As they got further away from the oversight of Egypt’s pharaoh, the Children of Israel moved closer to yielding to God’s sovereignty. This was evident in God’s expectations of them, and instructions to them. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat
Exodus 16:25-26 CEVDCI
[25] “You may eat the food,” Moses said. “Today is the Sabbath in honour of the Lord, and there won’t be any of this food on the ground today. [26] You will find it there for the first six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath.”
*In God’s honour or as a mark of respect to God*
Siblings
Do you remember us learning that some scholars believe that the Exodus chronicled the new creation? We noted that YHWH didn’t reinvent creation. Rather, YHWH provided for the people’s needs on the go, then invited all to bask in Sabbath rest. Of course, this isn’t about physical rest, although body rhythms were likely to be reset. It was a recognition of God’s rest, an opportunity to walk away from their regular routine to focus on God.
Self-Check
When was the last time we truly tried to focus on God?
Deeper Dive
Siblings, the account of Creation in Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 is clear. God could have simply finished working and it all ended there. But the writers and redactors sought to ensure that all understood rest as a critical element in the Creation narrative. Genesis 2:3 extends the concept to say that Elohim, _the supreme God_, blessed or celebrated the end of God’s labour of creation, and dedicated the day as a special day of rest.
Initially, I struggled to make this less abstract, because it doesn’t wholly offer a picture of God and the logic of God’s setting the day apart. But, if we view the concept of Creation in six days as the labour and delivery process; then we find that the seventh day would be the end of delivery (birth). God marked this creation process with a weekly celebration. The celebration is what we know as the Sabbath.
Siblings, when we consider that before everything existed, God is; we realise that God doesn’t have a birthday. We celebrate Christ’s both, the gift of God’s Spirit being poured out on all believers, but there’s no annual day for God. What Sabbath offers us therefore, is a regular, set apart from life’s rigours, opportunity to celebrate God’s Godness every week!
That’s Sabbath
An opportunity for rest.
An opportunity for renewal
An opportunity for rejuvenation
An opportunity for celebrating God
Pausing to give God what’s God’s due (see Matthew 22:21).
Point to Ponder
What is God due from us in worship today? Let’s ensure we make the time to praise God this week.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
