Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Shabbat: Part Two

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In Exodus 20:8-11, the nature of Sabbath is described as a testimony to God's own Lordship over the Creation. The Messianic Jew testifies against all theories of atheism, agnosticism, evolutionary naturalism, and pantheism by upholding the truth that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1).

In Deuteronomy, both the Sabbath as a memorial of the Exodus as well as the Sabbath as a humanitarian law are stressed. On this day, rich and poor, free and slave acheived a measure of equality in freedom from the domination of work. The Sabbath is an essential faith principle. We believe God's Word sufficiently to let go of our anxiety for food, clothes, and shelter, believing that He is our loving Father and provider; we need not fear!

When we turn to the Prophets, we find the basic importance of Sabbath reaffirmed. Isaiah says, "Blessed is the man...who keeps the Sabbath without desicrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil" (Isa. 56:2). The passage goes on to delineate the blessings that shall be received by those who love God's covenant and express it in a heartfelt recognition of Sabbath.

Jewish Roots, Chapter Seven: Messianic Jewish Practice