God's Long Holiday

This Sunday we were looking at Genesis 2v1-3 the day upon which God rested. It means He ceased from creating. It is not saying that he has stopped working, John 5v17 makes that clear.

Genesis 2 paints a picture of rest that is bigger than, but not less than a day off. Biblical rest is that of enjoying God by enjoying his creation. In Gen 2v4-24 we see this rest pictured, marked by a series of perfect relationships. So we see perfect relationships between God and Man: there were no barriers between them. God and Man were able to walk, talk, and just be together. Man and Woman, enjoyed marital bliss, there were no disagreements. Man and Creation worked in harmony so that the earth brings forth its fruit. All was as God had intended it. Now we learn in Genesis 3 that this was ruined by man’s disobedience and the consequence of that was these relationships were distorted. We now do not enjoy rest as it should be – in fact it is hard to describe life as restful full stop. Yet this Rest as described in Genesis 2 is still God’s purpose for us and in fact it is where the world is heading, to a time when such rest will be restored in the new creation. But how do we enjoy that rest today?

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” It is through Jesus' death and resurrection and by us trusting and obeying him that we find this rest once more. Thus I am now welcomed back into the Garden of Eden or at least the restored Garden of Eden, to ultimately enjoy God by enjoying His creation. Now I fully enter into the rest upon my death or Jesus’ return but I can experience something of that rest now as well.

I can experience it by taking a day off a week from my work, setting aside a day each week to exclusively worship God. But more than that, I can enjoy this Rest each and every day. So in the midst of busyness I can pause and pray turning to my heavenly Father and enjoying His rest. Or as I praise Him in song between meetings, or in my lunch break when I turn and read a few verses from scripture. As we do these things, we begin to enjoy Him and we find ourselves being refreshed, restored because this is what we have been made for. We need to be seeking Him, the giver of true rest. But I can also enjoy this rest when I meet up with friends, spend time with my family. Or by pausing to listen to the birds sing and thus enjoy God's creation. As I do these things I will find His rest, because this was His purpose for us as seen in Genesis 2.

Yet even by doing these things we only partially experience His rest now. But one day, we will live with Him for eternity, able to enjoy Him fully once more, enjoying all that He has recreated and restored. That is the wonderful picture of Revelation 21v3-4, for that describes the rest once more, the rest as it was intended in Genesis 2, the rest we have been made to enjoy. Are you?

You can listen to the Genesis series of sermons here...