Keeping the Sabbath

"Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." -Exodus 20:8

What is a Sabbath? The Israelites in Biblical times were religious about the Sabbath - and for good reason! A Sabbath was a "rest day", a day of remembering God and honoring Him in that day. It was a day that was set apart for that purpose.

"Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord's holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly." -Isaiah 58:13

The Jews took the day so serious, in fact, that when Jesus arrived on the scene, they denounced Him for working miracles on that day! (Mark 2:24, Mark 3:4, Luke 14:5, John 5:9)

Today, we don't observe the Sabbath as the Israelites did. Many stores and businesses are open on the day we would traditionally call the Sabbath, on Sunday. Originally, the Sabbath was observed from sundown on Friday night to sundown on Saturday, which was the seventh day. But even in our own lives the Sabbath can be practiced by setting one day aside for rest and honoring God in that day. I wonder how much we could accomplish the rest of the week and how many ailments we could avoid by giving our bodies a break and taking a full day of rest every week?

Do you honor the Sabbath?

Related resource: Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard Swenson 

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