S106P6 – How soon we forget: sacred rest
Exo. 20:8-10a
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
He had grown up in very dire circumstances, and he promised himself never to be destitute as an adult. As long as he had any measure of control over it, he would bring himself up out of poverty. Where some would work one job and have more than they needed, he worked three jobs but still longed for more. As his wealth grew, his workload stayed the same. He no longer had any personal time to speak of. His relationships suffered because he simply was not there. The time he could have spent traveling or learning or building those relationships he instead spent working. So, when it came time to confront the topic of faith, he knew what his answer would be. He simply did not have the time to entertain it.
The Sabbath day is all about principle. Whether observed on a Saturday, a Sunday, or any other day of the week, the point is to rest. However, it is not just about relaxing and taking naps. The rest day is specifically a rest day from work. Even God himself exhibited this balance as an example for how we are to live our lives. As He rested after his work, we would be wise to rest as well. This rest, however, is not just for us. Subsequent verses in this chapter tell us that the Lord has made the Sabbath holy, and these verses tell us that we are to observe it unto him. Yes, the Sabbath day is reserved as a day of rest and restoration connected to God. This is a day that we give to him, and He gives us rest. It is so critical when we balance our time that we prioritize time for him.
The only reason why God would command his people to remember that He rested on the seventh day is because there is something to be learned from that. The Lord is all about setting the example for us. This one is quite simple yet somehow often controversial among modern Christianity. Work is not the only place where we learn and develop. There is a time for us to lay down our tools, close our hands, and learn from the Lord in a place of rest. There can be tremendous growth in that place if we only make time to honor this holy day as the Lord commands. Father, continue to give us revelation regarding the role the Sabbath day is to play in our lives so that we would remember to rightly honor this holy day of yours.