Creation, the Sabbath, and Babylon
In this essay, I will discuss some issues which relate to the Church. We will go over the world’s creation for the sake of the Church, the Sabbath considering the creation narrative, as well as the Babylonian captivity and its effects on the Israelites.
When a Catholic individual hears the words “The Church”, they might be inclined to think of only the Catholic Church. But God created the world for all Baptized Christians. The Church is God. God is inviting us, whom He created-his most magnificent work-into the family as His adopted children (Creation First Five Keys). We can decline, turning away from our Father in sin. God holds us in all existence, why would we turn away from him in the wickedness of sin when we can accept the offering and run to God with open arms? (Sheed 67) Unfortunately, we are fallen beings.
When the world was formed by the Holy Trinity (CCC 292), God rested on the seventh day, (Grace Communion International) hallowing His creation (Genesis 2:3). The seventh day was thus a holy and sacred day, a day for rest. Ancient Jews, as well as Jews today always keep the Sabbath, a 25-hour period of rest. It is a time free of unnecessary work and a break from daily life. Some modern Christians hold this same belief, though not as strict as the ancient Jews.
In the narrative of the Babylonian Exile, the Israelites did not keep God’s commandments. One, for example, is the sin of idolatry-lighting incense in the recognition and worship of false gods. The nation had “stumbled in their ways” (Jerimiah 18:14). Thus, God exiled them to the land of Babylon for 70 years. This was an important part of history for the Israelites because they had learned their lesson. They were changed people, and stopped their wicked ways.
In conclusion, we can see that varying parts of the Bible intersect. They intersect in ways which we do not expect, including references from the New Testament and the Old Testament. God creates the world for the Church, for us who can choose to turn away or not. The world was formed by the Holy Trinity, the breath of life breathed into it. The Israelite’s sins destroy Israel, but even so they cannot destroy God’s good creation.
Works Cited
Grace Communion International. “Genesis 2:2-3 - God’s ‘Rest’ and the Sabbath.” GCI Archive, 6 Aug. 2018, archive.gci.org/articles/genesis-22-3-gods-rest-and-the-sabbath.
Author. “Free MLA Citation Generator | Verified by Experts.” Scribbr, 4 Sept. 2022, www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/mla.
The Holy Bible, revised standard version, second Catholic edition.
Sollom, Scott. Creation First Five Keys
Vaticana, Libreria Editrice, and Usccb. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed., United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, 2019.