Creation Days: The Seventh Day (evening)

 

"And there was evening..."

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The world had been spoken into existence, shaped into distinction and given creatures to rule over it in wisdom all in the first six days, but the seventh day was reserved for rest. On this day, God presides as King over His creation, considering its beauty and shining His glorious light upon all, establishing the sabbath and making it holy.

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Sabbath rest has a threefold implication: judgment, enthronement and a rest from labor. While each of these are distinct aspects of the sabbath, they converge in the activities of worship on the sabbath day. Judgement, in this sense, is not one of wrath but of God surveying His creation, of considering whether it is worthy of blessings or curses. All liturgy is therefore performed before the Divine gaze, for His consideration and judgement, that His people may commune with Him in holiness. The royal enthronement of God is also a consistent theme of sabbatical worship; in the tabernacle, the mercy seat is a throne for God, a theme later clarified by Solomon who proclaims that the temple is a "place for His enthronement." Lastly, those who belong to God and participate in worship are to enter into the rest which extends freely from Him. As Hebrews says, "there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God; for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his labors as God did from his."

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The last aspect of the sabbath was emphasized in the Old Covenant. In the levitical law, all work was to be suspended from Friday evening to Saturday evening. This intentional rest from all labors would symbolize a temporary death, the casting off of worldly needs, the laying aside of earthly cares. The culmination of this act is revealed on Holy Friday through Holy Saturday, (evening to evening) as the Son of Man lay entombed, finishing His work and resting from His labor, that all things could begin again.

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The seventh day however is not the end. The sabbath of the Old Covenant was in shadow and symbol. Christ is present but hidden, as if illumined only by the moon. But the moon must give way to the sun; darkness to light; evening to morning.

Part 11 of 12 of the Creation Days series