God Bless!

-Love, GinniePark

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Memory Verse of the Week:

“They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” – Exodus 29:46

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The Holy Sabbath– Exodus 31:12-18

Holy Rest

12: “Then the LORD said to Moses,”

13: “’Say this to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.”

14: “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”

15: “For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of Sabbath rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath Day is to be put to death.”

 

A Lasting Covenant

16: “The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant.”

17: “It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

18: “When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”

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Reflection

Holy Rest (31:12-15)

The Sabbath is not about just doing nothing all day. It is not about sleeping in and doing no work. It is about active resting: a rest that helps us reflect on and recognize who God is and what He has done, a rest that renews us as we participate and enjoy God and the life He has given us. It is a rest that is centered on worship of the living God. Every day we work hard to make ends meet, to do things for ourselves and our families. But once a week, fifty-two times a year, God commands us to stop and focus on Him. It is a moment of renewal and reminder as to “what this is all for.” It might seem like we are “wasting time,” but as we honor and obey this command, we will discover that we are more effective, renewed, and content.

 

A Lasting Covenant (31:16-18)

The Sabbath is also a reminder of God’s promise to His people. It reminds us that we are all created to have a relationship with God and that we are created in His image as His daughters and sons. We are the height of creation, and God is our Father. For the Israelites during the Exodus, they were being re-introduced to their God after centuries as captives in a foreign land with foreign gods. While the entire world continued on with their daily lives, God’s people would stop for one day out of seven to rest, remember, and worship. It was a sign of the old covenant as given through Moses. This weekly cycle was a Jewish custom before it was a Christian one; it was only with the coming of Christ, the new covenant, and the celebration of His resurrection that the Sabbath rest became a Sunday celebration.

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Application

-When was the last time you really enjoyed life>? When was the last time you really rested in God? Don’t just do nothing. Rest in God.

-Is Sunday a day of joy, contentment, and rest? What is stopping you from resting and enjoying Sunday worship? Do you celebrate life each Sunday?

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“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.”

-Abraham Joshua Heschel

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The Sabbath Gift

Some people are very lazy, and they don’t like working. They would much rather sit around all day and do nothing productive. The Bible often describes laziness in terms of wickedness and foolishness. Most of us would agree that being too lazy is a bad thing. However, its opposite is not a good thing as well.

Once we begin working, it can be difficult to stop. It isn’t necessarily something that we want to be into, but it’s easy to fall into a belief that work is all important.

Work is something that we are truly meant to do. But life is more important than work, and so God instituted the Sabbath. The Sabbath should serve as a holy day for God, but it is more than that. It is a blessing reassurance from God. Jesus said in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” One of God’s commands is “Don’t forget to rest!” As John Piper states, “God’s purpose for us on the Sabbath is that we experience the highest and the most intense joy that can be experienced, namely, that we ‘take delight in the Lord.’” Piper further states that God says to us, “I want you to have a day a week to rest and enjoy what really counts in life. I promise to meet your needs with just six days of work.” Now, is that a difficult command to keep? Let’s reflect upon that gracious gift of Sabbath and remember to keep it holy for the Lord.

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A Letter to God

Father in heaven, I praise You for Your love and Your compassion, for giving me life, and for blessing me with creation.

I confess that I didn’t take the time to properly honor You.

Forgive me.

Renew me.

Call me back to worship.

In Your Son’s holy name. Amen.