Genesis Ch2v1-3 - Learning To Rest

Shortened, focused today. Genesis chapter 2, verses 1 to 3. Let's hear God's word.

Genesis 2:1–3

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

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 seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for your word for Genesis, the book of beginnings,

teaching us about you, teaching us about the world in which we live,

teaching us about your good order and design.

And we pray that as we look at the whole theme of rest today,

that you would teach us and instruct us,

not only that we would understand with our minds,

but that we would actually experience

all that you have for us today.

That it would change how we live this coming week.

And it would truly give us peace

as we enter into a new week.

Father, help us in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So how are you?

How are you feeling?

Let me guess that a big chunk of your answer,

somewhere in all your words,

there will be things like

busy,

tired,

exhausted.

I mean, I could just fall asleep right now.

And the sad thing is,

the solution to our hectic lives

is to work longer

and do more.

We seem to stuff more and more

into our life.

So we sign up our kids to more activities.

We volunteer at community groups.

We get involved in more ministry.

We go to every family birthday and celebration.

No wonder we get worn out.

We're in a state of restlessness.

And our desire for rest

always seems to evade us.

We rush to work.

We run to the next appointment.

We wrestle with over-commitments.

We're constantly striving to keep up and fit in.

frantically trying to reach our own standards

while desperately trying to meet

everybody else's expectations.

We've become a nation of worriers,

struggling with mental health,

dependent on that drink

to settle our worrying minds.

And sadly for some,

the only means of escape

is to end it all.

We are a restless people.

But guess what?

That's not how it was

at the beginning.

Let's look at this short text

and see what we learn about rest.

Four big things we're going to look at.

First, work is finished.

Look at verse 2.

By the seventh day,

God had finished the work

he had been doing.

If you could peer back in time

before the creation of this world,

nothing is there

except the self-existing,

self-sufficient God.

And then at God's decree,

something begins to happen.

Creation,

imagined in the mind of God,

begins to unfold.

The plan and design

start to take shape.

God's spoken word

enacts it all.

Forming the earth,

the light and the darkness,

the sea and the sky,

the land and vegetation,

and then with intricate precision,

filling those empty voids

with the sun and the moon

and sea creatures

and birds in the sky

and animals and mankind.

The master craftsman of the cosmos

is at work through his word.

Laws to keep the world spinning

in just the right speed.

Forces to keep the tides all in place.

Plants providing food.

Mankind ruling the earth.

Creation is one big display

of God's never-ending glory.

God's word has done its work.

As God spoke through the prophet Isaiah himself

telling us what his word is like,

here it is.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth.

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose

for which I sent it.

God's perfect spoken word

bringing creation

to its conclusion.

Can you picture God?

Surveying all that he has done,

towering over the universe,

creation in its vast array,

the infinite universe,

the ocean depths,

and as God stands back,

he declares,

it is finished.

The work is done.

No more forming or filling.

It's complete.

Everything is as it should be.

No faults and no mistakes.

Verse 2,

By the seventh day,

God had finished

the work he had been doing.

Now for us,

seventh,

this seventh day,

might be just another number

and another day

in the sequence of the week.

But in the Bible,

it's full of symbolism.

Seven means fullness

or completeness.

So when God stops his work

on the seventh day,

he's declaring to us

that his work of creation

is complete.

It's perfectly finished.

No more tweaking or fixing.

Everything is as it should be.

Now that doesn't mean

that God has stopped work

altogether.

Scripture reminds us

that God continues

to sustain the world

by his powerful word.

God still works,

but he has finished

the work of creation.

Everything

is wonderfully complete

by the seventh day.

So the work is finished.

Second,

rest from work.

Let's read verse 2.

By the seventh day,

God had finished

the work he had been doing.

So on the seventh day,

he rested

from all his work.

When our work is done,

or not done

as the case is usually,

usually the way,

we rest,

don't we?

We sit down,

we get a cup of tea,

we relax,

we rest,

because we're tired,

we're worn out

physically,

emotionally,

mentally.

Everything is pressing in

and squeezing us

to death

and we just need to

rest.

Well,

God rests too,

but not because

he's tired.

Keep your finger

in Genesis 2

and jump with me

to Psalm 121.

Psalm 121.

Psalm 121.

See what it says?

The first few verses,

Psalm 121,

Psalms 121:1

verse 1.

Speaking of our creator God,

I lift up my eyes

to the mountains.

Where does my help

come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip.

He who watches over you

will not slumber.

Indeed,

he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

Back to Genesis 2.

You see,

our creator God

does not need sleep.

He doesn't get tired

or worn out.

So,

what does it mean

when we read in Genesis

that God

rests?

Well,

when the work is finished,

there is nothing

left to do

except enjoy

everything that's been done.

It's like

cooking a meal.

All the work

has been done

and everything's prepared

and it's all cooked

and it's set before you.

You rest

and you just enjoy

what's before you.

Well,

God's rest

is delighting

in all he has made.

You see,

the climax of creation

is not day six

when God created mankind

in his image.

The climax of creation

is day seven.

He creates a day of rest.

In other words,

rest is the goal of creation.

This is what it's all

building up to.

This is the crescendo.

This is what it's all about.

God has created us

so that we might

rest and enjoy it

with him.

Like an artist

who paints a picture.

When they finish painting,

they put the brushes down

and they sit

and they just gaze

in delight

of what they have done.

They admire the wonder

and the beauty

of their work.

But it's not enough

for the artist.

The artist must take

that picture

and hang it

in the public gallery

so that others

can come in

and sit

and enjoy

their handiwork

and be amazed

at what is before them.

And so it is

with God.

He wonders

at the work

of creation.

Everything

in its place.

But it's not enough.

God longs

to share

that creation

with us

so he

makes us

so that we

could enjoy

his works

with him.

He made us

so that we

would rest

with him.

In fact,

it is an

eternal

rest.

Did you notice

how each day

of creation

ends?

Look back

in chapter 1,

the end

of verse 5.

Genesis 1,

the end

of verse 5,

and there was

evening

and there was

morning

the first

day.

End of

verse 8,

and there was

morning

the second

evening

and there was

morning

the second

day.

Verse 13,

and there was

evening

and there was

morning

the third

day.

And on it

goes for the

first six

days of

creation.

There's a

beginning

and there's

an end.

Evening

and morning.

Now look at

the seventh

day,

chapter 2,

verse 2.

We don't

have,

and there was

morning

and there was

evening

on the

seventh day.

There is no

end to

the day.

That's the

point.

It's a

continuous

rest.

When God

finished his

work,

it doesn't

come to an

end,

it just

goes on

for an

eternity.

God

enters into

an eternal

rest.

All of

creation

fulfilling

their role

and purpose.

Mankind

living as

God's image

bearers,

reflecting God's

good and

loving rule.

You see,

when we,

his creatures,

live according

to God's

design and

order,

then we

find true

rest.

No more

striving and

no more

frustration.

Peace,

harmony,

and contentment

with God.

There is no

restlessness.

So the

work is

finished.

There's rest

from work.

And then

there's

remembering

the rest.

Look at

verse 3.

Then God

blessed the

seventh day

and made

it holy

because on

it he

rested from

all the

work of

creating that

he had

done.

This

continuous

rest that

God had

entered was

to be

remembered and

celebrated by

God's people.

God declared

it.

This is to

be holy.

This time

of rest is

to be set

apart,

to be treated

as different.

It was

the beginning

of a

covenant

rest.

What we

see here is

God entering

into a

relationship with

his creation

and blessing

his creation.

God and

man in

perfect harmony.

There's no

hint of

opposition against

God's rule,

just humble

submission to

everything God

says.

Mankind

enjoying God's

rich provision

and living to

serve the

glory of

God.

What a

beautiful

picture of

covenant

rest.

There's no

fighting.

There's no

wars.

There's no

news channels

with the

latest crime

or flood.

No

wickedness

or evil.

No

suffering or

struggles.

No

frustrations

or striving.

It's a

world that

is truly

blessed.

Here's

true

happiness

right here.

But rest

we do

not have,

do we?

The eternal

rest designed

by God

was broken

as mankind

rebelled

against his

rule.

The light

and the

order of

creation

turned into

darkness

and disorder

and chaos.

The covenant

broken,

the relationship

damaged.

They had

fallen for the

lie as we'll

look at in

chapter 3.

Living for the

lie that you

will find a

great arrest.

Be your own

God.

You can do it.

rest.

It brought

restlessness.

But God's

plan for

creation was

never derailed

because God

sought to

rescue and

redeem

mankind

from the

misery and

suffering

so that we

could be

at rest.

In fact,

God gave

us laws,

gave his

people laws

to remember

the rest

that we

were intended

to enjoy.

have a look

with me

please in

Exodus

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20.

Here we

see God's

laws given

through Moses

to the

people so

that they

would know

the rest

that God

had come

to give.

Exodus

Exodus 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20

which are

the Ten

Commandments

and we'll

pick it up

in verse 8.

So at

this stage

in the

Bible story

the rest

has been

lost.

God brings

his good

laws,

his good

rules to

remind the

people of

where they

can find

rest.

And this

is what God

says in

verse 8.

Remember the

Sabbath day

keeping it

holy.

Six days

you shall

labor and

do all

your work

but on

the seventh

day

is a

Sabbath

to the

Lord your

God.

Sabbath

simply means

rest.

On it

you shall

do no

work.

Neither you

nor your

son or

daughter or

your female

or male

or female

servant

nor your

animals

nor any

foreigner

residing in

your towns.

For in

six days

the Lord

made the

heavens and

the earth

the sea

and all

that is

in them

but he

rested on

the seventh

day.

Therefore

the Lord

blessed the

Sabbath day

and made

it holy.

There's

three things

that would

help them

to know

the rest

that God

would give

that God

intended.

First

that they

would be

refreshed.

People

were to

rest

from their

work.

In fact

everyone

and everything

the animals

and as we

dig into

the laws

even the

land

was to

be

rested.

Have a

look at

Exodus

23

just jump

over the

page.

Exodus

Exodus 23:12

23

verse

12.

23

verse

12.

Six

days

do your

work

but on

the

seventh

day

do no

work

so that

your

ox

and

your

donkey

may

rest

and so

that

the

slave

born

in

your

household

and the

foreigner

living

among

you

may

be

refreshed.

God

wanted to

remind his

people of

what

creation

was like.

To set

this day

aside he

wanted to

give them

a taste

of what

life was

like without

sin and

rebellion.

A life

of continual

refreshment.

Back to

chapter 20.

chapter 20.

Lord the

God

God

I'm your Redeemer.

I alone give you the promised rest that you long for.

But not only redemption,

but also relationship.

The day of rest was put in place to remember

the covenant relationship with God.

Have a look in Exodus chapter 31,

Exodus 31 · chapter mention

so a few chapters on.

Exodus 31, verses 16 and 17.

Exodus 31:16

Exodus 31, verse 16.

Exodus 31:16

The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,

again meaning rest,

celebrating it for the generations to come

as a lasting covenant.

It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever

for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth

and on the seventh day he rested

and was refreshed.

A day to remember the relationship

that they have with God.

To bring them back to the creation

that was enjoyed at the beginning.

Man and God in perfect harmony,

living under his good and gracious rule.

You see, God's law isn't harsh.

Can you see the heart of God

for his restless, broken people?

I alone can refresh you.

I alone can redeem you.

I alone can give you a relationship with me

that will satisfy you and fulfil you.

Are you hungry for that kind of rest?

So how do we get to experience this rest?

Are we meant to kind of dig back into Exodus

and read through and follow these laws too?

What if I don't have an ox or a donkey?

Then what?

Or what if my boss tells me I need to work?

Then what?

What if I have to go to Dunn's later on

and work at the till?

Are we meant to follow all these laws too?

Well, the law functioned in two ways.

First, the law reminds us

of what life is meant to be like.

It kind of gives us a picture,

a taste of God's creation rest.

God is saying,

this is what it's like.

But the other way the law functions is

it reminds us

that we can't actually keep God's law.

No matter how many laws

God put in place of the people,

they failed to grasp

and keep the rest that was on offer.

In fact,

there was a special time of rest.

The 49th year,

seven times seven.

Remember that year,

seven being a time of completeness

and perfection?

It was called the year of Jubilee.

When all debts would be cancelled

and lands would be handed back

and people would be let go

and everything would be,

it was like a restart button.

Everything would go back

the way it was meant to be.

God's good law.

Do you know how many times

they celebrated it?

Not once.

Never once do we read in the Bible

God's people celebrating Jubilee

because they failed to follow God's law.

All God's law did was remind them

that you failed again.

You failed again.

You cannot keep the rest.

You see,

the laws that God has given

speak beyond ourselves

to someone else.

The laws are all fulfilled in...

They're fulfilled in...

Hello?

Jesus.

They're fulfilled in Jesus.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 11.

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

Familiar words.

Matthew chapter 11.

Matthew 11 · chapter mention

And verse 28.

Listen.

Come to me,

all you who are weary

and burdened

and I

will give you rest.

The word

that spoke creation

into existence,

the word that enacted

God's eternal rest

has become the

living word,

the incarnate word,

the word made flesh.

And the word of Jesus

now speaks to us

who are restless.

Come to me

and I will give you rest.

In me

is where you will find rest.

Of course,

the rest that Jesus offers

is not a perpetual holiday,

but rest from living life

as if we were God,

as if we created the universe

and we're centre of everything.

It's rest from trying

to meet our own standards

and rest from trying

to meet the expectations

of others.

It's rest from trying

to keep up

and fit in.

It's rest from seeking

to live life

apart from God

and doing things

our own way.

Look at verse 29.

Take my yoke

upon you

and learn from me

for I am

gentle.

I'm not harsh.

What I say to you,

what I give to you

is not harsh.

I'm humble

in heart.

That is,

he's lowly.

He's down at our level.

He's accessible.

It sounds a contradiction,

isn't it?

Take my yoke

upon you.

A yoke

was a big

wooden

heavy beam

that went from one ox

to the other ox.

It was a weight.

And now Jesus

is saying,

take my yoke

upon you.

But here's the thing.

What does he say?

Verse 30,

my yoke is

easy

and my burden

is light.

My yoke

is full of kindness

and full of grace.

It is not harsh.

It's not overbearing.

Jesus is saying,

submit to me.

Surrender your life

to me.

Come under

my yoke.

It's really

a non-yoke.

It's a non-weight.

Submit to me.

Live your life

under me.

Walk with me.

Listen to me

and you will find

rest from

all your restlessness.

Do you know

what qualifies you

to experience

this rest?

Do you see it

in verse 28?

Jesus doesn't say,

when you've managed

to get rid of

all that burden

you're carrying,

when you've managed

to stop having

such a wearisome life,

when you've sorted it out

and got your life

in order,

come to me

and I'll give you rest.

No,

pay attention.

Come to me,

all who are weary

and are burdened

and can't keep up

with this rat race

of life

and all that's going on

and the pressures

and the burdens.

Come to me

just as you are.

no hiding

and I

will give you rest.

Jesus makes it

crystal clear,

chapter 12,

verse 8,

just a few verses on.

He declares,

for the Son of Man

is Lord

of the Sabbath,

ruler

of the rest.

I own

rest

and I

give

rest.

rest.

I am the one

who will

refresh you.

I am the one

who will

redeem you.

I am the one

who can restore

your relationship

with God.

Apart from me,

there is no rest.

How could Jesus

say this?

Well,

the answer

comes

from the

final cry

of Jesus

from the

cross.

One last

reference

for us

to look at.

John,

John 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19.

John's gospel,

chapter 19.

John's gospel,

chapter 19,

verse 28.

John's gospel,

chapter 19,

verse 28.

Jesus is on the cross.

He's coming to the end

of his life.

Verse 28,

later knowing that

everything

had now been

finished.

All his obedient life,

all the work

the father

gave the son

to do

is finished.

And so that

scripture would be

fulfilled,

Jesus said,

I am thirsty.

Verse 30.

When he had received

the drink,

Jesus said,

it is

finished.

finished.

With that,

he bowed his head

and gave up

his spirit.

What's

finished?

The work of

redemption

is finished.

The God

who finished

the work

of creation,

the God

who brought

his creative

work to

completion

so that

there was

nothing left

to do

except to

enjoy it,

is the same

God who cries

to us

from the

cross.

I have

completed it.

I finished

the work

of salvation

for you.

Rest.

Rest.

I've carried

the weight

of sin

and guilt

for you.

I lift

the load

of worry

of your

constant

failing

and falling.

I've

taken

your

restless

sinful

life

and I

give you

rest.

My work

is finished.

Enjoy

it.

Now

and forever

more.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

Father, we

are amazed

to hear

afresh

your word.

That word

spoken at the

beginning of

time

to bring

this world

into existence,

to bring it

to a state

of perfection

and completion.

And that

same word

speaking to us

today into

the darkness

and chaos

and disorder

of our

own life.

It is

finished.

Come to

me,

all you

who are

wearied and

burdened,

and I

will give

you rest.

Confess

your sin.

Let it

all out

before him.

Cast

all your

anxiety

on him.

Give it

to the

creator

and sustainer

of the

universe

who has

your life

in your

hands

the very

day you

were born

and the

very second

you will

die.

Submit

to him,

surrender

to him,

walk with

him,

live under

his word,

and no

rest

today.

Thank you,

Father.

Amen.

We're

going to

sing.