Sabbath Rest

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. (Exodus 20:8-10)

When we think of the ten commandments, we think of the “big ones”–don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t lie. Of course, we know that all of them are critically important if we are to honor God. These principles form the foundation for a godly life. Here’s something you probably didn’t know–depending on what version of the Bible you’re reading, the ten commandments passage is about 300 words long–the length of this blog. In my ESV Bible, 98 of those words are dedicated to the fourth commandment–remember the Sabbath. It shouldn’t be brushed aside! I know we don’t follow Jewish law anymore, but God was establishing an important principle here–one that is far older than Jewish law (Genesis 2:1-3). In the fourth commandment, we see rest, worship and priority.

God created mankind with creativity, energy and passion. He knew that this combination, left unchecked, would be harmful to us physically, emotionally and spiritually, so He instituted the Sabbath. Every six days, God built in a “stop” to our schedule, to our lives. Stop. How often do you do that? Stop. Relax. Rest. In our culture, working non-stop is lauded, admired, celebrated. Hear me now: hard work is honoring to God (Colossians 3:23). He rewards it (Proverbs 13:4). Yet, non-stop work is detrimental. Scientific studies have shown that the human body functions most effectively with 7-8 hours of solid sleep every night. Without the opportunity to re-charge, even the strongest body runs down. God knew that–He designed your body! Stop. Relax. Rest.

-Pastor Mike