Have you ever wondered what Sabbath really was? For those of you who have not grown up in church this word might as well be greek. So let me explain… When God delivered Israel out of Egypt, He wanted to give them a standard to live by. So He gave them 10 commandments. One of those commandments is:
Exodus 20:8 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.
In 6 days, God made the whole universe and everything in it. He did it with His voice. On the 7th day, He rested. God is trying to show the world his power. The world works 7 days and trusts in their labor for increase. God said you will work less and because you are blessed will harvest more. Science shows people who really rest live longer, have greater happiness, and are overall healthier people. This is really about trust. Do you trust God or do you trust you? Do you trust God multiplies what you trust Him with?
Overtime sabbath became something different. It turned into a religious duty about law instead of a matter of trust and filling our tanks. So Jesus address it:
Mark 2:23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”
27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”
So what is Sabbath? Is it napping and watching TV? NO! Sabbath is relational and restful. Sabbath is about spending time with God and worshiping Him. It is also about spending time with family and friends. For me a great sabbath day is extra time in prayer, spending time with my family, and getting my tools out and building something. Why is that not work? Because during the week I do not have a physical job and building fills my tank.
So do you sabbath? Is it rules or relationships? How do you need to find a sabbath rythm? Btw… my sabbath is Saturday. I do not work on Vibrant or counsel people. If something comes up on a Saturday like it has this week. I move my day. Why? I was not made for sabbath but sabbath for me. So sabbath this week. Do it every week!
Helping People Live a Better Story
Brandon Sereg
@brandonsereg
www.thevibrant.church
