In Genesis 1 we see God bringing a perfectly ordered world out of a ‘chaos’ over six creation days. God then rests on the seventh day. This is not a rest of recuperation. It is a rest (Hebrew: sabbath) that ensues from the things being in order. God’s ‘sabbath’ is a rest of enjoyment in what is “very good”. It is important to note then that this divine sabbath day has no closing formula as the other days do (“there was evening and there was morning”). So, God’s Sabbath endures. On earth, however, after the rebellion of humanity (Genesis 3), things became disordered, and unrest ensued. Cain, for example, describes himself as “a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth”. But God made a way of salvation for human beings, through Christ, and gave them the opportunity to be reconciled with him and to reorder their lives under his Lordship. The institution of the Sabbath day in the time of Moses (Exodus 20:8) signified the opportunity to re-enter the heavenly sabbath rest of God. It is said of certain kings of Judah, after they put their kingdoms in order (which included centralising the worship of God) that God gave them rest (2 Samuel 7:1, 2 Chronicles14:2-6; 20:30). In the same way, if you order your life according to God’s purpose, you will share in God’s heavenly sabbath rest. You will continue to live amidst the unrest of this world. But your heart will be governed by God’s heavenly rest. So “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” and God will take care of all the things that might otherwise disquiet your heart.
Give your concerns over to God and ask him to establish his rule of peace in your heart.
Read Genesis 2:1-3, Matthew 6:25-34 and Psalm 46
