The Seventh Day

 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. *2*And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. *3*So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. 

Genesis 2:1

God rested, most of us realise this fact about the 7th day, but did you notice that God also blessed the 7th day and made it holy? He didn’t do that  for His own benefit, after all, how would God bless himself? Therefore it must be for the benefit of His creation. 

So,  what does it mean that the 7th day is blessed and holy? 

This 7th day, at the start of creation is marked out as significant and highlighted as different rom every other day. Every other day, things were made, God worked, but this day, something different happened, God rested, therefore signifying that it was set apart and significant. 

God, at the very start gave the 7th day high value, He wanted the 7th day to look different from the rest of the week. He dedicated it to rest and reflection. 

Does your 7th day look different to every other day? Do you set it apart in some way?

God next tells us this day is ‘blessed’. This means it has good bestowed upon it and it is consecrated. Therefore it should be a day that is used for noble purpose. It should be a day of contemplation and enjoyment of the work already completed, a day when there’s a different focus and routine. A day that we choose to do something good, and where we appreciate the good in life. 

The 7th day is also holy, therefore it must be set apart for religious purpose, dedicated to God. This conjures the ideas of meeting others with the same beliefs, building and encouraging one another up, declaring God’s goodness, doing something with a God-ward focus.  Taking time to see the good we, others and God have done and appreciating that. Sharing time acknowledging the creator. 

This is why, as christians, we usually meet up on a Sunday, it’s not just some cultural tradition, but a mandate that God has infused into the creation of the world! God has spoken that this day is blessed and holy - are you ensuring that it has this significant place in your life, are you treating your 7th day with his value like God does?