Exodus 34:21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in the seasons of plowing and harvesting, you must rest.”
When I was growing up on an Illinois farm, there was plenty of work. We milked cows by hand twice a day, seven days a week. We fed feeder cattle, pigs, chickens, and sheep regularly. We had to make sure that all of these animals had the feed they needed, clean water, and a safe place to rest at night. We had to make sure that our fences were “horse high, hog tight, and bull strong.” Even though we didn’t keep a bull, our cows knew PLENTY of ways to test the strength of our fences, as did our pigs. Our days were ordered by the chores that we did twice a day. But our weeks were ordered by the Sabbath. Impatient as Dad might be to get into the field before the weather got bad, Sundays were always a day of worship and a day of rest, even during plowing and harvesting. My dad did not completely retire from farm work until he was in his middle eighties; many of his friends had retired earlier or had even died.
What makes the Sabbath so important? Dennis Prager tells us, “Living according to God’s will generally, and the Ten Commandments specifically, demands making sacrifices. Everything good – every achievement – demands sacrifices. In the case of the Shabbat, that sacrifice is abstaining from work one day each week when doing so may diminish one’s income or even employability.” Before the days of labor laws, some Jews lost jobs when they refused to work on Saturdays.
“However, as those who observe the Sabbath are well aware, the rewards usually far exceed the sacrifices. No practice in the Torah brings as much joy and elevates a life as does observance of the Shabbat. Leaving the world and its material concerns one day every week is literally and figuratively life – saving. Having prolonged meals with family and /or friends every week is uniquely bonding. And the Shabbat creates a communal life. No wonder it is the one ritual commanded in the Ten Commandments.” (Dennis Prager The Rational Bible: Exodus)
APPLICATION: Everybody needs regular periods of rest. Our bodies were not created to run at top speed constantly. Those of us who have been forced to work while sleep – deprived can attest to the fact that exhaustion can cloud our judgment. On a recent episode of “Air Crash Investigation,” one female pilot helped cause a plane to crash and burn when she remained awake for 9 hours of a 14 hour layover, getting only 5 hours or less of sleep before flying again. The cockpit voice recorder faithfully chronicled her complaints of fatigue to her fellow pilot as they began their fatal flight. This woman’s refusal to rest adequately cost her life, the life of her co – worker, and an expensive cargo plane with all of its contents.
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO REALLY REST? I can tell you what it takes for me; I get sick. I have two choices: either I rest regularly or my body simply goes on a sit down strike and quits. Yes, there have been times in my life when I have worked insane hours and have survived; however, I feel that God probably gave me supernatural strength to endure those times. But God is not going to bless you with supernatural strength if He wants you to be still and to wait on Him. God loves you too much to leave you in the middle of your messes. If you persist in driving yourself, you may find yourself in burn-out, a place where you definitely do NOT want to be. People who burn out in a given situation generally require 5 or more years to return to that situation. Sometimes the burnout is so severe that they can never return but must find some other work instead.
If you want to see the Sabbath truly celebrated, spend a weekend with Orthodox Jewish believers. From the first prayers offered by family members on Friday evening to the last prayers on Sunday evening, you can feel the holiness and the peace. Now ask yourself how much your own peace is worth. Yes, the Sabbath requires sacrifices, but sacrifice brings restoration and peace.
PRAYER: Father God, help us to honor you by observing the Sabbath and by fully resting. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be restored regularly. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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