In our reading for today, God commands the people of Israel to partake in a day of rest and convocation (Leviticus 23:3). I don’t have time to go through all the ins and outs of the Sabbath and what it does or does not mean for today. However, I think it is clear that God is our creator, He is the potter and we are the clay, and He knows best. He tells us each week, we need to rest from our work and we need a time of public assembly and worship (convocation). I am 50 years old. Some will say that’s young and others will say I am old. Nevertheless, I have lived long enough to know that God is right about this. I have run myself ragged in work for years and so have many of you. God says rest. Also, I know that I need some time each week in worship to experience and think about something bigger than myself. Work your six days but take the Lord’s Day and rest and worship God.
Posts Tagged ‘Rest’
Day 55: Leviticus 21:1 – 23:8 — Rest and Convocation
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010Day 1: Genesis 2:1-3 – What Does Rest Mean To You?
Thursday, December 31st, 2009“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. 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 2:1-3, ESV)
As we begin our daily Bible Reading for 2010, we are blessed with the story of the creation. The creation story is pretty well-known, but as you read into chapter 2, it is obvious that we are reading the completion process of the creation. On the seventh day, God finished His work and rested. I know that there are many theological arguments that can be made and are made. Putting them aside in the context of this brief posting, I want to focus on the model of resting that God gives us. God models rest. Rest is part of the created order. It will later be commanded because of man’s fallen nature. Rest is important to our created order. Yet, we have lived and we continue to live in a world that pushes us further and further away from rest. I myself have struggled with rest…endless deadlines…the demand to put more hours in…the weariness and exhaustion…selfishness… narcissism, etc. Why? Many of the projects once important are no longer satisfying. Is Genesis reminding us that God created all things and that we are under His control? Rest is essential for us to be what God intended.
At our church, we have been participating in 40 Hours of Prayer. In one of my prayer sessions, I was focusing on rest. To be quiet and listen to God. I had the hardest time. I could not be still, I was constantly interrupting the quietness with thoughts of things that need to be done. I felt as if my prayer had to be a to do list. I had to mark off each person on my list I was praying for. Is rest, is quietness, is being still and knowing who God is an activity or is the moment set aside for rest, a moment when we need to listen? I believe that quietness is not a time of emptiness, or worthlessness. In reality, these rare moments of quietness and stillness when we can really be still and rest, we come to know God. It is that moment of rest that is holy, it is a moment when God speaks and we are in awe of the silence. These are moments of substance!
Question:
What does rest mean to you? How do you dedicate (make holy) time spent with God? If God modeled a time of rest, why don’t we?