Day: Six Working Days Ordained
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The concept of six working days is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and is foundational to the understanding of time and labor in the Judeo-Christian tradition. This principle is established in the creation account and reiterated throughout Scripture, emphasizing the rhythm of work and rest ordained by God.

Creation Account

The pattern of six days of work followed by a day of rest is first introduced in the creation narrative found in the Book of Genesis. "And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished" (Genesis 2:3). Here, God sets a precedent by working for six days to create the heavens and the earth and then resting on the seventh day, establishing a divine model for human activity.

The Fourth Commandment

The six-day workweek is codified in the Ten Commandments, where God commands the Israelites to observe the Sabbath. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work" (Exodus 20:9-10). This commandment not only prescribes a day of rest but also implicitly ordains six days of labor, underscoring the importance of work in human life.

Sabbath Observance

The principle of six working days is further reinforced in the laws concerning the Sabbath. In Exodus 31:15, it is stated, "For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD." This reiteration highlights the sanctity of the Sabbath while affirming the expectation of diligent labor during the preceding six days.

New Testament Affirmation

The New Testament continues to reflect the six-day work principle, though with a focus on the spiritual rest found in Christ. Jesus Himself acknowledges the ongoing work of God, saying, "My Father is working until now, and I am working" (John 5:17). The Apostle Paul also emphasizes the value of labor, instructing believers to work diligently and not be idle (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

Theological Implications

The six-day workweek is not merely a legalistic requirement but carries profound theological significance. It reflects the order and purpose inherent in God's creation, where work is seen as a divine mandate and a means of participating in God's creative activity. The rhythm of work and rest serves as a reminder of human dependence on God and the ultimate rest found in Him.

Practical Application

In practical terms, the six-day work principle encourages a balanced approach to life, where work is valued and rest is honored. It calls believers to engage in their vocations with diligence and integrity, recognizing work as a form of worship and service to God. At the same time, it invites them to enter into the rest that God provides, both physically and spiritually, through the observance of the Sabbath and the rest found in Christ.

The biblical mandate of six working days, therefore, remains a timeless principle that shapes the believer's understanding of work, rest, and the rhythm of life ordained by God.
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Exodus 20:9
Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:
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Ezekiel 46:1
Thus said the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
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Library

The Sovereignty of God in Operation
... CHAPTER SIX THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN OPERATION. ... But now observe how God was secretly
working and over ... superintending everything that was done on that Day of days ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter six the sovereignty of.htm

Six Years in North Bengal --Missionary and Indigo Planter
... in our power to afford them much help...The day I received ... set up in the Mudnabati
house its working was explained ... six Mussulmans and six Hindoos at each place ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter iv six years in.htm

A Day to be Remembered
... must be a thing that is instantaneous, so that the working of salvation ... should he
give himself to Christ this day, on this particular day I think ... Seventy-six? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 46 1900/a day to be remembered.htm

Fourth Commandment
... said about rest for man is true for working animals. ... I believe it can be made the
brightest day in the ... that he would rather have the other six days weeded out ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

Carey's Last Days
... greatest of missionary scholars was still working for India. ... was ascending the heavens
towards the perfect day. ... before his death in Twenty-six Gospel Churches ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xvi careys last days.htm

The Life of Adam
... here he determined the works of the six days and the ... hereto he set a pain, saying:
Whatsoever day thou eatest ... first the craft of smithery and working of iron ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the life of adam.htm

Several Laws.
... as he had prescribed to them to rest from working every seventh day; and ordered ...
from twenty to fifty years of age, besides three thousand six hundred and ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 12 several laws.htm

Attitude of Men of the Present Day to War.
... of all" spend their lives in working, in seeking ... to the sum of knowledge, gaining
each day prosperity, ease ... In six months the generals have destroyed the work ...
/.../tolstoy/the kingdom of god is within you/chapter vi attitude of men.htm

From the Eleventh Chapter.
... Therefore their preaching is three years and six months, and the ... even he whose coming
is after the working of Satan ... by the same, and on the fourth day rise again ...
/.../commentary on the apocolypse of the blessed john/from the eleventh chapter.htm

Sovereignty of God in Administration
... about clouds bursting and flooding whole districts, working fearful havoc ... of this
we read, "In the six hundredth year ... day of the month, the same day were all ...
/.../pink/the sovereignty of god/chapter three sovereignty of god.htm

Resources
What is the Sabbath day? | GotQuestions.org

What is Seventh-day Adventism (SDA), and what do Seventh-day Adventists believe? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Lord's day? | GotQuestions.org

Day: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Day: Six Working Days Ordained

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Related Terms

Birth-day (2 Occurrences)

Holy-day (2 Occurrences)

To-day (208 Occurrences)

Sabbath-day (23 Occurrences)

Day-time (11 Occurrences)

Noon-day (8 Occurrences)

Day-star (2 Occurrences)

Day's (19 Occurrences)

Feast-day (5 Occurrences)

Judgment-day (4 Occurrences)

Mid-day (4 Occurrences)

Good-day (2 Occurrences)

Day-spring (2 Occurrences)

Festival-day (1 Occurrence)

Fast-day (1 Occurrence)

To-day's (1 Occurrence)

Day-break (1 Occurrence)

Preparation-day (1 Occurrence)

Three-day (2 Occurrences)

Seven-day (2 Occurrences)

Lord's-day (1 Occurrence)

Sabbath-day's (1 Occurrence)

Self-same (17 Occurrences)

Selfsame (18 Occurrences)

Servile (13 Occurrences)

Yesterday (13 Occurrences)

Yearling (48 Occurrences)

Sepulcher (48 Occurrences)

Susa (20 Occurrences)

Quail (5 Occurrences)

Quenched (22 Occurrences)

Sailed (28 Occurrences)

Xerxes (24 Occurrences)

Sixth (45 Occurrences)

Sunset (18 Occurrences)

Sailing (23 Occurrences)

Spoiling (20 Occurrences)

Shineth (13 Occurrences)

Yeast (48 Occurrences)

Vows (38 Occurrences)

Sheaf (11 Occurrences)

Vengeance (63 Occurrences)

Sepulchre (57 Occurrences)

Sorry (27 Occurrences)

Visitation (17 Occurrences)

Spent (76 Occurrences)

Quails (4 Occurrences)

Zeru'iah (24 Occurrences)

Kibroth-hattaavah (5 Occurrences)

Kibrothhattaavah (5 Occurrences)

Survived (15 Occurrences)

Succeeding (7 Occurrences)

Shadows (11 Occurrences)

Successful (16 Occurrences)

Swordsmen (8 Occurrences)

Saving (37 Occurrences)

Supposed (19 Occurrences)

Swords (50 Occurrences)

Spear (55 Occurrences)

Sang (28 Occurrences)

Spend (54 Occurrences)

Shave (19 Occurrences)

Sabbatical (1 Occurrence)

Servant's (29 Occurrences)

Zeruiah (25 Occurrences)

Kindle (25 Occurrences)

Sail (32 Occurrences)

Shouldst (61 Occurrences)

Shore (45 Occurrences)

Saveth (36 Occurrences)

Silent (120 Occurrences)

Sacrificing (39 Occurrences)

Serious (31 Occurrences)

Smiting (76 Occurrences)

Sacred (140 Occurrences)

Homes (43 Occurrences)

Kiriath-jearim (17 Occurrences)

Shine (62 Occurrences)

Day: Sabbath Day's Journey, About Two-Thousand Paces
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