We Would Treat Time His Way

            Ah, the Sabbath.

            Eric Liddle honored it so much, he would not run a trial heat in the Olympics on the Sabbath, which he considered to be Sunday. That won him the privilege of being the subject of an Academy Award Winning movie. Not bad.

            Historian William Manchester has written that in the early 1900s, Great Britain experienced a shift in culture. The middle class found more time for leisure. Consequently, Sunday became less about the importance of observing “the Lord's day” and more about entertainment.

            At the turn of the 20th century, very few major league baseball teams played games on Sunday. Many of them were based in areas of the country where it was illegal. That mentality began the change. In the 1980s, the “blue laws” were dropped in Texas. Today, many businesses and organizations consider Sunday to be a major workday.

            We have become busy. We like to achieve. Moreover, in those moments when we can rest, we like to find activities to keep us moving. A friend of mine said two words summarize the lives of most Americans–hurry and worry. There's probably a relationship between those two words.

            I remember when Judy encouraged me to take a day off. I did not think I could afford to do that. I was working seven days a week. Boy, was I wrong.

            The Bible talks more about Sabbath than many people realize. His purpose was more than the ceremonial law. God grounded his purposes on the twin foundations of creation and redemption. Consider the following:

 12 “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 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 your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 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 (Deut. 5:12-15.)

            Did you hear the reference to the Creation? Did you hear the reference to God's redemption when he parted the Red Sea?

            That text also contains two commands:

1. Observe the Sabbath,

2. Work the other six days.

            The command to observe the Sabbath was given to Israel apparently for three purposes:

1. It recalled the week of creation and the pattern established by God and working for six days and resting on the seventh (Ex. 31:12ff.)

2. Sabbath observance set Israel part as a special nation to God (see Exodus 31:13).

3. It met the need of humanity for a regular periodic day of rest.

                       

            No other culture had a teaching or practice like this. Each Sabbath, Israel was to recall how they were slaves in Egypt and required work constantly. Then God brought them out with a mighty and outstretched hand. He made them his own people. This mighty act of creation recalled his original creative work and emphasized their need for the Lord and how they depended upon him for everything.

            Notice this was to be a time of rest for the entire household. Even the aliens where to know this privilege. Even the animals were to know this:

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 your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. 15 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 (Deut. 5:14b-15.)

            For these reasons alone I would argue that for a nation to enjoy health, it must allow its people to enjoy Sabbath.

            Furthermore, a healthy practice of Sabbath helps us confront the challenges of greed and worry. National leaders could probably care less, but they should care because this confrontation produces more productive citizens.

            On the one hand, we are surrendering one day of production that human instinct tells us would generate more. On the other hand, we are surrendering one day of production that human instinct tells us we cannot live without.

            In Luke 11, Jesus tells a parable that illustrates the connection that greed and worry have with time. In the parable, a rich man is so consumed with the generation of income, he loses all perspective on time… and life. That leads to death.

            Jesus points out that a person who loses perspective of time, loses perspective of things, which causes him to lose perspective of self. This leads to worry.

            A regular time of Sabbath reminds us that God is our leader and our priority. We place our trust in him and not in ourselves. Understanding this, we utilize our time of Sabbath to reconnect with God, which renews us. We rest in God.

            When my two youngest were little, they hated taking naps. They were full of energy—two imps never seeking much needed rest. Without naps, they would grow irritable.

            My secret treatment for this malady was simple. I would lie down on the bed between them; one arm lovingly wrapped around Timothy, the other arm wrapped around Annie.

            Before long, both would be sound asleep… enjoying much needed rest.

            We are like that with God. We run around full of energy, doing all we can to avoid a day of rest. When we program into our busy schedules a time of Sabbath, we can enjoy rest with God, as if he is putting his lovingly wrapping his arm around us.

            Stop.

            Rest.

            Enjoy God.