Genesis 2:1-4

Summary

Jose Gonzalez, Liv Leon, Melanie, Fatima, and Marissa began the session with prayer requests and administrative updates, including encouraging attendees to access prior sessions on the Response to Grace Church website and noting that the current study would cover Genesis Chapter 2. Jose Gonzalez led a detailed study of Genesis Chapter 2, emphasizing the shift to the name "Lord God" (Yahweh Elohim) and exploring the deep biblical significance of the number seven (\Chevy\) and the concept of "rest" (\Shabbat\) as representing completion and eternal rest, which attendees Suheiry Rosario, Natalee Gonzalez, Hillary Nunez, Liv Leon, and Jomyra Crespo contributed to. The main discussion focused on the Sabbath, the Sabbath year, and the Year of Jubilee, with Jose Gonzalez arguing that Jesus is the fulfillment of all these concepts, providing eternal rest and declaring himself Lord of the Sabbath.

Details

Opening and Prayer Requests Jose Gonzalez opened the session by welcoming attendees including Liv Leon, Melanie, Fatima, and Marissa. Before diving into the topic, he initiated an open floor for prayer requests (00:00:00). Requests included Lizzy’s need for prayer for upcoming block finals to be eligible for her airframe exam, and Melanie's request for Asher in school (00:01:17).

Accessing Previous Sessions Jose Gonzalez advised attendees who missed previous sessions to watch the recordings on the "Response to Grace Church website or app," under the "virtual community" and then "learning archive," which cover Genesis chapter 1. They mentioned the current session would focus on Genesis chapter 2 (00:01:17).

Thematic Approach to Biblical Study Jose Gonzalez explained that the session on Genesis 2 would cover potentially controversial topics, which they would unpack through the lens of the Bible itself, without assuming anything or viewing it through any specific religious perspective. They emphasized the Bible's self-illuminating nature, where subsequent verses and chapters clarify previous ones through contrast and pattern recognition, revealing themes and "hyperlinks" throughout (00:02:16).

Administrative Items and Prayer Jose Gonzalez directed attention to two links in the chat: a feedback form for anonymous input on the class and a contact list to receive private messages with the session link 30 and five minutes before the start (00:04:09). Following this, they led a prayer, thanking God for life and the online community, asking for empowerment and understanding of the word, and praying for the attendees' anxieties, studies, and freedom from distractions (00:05:02).

Introduction to Genesis Chapter 2 Jose Gonzalez began the study of Genesis chapter 2, verses 1-4, which describes the completion of the heavens and the earth and God resting on the seventh day (00:07:04). They noted that this subject, particularly the concept of rest, is often shallowly understood, and they promised to deepen the attendees' understanding (00:08:19).

Distinction of God's Name and Title Jose Gonzalez highlighted a shift in nomenclature between Genesis 1 and Genesis 2:4, noting that while Genesis 1 uses the title "God" (Elohim, meaning spiritual being), Genesis 2:4 introduces "Lord God" (Yahweh Elohim), revealing the specific name of the God who created everything (00:08:19).

Repetition and Nuance in Genesis 2:2 Jose Gonzalez led a discussion on the repetition found in Genesis 2:2, with Suheiry Rosario and Natalee Gonzalez pointing out the phrases "seventh day" and "his work which he had done" (00:10:20). They noted that seeing what is the same helps identify what is different, which is the word "rested" and the concept of "completed" (00:11:30).

The Significance of the Number Seven (Chevy) Jose Gonzalez introduced the Hebrew word for "seventh," Chevy (like the car), explaining that it represents "completion" in the Bible (00:13:41). They noted that the number seven throughout the Bible ties to either completion or rest (00:14:41).

The Meaning of "Rest" (Shabbat) Jose Gonzalez explained that the Hebrew word for "rested" comes from Shabbat, which means "to stop," confirming that God stopping work on the seventh day did not imply being tired. This concept of the seventh day is connected to rest, completion, and God's work (00:15:45).

Patterns of Seven in Genesis Jose Gonzalez demonstrated that the number seven, representing completion and rest, is woven into the structure of Genesis, noting that Genesis 1:1 contains seven Hebrew words. They also showed that Genesis 1:2 contains 14 Hebrew words, a multiple of seven, indicating the widespread presence of this pattern throughout the Bible (00:17:46).

The Eternal Nature of the Seventh Day Jose Gonzalez asked attendees to recall how the first six days resolved, which Hillary Nunez and Liv Leon noted included the phrase, "and there was evening and there was morning" (00:19:54). Jose Gonzalez pointed out that this resolution is missing for the seventh day, which Jomyra Crespo identified, concluding that the seventh day was intended to last forever, representing eternity, or "settling in with God" (00:21:58) (00:26:01).

Loss of Eternal Rest and Subsequent Work Jose Gonzalez explained that human beings forfeited this eternal rest by deciding not to trust God in Genesis chapter 3, which led them back into work (00:26:01). They contrasted this with the ideal in Genesis 1 and 2, where human beings were created to "co-rule" and enjoy eternal rest (00:26:51).

The Sabbath as a Reminder of Ideal Rest Jose Gonzalez traced the word Sabbath, synonymous with rest and the number seven, through Exodus 20 (00:28:02). They explained that after rescuing the people from Pharaoh's oppression and constant work, God instituted the Sabbath as a reminder, instructing them to stop working on the seventh day and live as if they were in the garden, trusting God (00:29:48).

Deepening Understanding of Sabbath with Leviticus Jose Gonzalez expanded the Sabbath concept beyond the weekly rhythm by introducing the Sabbath year in Leviticus 25 (00:32:41). This commanded that not just people but the land should rest every seventh year, freely providing food without the need for human work, and also included the release of debts (00:33:48).

The Climax: The Year of Jubilee Jose Gonzalez introduced the Jubilee, or the "Sabbath on steroids," occurring every seven times seven years (00:37:30). This mega Sabbath was proclaimed with a ram's horn and consecrated as "the favorable year of the Lord," where debts and servitude were released, and any land that had been sold was returned to its original owner, symbolizing restoration and a foretaste of paradise (00:39:32).

Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Sabbath Jose Gonzalez connected the Sabbath concepts to Jesus in Luke chapter 4, highlighting that Jesus' custom was to enter the synagogue on the Sabbath (00:43:33). Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming release to captives, recovery of sight, setting the oppressed free, and announcing "the favorable year of the Lord"—the year of Jubilee (00:44:31). Jesus stated that this scripture was fulfilled in their hearing, declaring themself to be the embodiment of all the rest, completion, forgiveness of sins, and freedom represented by the Sabbaths (00:45:36).

Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath Jose Gonzalez further supported Jesus’ fulfillment of the Sabbath by citing instances where Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and delivered a man with an unclean spirit, demonstrating that He provides rest, healing, and deliverance (00:47:42). They emphasized Jesus’ declaration, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath," asserting that He is the one who gives rest, and the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the reverse (00:49:45).

The Eternal Rest and Trust in God Jose Gonzalez concluded by summarizing that the Sabbath ultimately points to Jesus as the provider of eternal rest (00:51:54). They clarified that while some might choose to honor God by resting on Saturday as a foretaste of this eternal rest, it is not a mandatory 24-hour period to be idolized (00:54:01). The wisdom behind the Sabbath is trusting God’s abundance and provision, not working oneself into exhaustion (00:56:03). Both Saturday (Sabbath, eternal rest) and Sunday (Resurrection, new creation) are beautiful and point to Jesus (00:57:05).

The Finality of the Cross Jose Gonzalez ended by drawing a connection between the Sabbath's theme of completion and the cross. They noted that Jesus’ last words, "It is finished," align with the idea of completed work on the seventh day, and Jesus then rested on the Sabbath before resurrecting on Sunday, illustrating the entire theme of rest and completion fulfilled in them (00:58:54).

Reflections on the Sabbath and Rest Jose Gonzalez wrapped up the discussion, acknowledging the depth and volume of the material covered. They emphasized that the Sabbath, like Jesus, offers rest, encouraging participants to move beyond superficial understanding and see Jesus as the source of rest from anxiety, sin, and worldly struggles (00:59:44). Jose Gonzalez prayed for everyone present to enter into God's rest, trust that God will provide, and be empowered to take time off one day a week without worry (01:00:42).

Resources for Further Discussion Before closing, Jose Gonzalez directed participants to resources for follow-up questions and continued conversation. Specifically, they mentioned a feedback form in the chat for additional questions and invited them to join the virtual community chat in the RTG app to share their thoughts and continue the conversation (00:59:44).