This post brings us full circle back to day seven.
I started this discussion of seven segments of time with
the unusual approach by addressing the last segment, day seven first. As I
explained, my reason for this approach is because Human, was created last on
the sixth day and therefore experiences, day seven, Sabbath, a day of rest, as
his first day.
The obvious implication for humanity is, day seven “rest”
comes before “the work” of day one through six. So which is most important work
or rest?
There are six days set apart for work. However for
humanity, the day for rest is first. Creating a rather interesting balance, a
narrow path, if you will. Work is clearly important, as there are six days set
apart for it. However rest’s day has the unique importance of being first for
humanity. One cannot help but think of Jesus’ words in Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for
the Sabbath.”
None the less
the
answer to “Which is more important?” has to be, they are both important and one
cannot replace the other. For those humans who are unmotivated and inclined to sloth,
the narrow walk of faith is clear “work six”. For those inclined to never rest,
the narrow walk of faith is also clear, “rest first, on the seventh day, month,
year or seventh set of seven years” to prepare for the six of work to come. In
either rest or work having the order correct and the elements of time in their
proper place, appears to be of great value.
This
idea of preparation for the six of work to come, shows itself clearly for the
household of faith in Deuteronomy 15 and 31. Israel is instructed to release
all debts, as a way to have its economic system in a state of maximum
flexibility, as it comes to the seventh month of the seventh year.
There are also instructions to release slaves and to rest the agricultural land.
There are also instructions to release slaves and to rest the agricultural land.
Each
of these would have also had the economic effect of reset or new beginnings for
the upcoming six years of work. They each demonstrate a willingness to lay down
“our work” and fervent belief in new birth, life from the dead, and hope beyond
what our eyes can see.
For
me the adaptation of these concepts to modern life has a uniquely powerful
draw. How much more effectively could we be with our economic resources if we
adapted these ideas to our lives? But how? How do we return to this system?
What are the steps? Where do we start?
Some time ago, I ran across Jeff Benner’s white paper on the Hebrew word Shabbat.
In his piece Mr. Benner tells us that when considering
the word Shabbat using the ancient, Paleo script, one comes to understand
“Shabbat” as having a core meaning “return to the covenant”
But what covenant? There are a number of covenants in the
bible but one sticks out as a uniquely, “rest first” covenant. In Genesis 15 the covenant God makes with Abram is
completed when a mysterious open flame and a glowing red hot furnace passes
between cut up pieces of animals. The
passage records that Abram is asleep and in great darkness when this happens.
In other words he is at rest. His works will follow but for the moment of
receiving the covenant, he was at rest.
So also it appears, every time we rest in a set apart,
seventh segment of time, we also are joining or rejoining Abram’s “rest first” covenant,
or as Mr. Benner’s word pictures suggests we “return to the covenant”. After
all, it was while he was at rest that Abram received a whole new direction and
expectation for his life. I expect rest, as proscribed in the seventh segment
of time, can and will open a new beginning for us as well.
In doing so, our six of work will become more fulfilling
and productive. Even more important, we will begin to have the means to fulfill
another of God’s’ promises to Abram. “In you shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed” Genesis 12:3
A close study of Revelation 1 will reveal the identity of
that mysterious open flame and a glowing red hot furnace. Therefore our study
ends where it began resting in day seven, anticipating the LIGHT of day one.
