The Long Quiet: Day 6

 

                                                        unknown title and artist

Genesis 1: 24 Then God said, "Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind-- livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals."  And that is what happened.  25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind.  And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us.  They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.

27 So God created human being in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

28 The God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply.  Fill the earth and govern it.  Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.

29 The God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.  30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground-- everything that has life."  And that is what happened.

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

In six days, God created light, heavens and earth, time and all the plants and creatures within the earth, as well as man and woman...

When we were led to go to a Messianic synagogue and learn more about the Jewish faith, the bedrock of our own Christianity, one of the things that struck me deeply was that the pace of a week was completely different.  We learned to follow the rhythms of time that faith embraced.  

The sixth day of the week was the last day of work.  Many Jews have strict rules about how they live within the realms of time.  The sixth day ends, and the seventh day begins at sunset on Friday.  So, the sixth day is a day to complete a week's work as well as prepare for the seventh day.   Many Jews will not even light a fire (or turn on a switch) to cook or light a room or warm it in the winter. 

Jewish tradition says that Sarah lit candles on the Sabbath evening that lasted through the week.  So yes, a great deal of effort must go into the sixth day.

God completed the creation of the world in six days.  He gave light, and darkness.  He gave life to everything.  Note that he seems to have thoughtfully looked at all these creatures and said, "And I have given you food to eat...". Food he'd prepared before he created a single creature or human!

Why should I feel surprised that God is not only creative, and organized, but also practical?   He's met our needs before we were even created!