The creation narrative in Genesis closes with the account of God's ending his six days of creative activity by resting on the seventh day. Later, God revealed to Moses the Ten Commandments, which include the commandment to observe one day a week during which neither humans nor beasts are to work (Exodus 20:8-11).

Interestingly, the fourth commandment speaks not so much of a day of worship as a day of rest. We should understand the commandment to rest from our normal work not so much as a "must" but as a "may." Jesus told us, "The sabbath was made for humankind and not humankind for the sabbath (Mark 2:27). God gave the commandments not as a burden, but as a blessing. And, if obeyed, they lead to a happy, fulfilling life.

In the creation account, the writer of Genesis reveals something about the nature of God. In contrast to the gods of the Babylonian creation epic, Yahweh was not impatient about his creation. He was satisfied with his work and rested because he was confident that his creation was good.

Both in Adam's day and in ours, the observance of a day of rest underscores the truth that our hope lies in God. Christians believe that the world is in God's hands, and we demonstrate this faith by taking time to pause from our incessant endeavors.

The day of rest also reminds us that perfected peace and tranquility will one day come to earth. The Lord's day is a time when we are reminded of what life will be when God's will is as fully established on earth as it is in heaven. Our observance of a day of rest witnesses to our trust he will bring to completion the purposes for which he designed the created order.

The day of rest is not escape from our responsibility in the world. Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann rightly said, "The rest to be granted is not a sleep to escape history. It is the freedom and well-being of a new kind of history" (Genesis, p. 36). The Lord's day permits us to relax and to reflect on the most important aspects of life; it offers us the opportunity to ponder the reality of the new humanity which Christ is creating. The day of rest is a time for repentance, forgiveness, gaining perspective and receiving new strength - a preparation for the six days to follow.

Then, God ordained a day of rest because we need it. After the French Revolution, the government abolished Sunday and divided up the month in three 10-day periods. This plan eventually failed because society began to fall apart for the lack of rest. Throughout history, cultures which ignore the Lord's day soon lose their vitality and national drive. It has already happened to Russia and China. Is it happening to America? All God's commandments, including the command to observe a day of rest, are given for our good. We find great blessing when we order our lives according to the Lord's direction. Daniel Webster once said, "Sunday is nature's law as well as God's."

Scripture contains special promises for those who observe the day of rest. My favorite is Isaiah 58:13-14:

If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and hold the day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

We all tend to neglect the Creator who made us; we are also prone to forget what he intended for us to become. A renewal of Sunday observance could become America's first step back to spiritual restoration, sanity, hope - and God.