Today, we come to the seventh day of creation where we read that God rested. Why would God rest? Was the all-powerful God exhausted after all his work of creating? In flippantly asking this question, we demonstrate that we are modern people, far removed from the original audience of Genesis. In this episode, we will spend an extended time examining the ancient cultural context, particularly the literature surrounding near eastern temple dedications. There we find the concept of a god at rest in his temple. When God rests, he can begin to work, managing his world and receiving our worship. This is a radical mind shift for us, but deeply meaningful for our day-to-day relationship with him.
00:00 Opening comments
03:11 The seventh day
08:28 Understanding Genesis through ancient near eastern literature
25:18 What does God’s creation mean to us?
33:38 Closing comments
1. What evidence do we have that the whole cosmos is God’s temple?
2. Why did God cease from work on the seventh day
3. How did God make the seventh day holy? What does this mean in your life?
4. What is the connection between Genesis’ record of the seventh day and God’s instruction to the children of Israel to keep the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11)
5. How can you delight in God as you enjoy his good creation?
6. Has your study of this passage challenged you in your understanding of God and what he is like?
Episodes released every two weeks on Monday
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