It is said that imitation is one of the best forms of flattery. I’d say that it’s not only flattery, it’s also praise. Yet, imitation can be an act of disrespect if the original ideator isn’t credited for their idea. However, if the person we are imitating is God or Y’shua, our imitation is in always in good order. It becomes praise, and our reasonable worship. Although the author of Hebrews doesn’t say, ‘Follow me as I follow Christ’ (that was Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1), it is implicit in Today’s Holy Nougat.
Hebrews 4:4 NIV
[4] For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”
Following God’s Example
Our Hebrews’ author understood the assignment. He needed to convince the diaspora Jews about Christ’s supremacy, making the link between himself and God. To corroborate (i.e., strengthen) the argument, references were made to Scripture, which, in the Jewish tradition is the ultimate authority for matters religious. When coupled with an argument on the Sabbath, it is likely that the writer had fully engaged his audience.
Self-Check
What/Who do we hold as authority in our spiritual life? What does it take to convict us of something we aren’t wholly certain about?
Application
Genesis 2:2, the Torah reference used in our Nougat, is at the heart of Jewish spirituality. For, it straddles the distance between Creation and the Law. This third commandment (see Exodus 20:8-11) is clear about hallowing (recognizing and observing the holiness of) the seventh day as Sabbath. The message is clear – work for six days, rest on the seventh. And, just in case you missed it, this is out of respect to God Who completed the cycle of creation in six days and rested on the seventh.
If rest is a holy act, put in place by none other than God, there is no question that we ought to observe it. Imagine, God could have completed creation with one thought. Yet God chose to establish rhythms of work: seedtime and harvest, labour and rest so that we could benefit from those rhythms in our lives. Then, time followed the rhythm of evening to morning, not morning to evening (see Genesis 1 with the Creation order). But central to the Creation story, was the rhythm of rest.
We also know that Y’shua was a firm believer in rest. Yet, many of us as His followers have opted for the rhythm of the ‘grind’; that depletes our reserves and resources through constant toil. (I dare say, when we take that approach to work, we might see The Teacher in Ecclesiastes shaking his head at us and saying, ‘Vanity! Vanity! It’s all vanity!’, with vanity there referring to futility, not just pride.) This wasn’t only about the Sabbath rest, which sometimes was a contentious issue between Y’shua and the religious right, it was also about taking time away from the noise and distraction to be with and hear from God.
There’s a principle that has become popular in recent years that invites us to work smarter, not harder. I suspect it’s author gleaned it from YHWH. By respecting and hallowing rest, we are allowing our entire system to reboot and recharge for that which awaits us next. Even machines have to be turned off from time to time, and fields are left fallow so that they may recover from their labour.
Siblings, rest is made for our health, creativity, and spiritual wellbeing. Our bodies try to shut down at some point in our day, and we will find ourselves slowing down with fatigue. We are not as creative when fatigued, because our concentration skills are stretched. And since rest is part of God’s command, then it stands to reason that failure to intentionally observe the rhythm of rest violates God’s plans for us. Yes, it’s like that.
It makes sense though, for we know that when we’re tired, our worship is not quite the same. And if we are tired, our resistance to the enemy’s schemes is lower. Busyness gives the enemy unnecessary advantage over us.
So, what say we – do we follow our Leader and Creator by observing the holiness of rest; or do we marvel when burnout hits because we’re not observing rest as a discipline as God did?
Point to Ponder
What if we observed Sabbath as rest and worship? Do we think our lives would be different?
—
May all we seek be found in Christ
