Being Serious about the Sabbath Day
God is very serious about us taking one a day as a sabbath day. In creating the entire universe God worked for six days. Then, He stopped and rested the next day. He set it apart from the other days, and He has commanded us to follow His example. God knows what is best for us. He created us, too. He knew that all people need a day that is different each week. It is for our own good that He did that. Then, God instructed Moses to tell the people of Israel how to observe this Sabbath day. (Exodus 31:15) Moses made it very clear that they all had six days to do their ordinary work, but the seventh day of the week must be a sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Then, Moses declared that anyone who was found working on the Sabbath day must be put to death. I believe God is serious about the Sabbath, don't you?
As Christians, we set aside Sunday as our Sabbath Day to honor our Lord Jesus who rose again for our salvation on the first day of the week. Sunday is our day to stop from our regular jobs and have a "complete rest." We need that rhythm in our lives. We must not work all of the time, and we must not forget our dedication to the Lord, so the Lord ordained that we follow this pattern each week. It rests our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. It gives us a definite break from the monotony of the rest of our week. However, it is not just a break. It is a holy day, dedicated to the Lord. It is a "full" day of rest and worship, not just attending a morning worship service and doing our work in the afternoon. Please, notice the end of the command. Anyone who works on the Sabbath was to be put to death. That seems extreme, but God is serious. Today, we don't put people to death for breaking the Sabbath. but God enforces it. When we neglect the sabbath day our spiritual life and strength wane, so that we are out of fellowship with Him, and we do not have the spiritual strength to live in God's will the rest of the week. Please, listen to God's Word, and let's all be as serious as God is about the Sabbath day.
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Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 32-34.