The Sabbath is a serious Bible theme, and can be found in Moses' final message to Israel, as well as Governor Nehemiah's dealings with them.
Deuteronomy 5:12-15. "Observe the Sabbath Day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day."
a. Note , as in Exodus, that this commandment is the longest of the ten.
b. Here is added the reasoning behind allowing servants to rest. In this passage is anticipated what Jesus would say 1,400 years later, that "the Sabbath was made for man," and not the other way around. It is humane and loving of God to demand from us a cessation of labor. Here we meet the One Who told us He would give our very souls rest. This literal Sabbath truly prefigures the ultimate rest in Him.
More specifically, God reminds His people of the fact that they too were slaves. They should therefore be merciful to the slaves that will continue among them. This is a much fuller description of the seventh day than in Exodus. Even richer ones will follow. So far Israel has two strong reasons to keep the Sabbath, aside from the death penalty: 1. God rested on that day. 2. God delivered Israel from bondage, and Israel needs to rest to remember that horrible time.
The ongoing question is , "Does this all apply to me today?" Since I have entered into His rest, and was myself delivered from bondage, should I not also desire earnestly that weekly reminder?
But let us leave our friend Moses behind, and journey ahead some 1,000 years to Brother Nehemiah. During this time the kingdoms of Israel and Judah rise and fall. The Babylonian captors give place to the Persians, who send Jews back to their land. Nehemiah is one of these returnees, and in the land again, he renews the covenant with God's people. By the time of his arrival however, many Jews are already falling away. A remnant separate themselves (9:2), read the Holy Book (9:3), and confess their sins. In the next chapter is recorded their new commitment.
Nehemiah 10:29-31 [portions]. "[the people] entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our God... that if the peoples of the land bring wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath."
Many of Israel thus attempted to restore God's will to the land. However there were others...
Nehemiah 13:15-22 [portions]. "In those days I saw in Judah some people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions... Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. So...I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath... And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day."
We have now come about 3,500 years into the Bible story, and the Sabbath strain is intact. Nehemiah goes so far as to blame Sabbath-breakers for the downfall of their nation. I say again, how serious this matter must be. Notice that no anger is given to the ignorant Gentiles who are simply doing what they know to do, make money. But the people of God are here chastised, for the oracles of God are clear about this holy day.
Do you, dear reader, believe in the keeping of the Sabbath? Are you as serious as were men like Moses and Nehemiah? There's more to this story, and I encourage seekers to keep digging the facts from God's Word.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
Wayne Dyer
No comments:
Post a Comment