A Day Set Apart - The 7th Day

As we have already seen, God worked for 6 days and after finishing his work, he rested on the 7th day. Then, he blessed it and called is holy. In other words, he set it apart from the other days. This explains the absence of the 7th day in God's work week along with man's work week. I have always thought it was interesting that God, the Master of the Universe, would take such a day to rest since God is all powerful and as such, he does not have to rest. He does not grow tired, or weary (Isaiah 40:28). So, why did God rest on the 7th day? I think that the answer can be discovered by understanding the deeper meaning of the Hebrew word for "rest." It does not mean to recover as we often define it. Rather, it means to cease from labor; to celebrate and to bond.

In addition to purposefully resting, he also blessed the day and set it apart as holy. In Genesis 2:2-3 it says, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Let's examine this a little more closely. God created man on the 6th day, right? Then, he rested on the 7th day. This means that Adam was with God during the 7th day. If 1 day is as 1000 years with the Lord, then it is reasonable to suggest that Adam and Eve was with God for 1000 years before the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden given in Genesis chapter 2. Just imagine, Adam & Eve having all that time in sweet fellowship with God before they disobeyed God allowing sin to enter into the world.

How does this special day of rest after God's work week compare to the 7th day after Man's work week? We know that Jesus said in Mat 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This doesn't indicate a specific period of time, however, it does indicate that Jesus is the giver of rest. In fact, it is in him that we find rest. However, it is in the book of Hebrews that we find the connection between the word rest and the 7th day for man. It says in Heb 4:9, "There remains, then, a sabbath-rest for the people of God." Then in Heb 4:10 it says, "for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." This is yet another confirmation that God's action was a model for man's action.

What can we expect to happen once we reach Man's 7th day, or the 7th millennium? We find in the book of Revelation that Jesus will return to the earth with his bride (the church) and they will rule and reign for 1000 years. This is Man's rest! What an amazing time that will be when we will be with the Lord and will finally see justice in its purest form ruling the earth. There will be no more sickness, no more death or pain for those that love God and we will be the administrators of God's justice! The prophet Isaiah prophesied that the government would be on Jesus' shoulders and now we await with eager expectation for the "2nd Adam", Jesus Christ, to return in all his glory as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.