We still think the seven day week capped with a rest day is a good idea. The world over, time is divided into seven day units. one of them is a day of rest. This idea is used throughout the earth.
Did God first give the idea to men at Sinai? It could be that the week already existed in some form but God simply blessed it and made it holy to his people. God changed it but it did not begin here. Perhaps.
One might ask, "Why a seven day week?" Why not five or six or ten? Does anyone know? I do know there is a hypothesis that seven is about the limit to a man's perception ability. One cannot quickly see more than seven objects. We cannot keep in our brain more than seven names at a time. I think my limit is actually a bit less. To be able to hold seven at a time takes genius. But it is the human limit.
God provided a rest day. But how many of us actually use it for rest? I think God was saying we need rest. For our mental health we should take a day off. God certainly did not actually need rest. He is God. He rested as a model for us to follow. We need to have rest periods.
What defines rest? I think Sunday worship can be a time of rest, where we let go all of our cares and problems and praise God. We can get lost in looking to God. Rest needs to involve letting go of worries for a while. I don't think I could do it for a whole day. But an hour, even fifteen minutes would help my mental health a lot.
I can get busy with all sorts of distractions. I have a lot of little hobbies and pastimes along with some actual work. Are the hobbies rest time? Sometimes they add to the tension and pressure I feel. They do not do as much to relax me as a few minutes focusing on God, a quiet time if you will.
What does rest mean to you?
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