Scriptural Reference:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day
is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work,
you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female
servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day and made it holy."
Exodus 20:8-11
"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the
people of God,"
Hebrews 4:9
“If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing
your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the
holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own
ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall
take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of
the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for
the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 58:13-14
Reflection:
Meeting together is important. Social studies have expressed that the
need for regular contact with those who hold similar interests is vital
for the development of an individuals feeling of inclusion. For Christians
this sentiment is even more important. As each meeting creates a source
of support and collective encouragement through the study of scripture.
Yet over time things can become too familiar. Leaving the attendance
of church to be more a social obligation then a scriptural acknowledgment
of the importance of the Sabbath day.
On the Sabbath we are instructed how to act and what is expected. At
its' core, it's a day of rest. We are to take time from our worldly
concerns. The Monday to Saturday routine is to be set aside. While we
rest. This is meant for those who are closest to us as well. Our family
and those who are visiting us. Although for many of us we will not have
livestock. We won't have servants, though there are some who are well
off enough in places around the globe to have them, we are told to let
them too take the day off from work. All attributed to the fact that
God has blessed the Sabbath.
In toady's world we find ourselves in an unusual situation. Where by
necessity some will need to work on the Sabbath. This is important as
many services are vital and needed. The Police, Emergency Services and
many other services that support our ever growing world, are all vital
in keeping us safe. So perhaps what we can take from this is that as
Jesus told us, the Sabbath was created for us; we were not created for
it. Mark 2:27 speaks of this relationship. Where the Sabbath is for
the enrichment and benefit of the faithful. So in the case of needing
to work on the day, we can see how it doesn't work against the importance
of the day as set aside. A further aspect of this can be found in Romans
14:5-6. Where Paul tells us it's not the actual day that is important.
But it's the purpose we place on the day that we choose to meet.
In conclusion, we can understand that the Sabbath was created as a
special day of rest. We are instructed to avoid working on this special
day wherever possible. Though in our current age some work may be required.
That, although many see Sunday as the chosen day for the Sabbath, Paul
tells us that it really matters more about the importance of setting
aside a day as special regardless to the actual day. As we will set
aside and sanctify the day to God and be accepted by God as a part of
our devotion to him.
Lastly, we must stay focused when at Church. Listen intently to the
sermon. Seek to recognise the message that is part of our weekly encouragement
and learning. Taking the message from the weekly sermon out into our
daily world of the lost.
Prayer:
Lord, Jesus the Christ
The Sabbath is special to me,
It's a day of respect for you,
And a day of reflection on your Word,
Also a day learning and empowering.
I pray that you will continue to,
Prepare me for the coming week,
Open my heart to your Word,
Strengthen my focus on you.
I pray these things in your name.
Amen