God Wants You to Restنموونە

Rest Is Celebration and Community

Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. -Exodus 20:9–10

Anyone who works hard labor throughout the week needs a day of physical rest. Most of my work life is spent sitting in a chair. So, my best Sabbath rests include some physical exercise. That refreshes me. A Sabbath rest is a break from what we have been doing all week long. Therefore, some things about the day of rest may look differently for different people.

The commandment calls us to stop doing what we have been doing all week. God wants us to dedicate this day to enjoying His community. He wants us to bring our family with us. This is resting in God.

There are two different Hebrew words for work. One of the words is ‘abad used in Genesis 2:15: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it.” The Bible never prohibits this kind of work. In fact, this word also means “worship.”

The other Hebrew word is mela’khah, which is creative work (see Exodus 20:10). The commandment prohibits this kind of work on the Sabbath. One day of the week, God wants His people to stop forging forward or building new enterprises and rest.

Sabbath rest is a day to spend time with our family and with the family of God. I think God would prefer that we spend this day gathering with family around the pool rather than building a new pool. God wants us to include Him in this time. Sabbath rest is a time to find rest by enjoying God and His people.

Greg Stone

What hinders you from setting aside a day to rest each week? How can you make a plan to set aside one day every week to worship and rest?

Holy God, thank You for the gift of rest. Please help me to rest in You and enjoy all You’ve given me.