June 11, 2021
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places. Leviticus 23:3 ESV
Much is written about the Sabbath from its institution to its fulfillment in Christ. From the beginning, God declared that the Sabbath was made for man. Over centuries. Jewish leaders added laws intended to clarify what constitutes work on the Sabbath, making it a means to an end (and thus reversing the order and making man for the Sabbath). Jesus radically redressed the order of the Sabbath by declaring that he is our Sabbath rest, and in him, we find rest for our weary souls (Matthew 11:29).
How then do we observe a solemn rest? There are two biblical themes of the Sabbath: creation and redemption which are fulfilled in Christ. Created and redeemed, we find rest in him from the distractions of routine labor and refresh our love for him that strengthens our obedience to him (Hebrews 4:11).
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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