The Sign of the Sabbath

 God instituted the Sabbath on the seventh day of creation. He rested after six days of creating the world, and He commanded us to rest, too. However, it was not just to call for one day of rest every week, as important as that is. The command was to "sanctify" the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. That means a lot more than resting. God told the people of Judah in Ezekiel's day to "Sanctify My Sabbaths." (Ezekiel 20:20) He told them it was a sign between Him and the people. The purpose was that they would know God was the Lord their God. I am not sure how many of us have looked at the Sabbaths in that way, but we need to do just that.

The Old Covenant did not just have a Sabbath day each week. It had a Sabbath year every seven years. The people were to keep the Sabbaths, and see if God wouldn't provide for them, even if they did not work. Most people work to make money. We think that we can make more money the more days we work. That is not the case with God's economy, though. God said to rest from regular work on the Sabbath each week. If we do that, we won't be making money then, but God will provide for us, so that what we make in six days goes even farther than having extra money. The same was true for the Sabbath year. There was no planting of crops that year. When they let the land lay fallow, they did not get as many harvests, but God made the previous harvests and what sprang up on its own more than if they had planted that year. See what I mean. It was a sign to show them He was their Lord. Now, the same is true today. If we sanctify the Sabbath day each week, God will provide for us abundantly, as we spend that time focusing on Him and worshiping Him, instead of working. I have seen it in my life, and God is faithful, when I sanctify the Sabbath day. I pray we will all see the importance of this in our lives.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 22-25.