Sunday Wisdom: The Gospel According to Genesis - Chapter 2 - A Day of Rest

Genesis 2:1-3 - 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.

God creates a pattern of rest for our flourishing. Rest so you can delight in what you have been given.  Why did God rest?  Did He need it?  Was He tired?  No, He never gets tired and He never stops.  He finished and completed His work of creation. He stopped to look back and delight in His work. He blessed and made the 7th day holy because we need this day to stop and remember our blessings.  Humans tend to forget their many blessings when they are wrapped up in their daily toils and cares. 

God gives complete rest in Christ! 

John 19:30 - When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus finished the works of salvation and reconciliation with God for us on the cross. 

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus gives us rest for our souls.  He does the work for us so we can rest in Him.  We don't earn it, we just receive it. Sabbath is a Person.  We find rest not in doing something or not doing something.  We rest in remembering and knowing Jesus. 

Colossians 2:16-17 -  Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Sabbath is not meant to be a legalistic ritual to follow like the Pharisees. 

Resting is trusting.  Trusting in the power and grace of an all-knowing God and His forgiveness and salvation. The truth is GOD IS GOD and in charge, and we are NOT!  

God promises a place where rest will never end. The Sabbath day does not have an ending like the other days that have a morning and an evening (beginning and ending).  He doesn't say this about the 7th day in Genesis because our rest “day” is forever because it is God. 

Revelation 21:1-4 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

We will have eternal rest in heaven with the Lord.  Rest from mourning, death, pain, or tears. 

Genesis 2:8-9 - And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Humans were made to work and cultivate God's garden.  We were made to work!  Work came before the curse.  It is NOT a punishment.  It gives us purpose.  We are meant to cultivate and guard what God places under our care, serving in His presence, according to His word. If we don't cultivate and guard, bad things enter the garden.  Like weeds and the snake that entered to tempt and bring destruction.  

God rested. He rested before He put man to work. We work and rest like God did in creation.  It is part of being image bearers of God. 

“Idol hands are the devil's workshop.” - Old Proverb 

or

Proverbs 16:27 - A worthless man plots evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

Genesis 2:15-17 - The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

What is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? The forbidden fruit is the selfish pursuit of knowing everything God knows and being our own gods.  When we know evil, we know death. 

The Curse - Now our “work” is seen as “bad.”  We hate it and speak of it as toil and burden.  Work is no longer seen as God intended.  If we toil aimlessly for our own pursuits of wealth and power and the temporary things of the world, our work loses its Godly purpose.  We feel empty and purposeless and see increased unhappiness and dissatisfaction with our lives.

Sunday Wisdom: The Gospel According to Genesis - Chapter 1

This sermon series has been so enlightening as it shows that Genesis is more than a history. It's importance as a message of the beginning and source origin of the world goes far beyond that creation narrative and reveals its true purpose as a foreshadowing and testament to the promised savior of the world.

The attributed Author of the book is Moses. He lived thousands years after many of the events he tells about, but his words were the inspired words of God. We know Moses spoke and received the messages of God for his people through the burning bush and on Mount Horeb.

The book of Genesis can be broken into two parts:

Chapters 1-11 - Primeval history 

Chapters 12 - 50 - Patriarchal history 

Genesis 1:1 - Who God is

Why do we need to study Genesis?

It establishes the right perspective about God.

It shows God's sovereign wisdom. 

God is the Creator. Only God creates out of nothing orderly.  He brought order NOT chaos.  He knew infinitely everything that was needed to sustain life. 

It shows God's Amazing Grace. We are only here by God's grace.  He created with grace. He punished with grace (Adam and Eve, Cain, the flood, etc.).

It shows God's Forever Faithfulness.

It shows us that nothing can derail His purpose. 

He keeps His promises! 

He comforts us with His presence.

It fuels our worship of God.

Revelation 4:11 ESV

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 5:9 ESV [9] And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation..."

The World tells us the creation of the world was a big accident (Big Bang Theory).  If you live like you came out of an accidental random event, you will live like you are an accident without purpose or intention.  We were created by intentional design, and we should live with intention and design to fulfill our purpose.  Science shows that nothing about creation is random chaos.  It has a perfect balance.  Only when that balance gets disturbed do things get chaotic and out of balance. Sin brings chaos! 

Genesis 1:1-25 - God's Creation…everything from nothing. God created by the power of His Word.  God is a speaking God. 

Hebrews 11:3 - Creation by the Word

John 1:1-4 - The Word is God and was with God.  Jesus is the Word.  He was the beginning.  Jesus is the Living Word. 

God created with Order.  Order from chaos. 

God is NOT a God of confusion but of peace. 

Evolution can't answer:

What is the origin of life? Where did the first matter or particle come from?  What is the origin of species?  How did the different species come about if not specifically created to be different? 

The importance of the meaning of a day in creation: At the very beginning, God shows us that he cares for us each and every day and will provide.  Jesus taught us to pray “Give us this day our daily bread.”  We pray each and every day for God's provision.  We don't need to pray ahead to store up for the future because God will still be there in the future to provide.  He is yesterday, today and forever unchanged!  

Genesis 1:26-31

Man - Created in the Image of God

What we believe about the Image of God affects our view of all the issues of today.

God created mankind to be like Him…but NOT to be Him.  We cannot be our own gods.  We are not creators.  We are supposed to be image bearers reflecting the greatness of our creator.  We display who God is and are beacons of hope to the world of who God is. God has characteristics that we can never attain…omniscience, eternity, perfection.  God does transmit His characteristics of love, grace, and the rest of the fruits of the spirit. God wants to communicate who He is through us. 

Living as an image bearer reflects who God says we are.  It changes the way we view others.  Our value is vertical not horizontal.  We should look to God above for our identity and not place our identity in the horizontal things of the world.  

Humans are created differently from the rest of creation.  He breathed life into us instead of just speaking us into existence.  He did it to show us a personal relationship with Him.  Breathing into someone is as close as it gets. 

God created mankind to be male and female.  He created us to be in relationship with one another because He is a God of relationship.  

God created mankind to be servant-rulers over the earth.  He gave us the job of being good stewards of His creation.  We have limited authority over the earth and will never have total dominion over the universe because that is God's domain. 

God gave us everything we could ever need to live in abundance and plenty.  And yet, if even one thing is denied to humanity, he will seek to have that one thing.  Our natural desire to not be denied and to have everything is the root of sin.  We let our selfish desires control us.  

40 Years in Pictures {Sherry Edition}

While the 40 years of my life may not have been the "perfect" life, I believe it shaped me to be who I am today.  Most significantly, I have been a part of so many different families through the years.  First, my family was my single biological mother and older brother.  My older brother often took on a caregiving role for which I am thankful.  He helped teach me to ride a bike (I do remember going down a hill and ending up in a bush).  He made up games for us to play together as we grew older.  He used his hard earned money from his first jobs to buy me beloved presents.  He chose for us to stay together through our family changes.  He was my constant for so many years.  Thank you, Paul!  Later, my family changed to a biological uncle, aunt and cousin we joined in Indiana for a time.  These fond memories stayed with me for a lifetime, and I was sad to hear of my beloved Uncle Ronnie's death in 2015.  He came to my wedding and also visited us in Charlotte a few years before we moved away.  My brother and I lived in temporary foster homes and then moved into a larger group home where we lived in separate houses.  I got to have many sisters and he many brothers for several years, and it was such a blessing to experience.  We met our forever parents at that home.  Later, we became a traditional family of four to which was later added some beloved pets (some cute parakeets, a sweet rabbit, and finally a beloved dog).  We became a minister's family and added many church family into the mix, and that was another blessing that changed our family dynamic.  Preacher's kids will understand.  You get so attached to church family and friends.  We said many sad goodbyes and made many new friends along the way.  College brought dorm and co-ed friends and family.  Work brought even more.  Then, romance blossomed into future family as many grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were added to the mix.  Then, marriage and children have continued to change that family.  We lost parents, grandparents, and a child along the way too which definitely affected our lives.   I think it is so important to step back and realize where you have been and how it shaped who you are and where you are headed.  It helps you be thankful for the blessings you have, and I have many.  I hope you enjoy this little walk down memory lane with me.  I do love old pictures and am so thankful for the ones I have.  

  

Circa 1980

Circa 1981

Circa 1982

Circa 1983

Circa 1984

An early picture of my first family with my biological mother and brother. 

Circa 1985 ~ probably my kindergarten school picture

Circa 1986 ~ meeting my new mother who came to be our house parent at the Children's Home. 

My second large family with my forever parents and a lot of sisters at the Home for Children. 

Circa 1987 ~ A beloved friend and sister at the children's home we called home. 

Circa 1988



First family portrait as a family of four. 

Circa 1989

Circa 1990 ~ A momentous occasion of my first trip across the country to visit my new Grandma and family in California after being adopted.  It was marked by my being the sickest I had ever been with a severe case of pneumonia.  I made the best of it after getting strong antibiotics and an inhaler for breathing treatments.  We still managed to visit Yosemite National Park, Sacramento, and San Francisco.  

Circa 1991

Circa 1992

Circa 1993 ~ my 13th birthday party

Circa 1994 ~ my modeling portraits during my brief attempt to learn to be a model

My mom's dear friend made so many beautiful dresses for me.  This one was for her daughter's wedding where I was an attendant.

My attempt at "freeze modeling."  Some stores would use "real" mannequins in their displays, and my class got a chance to participate.  I chose to focus on an object on the ceiling to avoid seeing people stare at me.  Haha!

Circa 1995 ~ 1st trip to Washington, D.C.

Circa 1995 ~ 15th birthday

Circa 1996

One last family portrait as a family of four before my brother graduated from law school and got married. 

Circa 1997-1998 ~ Junior Prom

Circa 1998-1999 ~ Senior Prom

Circa 1999 ~ High School graduation

Circa 2000 ~ A picture with my first baby boy, Jingles.  

Circa 2000 ~ the sweet beginning of our love story

Circa 2001

Circa 2002 - Engagement picture

Circa 2003 ~ A Bride

Circa 2003 ~ The beginning of our happily ever after. 

Circa 2003 ~ Our Honeymoon in Maui

Circa 2004 ~ 1st Trip to NYC

Circa 2005 ~ a visit with my Mom at our little town park.

Circa 2006 ~ Eddie's 10 Year high school reunion

Circa 2007 ~ Expecting our first baby. 

Circa 2007 ~ Evan is born! 

Circa 2007 ~ Our first family portraits

Circa 2008 ~ Evan's 2nd Easter

Circa 2009 ~ Spring family pictures

Circa 2009 ~ Evan's 1st Beach Vacation

Circa 2010 ~ Our first family trip to California

Circa 2010 ~ my first law school formal

Circa 2010 ~ one last family photo as a family of 3

Circa 2011 ~ Brody is born!

Circa 2011 ~ Brody's 1st Christmas

Circa 2012 ~ second law school formal

Circa 2012 ~ Our first family trip to Disney World

Circa 2012 ~ Our annual family beach vacation

Circa 2013 ~ Sherry's graduation from law school

Circa 2013 ~ Mattie Claire was born to be an angel in heaven. 

Circa 2014 ~ Our long awaited rainbow baby is on the way. 

Circa 2015 ~ Our beautiful rainbow Mattox is born. 

Circa 2015 ~ Our family portrait

Circa 2016 ~ Our little rainbow turns one. 

Circa 2016 ~ Our family vacation to Universal Studios and Harry Potter World. 

Circa 2016 ~ Our precious and gorgeous surprise rainbow Grayson is born. 

Circa 2017 ~ We head to Georgia to make new adventures in our new home. 

Circa 2017 ~ Our second family trip to Disney World. 

Circa 2018 ~ Our miracle rainbow baby girl is on the way. 

Circa 2019 ~ Our beautiful miracle girl Magnolia is born prematurely with a few minor complications, but we were so in love and so thankful. 

Circa 2020 ~ The year we lived in quarantine while saying goodbye to Georgia and planning for new adventures in South Carolina.  

Turning 40 in 2020 in the middle of a global pandemic seemed to require a special photo shoot.  My husband obliged.  

I can't wait to see what the next 40 years will bring!  We are just living and loving the adventure!