Last week I wrote about REST, how God gave us a weekly practice of rest called the sabbath. So when God asks us to rest/wait on Him we would be able to. 

“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:9-1‬1 ESV

‭‭But how do we do the sabbath in the western church and today’s society? I personally will observe the sabbath from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night as God commanded. Everything I do during that time frame is focused on putting God first. I do not schedule anything to fulfill my own desirer (watching a movie, doing a hobby). I rest from all labor, my profession is in computer programming if I get a thought on how to code some task I will make a note and wait to implement it after the sabbath.

On the sabbath, I will go to a bible study that rotates between Friday night and Saturday morning, or other church services/ministry. I will also server other people, helping them move, attending a wedding, even watching a movie with a person for the sake of building a relationship.

Wait you said you would watch movies on the sabbath? I would not personally call someone and ask them to the movies But if they called and ask me to go with them, then I would enquire of God if this is a building for relationship moment if so, I would go.

Breaking the sabbath for the sake of serving another is allowed in both the Old and New Testament. Jesus said that if you see your neighbors animal in a ditch on the sabbath help your neighbor and the animal. Jesus healed many on the sabbath. In the Old Testament, God’s allow you to break a lesser commandment for a weightier one. Elijah broke the dietary commandments when he ate from the raven. It is commanded not to eat meat pulled apart by another animal (lesser) to preserve life (weightier).

The western church has taught that breaking any of God’s commands is a sin, and they are right to a point. in the Old Testament, God gave an offering system to cover most sins. The Ten Commandments were the only ones that could not be covered by the blood of an animal. Murder is a weighty sin and had no animal offering to cover it, but if you were in a war and you were preserving the lives of another murder became a lesser sin and had an animal offering.

God’s weightier command is “to preserve life” so if you work in health care or as a first responder it is lawful to work on the sabbath. If you have a job that requires you to work on the sabbath (lesser) you are commanded to provide food and shelter for your family (weightier). It would be good to take the remainder of the sabbath day not work to focus on God’s rest.

The following verse in Hebrews after encouraging us to strive to rest is.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Hebrews‬ ‭4:12‬ ‭ESV

When I was learning how to wield a two-edged sword I found out that the two-edges were called the True Edge and False Edge. The true edge is the edge that would be closest to your opponent and the false edge was closest to you. Because of leverage the true edge is used for most of the cuts and has a greater amount of force but the false edge would be lesser in force. Both edges cut or piercing and will cause injury or death.

God’s word (commands) is likened to the edges of the sword one has a great force (weightier) and one has less force (lesser). The sword can then be spun in the hands of the wielder making the true edge (weightier) become the false edge (lesser).

This verse confirms what we already know that a sword can physically divide of soul and of spirit (death) and of joints and of marrow (dismembering). The Swords is the word of God decerning our thoughts and intentions of the heart. As we apply everything God spoke in His word (Bible) our heart will be perfected. It is from our heart that the mouth speaks, what we keep close to our heart is what we honor. Out of a perfected heart, we can truly walk in peace. Having a heart of rest/peace is your choice.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18 ESV

APPLICATION

• Choose today to walk in a new level of the rest of God
• Set aside time weekly to read, worship and serve God (I recommend the sabbath)