Jeremiah 17:19-18:23
Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem. And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.
Jeremiah 17:21-22
Do you get the sense that maybe, just maybe, the LORD cares about the Sabbath? This is by no means the only place that the Sabbath is placed in focus. Rather, the holiness of the Sabbath is a repeated refrain. Just consider this list of references (which is not at all exhaustive):
- Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-16; 35:2-3;
- Leviticus 19:3; 19:30; 23:3; 26:2;
- Deuteronomy 5:12-15;
- Nehemiah 9:14; 13:15-22;
- Isaiah 56:2-6; 58:13;
- Ezekiel 20:12-24; 22:8,26; 23:38; 44:24.
Do you think that maybe, just maybe, we should care about what the LORD cares about?
It should be quite clear that our so-called “Christian” nation, the good ol’ U.S.A., cares nothing about the Sabbath, but that should be expected, as our nation is now anything but “Christian.” But what about us, those who profess a true faith in Christ? Do we honor the Sabbath and keep it holy? Do we try even just a little bit to do so? Or do we actively resist the Sabbath? In our attempts to avoid the legalism of the Pharisees, do we reject the gift of rest that is the Sabbath, and in so doing do we reject the Lord of that Sabbath?
Ask the Lord to speak to you about the Sabbath. Listen to what He has to say. Look and see whether your life actually reflects what He wants for you. Search your heart and see whether you are resisting Him. Do not be like ancient Judah:
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.
Jeremiah 17:23
See also: July 9 (2023) / Jeremiah 47; 46:1-12; 13:1-14; 18:1-17.