THE LORD SPOKE (October 8)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Isaiah 56-58

Blessed [how happy] is the man...who keeps the Sabbath.... (Isaiah 56:2)

Are we supposed to keep the Sabbath? You’ve probably had it pointed out to you that of all the Ten Commandments, this is the one that is not repeated in the New Testament. But do we base a decision such as this on what is not said? Consider the following:

1. This is a creation ordinance. From the beginning of time, the first week of creation, it was a pattern established by none other than God Himself (Gen. 2:2). He, who certainly did not need to rest, set the example by setting aside one day in seven as different (“holy” = sanctified, set apart for the Lord’s use) from the others.
2. The Hebrew verb shabbat means “cease”, “stop” or, “rest”. It’s this verb form that appears in Genesis 2:2-3 and only later did it become known as the Sabbath. The noun form was eventually substituted for “the seventh day”.
3. It is of major significance that when the Sabbath command is given in what we call the “Ten Commandments” (see Ex. 20:11), it says to “remember” this day. While that means “keep it”, it also implies that this was something that existed previously and needed to not be forgotten. In other words, keep doing it or get back into the habit of doing it again.
4. The Law of Moses made the seventh day of the week the official Sabbath for Israel but the principle of taking a shabbat at the end of six days of work is a pattern that is fixed in God’s creation permanently. Even in Exodus 20, the justification given for this pattern is that God made us to get our work done in six days because we need the seventh day to rest - to cease from our labors. (By the way, if you can’t get your work done in six days that means either that you are not working properly during those six days or else you are trying to do more than God has planned for you.)

So, does this need to be repeated in the New Testament in order to be true for us today? No. The setting aside of one day in seven to cease our labors and turn our attention to the Lord is an essential part of our constitution, our well-being, and our relationship with the Lord.

Must it be the seventh day? or should it now be Sunday? Neither of those positions can be proven from Scripture. So does that mean we should chuck the whole thing? Absolutely not! This is a biblical mandate for all time and for all people. How are we to “keep” a shabbat? That will vary almost infinitely according to each individual but it is something you must establish and observe between you and your God, who expects it of you.

Check out Isaiah 58:13-14!


Psalms 43-44

It’s the third stanza of a song that begins in the previous psalm, but Psalm 43 has a stand-alone message also. The psalmist cries out for God’s mercy and deliverance. He had gotten so low, he was about to give up. His “soul was downcast”. Do you know the feeling? From those depths, he pleads with the Lord to lift him up by His light and truth (Ps. 43:1-3).

He looked in the right direction! He turned to God as his stronghold. His soul ached for that refuge. He longed to be in God’s presence. “...Bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell” (Ps. 43:3b). Joy and delight flooded his soul when he put his hope in God.

Oh, that we would remember this. In those times of distress, open your Bible and listen for the Lord to speak. Let Him lift your soul. Let Him return your joy and delight.

Lord, the light of your love is shining;
In the midst of the darkness, shining.
Jesus light of the world shine upon us,
Set us free by the truth you now bring us.
Shine on me. Shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine;
Fill this land with the Father’s glory.
Blaze, Spirit, blaze;
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow;
Flood the nations with grace and mercy.
Send forth your Word,
Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to your awesome presence,
From the shadows into your radiance;
By the blood I may enter your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me. Shine on me.

As we gaze on your kindly brightness,
So our faces display your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
Shine on me. Shine on me.