Title The First Sabbath/Genesis 2:2
Content Source: Gwangju Eunpyeong Church Student Council
◎Genesis 2:2 ◎Explanation (26)-The First Sabbath
God's creative work is now complete. As you can see here, God is the One who, once he has started a work, is sure to finish it. There are many cases in which people start work and fail to complete it because of laziness, lack of ability, or various other reasons, so it is difficult to fully trust people. But God is perfect and omnipotent. He is also faithful to his plans and will. For this reason, we also have to run without rest and fully achieve the vision we have promised to achieve before God. I hope that you will give up on the habit of giving up because it is difficult and live a life doing your best until you achieve your “vision” as if God’s creative work was perfect.
Last time we looked at “It is finished”. This chaotic world has become a complete piece of work in perfect harmony, with no chaos or chaos. At this time, God declared rest. It means everything is over. “Now the work is done. This is the first Sabbath when he proclaimed, “Now is the Sabbath.”
The Israelites, who are now listening to these Genesis words in the wilderness, did not have a Sabbath when they were slaves in Egypt. Because they were Pharaoh's slaves. There is no Sabbath for slaves. There is only endless work. They put the soil here and there, and they put the soil there over there, and they work endlessly. Because slaves are working animals, they killed those who had nothing to do. Slavery is not working for a purpose, but working for the sake of work itself. The same is true when studying. A student who studies to achieve my life's goal and my vision is doing well, but a student who studies for the sake of studying without a specific purpose is no different from a slave.
The Israelites were slaves. They always have to do something. They have to do things that have nothing to do with their vision. If I don't work, I get anxious. After bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, God gave them a Sabbath. Gentlemen, just think how burdensome and awkward this first Sabbath must have been for the Israelites. It's really hard for them to go through a whole day doing nothing. The first Sabbath for the Israelites, who had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years, could not help but feel burdened. So a man was so anxious on the Sabbath that he went to wood and was stoned to death.
Look at the admissions students. If I don't study even for a day, I get anxious. I don't study because of progress, but because I am anxious. No matter where I go for a while, I always bring a book to study in my bag. It's not about studying. Because if you don't take it with you, you're worried
God strongly commanded the Sabbath day for the Israelites because they were no longer slaves. “Keep the Sabbath. You are no longer slaves!” In other words, they are no longer working hard to survive, but are working as co-workers in God's creation, so they are told to rest unconditionally on the Sabbath.
Today we must take back this Sabbath. It doesn't just mean that you don't work on a Sunday and rest at home. What is the meaning of labor, why do you work to get a job, whether you are struggling to make a living, and whether you are participating in God's work of salvation as a saved person. I need to check whether the study I am doing is pleasing to God or struggling to make a living.
This is the conclusion of today's sermon.
God has declared the first Sabbath to us today. The Israelites who received this proclamation had many difficulties in keeping the Sabbath because they still had the habit of long-term slavery. That's it. The habits of the past within us are obstacles to our approach to God. When we work and study on Sunday, we return to our sinful life toward Egypt. What must we do so that we do not return to the homeland of sin again?
It is to realize the true meaning of the Sabbath. Now, next time, I will declare the true meaning of this “first sabbath”.