We spent much of Thursday driving, and at one point, we were able to pick up a Christian radio station that interrupted its music format for frequent two-minute teaching moments with various authors and preachers. They all tended to blur together, so forgive me for not remembering which voice was which.
One of these brief moments focused on the Ten Commandments; particularly the fourth one, which talks about resting on the sabbath day. He noted that other, better remembered commandments are dealt with in four or five words — we’re not sure what translation he used — while that sabbath commandment used 96 words.
From Exodus 20, he contrasted:
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
and
13 “You shall not murder.
with
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Yes, that is a lot of words. It provides the historic background in which is contained the theological underpinnings of sabbath rest. It covers all the bases, closing loopholes for getting for getting the kids, the employees, any non-Jews, or even your animals to do whatever job you feel needs doing. The commandment isn’t just for you, but for anyone who falls under your authority.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard a message on rest. One of our local pastors, having just finished Mark Buchanan’s book, The Rest of God, noted that we tend to rest from our work, whereas the Bible seems to promote working from our rest. In other words resting, in order to work.
But 96 words? I think God didn’t want us to think this one was less important than adultery or murder. I think he really means business about this one. Or, more correctly, shutting down business.
For more on this, visit Rick Apperson’s columns here and here.
Christianity 201 