The third commandment states, “remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy.” Sabbath rest is so important that when God created man on the sixth day, his very next day was a day of rest. Man is not to work then rest, but to rest and then work.
Have you ever started your work week on Monday more tired than the Friday before? I have and that is not good. I know many people who dread Mondays because they exhausted themselves over the weekend. If you are exhausted on Monday, you may have forgotten about taking your Sabbath rest. When we rest in the Lord He restores and refreshes us.
The Israelites Forgot the Sabbath
The ancient Israelites were not much different than the people today. After their leader Nehemiah went back to Babylon, the Israelites drifted away from the Lord. Soon they were doing business and working on the Sabbath. This sounds very much like modern society. Sundays often are the best business day of the week.
Business on the Sabbath continued until Nehemiah returned and brought much needed accountability. Nehemiah 13:17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!” 19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. [1]
The Third Commandment
Exodus 20:8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. [2]
When we take time for Sabbath, and for rest and worship, we follow the seven day cycle the Lord has set for us. If we follow this rhythm, we will naturally begin the work week rested. Your job may require you to work on Sunday but ask the Lord which day He would like to carve out of your schedule for a Sabbath. Whether our Sabbath is Sunday or another day, we can trust God to bless our time of rest and make us effective when we return to work.
Prayer
Dear Lord, help me to make every Sabbath about you. Quiet my heart, give rest to my soul, and refocus my spirit. For true renewal comes only from you. Holy Spirit please help me to be intentional with my time and worship and encourage me to find rest in you alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen. [3]
To hear how to remember the Sabbath, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/rebuilding-unfinished-hope-continued-reforms
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-prayer/a-prayer-for-the-sabbath-your-daily-prayer-october-26-2016.html