We saw yesterday how God rested, and set out a rhythm for work and rest. Here we see God giving some of the reasons why it’s important for us to rest, and how it’s still God’s gift for all creation even though many years have passed.
“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:12-15 ESV)
He wants the Israelites to practice it, and to share it with those in their employ. Even their animals are included. But it’s more than that. It has to do with showing who their God is. God reminds them they were once slaves. The day of rest, the Sabbath, is a weekly emancipation from slavery.
They were being reminded by God, weekly, that they were created human beings, not pyramid building resources. Sabbath was part of their freedom – they belong to God, not pharaoh.
This is so important today. We can live in self-imposed slavery to career, money. Or fear. Or a form of slavery to work can be imposed by an exploitative company, a sex trafficker, a manipulative boss, etc.
Sabbath is a way for people who spend all week working to announce they are not just money making machines, they are God’s beloved children, and so they are free.
Yes, this is a limitation on work – it limits profits and production. And it wasn’t just weekly, the idea of Sabbath rest also applies to every seven years – when no fields could be worked. Imagine the statement of a nation that planned ahead like that, and took a year of rest to focus on other kinds of work. It would be very risky, but it was a way to show their trust in God, not themselves or their own risk management efforts. They may have been less productive, but they were free.
Question: How do you break free from the sense you are a slave to work? How can you show colleagues that there are more dimensions to your life than work?
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CloseRyan Sim - September 24, 2013
Tuesday - Study It - Neighbours to Acquaintances
Here’s an interesting story from a busy period in Jesus’ life: And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:21-34 ESV) See how Jesus was busy, but not so busy he couldn’t give time to a desperate man, or a hurting woman. He heads off to help Jairus’ daughter, but then is interrupted by a woman in need. He didn’t just brush her off and send her away. No one would have blamed him – who is she to think she can just take some healing from him like a pickpocket? Or maybe she just wants to touch a famous teacher? What gives her the right? Nor did Jesus anonymously heal her on the spot while walking – you know he could. He stops, he meets her, calls her an affectionate name “daughter” and heals her. This episode says so much about the value he places in human life – even a female human life, which was regarded quite differently in that time and culture. His willingness to go out of his way, touch an unclean woman, and stop his travels and acknowledge her as a person speaks volumes. I remember a dilemma like this once – with only a few minutes before I had to lead a church service, someone asked to speak to a pastor. It turned out she was in desperate need of help, and planning to harm herself, and not stopping to speak to her would have been disastrous. Question: Do you live at a pace that allows you to be present to those around you, particularly your neighbourhood?
Related Topics: Busy, Distractions, Neighbours, Presence | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Won't You Be My Neighbour?"
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
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Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Potential | September 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
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Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers and Profit | September 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and Profit | September 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and Profit | September 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and Profit | September 1, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and Philosophers | August 29, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers and Philosophers | August 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and Philosophers | August 27, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and Philosophers | August 26, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and Philosophers | August 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and Politics | August 22, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers and Politics | August 21, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers and Politics | August 20, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers and Politics | August 19, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers and Politics | August 18, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and Prerequisites | August 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers And Prerequisites | August 14, 2014 | Extra | Watch | Listen | |
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers And Prerequisites | August 13, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers And Prerequisites | August 12, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers And Prerequisites | August 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneers and Pagans | August 8, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneers And Pagans | August 7, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneers And Pagans | August 6, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneers And Pagans | August 5, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneers And Pagans | August 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Pork | August 1, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Pork | July 31, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Pork | July 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday- Study It - Pioneer Pork | July 29, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Pork | July 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Prodigy | July 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Prodigy | July 24, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Prodigy | July 23, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Prodigy | July 22, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Prodigy | July 21, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Progress | July 18, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Progress | July 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Progress | July 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Progress | July 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Progress | July 14, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Players | July 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Players | July 10, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Players | July 9, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Players | July 8, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Players | July 7, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Pain | July 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Pain | July 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Pain | July 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Pain | July 1, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Pain | June 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Priorities | June 27, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Priorities | June 26, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Priorities | June 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Priorities | June 24, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Priorities | June 23, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Proof | June 20, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Proof | June 19, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Proof | June 18, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Proof | June 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Proof | June 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Pushback | June 13, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Pushback | June 12, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Pushback | June 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Pushback | June 10, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Pushback | June 9, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Preaching | June 6, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Preaching | June 5, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Preaching | June 4, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Preaching | June 3, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Preaching | June 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Practices | May 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Practices | May 29, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Practices | May 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Practices | May 27, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Practices | May 26, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Act On It - Pioneer People | May 23, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer People | May 22, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer People | May 21, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer People | May 20, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer People | May 19, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Spirit | May 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Spirit | May 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Spirit | May 14, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Spirit | May 13, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Spirit | May 12, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Pioneer Story | May 9, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - Act On It - Pioneer Story | May 8, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Change It - Pioneer Story | May 7, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Study It - Pioneer Story | May 6, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - A New Idea - Pioneer Story | May 5, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - 2014 Status Update - Grace in Lifestyle | May 2, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Thursday - 2014 Status Update - Generosity of Resources | May 1, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - 2014 Status Update - God in Worship | April 30, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
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Monday - 2014 Status Update - Growth in Discipleship | April 28, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Resurrection | April 25, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
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Thursday - Death is Coming for Jesus | April 17, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Wednesday - Death is Coming for Jesus | April 16, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Tuesday - Death is Coming for Jesus | April 15, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Monday - Death is Coming for Jesus | April 14, 2014 | Watch | Listen | ||
Friday - Reflect - Disappointment | April 11, 2014 | Watch | Listen |