In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1,5
Here’s a Bible trivia question for clever students. When did God create the universe? I mean, on what day did He speak the known universe in existence? The answer might surprise you.
You might think: God rested on the seventh day, which on the Jewish calendar is Saturday, so He must have begun creation on the first day, which was Sunday.
However, the Bible makes it clear that God began creating everything on Saturday Night! In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was marked off as beginning on Friday evening and continuing through the day on Saturday. As such, the seventh “day” is Friday evening and Saturday daytime. Thus, the first “day” began Saturday evening and continued into Sunday. God started our universe off on a magnificent Saturday night.
It was a very memorable Saturday night – memorably recorded in verse 5: there was evening and there was morning, the first day (1:5). In fact, each of the first six days of Creation are recorded with this significant pattern of night and then day: there was evening and there was morning, the second day (1:8); there was evening and there was morning, the third day (1:13); and so on.
In consideration of that first great week – and God’s famous rest on the seventh day – the Fourth Commandment gives to mankind rest one day in seven (Exodus 20:9-10). What are we supposed to do with this special day of rest? We are to spend the whole time in public and private worship and doing works of necessity and mercy (Westminster Shorter Catechism #60).
Before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, God’s people were to observe this rest on the seventh day (again, Friday evening and Saturday morning). Then, the most astounding event in human history occurred: Jesus rose from the dead Sunday morning. That morning, women arrived at His tomb in a form of worship: they brought spices to embalm His body. However, they encountered an angel who told them, “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.” (Matthew 28:6). The angel instructed them to tell the Disciples to meet Him that evening in Galilee. They met Jesus there. “And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.” (Verse 7).
As you can see, on that first new day – the first Sunday of the resurrection era – Jesus was worshiped in the morning and evening. With Jesus’s rising from the dead, God had transformed the pattern for His Creation. Ever since, God’s people have been observing the sabbath command to rest one day in seven, only now on Sunday. Significantly, we are to worship our Creator in the morning and evening on this precious day of rest. The Creation pattern has been doubly reversed from evening and morning on the seventh day, to morning and evening on the first day.
What are some of the most overlooked deals in Indianola? 1) $8 pulled pork combo lunch at Betty’s Place, 2) free music on first Thursdays at the BB King Museum, 3) free First Friday Film Fellowship at First Presbyterian Church, and 4) glorious worship Sunday morning and evening in the house of the Lord. As you plan your calendar, consider the beauty of being alongside those who love to hear God’s Word preached. God created the universe and sent His Son to give you a full day of rest in His beautiful world. I hope to see you at Betty’s Place and in God’s house.
