Exodus 25:1—31:11 contains the revelation of God to Moses concerning all the matters of the tabernacle and His service. Immediately following this is God’s further word on the Sabbath. Since God’s word on the Sabbath was written as the conclusion of all the revelations in the preceding chapters, it must surely be significant. In Genesis 1, after all things had been created in six days, there was the Sabbath on the seventh day. In the same way, after all things were revealed to Moses concerning the Lord’s work and the services of the tabernacle, the Lord reminded the people of Israel to keep the Sabbath. After all the divine work is the Sabbath.
We must consider the principle and the meaning of the Sabbath. For six days God worked in creation. After God had done everything and all things were completed, accomplished, and finished, He kept the Sabbath. Therefore, the Sabbath is the result of God’s work. In this result, that is, on the Sabbath day, God rested. Exodus 31:17 says, “It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” God not only needs to rest but also to be refreshed. The result of the divine work, which is the Sabbath, was that God could rest and refresh Himself. This result was an enjoyment for God, and God rejoiced in this result.
After we have finished a certain work, we then enjoy it. This is especially true with the sisters who cook. After they have done everything in their kitchen, they sit down at the table and enjoy what they have done. The table is the “Sabbath” to them. They sit there, enjoy it, and are refreshed. However, after a mother has finished her cooking, she does not go to the table by herself. She goes to the table with her children. The table is not an enjoyment to her alone; it is an enjoyment to her with her children. Without her children she could not rest. Even though the cooking is completed and the whole table is prepared, could a proper mother sit down, eat well, and enjoy rest and refreshment if her children were missing? The table is not for the mother alone but is for her and her children. On the first Sabbath day, after the conclusion of the creation, God did not rest alone. All creation rested with Him, and God especially rested with the man He created.
To God the Sabbath was the seventh day. To man, however, the Sabbath was the first day. Man was the final item of God’s creation and was created on the sixth day, probably toward the end of the sixth day. Therefore, immediately after man had been created, he entered into the Sabbath. All the divine work was done by God. Nothing was done by man. Therefore, the Sabbath is the result of the divine work and is the rest to God with man. Man’s obligation to God is not to work but to enjoy. The obligation of the work has been borne by God already. God’s portion is to work and enjoy, but man’s portion is simply to enjoy.
However, after the enjoyment there is a further work. After Adam had been created by God, he entered into the Sabbath, the first day to him, to rest and to enjoy. But after that day, he began to work, to till the ground (Gen. 2:15). With God, work is first and enjoyment is second. With man, enjoyment is first and work is second. This is the vision of the principle of grace. God did the work and then enjoyed. We enjoy what God has done; then we work.
This principle applies not only to creation but also to redemption. The Lord has accomplished everything for redemption. After the completion of His redemption, the Lord enjoyed the result. The Lord worked first and enjoyed later. We, however, enjoy first and work later. Concerning redemption and grace, we have nothing to do. Everything is finished. We simply enter into the Lord’s accomplishment and have our rest. To receive the gospel is to enter into the work which the Lord has finished. Take it as the Sabbath, as your rest, and enjoy it with the Lord. But after you enjoy it, you have to bear some obligation to work. After our enjoyment, we should offer ourselves to the Lord to do His work.