“The Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai,
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going
to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years
sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.
But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath rest, a Sabbath to the Lord.
Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Do not reap what grows of
itself or harvest the grapes of your untended vines. This land is to have a
year of rest.”
Leviticus
25:1-5
The
Sabbath was established by God for our good, our rest and renewal, but it was a
principle that extended beyond just people. By allowing the land to rest and
refresh every seventh year, the other six years would be more fruitful!
This
is precisely the reason we are to set aside one day out of every seven. So we,
too, can be refreshed and renewed both physically and spiritually. So we, too,
may be more productive with our lives.
Some contend that observing the Sabbath then
is simply about rest and relaxation; a day to do as we please in order to rest
and refresh. We can spend it watching television, spending time with our
family, boating, sleeping in; as long as we are resting from our work.
That
would be a sound argument if not for a couple of things. First, the Sabbath is
Holy unto God, not unto you. Meaning that the Sabbath day is a day set apart
unto Him. We are to observe and keep it. It is a day to gather and honor the
Lord. Leviticus 23:3 declares:
“There are six days when you may work,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not
to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.”
Did
you catch that? It is a day of sacred assembly. Anything that was devoted to
God and declared holy could not be used for other purposes. This day was set
aside for our benefit, but it is certainly not about us! It is about the Lord:
“If you keep your feet from breaking the
Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a
delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going
your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will
find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has
spoken.”
Isaiah
58:13-14
God
calls the Sabbath “My holy day”. It is day to refrain from work and gather
together with other believers to honor God. It is not a day to do as we please
and go our own way. It is a day to delight in. God says that when we choose to
honor it, we will find our joy in the Lord and be blessed. Remember the Sabbath
and keep it holy!
Pastor Scott
Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/
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