How does Genesis 1:23 connect with the Sabbath rest principle in Exodus 20:11? Overview of Genesis 1:23 “`And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.`” (Berean Standard Bible) Linking Day Five to the Sabbath Rhythm • Genesis 1:23 marks the completion of the fifth literal, 24-hour day in the creation week. • By recording “evening and morning,” the verse locks Day Five into a rhythm that will span six days, culminating in God’s rest on Day Seven. • Exodus 20:11 takes that same six-day structure and applies it to human life: “`For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested.`” Patterns Established in Creation • Sequential Order: – Day Five (Genesis 1:23) shows God’s work still in progress. – Day Six will complete the creative acts, making the seventh day a genuine rest, not a pause in unfinished business. • Divine Example: – God works—then rests. – Humans are commanded to mirror that cycle (Exodus 20:11). • Sanctified Time: – Each “evening and morning” defines sacred, measurable periods. – The Sabbath inherits that sanctity, set apart by God Himself. Implications for Sabbath Rest Today • Literal Week: Because Day Five is presented as a real day, the entire week—including the Sabbath—stands as a factual, divinely instituted pattern. • Work-Rest Balance: The repetition in Genesis 1:23 encourages diligent labor within God-given limits, anchoring rest in His completed work. • Worship of the Creator: Remembering that the fish of the seas and birds of the air were formed on Day Five directs Sabbath worship toward the Creator who filled the sky and seas before He blessed a day for human rest. |
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