Keeping The Sabbath

As I read through the final chapters of Leviticus these past few weeks, the idea of the Sabbath was very prominent, and I am slowly starting to think that it is something more important than what it is perceived to be. The levitical laws talk about taking a Sabbath on the seventh day as a day of rest, holy to the LORD, and it even goes as far as having every seven years be a Sabbath year. Since January, I have been trying to practice a regular Sabbath every sunday, but as I reflect back on the Sabbaths i've taken, I've wondered if I did it correctly because I found that I end up piling all my stuff and to-do's that are not school related onto that day, and it still ends up being busy. So I asked myself, "why is the Sabbath so important?". This week, I spent some time looking into what the Sabbath really is, and why we should take it. Most of these ideas were taken from articles and podcasts which will be linked below. Here's what I've learnt,

The Sabbath is a gracious gift
Often times we complain and ask why we have the take the Sabbath, as if God is trying to take away our time from being productive. Often times, people see the Bible as just a set of rules and restrictions that prevent us from having any "fun". The Sabbath can be put in such a negative light sometimes, but "God's purpose for the sabbath is that we experience the highest and most intense joy that can be experienced, namely that we "take delight in the LORD"". One of the articles put it this way;

"If it took 7 days a week to do all you could do to keep your life together, would you see it as a burden if God came to you and said "I promise to meet your needs with just six days of work"? Have a day of rest!"

The Sabbath should be seen as a gracious gift, not a cruel command.

The Sabbath is a celebration of our design and puts work into perspective 
We must realize that there is more to life than just work. We were made to work but we were also made to rest, that is the nature that God has made us. Therefore overworking or underworking ourselves, goes against the nature of our design and results in collapse. "Sabbath is made for us to rest, and to rest is to enjoy and honour the goodness of God's creation."

The Sabbath is a declaration of our freedom
I noticed that every time God declares himself as LORD, He often reminds the people of Israel that He is the God that brought them out of Egypt, and just as it says in the Deuteronomy 5:12-15 when it refers to the 10 Commandments, it reads;

"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of the animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." 

- Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Each time, God reminds his people that He freed them from slavery, and in the same way, following Christ sets us free from the approval of man, the demands of our jobs, our insecurities and any cultural expectations. We were made by God, and made for God, not for our own accomplishments, and not for the world.

The Sabbath is a reminder to trust the Lord
Sabbath is taken because it teaches us to rest in God's love rather than in our labor. I've been learning a lot about how I am not in control, and how I should not be in control. At work, I can see that i've tried to build myself up there based on my own efforts, and clearly, that hasn't thwarted the plans of a sovereign God. I thought that I would find joy in being approved and having success at work, and while that is worthy of celebrating, and rejoicing; our ultimate joy must be found in Christ rather than any worldly pleasures. Do we trust that God will provide us and care for us with having us just work 6 of the 7 days of the week? If He can care for the grasses on the ground and the birds of the air, how much more will he care for us? Taking a step back from our busy workaholic lives show us that we are not the ones that keep the world spinning, and that it is truly God that is working in our lives, ultimately in control.

The Sabbath is a command to repent and refocus back on God
As we take our Sabbath, again, we are submitting our lives back to Him, giving and surrendering to Him all the control we want over our lives. The Sabbath should be seen through the lens of joyfulness, that is joy in God himself. It is so easy to be caught up by the things seen in this world, and find pleasure in work, family, friends, and relationships, and it takes us away from finding complete and full satisfaction in God. Take the Sabbath to repent from having such a world-oriented mindset, and refocus back on the one who is truly sufficient.

I shared the question "why is the Sabbath so important?" with my friend this past week, and he responded with a story that has helped me see the Sabbath in a different light. The story goes,

"two lumberjacks had the task of cutting down a tree, they spent hours on hours hacking away at the tree with their axes. One lumberjack decided stop and left halfway through, and although the other questioned his decision, he just continued at his tree. The lumberjack that stopped halfway came back after an hour or so and ended up cutting down his tree before the other lumberjack. After the long day, he was asked how he had cut down his trees so quickly, and the lumberjack revealed that he had spent the hour sharpening his axe."

In the same way, we hack at life each and everyday, at work or with family, and as Christians we want to be living out our lives as Christ did too. It's extremely easy to block out everything around us and become super focused on the task at hand, but as the lumberjack went to sharpen his axe, we also need to step back, refocus and sharpen our minds, resting in God before we continue. And with a mind set on God and things above, it'll make us better and stronger disciples as we live according to God and how He intended and created us to live.

With all this in mind, I still wonder, what does this look like practically? Am I on my knees praying the entire day? Do I need to have my head in God's word from sunrise to sunset? My friend suggested setting a goal for my Sabbath days because I often found myself not knowing what to do; so by having a goal, it'll give more direction and structure to the day. The Sabbath is a time that is set aside to simply enjoy God, and one can apply this by doing something that allows you marvel in what God has created, whether if that is singing or playing sports, painting or reading; delight in the LORD and what He has given us!

God does command us to work hard, but God also commands us to rest. Let us take both commands to heart, obeying not just one but both!

Resources:
How To Think About The Sabbath - DesiringGod
The Power of Deep Rest - Gospel Coalition 
Remember The Sabbath Day To Keep It Holy - DesiringGod