Living As If God Exists (Because He Does)Sýnishorn

REMEMBERING REDEMPTION THROUGH SABBATH

God gave Israel the Law so that its people would live out a new story, one directed by Him and free of all Pharaoh’s limitations, anxieties, and fears.

As part of the Law, God commanded Israel to observe a day of rest on the seventh day, known as the Sabbath. Israel’s new story freed them from the endless toil that is so often part of stories that keep God at arm’s length or deny Him altogether. This important practice was enshrined within the law because it was a vehicle for remembrance. In observing the Sabbath, Israel was to recall that they were rescued from Egypt’s stories and all the suffering that inevitably comes when God is rejected. It was a time to remember their redemption from a world ordered by those whose efforts could never result in Sabbath.

Sabbath was a time of complete rest. The stopping of all work emphasized the radical transformation that God’s faithful provision had provided to Israel. The Sabbath created a rhythm of life that reminded Israel of their redemption from Egypt and their new life with God.

As Christians, we also need to create a rhythm of life that affirms our redemption. We need to adopt practices that remind us that we are no longer required to live according to the world’s stories, but God’s story alone. Taking our cues from Sabbath, we need regular practices that keep us from returning to the ways of life from which we have been redeemed and the stories that diminish God and keep Him at arm’s length. These practices become crucial reminders that help us “look with seeing eyes” and “listen with hearing ears” as we seek to live in light of the gospel. We need to remember our redemption, always.

Develop a new rhythm of life that reminds you that we do not glorify Christ by fixing the world, but by living faithfully, patiently, and calmly in a world so broken only God can fix it. Commit today to engaging in meaningful practices like prayer, fasting, and worship that will remind you of God’s redeeming work and prepare you to proclaim the gospel to those who need to hear it.