On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” (Exodus 16:22-23 ESV)
It’s interesting that the concept of a Sabbath day started 4 chapters before the Mosaic Law was given. It was an instruction to Israel on how to partake of God’s provision, Manna. We often think of the Sabbath as part of the Law, a commandment. That’s true, but it also has ramifications before and after the Mosaic Covenant. Three things of interest:
- Solemn rest: The Hebrew word shabbaton, from the same root as Sabbath, has the abstract ending on it. It means to cease or rest from some activity. The idea was to stop gathering your necessities for one day.
- A holy Sabbath to the Lord: Strong’s concordance says the word shabbâth means to take an intermission. The Sabbath is an intermission in the daily scramble to stay alive or gather wealth. It is holy to Him. That is, it is set apart as specifically His. All activities and thoughts on that day are directed toward Him in remembrance of what He has done.
- It is an act of faith and obedience. In the manna story, God deigned to provide them with bread in a supernatural way. He gave them instructions on how to use it as a test of their obedience (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Each Friday night, when they set aside the bread for the next day, they did so in faith that it would not rot and become worm-eaten, as it would have on any other day. On this one holy day, it would be their bread even if they didn’t go out to gather.
I believe that Jesus is our Sabbath (Hebrews 4). He finished His work and gave us the faith to enter into His rest. I also believe that the lessons taught by the Sabbath are very much for us today. Take a minute to dedicate this beautiful Sunday to Him. Consciously remind yourself and Him that you are His. Exercise your faith to take an intermission from the scramble of daily life. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and focus your mind and heart on communion with God and His holy people. Remember what He has done: His work is finished, and you get to rest in it. Let’s pass the test of rest.
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