These past few years my view of the Sabbath has been transformed.
I have written a few blogs about this lately. One was a poem, that you can find “here” and the other is an expansion/explanation of the poem, which can be found “here“.
Those blogs include most of my discoveries about the Sabbath, but I felt led to write about one more aspect of the Sabbath that I have not mentioned before.
It has become clearer and clearer to me that the Holiness of the Sabbath transcends Covenant and the Law.
I know that is a VERY bold statement, but go on a journey with me into the book of Ezekiel. God is speaking to Ezekiel about Israel.
Pay attention to how the Lord addresses the desecration of the Sabbath apart from Israel’s sin.
Ezekiel 20:10-24
Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. “ ‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and hoTherefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy. “ ‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and destroy them in the wilderness. But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands— because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols. Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy them or put an end to them in the wilderness. I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents or keep their laws or defile yourselves with their idols. I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” “ ‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws, of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness. But I withheld my hand, and for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries, because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols.
Very eye opening isn’t it?!
The book of Isaiah also sperates the issue of Covenant from the Holiness of the Sabbath.
For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord , and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Isaiah 56:4?-?7
This thought of the Sabbath being separated from Covenant actually makes sense when I really think about it.
Sabbath was created before we even needed Covenant. Sabbath was created before sin entered the world!
The seventh day, the day of Rest. The Creation of not creating. The day of “not having to” and “not striving to”. It was in their Abiding that Adam and Eve experienced Holiness, not in their effort nor sacrifice.
It really makes me think.
Have I ever experienced a true Sabbath?
Do I know how to keep the Sabbath Holy?
How have I merged the Sabbath and my Walk with God in my weekly/daily life?
Do I differently need to Honor and see each as Holy but sperate?
How can I submit one day completely to the Lord this week?
