WEEK 12 – DAY 4

ENJOY A SABBATH REST

The Sabbath was made for the needs of human beings,and not the other way around. Mark 2:27 (VOICE)

On the Sabbath, the Jewish people were to rest. Not only the Jews but their servants, strangers visiting them, and even animals were to be given a day of rest (Exodus 20:10). God knew that people need a day to regroup, and He was making sure that no one would abuse their workers by making them work seven days a week. However, by observing the Sabbaths, the Jews were demonstrating trust in God to provide for their needs. The weekly Sabbath day was just one example of Sabbath rest. Every seven years, they were to allow their fields to rest by sowing no grain (Leviticus 25:4). They were to trust the Lord to give a large enough crop in the sixth year to sustain them through the seventh (Leviticus 25:4). After seven of these Sabbath years, in the 50th year, they would celebrate the year of Jubilee in which debts were cancelled, lands were returned to the original owners, and indentured servants were set free. Observing the Sabbaths provided rest, protection, and freedom to people. The Pharisees of Jesus’s time had turned the Sabbath into a day to obey many traditions rather than a day to be set free to worship the Lord. The Sabbath was created for our benefit. The Sabbath is not a day to be concerned about whether specific things would be considered “work,” but a day of rest to refresh our bodies, minds, and spirits.

Father, You rested on the seventh day after creating our world, not because You needed the rest but to set an example for us. Help us to remember to slow down, rest, and enjoy Your presence, to “Be still and know that You are God” (Psalm 46:10).