THE MATTER OF REST

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. He said to them, "This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.' "
So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day." Exodus 16:21-30

God has once again provided for His beloved Israelite people bringing quail and manna from heaven to feed them. The manna was as plentiful as the morning dew and the people gathered as much as (they) needed with twice as much gathered on the sixth day. Why? Because God designated the seventh day as a "day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord" and no manna would be found on the seventh day. This is why twice as much was gathered on the sixth…so the people would have something to eat on the holy Sabbath day.

Of particular interest is the use of the word Sabbath in today’s scripture. It is the first time the word is used in the bible and the matter of the Sabbath was not only important to God and His people then but it still is. The question is…how important is it to us?

The origin of the word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbath meaning "to rest". Of course, this isn’t the first time we see the word rest in the bible, is it? For we can go all the way back to the creation account in Genesis:

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." (Genesis 2:2-4)

Thus, the concept of resting on the seventh day because it was holy in Exodus was just a continuation of God’s word in Genesis. If God could rest from His work, then man could rest from his as well and God not only expected it, He was about to command it as part of the ten given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

We see in scripture where there was advance preparation needed to rest on the Sabbath. God directed the Israelites to "bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning." Before, if the Israelites tried to save their manna for the next day they would find it spoiled and maggot-ridden. But not on the Sabbath for "they saved it (the manna) until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it." Moses told them "Eat it today because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." And it was so.

Yet, we read where some people didn’t listen. There were still a faction of the Israelite people who remained stubborn and disobedient. Scripture tells us that "some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none." They didn’t rest as directed and we sense they didn’t gather enough manna for two days on the sixth day either assuming they would be able to get some on the seventh day, although God said otherwise. This did not make the Lord happy. He asked Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." Moses had to be frustrated as a leader of the Israelites because he couldn’t control their actions. He was leading in the midst of sinners who had free will to do what they wanted to do.

I can understand how frustrated the Lord and Moses must have been because I find myself as frustrated today with this matter of rest on the Sabbath. Today, we see the sacred, holy Sabbath treated as if it were just another day. People work, sporting events are held, shopping centers and restaurants are open. There is more than ample opportunity for a person to do as much as they want to do on the Sabbath whether you observe it on Saturday or Sunday. The Lord’s call to rest falls too often on deaf ears even though His requirement and expectation hasn’t changed. Like so many things, Satan is always at work in our world trying to tempt and move people further and further away from obedience toward the Father. And he is succeeding…big time.

Question: How well are you upholding the Sabbath in your own life? Do you respect and respond to God’s call to rest? Do you keep everything that you do on the Sabbath holy…restricting your actions to worshipping and praising the Lord?

I know I could use a lot of improvement in this matter of resting on the Sabbath day. With the Lord’s help, it’s one of the matters I want to clean up in my spiritual life in 2008. Will you consider joining me? For God not only expects it, He commands it.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com