Musing – Why is Keeping the Sabbath so Important?

Hebraic Musing – Why is Keeping the Sabbath so Important?

 “These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do:  For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of Sabbath rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.”  NIV  Exodus 35:1-2   What possessed Moses to say such a harsh command to the children of Israel?

And the original command was from Exod. 31:14-15 in which the death penalty is mentioned twice!   “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.  For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.”

Why would breaking the Sabbath command justify a death penalty?!?!  The Sabbath was one of the first ways that God tested His people.  The LORD told Moses in Exodus 16:4 “I will rain down bread from heaven for you.  The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.  In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.  On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

The LORD explained the purpose of a test later in Deuteronomy 8:2-3  “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.  He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

And Matthew remembered Jesus reciting that verse in Matthew 4:4  “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

We get all caught up in debates over which day is the Sabbath day and how much work one can or should do on our Sabbath.  More important -- is it a sin to not trust in the LORD?   And what are the wages of sin?

What does it mean to work six days and then trusting His provision and promises for the seventh day?  How much faith was/is required?  How much faith do we have in God’s provision?

 Points to ponder

Our creator has asked us for one day out of seven, is that too much?

If we work seven days a week, are we trusting God or ourselves for provision?

♫   Trust and obey, For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey…  ♫ 

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                      June 26, 2018

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note – Inspired by Ardelle Brody’s Commentaries – Vayakhel/Pekudei  March 7, 2018