Exodus 35
Exodus 35:1-3, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Mark 2:23-28
Maybe you recall a time when a professor or boss held a class or a meeting or they held the entire period, but they called the group's attention to a specific topic. Exodus 35 is filled with a continuing description of the Lord’s commands for his people, but let’s focus on the first 3 verses.
Take a moment to reread verses 1-3.
What is the Lord saying here? Out of 7 days, 6 are meant for work and the last is meant for the sabbath day. His people were not to work, but to keep the sabbath day holy.
Moses notes that anyone who works on the sabbath day shall be put to death. This can be a cause for question or worry. Maybe you even find yourself thinking, what does such a harsh statement mean for Christians now? I don't really see anyone practice the sabbath, are we all in sin? Those are questions I have asked myself throughout the years as I have processed the sabbath day. It can be confusing what the sabbath meant then and now.
We know a few things about the Sabbath from the Old Testament. Exodus 20:11 tells us that in 6 days God created everything and rested on the seventh day. If the Lord followed this practice, we can assume it is a good practice designed for our best. We know that the Sabbath was given to the Israelites, their families, servants, animals, sojourners, etc (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). Here we see it was a communal thing for all to stop work and use the seventh day as a holy day with the Lord. But we also see there is a consequence for not following through with the sabbath, to the point of death. This shows us that God was serious about this practice, it was not to be forsaken or disobeyed.
Fast forward to the New Testament when Jesus and his disciples are out in the fields during the Sabbath. His disciples were seen picking heads of grain. They are criticized by the Pharisees who would have been keeping the rituals we read about in the Old Testament. What Jesus says next allows us to understand more clearly what the sabbath is for us now, apart from the law for the Israelites. Jesus says the sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath. He also tells the Pharisees that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Therefore, the Lord of the sabbath says the sabbath is for us as humankind.
All along the sabbath was something that was for the people of God, even with the harsh consequences given to the Israelites and Jews who did not follow the command. Now for us as Christians, we know the sabbath is for us. It is for us to disconnect from the speeding world around us and connect to our source of hope and life. It is for us to set our eyes on Christ, to be who he made us to be, and to delight in his design for us.
Sabbath is a beautiful practice. If you have not begun the practice, process what it would look like for you to give it a try. Start small, and set your eyes on Christ. Remember, the sabbath is for you.
