Wednesday: Another Reason to Rest
Israel is camped on the eastern side of the Jordan. They had taken possession of the lands of the king of Bashan and two kings of the Amorites. Once again, at this crucial moment, Moses calls Israel together and reminds them that the covenant made at Sinai was not just for their parents but for them, too. He then goes on to repeat the Ten Commandments, again for their benefit.
Compare Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15. What is the difference in the way the Sabbath commandment was expressed in them?
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
In Exodus 20:8, the commandment begins with the word “Remember.” Deuteronomy 5:12 begins with the word “observe” (NKJV). The word “remember” comes a bit later in the commandment itself (Deuteronomy 5:15). In this verse, they are told to remember that they were slaves. Although this generation has grown up free, they would all have been born into slavery were it not for the miraculous rescue. The Sabbath commandment was to remind them that the same God that was active in the Creation story was also active in their deliverance: “the LORD, your God, brought you out from there with a strong hand and outstretched arm” (Deuteronomy 5:15, NABRE).
This truth fits the then-current circumstances of the Israelites, standing for a second time at the border of the Promised Land, some forty years after the first generation failed so miserably. They were as helpless in conquering this land as their forefathers were in escaping from Egypt. They needed this God who acts with a “strong hand” and an “outstretched arm.”
The Sabbath is about to take on an added dimension. Because God is the God of liberation, Israel is to keep the Sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Of course, creation is not far away from the Sabbath commandment, even in Deuteronomy 5, despite the added reason to keep it: the liberation of Israel. In a sense, the liberation of Israel out of the land of Egypt is the starting point of a new creation, similar to the Creation story in Genesis. Israel, as a liberated people, is God’s new creation (see also, for example, Isaiah 43:15).
And because the Exodus is seen as a symbol of freedom from sin, that is, Redemption, we can find in the Sabbath a symbol of both Creation and Redemption. Hence, in a very real way, the Sabbath points us to Jesus, our Creator and our Redeemer.
| Read John 1:1-13. What do these verses teach us about Jesus as our Creator and Redeemer? |
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I resonated with the idea presented in today's lesson that the Sabbath is connected with liberation. The Israelites were poised on the border of their new homeland and were about to possess it. If you read the rest of the story however, it was not a peaceful, restful process and they had to fight to possess the land.
We like to draw a parallel between Israel and us and for most of us, the first thought is that we are on the threshold of Heaven. The reminder is that when we rest we are reflecting on our ultimate destination. That has the temptation to be a bit egocentric. Maybe we would be better served by reminding ourselves that there is still a task to be done. The kingdom of Heaven is not about pushing everyone else out of the way so we get there, rather it is about fighting to save others.
The Sabbath is a reminder that we are still on a journey and that the journey is just as important as the destination.
I have crossed the continent of Australia several times. On my last trip I went to Broome, which is about as far from my home that you can get in Australia without getting your feet wet. It is about 7000km by the route that we took. It takes about 7 days of driving to get there if you drive 1000km a day. However, it took us about 6 weeks because we are not young driving hoons who burn up the fuel and wear out our tyres (tires). We took our time and rested, we talked to people, made friends, and of course, I stopped many times to photograph birds. We made the journey productive.
Our trip to the Kingdom of Heaven is a journey with the Sabbath providing both rest and opportunities. It is not a statutory rest stop like that required by long-distance truck drivers, but an invitation to stop, enjoy and share the journey. That is what God's commands are like.
Maurice – you said: “Our trip to the Kingdom of Heaven is a journey ..” - Please consider that according to Scripture, we who believe in and practice the Faith of Christ live in the kingdom of God/heaven here on earth already; the heavenly kingdom is not a destination in the future, it is our new home in which we live during our lifetime here on earth by faith. Please, also consider Jesus' parables describing the kingdom of heaven.
Matt.6:33KJV – ”But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Luke 17:20-21KJV – ”…. The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is within[or, among] you.”
Matt.19:14KJV - ”…Suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matt.16:19KJV - ”And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever though shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Eph.2:15-19KJV - ”Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby[or, in himself]; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him(Christ Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
Hi Brigitte. I think if you read my comments over the years you will see that I have always stated that heaven is not a destination. I have often said that we should not treat salvation as a celestial retirement plan but rather a strategy for living a saved life now. The "Kingdom Parables" of the new testament are not about the future but the present.
When Jesus said, "My Kindom is not of this world!" He wasn't inferring that his Kindom was in a different location, but rather that his kingdom operated on different principles to the kingdoms of this earth.
I should add, that being in the Kingdom now does not mean that we have arrived. There is more to learn and experience, more to grow, and more to understand. It is a journey. When I graduated from University, I did not stop learning, rather, I had opportunities of applying what I had learned and in the process learned more. If we stop learning, we are dead. Likewise, Christianity is a dynamic for living and growing in Christ and in our relationships with one another.
Maurice – in your reply you again state that ‘being in the Kingdom now does not mean hat we have arrived’, implying that you believe your journey is still ongoing within the kingdom. Where else would you go in the kingdom to get any closer to ‘living in the kingdom’?
I hold that we have arrived; there will not be another step taken in the kingdom to bring us closer! It was Faith that brought us into the kingdom of heaven, and faith will keep us there.
Yes, there will be more that the Holy Spirit reveals about the kingdom, but this does not mean that we add anything to that which we already possess – citizenship!
When you went to the University, you went there in the hope to obtain your degree and you received it; your time and effort invested returned to you the desired degree and with it, this specific journey came to a conclusion. Yes, you can build on that degree with further educating yourself by including the expanding scope of the field of your study, but your first degree is still valid.
The same is with our living in the kingdom of God. We did not work for it, we decided by faith to live in the kingdom of God here on earth; there is no more journey left, no more ‘last leg’ of the journey to complete – we have arrived! Yes, there will be more that the Holy Spirit reveals about the kingdom, but this does not mean that we add anything to that which we already possess – citizenship!
Brigitte, you are magnifying a semantic difference that hides the fact that we are essentially saying the same thing. We are journeying, not to be saved but because we are saved. We are growing, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved. That is what salvation does to us. It is dynamic, not static.
This is a journey, we've not reached where we are going yet, (not to be applied literally) sometimes we still stumbles and falls deep in sin, but our saviour always comes and get up to start off the journey again, and so , even if we may feel we are in God's kingdom now, we still have a long journey, thorns are not still cleared up yet, satan is roaming needs one to devour. This is a journey , but not literal as brother Brigitte tries to put it
Hi Maurice,
As I was reading Deuteronomy 5:12-15 today, thoughts of Gratitude came to my mind. I pictured myself being there, listening to Moses’ sermonette, and my heart is full of gratitude to the Lord, for rescuing my parents from slavery, so that I would not become a slave. Also, I’m grateful for all the times the Lord protected us and provided for us in the wilderness. And to top it all off, we have the Sabbath to rest for working; a special time each week to meet with our families and friends without rushing to get back to work. (But I enjoyed reading your interpretation as well.)
Can’t we, God’s people today, be grateful to the Lord for protecting and providing for us too? God is still providing for us as He did for the Israelites back then. Can’t we show Him our gratitude? Also, every Sabbath, I’m grateful that I don’t have to go to my job, or think about what’s going on at my workplace. During our busy season at work, I usually work every Sunday, so I spend Saturday nights thinking about work. But from Friday night to Saturday night, my mind is turned off from work all together, and that is something to be very grateful for, because our brains need a Rest too.
Happy preparation day, and have a blessed Sabbath day everyone!!
The Sabbath is a time to reflect. Reflecting allows us to become better acquainted with God. With this acquaintance with God, the next step can be accomplished, which is to consecrate ourselves to His Son. When we consecrate ourselves to Christ, Christ dwells in our hearts, our souls will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that we will hold on to Him without reserve; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love for Christ will free us from a legalistic Sabbath.
So yes, another reason to follow Gods direction of rest on the Sabbath. Remembering our Creator and what He has done for us,sparks love for Christ compeling us to no longer live for ourselves, but live for Him who died for us and rose again. 2Corinthians 4:14,15
It is wonderful that a command to remember the Sabbath can lead us in the right direction to eternal life. John 10:9.
Liberty is one of what I would propose are three foundational dynamics to God and to His Kingdom (omni-beneficence/agape and non-arbitrary are the other two)*.
God created the highest possible form of liberty: abundant life grounded in free will. God's preference is that liberty be preserved in the first instance (as per the authoritative 'heads-up' warning in Genesis 2:16,17). But where liberty has been lost, God then sets about to restore liberty via liberation (as per Jesus declaration in Luke 4:18).
Not surprisingly, because liberty is embedded within creation and Sabbath is part of that creation, liberty and Sabbath are interconnected. Consider Jubliee - year of remission/liberation/redemption - the culmination of 7 cycles of 7 Sabbatical years where slaves, prisoners and debts would be released, liberated, set-free (eg, Leviticus 25:8-10). Of note, the year of Jubilee commenced on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 25:9) which underscores the connection between redemption and liberation with Jesus mission and ministry being Jubilee.
Keeping in mind that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27), we see that Sabbath is inherently designed to promote and support our freedom. Consequently, rather than approaching Sabbath from the view of "how should I keep Sabbath so as not to 'break it'", the wider biblical narrative invites us to approach Sabbath from the perspective of what do I have the freedom (from distraction and time-pressures) to enter and experience this Sabbath that would enhance abundant life: mine and others. We can see Jesus displaying this orientation while He was on earth - frequently to the disgust of the church leaders of His day.
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* While these elements have distinct qualities, they are at the same time inseparably inter-twined.
Reading these verses, I am reminded about the unity within the Godhead. As a child learning about the Creation story, I don´t recall being taught that Jesus was present ¨in the beginning¨. It is only now as an adult Adventist that this particular truth has been revealed. Incidentally, I did not grow up Adventist. I find that there´s more import placed on the role of the Trinity here than in the Pentecostal church I had attended. Also, the significance of God´s rest after His creative acts was not discussed. It would make sense that God - Creator of Heaven and Earth would take a breather after such heavy lifting. So, there´s no need for discussion. It might not be simple logic for everyone though. Why would the Almighty God need to rest? Sin created such misery and restlessness in our world. God, Jesus Our Redeemer, in His unparalleled wisdom, His omniscience and His eternal love and mercy knew that we, fragile human creatures would need a day of rest. He, our Creator and Redeemer established that day, the Holy Sabbath as a period of refreshing for His people. True observance of the Sabbath lifestyle can be such a powerful witness to non-Adventists and non-believers on a whole. It stands as a marked contrast to the standards of this world. The Holy Sabbath teaches us self-denial. It neutralizes the ego because the focus is totally redirected away from us and on to Jesus. We reflect on His goodness towards us and we share that goodness with others.
Phil, isn't this really a simple matter of either knowing or not knowing God? One will lead to conversion, with peace, joy, praise and thanksgiving, the other will result in fear, suspicion, sullen submission and complaining.
Do we experience the "joy of salvation", or the "fear(being afraid) of God"?
The Sabbath(how we "keep" it), will reveal our true condition of either faith or unbelief. For those who experience "the faith of Jesus", the Sabbath will be a delight and no longer a mystery of what to do/not do.
The Sabbath is a sign, perhaps like the temperature gauge in our automobiles.
Hi Robert
Yes, faith and knowing are inter-related. So I am exploring and unpacking elements of the knowing.