After man was created, God looked over all that He had made and said it was very good. Then on the seventh day God rested. Everything was beautiful and peaceful. But now sin has spoiled everything, and there will not be any lasting peace on earth until God makes “a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). We who are saved have peace in our hearts now, and when we get to heaven, we will be in God’s rest forever. If anyone who reads this is unsaved, there will not be any rest for you, unless you accept Christ as your Saviour. “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:2121There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. (Isaiah 57:21)).
The Sabbath
The Sabbath (the seventh day) was God’s promise of rest on the earth, but sin soon spoiled it. Man never could, and never will, obtain rest by his own obedience. The Lord Jesus, the obedient One, died in order that blessing might come to fallen man. The Sabbath is for God’s earthly people, and when the Lord Jesus reigns over the earth in a coming day, the Sabbath will be kept again. But we are a heavenly people, and our rest is in heaven, not on the earth. We keep the first day of the week (Sunday) just as the early disciples did (Acts 20:77And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7)). It is the Lord’s Day, (Revelation 1:1010I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (Revelation 1:10)) and we should try to spend it in a special way for the Lord and not for our own pleasure. Perhaps there is some little friend we could bring with us to Sunday School, or some sick person whom we could visit, and tell them about the Lord Jesus.
The Garden
God planted a beautiful garden where Adam was to live, and filled it with lovely fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. A great river flowed through the garden to water it. There was everything in it to make Adam happy. Adam could eat of the fruit of any of the trees but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and God said he must not eat of that one, for if he did, he would surely die (verse 17). Adam had only one command to keep, and he could fully enjoy everything in the garden.
Then God brought all the animals to Adam for him to name them. Lions, bears, cows, horses, and all the other creatures — Adam gave them all their names.
But Adam was alone, so God made a wife for him to be his companion and helpmeet. He put Adam into a deep sleep, and took out one of his ribs, from which He made Eve to be his bride. Now Adam had someone with whom he could enjoy everything God had made for them. This would remind us of what the Lord Jesus passed through on the cross. The deep sleep tells us of His death for us. He gave Himself, in order that He might have a bride, which is made up of all those who accept the Lord Jesus as their Saviour.
Further Meditation
1. For whom is the Sabbath?
2. What are some ways that you could freely serve the Lord on the Lord’s Day? What does it mean to devote that day to Him?
3. You might find some help in understanding the specialness of the Lord’s Day without thinking of it as the Christian Sabbath if you read the booklet The Lord’s Day: Do You Devote It to Him? by A. H. Rule.