Nougat 4

Today’s Holy Nougat is a chunky but critical bite, as it addresses the most contested commandment in our time.

Exodus 20:8-11 NLT

[8] “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

[9] You have six days each week for your ordinary work,

[10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you.

[11] For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Set-Apart Sabbath

I begin with a qualifier – I am neither Adventist nor Jew. In fact, when I got the Ten Commandments as the next point of reflection, I had a moment’s pause thinking anchor the possible response to this commandment. But, it is one of the Ten Commandments, so here we go.

In Genesis 2:1-3, we are introduced to the concept of Sabbath. Verse 2 tells us, having completed the Creative Mission, God ceased working. The day was subsequently sanctified in recognition of completion. Whether one identifies as a Creationist or other at this point, if one holds to the biblical text, one sees that the Genesis and Exodus rationale for ‘Sabbath’ is rooted in the concept of task/work completion, not just a particular day.

This premise continues in our Nougat, as YHWH instructs, ‘you have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord, Your God. Now we have a new layer added, that qualifies the prior commandments, and confirms our identity as God’s co-creators.

Self-Check

– What is your take on Sabbath rest?

– Do you practice ‘rest’ from ordinary labour and dedicating the time to our Creator?

Application

We observe the holiness of the Sabbath, we do not worship the Sabbath. We are correct in assuming that the Sabbath is the original holiday, in the sense of a day being holy, and set apart from rest. When we count the days in our 7-cycle week, it is understood as Saturday. No argument there. Of course, with many counting from the start of the work-week, it could be Sunday (as the work week begins on a Monday).

I don’t know how the weekend came into being, so I can’t speak to the 5-day work cycle, which would seem to contravene God’s directive. What I do know is that I seldom observe a ‘true’ Sabbath. For, my understanding of a true Sabbath is that I rest from my common (regular) labour to spend the time exclusively with YHWH. I would say that those who worship on (set aside) the Sabbath day, i.e., on a Saturday seem to do a better job of putting aside the ordinary for a taste of the Extraordinary.

We can opt for debates about the first or seventh day of the week; we can argue our case about time in fellowship.

But siblings, if our life doesn’t include an intentional break from the rushed rhythms to spend intentional time with our Creator in worship, it is all for naught.

Rest is crucial. Our bodies rely on it. Resting while communing with our Creator is even more critical, our spirits and future depend on it.

Assignment

– Make time to assess our observance of Sabbath rest with YHWH. Do we truly dedicate the time to being in God’s presence? What can we do differently?

– Listen keenly to the lyrics of the hymn, I am Thine O Lord. Can we truly say we commune as friend with friend? If not, it’s time to revisit our Sabbath practice.

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May all we seek be found in Christ