Sometimes, conversations about other people, loved ones to be exact, can bring out inspirations from the Lord that simply would otherwise not be mentioned. I was talking the other day about how some of us work so much that we don't seem to ever take a day off or take time to smell the roses. It brought a new thought into my head which seemed to ask the question, "Why did God COMMAND us to remember the sabbath?"
The NASB version shows it like this:
8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
One of God's most blessed commandments, we break all the time with no thought that we are breaking it. Even on "our day off" we stay on call, or we work part time to earn a few extra bucks, or we work to satisfy what we think is a loyal and noble cause. Why do we break this important commandment from God? We would never, ever, think of breaking others of the ten commandments such as "Do Not Steal", or "Do Not Murder". What makes this one such that we can ignore it?
God gave this commandment I think to protect us. I know several people that died from work-related stress. I know of people that ended up divorced and lonely because they refused to take a day off with their families. Did you hear that? WITH THEIR FAMILIES! Not only that, but God meant also for us to be able to worship him freely, with no distractions; worship Him only.....not the dollar or the pride we sometimes get from being a martyr.
Check out verse 11 again. ".....therfore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." If the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy, why would we not want to relish it? No matter what day of the week you choose, remember the Sabbath. It is holy. It is for your good and for God's good!
The NASB version shows it like this:
8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
One of God's most blessed commandments, we break all the time with no thought that we are breaking it. Even on "our day off" we stay on call, or we work part time to earn a few extra bucks, or we work to satisfy what we think is a loyal and noble cause. Why do we break this important commandment from God? We would never, ever, think of breaking others of the ten commandments such as "Do Not Steal", or "Do Not Murder". What makes this one such that we can ignore it?
God gave this commandment I think to protect us. I know several people that died from work-related stress. I know of people that ended up divorced and lonely because they refused to take a day off with their families. Did you hear that? WITH THEIR FAMILIES! Not only that, but God meant also for us to be able to worship him freely, with no distractions; worship Him only.....not the dollar or the pride we sometimes get from being a martyr.
Check out verse 11 again. ".....therfore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." If the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy, why would we not want to relish it? No matter what day of the week you choose, remember the Sabbath. It is holy. It is for your good and for God's good!
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