sabbath day. It\u2019s being despised. (30:52) The patriarchs themselves despised marriage to some degree, don\u2019t they? They are entering into polygamous relationships. Divorce is rampant in the Old Testament. And when Jesus comes in the New Testament divorce is rampant in His day, and the Sabbath is being trampled upon by the Pharisees and the scribes. <\/p>\n

And what does Jesus do to get men to start thinking about God\u2019s gifts? Remember what He does? In Matthew 19, in terms of marriage, He\u2019s seeking to restore it and have men think back to what God made of the gift of marriage. He\u2019s defending the marriage institution against rampant divorce that was prevalent in His day, and He says, \u201cHave you not read that in the beginning God made male and female?\u201d He takes them right back to Genesis 1. And when Jesus defends the Sabbath in Mark 2, what does He do? He takes them back to creation again: \u201cThe Sabbath was made for man.\u201d Jesus understood the importance of origins. He understood that if we are to hold fast to the institution of marriage we better be sure of origins. Who made marriage and what did God make when He made marriage? And if we are to hold to the distinctive day of worship, we better remember who made worship or made that worship day and what he made it for? That\u2019s the first thing: the origin of the distinctive worship day. <\/p>\n

The Nature of God\u2019s Distinctive Worship Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

But now, secondly, the nature of God\u2019s appointed day of worship, or the distinctive day of worship. We\u2019ve looked at the origin. Secondly, we now come to the nature of it. If you look at God\u2019s worship day through the lens of Genesis 1 and 2, we could all say this\u2014I hope we could\u2014\u201cThe Sabbath was a beautiful day.\u201d Right? How could it not be? It was a beautiful world. God gave man the Sabbath when the world was perfect. Perfect Adam, perfect Eve, and He gave him this day called the \u201cSabbath.\u201d It was part of a perfect, beautiful world. And it\u2019s very interesting, when you read Genesis 2, how God wants to highlight this day. I\u2019ve never seen it quite this way before until I began to study it afresh. But there are at least five ways in which God sets apart this day called the Sabbath in Genesis 2. What are they? <\/p>\n

A Symbolical Way<\/strong><\/p>\n

Number one, He sets it off in a symbolical way. Genesis 2:2: \u201cAnd on the seventh day\u2026\u201d Now, when you see that number seven, does that mean anything to you? Well, it should because it\u2019s probably the most important number in the Bible. Do you know how many times the number seven is used in the Bible? Over seven-hundred times. Seven is pretty important, isn\u2019t it? When you turn to the book of Revelation, how many times does that number seven pop up? Seven churches, seven letters, seven spirits, seven stars, seven trumpets. The number seven points to completion. It points to perfection. It\u2019s been called \u201cGod\u2019s number.\u201d God marks out this special day of worship as the seventh day. He\u2019s letting us know something very special about the day because of the number seven. That\u2019s the first way in which He marks it off. <\/p>\n

The Structure of the Genesis Narrative<\/strong><\/p>\n

The second thing that we see here in Genesis 1 and 2 that highlights this day is the very structure of the genitive narrative. From Genesis 1 right through to Genesis 2, the word \u201ccreate\u201d and \u201cmake\u201d are used seven times. It\u2019s pretty interesting, isn\u2019t it? In Genesis 2 you find a pattern of seven lines rising to a crescendo into Genesis 2:3 which brings us to a completion or a consummation where God now rests from His worship. If you look at the English, it\u2019s marked off by commas and periods. There are seven of them. God wants us to know that this is a big day, this day called the Sabbath. One scholar makes the observation\u2014listen to what he says: \u201cMoses constructs the story with billowing detail and movement. With crescendo Moses devotes more and more time, gives more and more space to the climactic apex of creation.\u201d So the more you move into the story of creation Moses starts to talk more, and he talks most about the creation of man because that\u2019s the most important thing. But then he moves in to talk about the day. You see, the best day of the whole story is the seventh day, the day where God rested. God has made man to have fellowship with Him. He wants man to enjoy Him on the seventh day. <\/p>\n

The Westminster Larger and the Shorter Catechism begins with a question: What is the chief end, or the highest end, of man? Well, it\u2019s to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. How do you know that? The Sabbath day institution. God has given us this day to glorify Him and to enjoy Him. And God goes out of His way, as it were, to mark out this day. How does He do it? Symbolically, with the number seven, that\u2019s the first way. Structurally, with the whole narrative of the creation story, that\u2019s the third way. <\/p>\n

God Leads by Example<\/strong><\/p>\n

And then, thirdly, God distinguishes, or sets apart, this day by three actions. Did you pick up what they were? Number one, Genesis 2:2, He rests, He \u201cSabbath-ed\u201d on that day. God is setting the example, the pattern. And again, God doesn\u2019t need rest like you and me. God doesn\u2019t need to catch His breath. No, He wants us to learn by His example. He teaches us by His words, but also by His actions. But God also earmarks the day by two more actions. He wants us to be very sure that we see how different, how special, how unique this day is. He\u2019s wrapping it up with ribbons, as it were, before He presents it to man. And notice what He does next in verse 3 of Genesis 2: \u201cThen God blessed the seventh day\u2026\u201d He doesn\u2019t do that with any other day, does He? He blesses the seventh day. What does that mean? <\/p>\n

God Blesses the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, again if you had a concordance you would find that the word \u201cblessed\u201d or \u201cblessing\u201d is found hundreds and hundreds of times in your Bible. When I think of that word \u201cblessed\u201d I think of the blessed man of Psalm 1. Remember him? \u201cBlessed is the man\u2026\u201d That\u2019s how that psalm starts off. And when you read that psalm you get a sense of what it means to be a blessed man. A blessed man is put under the image of a tree. In Psalm 1: a tree that bears fruit in its season. We learn from Psalm 1 that a blessed man has a life marked by stability. He\u2019s like a tree planted by rivers of water. The blessed man has a life that is marked by vitality and productivity: he bears fruit. The blessed man\u2019s life is marked by durability or steadfastness or perseverance: his leaf does not wither. The blessed man\u2019s life is marked by prosperity: whatever he does prospers. That\u2019s the blessed life. Do you want a life like that? What does the blessed man do? He spends time with God, doesn\u2019t he? He meditates in His Word day and night. The blessed man spends this blessed day with God. He takes advantage of time with God. That\u2019s the way of blessing. It\u2019s a special day marked and distinguished by God in the very beginning. The number seven tells us how special it is. The very narrative, the structure of Genesis 1 and 2 points to the special character of this day: God rested on that day, God blesses that day. <\/p>\n

God Sanctifies the Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s something else that God does here. I said there are five things, and we\u2019ve looked at four of them. But look at what else God does, verse 3: \u201cGod sanctified the day\u201d. He made it holy. And that word \u201choly\u201d\u2014again, it\u2019s a big, big word in the Bible. When you think of the word \u201choly\u201d you think of God, don\u2019t you? That\u2019s His master attribute. That word defines God more than any other word. It points not only to His purity, but to His uniqueness, and His transcendence. The word \u201choly\u201d tells us there is nobody like God. Holiness sets God apart. And God sets this day apart. <\/p>\n

One Hebrew scholar says \u201cSanctifying was not merely declaring, but communicating the attribute of holiness by placing this day in living relation to God, the Holy One.\u201d It\u2019s a day for God. The very word \u201choly\u201d suggests that; to spend time with Him. It\u2019s a day for sanctification. It\u2019s a day for devotion to the Holy One. And there are going to be things that you can do on this day that you could not do on those six days of the week, those six work days. They are full of a myriad of responsibilities and cares. And today we are seeing people under more stress and pressure than ever, aren\u2019t we? Men are working longer hours. We have a number of men at our church who have said to me they have never been under more stress in all their lives, in terms of work, than they are today. They are always on call. They\u2019re like physicians now. They have to have their cell phone on everywhere they go. Corporate America is demanding more and more. And it\u2019s starting to resemble the Egyptian taskmaster using a whip and a scourge. A harshness has entered the workplace. We need rest from the tyranny of work. Maybe the increased workload and the added stress and pressure will help bring a new meaning and significance to the rest day that God gave us. Men are going to realize, \u201cBoy, do I ever need this day.\u201d <\/p>\n

We need a rest day, don\u2019t we? If the first man, Adam, needed a rest day, in a perfect world, don\u2019t we need a rest day in a sin-cursed world? Of course we do. Even the medical profession recognizes that our bodies need rest. They recognize that the physical heart needs rest; the physical brain needs rhythm of work and rest. The mind and the body is like an elastic band, and you can only stretch it so far. I wonder how many hospitals and psychiatric wards are jammed to capacity because far too many people have forgotten God\u2019s rest day. You see, it\u2019s not only good for your soul; it\u2019s good for your body. It was made for man; it was made for all men. You see, it has common grace benefits, as well as special grace benefits. It was made for man. The Sabbath day, if ignored, will have people suffer more and more physically, of course spiritually, and socially. <\/p>\n

The Purposes of God\u2019s Distinctive Worship Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

The origin of the Sabbath, the nature of the Sabbath, and then thirdly\u2014and here we\u2019re talking about the Creational Sabbath\u2014the purposes of the Sabbath. We\u2019ve asked and answered the question of when: when did God give the Sabbath worship rest day? Well, Genesis 1 and 2 gives us the answer. God gave this day in the fresh aftermath of that sixth day of work, after that work of creation. What exactly did God give? Well, He gave Adam, our first parents, Adam and Eve, a precious gift, a day of blessing, a holy day. But, why? Well, I\u2019ve already suggested some of the reasons. But, let me simply say there\u2019s a complex of reasons, and in terms of the initial Sabbath day, the Creational Sabbath, the first Sabbath, I have at least two major reasons or purposes. <\/p>\n

To Glorify God<\/strong><\/p>\n

What we learn about God brethren, from the initial giving of the Sabbath, is that God is sovereign. God made this day. God made time, didn\u2019t He? God made time. You wouldn\u2019t be wearing a watch or looking at a clock or think of a calendar if God had not made time. God made time, and He made seven-day week. Six days you shall labor and there is one day you shall rest. You see, God has the right and the authority to tell us how to spend our time. Right? He has a right to tell you how to spend your money, doesn\u2019t He? He has a right to tell you how to use your body, doesn\u2019t He? And He has a right to tell you how to use your time. <\/p>\n

When the billionaire, Bill Gates, was asked why he didn\u2019t believe in God he said, \u201cJust in terms of allocation of time and resource, religion is not very efficient. There\u2019s a lot more I could be doing on Sunday morning.\u201d Mr. Gates obviously doesn\u2019t believe in God and believes he\u2019s wiser than God. But, he\u2019s obviously not showing himself to be wise, and he doesn\u2019t realize this as well: that he\u2019s answerable to God. He\u2019s answerable to God. He\u2019s accountable to God. God made him. God is his Creator, and God has a right to tell Mr. Gates and everybody else who lives on planet earth how to use your time. He wants you to work six days, and He wants you to rest on one of those seven days. He\u2019s the Creator God. He has the right and the authority. Do you believe in a sovereign God? Do you believe in the absolute sovereignty of God? Well, it seems to me, if you do, you will submit to Him and acknowledge Him as Lord over your life and Lord of your time. <\/p>\n

How you treat this day, called the \u201cSabbath day\u201d in the Old Testament, or we could call it \u201cLord\u2019s Day Sabbath\u201d in the New Testament, really has something to say about how you view God; how big is your God; how small is your God. Does your God have a right to tell you how to spend your time? Acknowledging God\u2019s day of rest is an acknowledgement of God\u2019s sovereignty over time. God orders our life by His example: He worked and He rested. The Sabbath day testifies to God\u2019s sovereignty. <\/p>\n

Secondly, in terms of bringing glory to God and why God made the Sabbath, the Sabbath day also testifies of God\u2019s goodness. Do you know what word is used over and over again in Genesis 1 with respect to the creation God made? It\u2019s good, right? It\u2019s good; it\u2019s good. Everything God made was good. In Genesis 1:31 we are told everything, everything that He made\u2014God said, \u201cBehold, it was good.\u201d There was nothing that God made that was bad. There was nothing that God made to hurt man or to hinder man. God in creation is showering, He\u2019s spoiling man with all of His gifts: the gift of food, the gift of a home called Eden, the gift of a garden, the gift of work, the gift of marriage, and the gift of a Sabbath day. God is a good God, isn\u2019t He? So wonderful, so marvelously, copiously good to man. And every gift that God gave to man as man testifies to God\u2019s goodness. The gift of marriage says, \u201cGod is good.\u201d The gift of work and labor: \u201cGod is good.\u201d And the gift of this Sabbath day of worship: \u201cGod is good.\u201d Why does God gives us this day? Well, to bring glory to Himself, and to teach us about Himself. He\u2019s absolutely sovereign and He is perfectly good. <\/p>\n

To Underscore Man\u2019s Unique Status and Privilege<\/strong><\/p>\n

But, secondly, in terms of why God gave man the Sabbath, here\u2019s the second major reason. I have a third one by the way. Here\u2019s the second major reason: to underscore man\u2019s specialty, or man\u2019s unique status and privilege\u2014think about that. God gave man the Sabbath to underscore man\u2019s specialty, or his unique status and privilege. Jesus\u2019 words need to ring in our ears: \u201cThe Sabbath was made for man.\u201d That\u2019s creational terminology. The Sabbath was made for man. Jesus is harkening back to Genesis 2 with that very language. It was given to man as man. It was not given to animals. He didn\u2019t give it to a bird or to a reptile. It was given to man. Man can use it. He can use it intelligently, he can use it purposefully. Man is the only creature that could use it because man is made in the image of God. Man is the only creature that can worship God. Man is the only creature that can talk to God. Man is the only creature that has the capacity to love God. If we were simply a higher form of animal, a brute beast, like the evolutionists love to tell us, the Sabbath day makes no sense. But if we are made in the image of God, if we are that special, then you can understand why God gave man a special day. You see, the day, the Sabbath day, is a special day, but it tells us how special God views man. Man was made in His image. <\/p>\n

And think about this: the very first full day (full is the qualifying word) on earth for Adam and Eve would have been a worship day. Think about it. When were they made? At some time on the sixth day. We don\u2019t know exactly when they were made, but on the sixth day. Maybe Adam was made at 10 o\u2019clock that morning, I don\u2019t know. Eve might have been later in the afternoon. But, neither one of them had a full day, even on the sixth day. The first full day that they had is the seventh day, and it\u2019s a worship day. Adam had to go into the hospital for a little bit on that sixth day. Remember? God had to do a surgical operation and extract a rib. But once he got out of the hospital with his wife, he was worshiping God. That was his first full day. Once they got out of the hospital, they were in church. Right? You see, worship isn\u2019t a little tack-on. Worship should be given priority. God puts the Sabbath day on the very front cover of the story of creation because He wants us to understand the priority of worship. The whole passage emphasizes the seventh day as the best day, or the most important day. It\u2019s the day of worship for man. <\/p>\n

But let me ask you, do you look forward to this day? Do you prepare for it? Is it the most important day? When I grew up, my dad made us go to church. And I dreaded it. I tried every trick in the book to get out from going to church. It was not a day I looked forward to. But that\u2019s changed. And you know why? God changed my heart. He gave me a new heart; a heart that loves God. And if you love somebody, guess what? You want to spend time with them, don\u2019t you? If you don\u2019t love someone, you run from them. So, here\u2019s the question: do you love God; or do you hate God? How do you look upon His day? Do you enjoy this day? Do you cherish this day? Or, do you tolerate it, and you\u2019d rather be somewhere else on this day? I trust you can say, \u201cI love God and I love His day.\u201d And if you can\u2019t, then that\u2019s indication that you need to be saved. You need Jesus Christ. And Jesus offers Himself to sinners using the very language of a Sabbath, doesn\u2019t He? Think about it. He invites people: \u201cCome unto me\u2026and I will give you rest\u201d (Mat. 11:28). The only way you can have rest, true rest, true peace, is if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior. What better day to find rest for your soul than on God\u2019s rest day? <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s pray: <\/p>\n

Father in heaven, we again thank you for the clarity of the Scriptures, and we pray Lord that you would help all of us. We know that at times because of our own remaining sin and corruption that we have not enjoyed this day, and sought to take advantage of it the way we ought to. And so we even ask you to grace us Lord with a greater determination and more of a holy zeal and resolve to love you and to love this day. And we pray these things in Christ\u2019s name. <\/p>\n

Am\u00e9n<\/p>\n

1. Philip Graham Ryken, Derek W.H. Thomas & J. Ligon Duncan, Give Praise to God \u2013 A Vision for Reforming Worship: Celebrating the Legacy of James Montgomery Boice, P&R Publishing, 2003, pp. 18-20
\n2. John Murray, Principles of Conduct: Aspects of Biblical Ethics, Eerdmans, 1991, pp. 27<\/p>\n

Recommended Reading:<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gordon Cook Pastor Pi\u00f1ero and Pastor Martinez have asked me to bring four messages on the subject of the worship day. In the Old Testament it was called the \u201cSabbath.\u201d We often call it the \u201cLord\u2019s Day\u201d from a New Testament perspective. That\u2019s the subject I am going to address in these four meetings. Tonight … Continue reading The Creational Sabbath<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-lords-day","tag-gordon-cook"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":581,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182\/revisions\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heraldofgrace.org\/biblicalexpositions\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}