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Fresh Start In Work And Rest
Brian Mashburn
February 23, 2014
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Fresh Start In Work And Rest
At the very beginning, when we read about creation's first glimpse of God Himself, we are not introduced to a God of love (not yet), but a God of work and rest.
"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." - Genesis 2:2
There seems to be a huge message here - overlooked, forgotten, or perhaps, resisted. The narrative even pauses here to allow God to draw particular attention to His work-rest character, marking it for all eternity.
"God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." - Genesis 2:3
This clearly exalts rest, but not to the exclusion or diminishment of work. What, pray tell, is there to rest from? If you ask the age old question of, "Why did God create man?" you cannot escape the answer of the text:
"When the LORD God made the earth... and there was no man to work the ground, the LORD God formed the man." - Genesis 2:4,7
God formed mankind for work. Keep in mind, this pre-fall. This is pre-sin. This is pre-curse. We were made to work. We were made to rest. Work was meant to be purpose-fulfilling. Rest was meant to be holy.
This stands in such contrast to the world's view of each. Work is seen as a necessary evil, a begrudged duty, or (the worst) as our very identity. And rest, well, it is seen as laziness, or vacation, or (the worst) as optional.
Perhaps it is time for us to get a fresh start on our perspective of work and rest.