Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ,
we read, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of
me, to do thy will, O God. And that comes from Hebrews chapter
10. And that's taken from Psalm 40,
verses seven and eight there. But the volume of the book is
specifically referring to the head of the scroll. And the head
of the scroll are the knobs, literally the knobs on a scroll. And what it, the meaning, what
it's signifying in the volume of the book, what it's signifying
is that from the very, very beginning of the book, where that paper
attaches to that wooden dowel that goes between the heads,
the volume there, it's speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so the significance, what
our God is telling us is that every book, every book from beginning
of the book to the end is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not the least of which books
is the book of Genesis that we've been studying in. And our Lord
is telling us that he has appointed his son, Jesus Christ. to be the God-man mediator, the
Savior of His people. It's all about Him. You that would know the true
and living God Look to the Lord Jesus Christ in all things. He is all the salvation of his
people. He has been appointed of God
to fulfill, to ratify, to establish the covenant of God's grace with
his people. And this glorious, gracious salvation
is being declared to us in the creation account. All of creation
is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's turn to Genesis
chapter 2. We're going to pick up in Genesis
chapter 2 looking at the first three verses. We've been looking
at creation, and so far we've seen the first six days of creation. And as we go through them, we're
beholding the Word of God, who created all things, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And we've seen in each and every
day a type of what our Savior has done in accomplishing the
salvation of his people. It's declared in each day. Let's just look at these days
real quickly. Day one, we read of the uncreated
light. God brings forth light. He brings forth light to shine
upon the dark planet. It's the uncreated light. And that light declares God's
design, God's purpose of grace for a people that he would put
on this planet. And we know that light speaks
to the son of God, who is the light and life of men. It pictures the Lord Jesus Christ,
who the word of God, who came in the flesh and is the light
and life of men. Day to them. It speaks of the
firmament which God made to cover the earth. That firmament is
the expanse that God made in which all living things dwell. Without that covering, there
could be no life on earth. And that covering is a picture
of the sin-atoning covering of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom
his people have life, in whom his people live and enjoy all
the spiritual blessings of God. Day 3, having made that sin atonement,
having made that covering, Day three declares the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, which we see pictured
in the land appearing up out of the watery grave. Day four
declares the ascension, having risen from the dead, having justified
his people, the Lord Jesus Christ ascends and is glorified, exalted
by God in heaven. And the sun, the moon, and the
stars are left as a witness. First, in creation, the sun,
the moon, and the stars are a witness of that uncreated light that
we don't see or understand. It's a witness of that light. And these picture the witness
spoken of by the apostle John when he speaks of the witness
in the earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood, which are
a type of or a picture of the Holy Spirit of God, the water
is the Word of God by which we are washed, and the blood speaks
to the blood-redeemed Church of God, who together bear witness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then on day five, With the witnesses
declaring, pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, we see the result
of that witness of life abundantly springing forth, life teeming
in the waters and the fowl of the air. And then day six, we
saw a picture of God's blessing of grace, which is manifested
in the Lord's people in the new birth, the new creation. And we are created in the image
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So I want to read first in Genesis
1 verse 31, the last verse there, and then we'll go into chapter
two. And God saw everything that he
had made. And behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning
were the sixth day. In other words, everything is
declaring to us so far what Christ has accomplished in the salvation
of his people. Thus, verse one now, thus the
heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And
on the seventh day, God ended his work, which he had made,
and he rested on the seventh day from all his work, which
he had made. And God blessed the seventh day
and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all
his work which God created and made. So we're told on day seven
now that God, having finished the work completely, his response
to completing the work of creation was to rest. And when he rested,
it signifies to us that there was nothing left to do. Nothing could be added to perfect
it, to make it any more perfect. If anything was added to perfection,
it would cease to be perfect. God was satisfied, so he rested
himself from all further work. It was complete, finished, nothing
more to do. Has anyone ever made you a meal,
a plate of food? Typically when they do, they
ask you, how do you like it? And sometimes our response is,
it's perfect. It's perfect. Well, if you then
proceeded to pick up a salt shaker and sprinkle salt on that food,
then you really can't say that you think it's perfect because
you've added something to it. You may love the dish. You may
be very happy about it. You may be thankful for the food,
and you're just adding a little salt to improve its flavor, to
suit you more. You may love it, but you can't
call it perfect because you've added something to it. If it's
perfect, you rest. You cease from any further labor. All that's left to do is to eat
it and to enjoy it. That's all that's left to do.
Remember that illustration when it comes to the salvation of
the Lord Jesus Christ. The scriptures declared to us
that what he did is perfect. Nothing more can be added to
it. The people of God rest in the
finished, completed work of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ for
his people. This is what's being declared
to us in the seventh day rest. Rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. I've titled this message, The
Seventh Day Rest. So if God rested on the seventh
day, which men call the Sabbath day, what's the significance
to us? What's the importance of God
resting on the seventh day? What's the importance for us
as believers? Well, we've seen now that creation
is not just talking about things that God did to create the earth,
but each and every day has a purpose. Each and every day is declaring
to us the Lord Jesus Christ. It's declaring what Christ has
accomplished for his people in their salvation. So what's the
significance then? If each and every day so far
has been declaring Christ and the salvation of his people,
what does this seventh day rest say to us? What's its significance
for us as believers? Talking about Christ crucified,
men say that when Christ was crucified, that is the pinnacle
of our history. That is the pinnacle of our history. That's when everything came together
when Christ was crucified for his people. And I agree. I don't
argue with that at all. That really is. What could be
more greater than Christ obtaining the forgiveness of our sins and
life for his people, delivering them from eternal death and giving
them life, restoring that life, that fellowship, that friendship
between us in Christ and holy God. than what Christ did there
on the cross for his people. Well, if that is the pinnacle
of our history, and all of creation is speaking of that day, is declaring
to us what Christ did in that salvation, well then we have
an idea of what this seventh day is declaring to us as well. It's not teaching us about physical
rest from our daily labors and work. That's what religion teaches
us. Instead, the seventh day rest
is declaring to us to rest in the finished work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just as he did everything in
those first six days for the deliverance of his people, to
give them life in himself, just as our God rested from his labors,
we see being declared to us, you rest. Rest, trust, believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing more for you
to do. It's perfect. It's perfect by
the Lord Jesus Christ. The work is finished. that resting from our fleshly
works in order to make a righteousness for ourselves which men teach
under the law or pointing to creation saying well it's a creation
ordinance to rest if all we see is a physical resting of our
bodies we're missing what our God is declaring to us in this
creation account in these first seven days, the declaration of
the Lord Jesus Christ. To now go and do a physical religious
ceremonial thing and resting from physical labor is the opposite
of what the Lord is teaching us about resting in the salvation
God has provided the Lord Jesus Christ. God and Christ finished
the work of salvation. It says in verse 2 that on the
seventh day God ended his work which he had made. In verse 3
it says in it he had rested from all his work which God created
and made. The whole time the physical world
is being formed and laid out and put together by the Lord,
he was looking toward that redemption work of Jesus Christ for his
people, the redemption of his bride. There's a reason why all
the Old Testament, throughout the Old Testament scriptures,
it's constantly pointing back, it's constantly tying the Lord
Jesus Christ to the creation. What he did in accomplishing
our salvation, it ties back to the creation account. There's
a reason why Revelation 13.8 calls our Lord the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. It's picturing, it's declaring
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world from the very beginning. This was the gracious purpose
of your God from the moment He shined that uncreated light on
this planet. declaring God had a gracious
purpose for the people that he would create and form and put
on this planet. He had a gracious purpose for
a chosen elect people whom he gave to Christ and would redeem
them by his darling son, without anything from them, but all entirely
done by the Lord our God and Savior. You know, we'll be coming
soon to the fall of man here in Genesis. And it's declaring
to us that we all sinned in Adam. We're all sons and daughters
of Adam's seed. When he rebelled against God,
we rebelled against God. And in that rebellion, he died. He became defiled. He was corrupted
and everything about him was corrupted. He became dead in
trespasses and sins, so that when we are conceived of our
parents by our father's seed, we are inheriting that same corruption
of Adam. We're inheriting that same corruption.
We're all born of that corrupt seed, so that just as Adam died
spiritually, we come forth spiritually dead. Adam is said to be a living
soul. Christ Jesus is said to be the
life-giving spirit. Adam can't give life to us physically,
but we all die. We're all spiritually dead in
Adam. But Christ is a life-giving spirit. He gives that spiritual life
which we don't have by nature. He's the one that gives, who
restores that fellowship with holy God. The gospel of our God
is that he gave his son, he spared him not, but delivered him up
for all his people when he went to the cross to make an atonement
for the sins of his people and to give spiritual life to his
people who were born of Adam's corrupt seed. Full, free, sovereign
salvation is what Christ accomplished. He accomplished, he finished
the work to deliver his people from death. When he was on the
cross, he cried, it is finished. And he bowed his head and he
gave up the ghost. Then and there, the work of salvation
was finished, it was secured, it was accomplished by the Lord
Jesus Christ. Just as he did in the beginning
when he fashioned the world by the word of his power, the work
being ended, he finished, we're being told when Christ was on
that cross crying, it is finished, that the work of salvation is
done. It's entirely done. Turn to Hebrews
1. Let's go to Hebrews 1 and look
at the first three verses. And don't turn from Hebrews too
quickly. Hebrews 1 verse 1. God, who at sundry times, various
times, and in diverse manners, spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds. who being the brightness of his
glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding
all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty
on high. Now what is the significance
of that glorious word that Christ sat down? What is the significance
in relation to the salvation he obtained for his people? Well
let the scriptures tell it to us. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
10. Hebrews 10 and let's go to verse
9 through 12. Then said he, lo, I come to do
thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
he may establish the second." In other words, that first covenant
of works that he may establish the covenant of grace. By the
which will, the gracious will and purpose of our God to redeem
a chosen people given to Christ before the foundation of the
world. By the witch will, we are sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth
daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. Why did Christ sit down if all
the other priests are standing daily offering the same sacrifices
over and over again? Christ sat down because the work
was finished. He finished the work of salvation. What can you do to a finished
work? Nothing but rest in it. Rest
in him. The gospel is good news. That
salvation isn't out there as a possibility. The gospel is
good news because it's declaring to sinners that the work has
been finished. It's accomplished. Everything
necessary has been done in and by the Lord Jesus Christ himself. God is looking to the sinner
for nothing. He looks to his son for everything
for the sinner. And the sinner looks to Christ
believing, trusting everything has been given that needed to
be given by Jesus Christ himself for his people. God is satisfied with his son. He said, this is my beloved son
in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. And God makes His people to be
satisfied with the Son just as He is satisfied with the Son. We have been commanded by God
to proclaim this glorious good news to all, and those who hear
it and believe it do confess Him as their all. And by believing
it, they're testifying to the gracious work that God has brought
in them. Their faith is not a product
of their flesh but a testimony to the power and glory of God
to give that dead sinner life in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Those works do follow. Because
Christ has accomplished salvation and nothing shall prevent his
glorious salvation from being wrought in his people whom he
died for, whom he gave his life for. He gives life to all whom
he loves and gave himself for. They shall hear, they shall believe,
they shall live in the Lord Jesus Christ because He's accomplished
the whole thing. It's a perfect work. It can't
be derailed. Nothing can stop it. It's done. It's done. Everything is done
in Christ. So the work of salvation is finished
in Christ. And if it's finished, rest in
the Lord Jesus Christ. God is satisfied with his son. We're justified in him. How do
we know that we're justified? Because he raised him from the
dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ
declares to us that we are justified, that God is satisfied, that everything
that was necessary has been paid in full. God is satisfied, so
his people are satisfied with the salvation of Christ as well.
The seventh day rest is declaring to God's people that we are to
rest in him. in Him who created all things,
in Him who obtained that salvation for His people. God rested, His
people rest in Him also. Those who are looking to a Sabbath
day rest and a physical day, whether they call it Saturday
or they call it Sunday, they're missing what God is telling us
from the very beginning, from the volume of the book, from
the very, very first book of all the books, which declares
to us Christ. Those who are looking to a physical
day are missing that it's all speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every single day has declared to us what He's done. Why is
the seventh day any different? It's not. God rested, and we
do rest. Thankfully, we rest in the Lord
Jesus Christ. We rest in Him who is the Savior,
who is the salvation of His people. It's all completed. His people
rest in Him, and while they rest, They cease from their own ways,
they cease from finding their own pleasure and speaking their
own words. Now those are phrases which are
found in Isaiah 58. Why don't we turn there, let's
go to Isaiah 58 and look at verses 13 and 14 because this is a place
where Legalists or Sabbatarians often go to justify resting in
a physical day and doing this work of salvation to please God
and to obtain more blessings of God in their keeping this
Sabbath day rest. And they're missing Christ. They're
not hearing Christ. They're not seeing Christ in
this word. And yet, in the volume of the
book, from the beginning all the way to the end it speaks
of Christ. So Isaiah 58 verse 13 and 14
the Lord tells us if thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath
meaning turn away from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and
call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honorable and
shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own
pleasure, nor speaking thine own words. Then shalt thou delight
thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high
places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob
thy father, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken him. Man loves to bind men with a
physical Sabbath day rest. And they say, well, it's spoken
of back there in creation. It's not just in the Ten Commandments,
it's spoken of back in the creation account. And they're missing
everything that the creation account has been saying to us.
It's Christ. It's Christ. It's Christ crucified. It's what He accomplished for
us by Himself. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is
the Sabbath rest of His people. All His people rest in Him. They delight themselves in the
Lord. They call the Sabbath delight. You who believe the Lord Jesus
Christ, who rest in Him and trust His blood is sufficient to save
you to the uttermost, are delighting in the Sabbath rest of God. You are delighting in Him whom
God sent to obtain eternal redemption for you. You that rest in Him
can do nothing more. He has perfected everything. And you can add nothing more
to what he's done. And so we rest in the Lord, and
it speaks of us feeding on the heritage of Jacob, their father.
And I have to say this, because it delights my heart. Why doesn't
it say Abraham? Or why doesn't it speak of the
heritage of Isaac? Why does it speak of the heritage
of Jacob? And that's because Abraham had
his Ishmael, and Isaac had his Esau. But the twelve sons of
Jacob were all washed in the blood of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus
Christ. All twelve sons were delivered
by God and given life in the Lord Jesus Christ. They were
all children of promise. None of them was lost. You might
look at their lives and not believe and say, man, these guys were
messed up. They were sinners. They did foolish
things. We see unbelief in their lives. And yet, every one of them was
a child of God because Christ finished the work. God looked
to them for nothing. He looked to the Savior who provided
everything for them. And we that are feeding upon
the heritage of Jacob, are feeding upon the Lord Jesus Christ, upon
His body, and upon His blood. We feed upon Him. He is our salvation. And so the Lord is saying to
all for whom Christ died, it's finished. None are lost. All
his sheep hear the word. All his sheep believe. All his
sheep are gathered into the fold of Christ. He said, other sheep
I have who I must also bring. They shall hear. They shall be
heard. In this one fold, both Jew and
Gentile, under this gospel, you that believe him rest in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Sabbath rest of his
people provided by God. That's what our God is declaring
in the seventh day rest. Rest in him whom I have sent.
I finished everything in Christ. Don't turn to the law of Moses.
Instead, call the Sabbath a delight. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's a testimony to all who do that they are covered by the
blood of Christ, that this salvation declared in creation was for
them in Christ. Amen. All right, let's close in prayer,
and then we'll be dismissed for about 15 minutes. Our gracious
Lord, we thank you, Father, for this glorious salvation which
you have accomplished in your Son, Jesus Christ. How that every
day is speaking not just of what you physically formed and created,
but it all testifies to what you have accomplished in your
Son, Jesus Christ, for your people. Every day speaks to the accomplished
salvation work of our Savior. And Lord, just as you rested
from all your labors in creation, so we, Lord, are made by your
grace, by your spirit, by your power to rest in that finished
work of the Son of God. Lord, thank you for this grace
and mercy. Thank you for your abundance
of spiritual blessings, all given to us freely in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Lord, help us to hear it. Help
us to believe it. Help us to call the Sabbath a
delight. to delight ourselves in Him and
to rest in Him, being satisfied even as you yourself are satisfied
with Him. It's in Christ's name we pray
and give thanks. Amen. Okay.