Genesis 2:1-3
Note: None of the divisions and numberings of chapters and/or
verses in the bible (Old or New Testament) are in the original texts, thus
Genesis 2:1-3 might be more logically included with Genesis 1.]
Genesis 2:1
“The heavens and the
earth” echoes Genesis 1:1, bookending the story of the days of creation.
Genesis 2:1 ‘The word “finished”’ translates from the Hebrew word kalah,
which means “complete” or “accomplished.” This word also means “‘bride”’ in
Hebrew. It also sounds a lot like the Hebrew word challah, which is a
Jewish braided bread eaten on the Sabbath day.
This may be a pun intended by the author.
Genesis 2:1 The word “host”’ translates from the Hebrew word tsaba.
It carries the connotation of “army” or
“war.” In this verse, a masculine plural ending is used. The feminine plural
form of the noun is used found in the name Yahweh tsabaot, or “LORD of
hosts” or “Jehovah of the army” or “Jehovah [leader] of the army.” The
implication is that the earth itself and other heavenly bodies -– the sun, moon
and stars – are all part of God’s army along with humankind. All of these may be included in the ‘host’ who visited at the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:13 “And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God.” Thus, “hosts” signifies
the heavenly army,” perhaps even a ‘military choir.’ The newborn baby Jesus is the LORD of hosts
come to lead us in battle against the forces of evil,
Genesis 2:2 “Work” translates
from the Hebrew work m’lakot. This word is the feminine plural of m’lak,
which means ‘‘angel’’ or ‘‘messenger.’’ This is the same root word found in the name
Malachi, which means “my messenger.” The root word suggests that much of God’s
work is accomplished by His messengers or, those He has authorized to do His
work. M’lak may also be related to the Hebrew word ‘melek’ which
means “king” or, with a feminine ending malkah or ’queen.’ Melchizedek (melek
tseddeq) thus can mean “worker of righteousness,” or a righteous person
doing God’s work. Compare with Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my
glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
[Cross-reference to (Moses 1:27-40)
Genesis 2:2 “Seventh”
(shᵉbiʻîy) and “rested” (shâbat) are both different forms of the
same Hebrew word, sheba’, which means “all, complete, done, or rest.”
This is why the seventh day is called the Sabbath. Thus, Sabbath connotes both
“one day out of seven” and “rest or completion of work.” (Technically, Sunday, the Christian holy day,
is the first or eighth day in a week.)
Genesis 2:3
God acts in three
ways on the seventh, or Sabbath, day, suggesting how we also might act on that
day.
a. He
blesses it. barak
b. He
sanctifies, or makes it holy. kadosh
c. He
rests. shaba
Genesis 2:3 One way we can remember the Sabbath day and make it holy
is to enjoy and be grateful for God’s great works and amazing creations which
He finished on that day.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shares insights into how God
Himself kept the Sabbath day holy in a Seminary and Institute video produced in
1999 called, “Upon My Holy Day.”
“There are at least two ideas in that verse [Genesis 2:3)
that intrigued me and teach me more about my Father in Heaven. First of all, it says that God, even the
greatest of all - He who has omnipotent strength and unlimited creative powers
- felt the need for rest, felt the need to step away from the six days of His
labor and, in so doing, to renew. Because we are created in the image of God as
these very scriptures in Genesis inform us, we would do well to follow His
example in all things including this one.
If our Father in Heaven found renewal and serenity and strength in
setting aside a day of reflection and regeneration, surely we will be
benefitted as well. That's point number
one.
“Point number two in this story is that God blesses the
seventh day. How was it the scriptures
say, or makes it holy. Because
everything is so good after six days, He looks out over His handiwork and
declares it not only good but very good.
In fact, it's terrific. The book
of Genesis says, “And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in
it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Genesis
2:2). When He looked upon this beautiful
earth and the plan of salvation that had been outlined for us here, when he
looked upon the wonders of creation and all that make up the abundance of our
lives, the delight of this was so evident to our Father in heaven that He just
had to stop and call a special day, literally a holy day. It was to be the best day of the seven,
concluding the absolutely magnificent six other days. It was the best of the best.”
Jeffrey R Holland, "Upon My Holy Day" (1999)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9VW8PRIqFI&t=308s
Minutes 2:05 to 4:08
Full video 17:39 minutes
[Note: this is not the same as the Holland video on the
media page of churchofjesuschrist.org]
Genesis 2:3 Joshua Abraham Heschel, a leading Jewish
theologian, notes that the first thing that God sanctifies, or makes holy, is
not a thing: it is time. He wrote an entire, insightful book on this subject,
The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man (Joshua Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath:
Its Meaning for Modern Man, pg. 9. Noonday Press; New York. 1951).
Later in scripture,
both people ( Exo 19:6 ‘And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an
holy nation’) and places (Exo 3:5 ‘. . . for the place whereon thou standest is
holy ground’; Exo 26:33 ‘. . .and the vail shall divide unto you between the
holy place and the most holy’) will be described as holy, but the first is a
day.
Genesis 2:3 The seventh day may be a symbol of the seventh
thousand year period of earth’s existence in the bible, or the millennium. John
uses several words from Genesis 2:1-3 (: heaven, earth, sea, holy, God, and
bride) in his description of the millennium in Revelation 21:1-6.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,
coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her
husband.
Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I
make all things new. . .
Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done.
Genesis 2:3 Note that day seven does not end with the
pattern established in Genesis 1 for all six previous days “And the evening and
the morning were the [seventh] day.” Does
this suggest that – in some way- the first Sabbath day never ended, and thus
all of earth time , all of earth life is a blessed and holy ?
