Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.
Whoever does any work on the Sabbath will surely be put to death.
Exodus 31:15 (NKJV)
These are the words of the LORD to Moses.
God desired a special and close relationship with His people. The LORD loved His children. He wanted them to rest on this one day of the week.
As I look at the way things are, what I see tells me a lot about how we might value God’s direction.
Our society has almost completely gotten away from the idea of a Sabbath day’s rest.
Restaurants, gas stations, pharmacies, and movie houses all are open seven days a week.
Hospitals and Nursing Homes have to have staff working seven days a week. The individual employees are given another day off in lieu of their working on Sunday.
During the Oil Embargo of the 1970’s. Gas Stations were mandated to be closed on Sundays. I must have seemed concerned about this because my mother reminded me that up until about 1960, the Sunday Blue Laws said that all gas stations were to be closed on Sundays.
Pastors choose another day of the week for their “Sabbath day.” One I knew chose Monday. The present pastor of our church takes Friday.
I once heard a sermon on the Sabbath day’s rest. As I remember, the pastor told that taking a day of rest was good for people physically and mentally.
The Sabbath Rest was a special sign between the LORD and the Israelite nation. No other nations observed it.(1)
I once heard a young mother say she took the fourth commandment that we could do some things as long as we got joy out of the process.
For me, I have to pray about this issue and apply it to my own life in relationship to how God wants me to live.
1. Jeremiah Study Bible, study note, page 101-Exodus 20:8-11
Rest is so crucially important to our health and well-being, Cecelia. God knew exactly what He was doing when He commanded His people to do the same.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Martha: Thank you for your thought. We are finding that out here at my home. Peace and Blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteHi Cecelia,
ReplyDeleteThis comment is just for you, is it possible not to post it? I would like to send it just for you ...but wasn`t sure your e-mai or how else to contact you.
After reading your post, I felt led to pray for you...and felt that God wants you to beak out of the church tradition and come to experience the truth of His Biblical commanded Shabbat. I believe he wants to use it as a time of great healing for you and your husband, and is inviting you to come into Shabbat on Friday evening, which is the day God ordained from the time of Creation and before.
In the beginning of Genesis, He sanctified the 7th day and made it Holy.
Isaiah 58:13~14 speaks about the blessings of obedience to `not doing your own pleasure on My Holy Day` and `honoring my Holy day`, calling the Shabbat a delight and Isaiah 56 speaks of when those from the nations join themselves to Him and observe His Shabbat, there are amazing blessings!!!(Isaiah 56:6~8) ( in Isaiah 56 and many verses He calls it `My Shabbat`; as you mentioned, many churches and people have changed the day to other days, even though it is commanded in the 4th Commandent it is not taken
seriously unfortunately)
A lot of people in the churches are being led to return to the biblical Shabbat, the LORD`s Shabbat, and have seen great healing and transformation. In personal health, in famiilies, in communities.
Paul Wilbur is one ministry who has led the initiative of a move of God for several years now to teach the families in the churches about Shabbat (Friday night to sundown Sat.) and the depth of the blessings that we are missing out on by not observing it in the way God has intended it. Family, healing, worship, the Word of God, and rest are emphasized. He has a lot of video teachings and a book about it if you might be interested .It also brings the Church closer to understanding Israel and heart for the Jewish people so it is also a way He is bringing us all to His Table as One.
I`m excited for you and hope you will receive my comment with God`s grace , please keep us posted!, the LORD bless you and keep you and shine His face upon you and give you Peace
Love, Shayndel (Joanne)
Hi Cecelia, such deep ponderings on an important and often overlooked issue. Yes, the Sabbath day is the seventh day (Saturday) but we are not to debate rules and laws... but we must apply principles, such as a day of rest after six days work. The very first book I wrote is called 'Sacred Sabbath'. I am working on a revised edition.
ReplyDeleteShayndel: Thank you for your heartfelt and kind words. I will pray about what you have shared with me. Peace and blessings to you.
ReplyDeleteMarja: I thank you for your thoughts on this delicate, yet timely subject.
ReplyDeleteMy son and I were talking when he called recently. He remembered growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. He said here was no crime in our area of town. (As we remember.) Then, he said, "This is not the same world we grew up in. I had told him I had not remembered any
crime in my childhood. Actually, since then I have thought of two times my family was a victim of crime in the 1950s. We, as a society have truly forgotten God. Peace and blessings to you and yours.