Genesis 2:1-3 - When Things Get Perfect

Sabbath has always had some puzzling stuff attached to it in my life. Growing up Seventh-day Adventist, here are some of the things I heard and experienced. Maybe some sound familiar to you as well.

• We're supposed to keep it and remember it. I didn't really understand what that meant as a kid, and I'm not sure anyone else did either. It was a phrase usually associated with what we weren't supposed to do.
• It was a day that we often went up to the Blue Ridge Parkway or the surrounding areas.
• I remember when once, as a kid, I picked up a football (or something to that effect), and overheard a female adult voice behind me start singing "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy," so I immediately put it down and went back to being bored and counting down the minutes until sundown. By the way, the voice did not belong to my mother. She did a pretty good job of not making me feel like Sabbath had to be like this.
• I remember sometimes heated discussions among youth group leaders and/or parents about what kind of service projects were appropriate to do on Sabbath with the youth group. It almost seemed like we were paralyzed by fear over what we should or shouldn't do to help people on the Sabbath.

Those are a few of the things that come quickly to mind.

I looked at some key words today in Geneses 2:1-3. God has fulfilled creation (finished in most versions) by the seventh day. There's a sense of accomplishment inherent in that word, which is "kalah" in Hebrew. Not entirely something new, but I like the reminder of what had happened, and that it wasn't just that God stopped creating in entirely, but had accomplished the creation.

God rests on the seventh day (Hebrew "shabbath"--where we get the word from). It is to repose, to desist from exertion. But even more, it is a cause to cease and to celebrate. Well, there was only one thing to celebrate in this context: God's accomplished creation. Still nothing entirely new here, but I still like the thought that comes with this as it was written: celebrate. Hey, being bored wasn't the plan after all! Sleeping may be a part of it, but it isn't the crux of the day for sure.

God blesses the seventh day. By implication (in the word "barak" in Hebrew), it is to actually bless God as an act of adoration, and to bless man as a benefit. Adoring God on this day benefits people! It could mean to thank, to praise, to congratulate, or to salute. So Sabbath is to adore God for HIs accomplished creation, and for God to benefit people. It's getting better.

Finally, God makes it a holy day, or he sanctifies ("qadash") it. This got to me. Strong's puts it this way: to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), __ wholly.

Wow! There's a new idea here: perfection.

The creation as it was happening, God calls good. At the end of the sixth day, He looks at the accomplished creation and calls it very good: land, sea, lights, atmosphere, fish, birds, animals, plants, people. But he never calls anything perfect (which to me is the word that best describes something that is sanctified--made pure and holy by God) until the 7th day when He basically creates nothing at all!

It brings to mind a couple things. First, WE don't make Sabbath holy. God does that. We can defile it, for sure, just as we have defiled just about everything else about His creation. 

Second, Saturday (the 7th day) is NOT holy in and of itself. It did not become holy simply because it existed. It became holy, once again, because of the decision of God.

Finally, what is "Holy Sabbath"? A formula comes to mind: HOLY SABBATH = PEOPLE ADORING GOD FOR HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS + GOD BENEFITING PEOPLE.

We adore God intentionally, not haphazardly. On such a day, we do it by setting aside everything else, just like God did, and intentionally adore Him for what He has done. 

God benefits us, and in adoring Him we recognize He is doing this. He is granting us a chance to repose (that's not an inaccurate description of the Biblical word for rest, but it is incomplete if left by itself). He is granting us renewal. He is granting us even accelerated growth in Him, if you think about it, for single-minded focus on God will always bring us closer in relationship to Him. He grants us cleansing in Him as well, righteousness in Him alone (a reminder that more work does not make us holy).

Why do I love God more today? Because He gave me a day that is beyond anything I could have imagined. Because His creation is so very good. Because in Him I am clean. Because I am loved. May Sabbath become a special reminder of this.