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Dec 05, 2019
It appears that we have forgotten the nature and definition of Sabbath, though it is a pattern written by God into the very core of our beings. While Sabbath can refer to a single day, as in the Jewish tradition, it can also serve as a larger metaphor for cultivating the qualities, customs, and practices of Sabbath keeping found in the wholistic definition of Sabbath.
The metaphor of a diamond captures two key points I wish to make about Sabbath. First, like a diamond, Sabbath truly shines only when it is polished regularly. To fully experience the benefits of Sabbath, it must be practiced regularly. Certainly on the first day of the week, as for most Christians, but I also propose Sabbath can be observed as a Sabbath morning, a Sabbath afternoon, a Sabbath hour, a Sabbath walk, or even a Sabbath moment.
Secondly, like a diamond Sabbath has many facets. I want to explore four of those facets, or definitions of Sabbath found in the Bible – Ceasing, Resting, Reflecting, and Delighting.
So, let us explore the Sabbath, not in a legalistic sense, but in a way that is practical and accessible to everyone. I hope and pray that you will integrate some of these practices into your own lifestyle and discover your own unique pathway for observing and enjoying Sabbath.
CEASING
The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant as a sign between me [the Lord] and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he ceased and was refreshed. Exodus 31:16-17
Our word, Sabbath, comes from the Hebrew verb, Shabbat, which primarily means “to cease, desist, or stop.”
Sabbath Ceasing Examples: Cease from……….
Sabbath Ceasing Practices:
RESTING
There are six days when you may work, but the seventh is a Sabbath of rest……..Leviticus 23:3
But during the seventh year, you must let the land rest [have a Sabbath].—Leviticus 25:4
Another meaning of the Hebrew verb, Shabbat, is that of rest.
Sabbath Resting examples: Rest our………….
Sabbath Resting Practices:
REFLECTING
I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions.—Psalm 77:12
I will meditate on Your precepts and think about Your ways.—Psalm 119:15
Sabbath is not just ceasing and resting but also meditating and reflecting.
Sabbath Reflecting examples: Reflect upon………
Sabbath Reflecting Practices:
DELIGHTING
“If you watch your step on the Sabbath and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage, If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy and delight, God’s holy day as a celebration, If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’ making money, running here and there – Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!” Isaiah 58:13-14
Sabbath keeping involves not only ceasing, resting and reflecting but also delighting (The word delight is found 110 times in scripture).
EXAMPLES: Delight in………..
Sabbath Delighting Practices:
In 1801 William Wilberforce, a member of the English Parliament and leader of the anti-slavery movement, encountered a severe spiritual crisis. The core issue was political ambition. The struggles began with the election of a new prime minister, Henry Addington. The rumor mill had Wilberforce on the A-list for possible cabinet members. Wilberforce later described himself as “intoxicated with rising ambition.”
It was on a Sunday when he finally confronted his ambition. At the end of a day of worship, solitude, and reflection Wilberforce wrote, “Blessed be to God for the day of rest and religious occupation wherein earthly things assume their true size. Ambition is stunted!”
In this brief comment Wilberforce references the great secret of his personal life: his commitment to withdraw from the demands of public life so that he could engage with God. Like Wilberforce, Sabbath keeping can become our greatest spiritual resource by creating an oasis of sacred time and a refuge for our souls within the relentless busyness of our modern lives.
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