Installment twenty-seven

At the end of our previous entry Mr. Anderson was asked if God rested
because He was tired. Here is Mr. Anderson's response:
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Installment Twenty-Seven:

"The Sabbath was not originated nor given to man because of weariness
on the part of either God or man. Of the creator, it is written that He
'fainteth not, neither is weary' (Isaiah 40:28); and man, who was 'in His
image,' knew nothing of physical deterioration and decay until after the
seeds of sin had been sown. If sin had never entered the world, there
would have been no such things as tired nerves or tired muscles, no
breaking down of the tissues of life, no sickness, no death. Therefore,
as the Sabbath was given before the Fall, its great and primary purpose
was not that man should merely cease from his regular employment,
but that he should enjoy the same 'rest' the maker enjoyed.
Keep this in mind, dear friends, for it is vital to an understanding of the
whole matter. He who sees in Sabbath keeping nothing more than the
laying aside of his secular labor for a certain twenty-four hours, and the
enjoyment of the privileges of rest, change, and church-going, has not
yet found the secret of the Sabbath as it was given to mankind.
As we have just read, God never wearies. He is the great I AM, the self-
existent One, who inhabits eternity, with whom years are not. Yet we
read that He rested. More than this, the Bible tells us that 'He rested
and was refreshed.' Exodus 31:17. His was the rest of a divine joy in
beholding the perfection of His wonderful handiwork and in receiving
from His earth children the love and adoration that sprang from their
quick-pulsing and worshipful hearts. It was the rest of communion,
of reciprocal affection, of heart understanding. And I believe that I
have often found, in my Sabbath keeping, a little fragment of the
restful joy and the joyful rest of that first Eden day when God rested
and worshiped with man. It is this beautiful experience that I wish you
all to know."
There were some who dared to say "Amen" and many present found
their hearts strangely stirred by the minister's words.
"But let me continue," he said. "That the blessedness of the first Sabbath
might be perpetuated, that its experiences might be multiplied and
known eternally by all who live upon earth, God arranged that each
succeeding Sabbath should be a repetition of the first. The record is,
'God blessed the seventh-day and sanctified it' - a statement which
carries in it the very fullness of divine purpose, divine power, divine
presence and wisdom.
Please note, first, that the Bible text speaks of the seventh day; second,
that it declares this day is 'sanctified' -that is set apart or appointed to
holy or sacred use. It is the seventh day, not a seventh part of time."
"May I ask, brother," said Mr. Gregory...
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To be continued...