Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the LORD has commanded you to follow. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.” [Exodus 35.1-3]
The Sabbath obviously carries no small weight and importance in God's eyes. But, have we truly understood all that it implies? The article The Penalty For Breaking The Sabbath Is Death provides a good start on understanding the Sabbath, the gravity of which is again confirmed in the subject passage above. However, the "depth" of the Sabbath still seems unexplored...
Bible thumpers the world over have touted, "Context! Context!" But few, if any, give consideration of "context" when considering the Ten Commandments. Should we not however consider the progression of the first three of the "Godward" Ten Commandments that lead up to the 4th Commandment about the Sabbath? Yes, we should.
The 1st Commandment establishes that God is God and there is no other. In light of the 1st Commandment, the 2nd Commandment prohibits idolatry. In continuity, the 3rd Commandment prohibits misuse of God's name by associating it with idols - maintaining clear and unmistakable distinction between God and idols.
It should come as no surprise then that the 4th Commandment, in keeping with the obvious progression of the first three Commandments, sheds further light on the necessary distinction between God and idols. This distinction highlights the "work" of man in contrast to the "rest" of God. Like the 3rd Commandment already established, man's work should never be confused with God's rest. A distinction must be made. All the while, our understanding of the pivotal 4th Commandment must be congruent with the first three Commandments: 1) God only, 2) no idols, and 3) keep the lines of distinction clear.
It is here we must remain vigilant to understand that man's work is indeed the work of his hands. The importance of this is seen throughout the Bible, but nowhere more clearly than in the Psalms:
Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]
"Shaped by human hands" should not, because it cannot, be distinguished from man's work. It is this work of man's hands that the 4th Commandment, by singling out a day of "rest" in the established context of idolatry, projects God's people to anticipate the Sabbath Rest of Jesus Christ. This Sabbath Rest in Christ stands in distinct contrast to man's six days of work. Before Jesus' Advent, the observance of Sabbath was symbolic. After Jesus arrived, the Sabbath became a full-time reality for those who would believe in Him.
So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. [Colossians 2.16-17]
And, that is why Jesus would be found "guilty" by religious people who through their own works of religion condemned Jesus for "breaking" the Sabbath instead of fulfilling it.
The "day of Sabbath rest" Jesus fulfilled was not just one day per week, but rather, a new era in history: Sabbath Rest every day. This every day Sabbath Rest also explains why Jesus would present such a counter-intuitive faith in God alone in Matthew 6 pointing out that the birds and lilies of the field do not work and yet God takes care of them:
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. [Matthew 6.24-34]
Does this mean God's people are prohibited from work? Not at all! It should be remembered that Jesus' "breaking the Sabbath" had everything to do with the work of eating and doing good on the Sabbath Day.
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” [Matthew 12.1-8]
This passage from Matthew reveals the further progression of the Ten Commandments, and particularly the progression from the first three "Godward" Commandments to the pivotal 4th Commandment (Sabbath), and then to the last six manward commandments:
Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.) And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” [Matthew 12.1-8]
The Sabbath Rest found in Jesus Christ segues right into how we are to treat others! It is in the "Sabbath Day of Rest in Christ Jesus" that our service to the Kingdom of God is manifest in how we treat others. Our daily bread is promised and provided as we "rest from our six days of work" (forsake idolatry) while bringing others into that same Sabbath Rest of Christ (faith in Christ (God With Us) alone). In light of this, and if we can see it, our work for ourselves (our six days of work) is idolatry. This will sound ridiculous to anyone who does not believe in Jesus ...as will Jesus' demand sound ridiculous:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
There is indeed more depth to the Ten Commandments than we are even capable of understanding. However, Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to begin the process! That process opens our eyes to the reality of Jesus Christ from Creation to present. It is all in the Bible, but we need the Holy Spirit to help us see it.
Father, the implication of the Sabbath upon current society (the Church included), is that very few are living in the Sabbath Rest of Christ but, are instead living in the idolatry of "six days of work." May our eyes be opened as our actions "give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus." So be it.
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