Sabbath of Rest!

For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.
Exodus 31:15

In July of 2009 there were extreme orthodox Jews confronting police in Jerusalem because the Israeli government was not honoring the Sabbath. Of all the laws in the Old Testament this is the one that calls for seemingly the most inappropriate punishment. If you were caught “not resting” on the Sabbath it was “off with your head.” Isn’t that too harsh for simply doing a little extra work on Saturday?

If I were God, I would probably have set things up differently. I would have made the Sabbath on Sunday so Christians and Jews could honor the same day and not get confused as to which one really is the day God set apart as the Sabbath. I would have said that it is alright to work a little if you make an extra sacrifice or something like that. But I would definitely not have ordered the death penalty for anyone violating the “do not work” rule of the Sabbath. Of course I would have set things up differently, because I am not God.

The bottom line for me is that God clearly recognizes that there is a time for work and a time for rest and it is important that I do both. Don’t be shocked by this next statement, but I believe as a Christian there is no literal Sabbath day to honor. The Sabbath was on Saturday but most Christians honor Sunday and call it the “Sabbath” which it isn’t. The rule of no work on the Sabbath, if truly applied to Sunday would preclude paid clergy being called into action on that day.

But the God ordained principle of a time to work and a time to rest remains. It is true in whatever you do to earn money on which to live and it is true in your work for the Lord. There is a time to work for the Lord and there is a time to rest. If you rest during the time to work you displease the Lord and might be called “lazy.” If you work during the time to rest you violate His Sabbath principle.

The impact of violating this principle can be seen in the youngest child who refuses to take his nap. Later in the day there will be many problems because the rest was missed.

So as you listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit today, remember that sometimes He says “Do this,” or “Do that” and sometimes He says “Do nothing, just rest.”

God made you in His own image and He needed a DAY OF REST so don’t be surprised that you need one too!