Rest

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

As a bivocational pastor, I often start Monday more tired than I left work on Friday. This is not a complaint by the way. I am simply stating a fact. Saturday is the only day that I can do work around the house, run errands, or do something fun (but often not restful) with the family. Sunday is certainly not a day of rest for a pastor. There is Sunday School, Worship service, and then I preach. Depending on the time of year, we often have to be back early for choir practice, and then I preach again. I come home and write a devotion, then go to bed. Since my other job is a teacher, I look forward to those days off when I can hopefully rest.

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Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

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Isn't it interesting that among the laws of God, there is one day that is commanded for everyone to rest. Transliterated, the first three Hebrew words here are "Shawmar shabbat yom". Let's consider what these mean for just a moment.

Shawmar can mean to observe, but it also can mean to guard or keep. Both meanings apply here. First, the Jewish people were to observe each sabbath day by resting. The problem is, they didn't do that. This meant that there was a need for leaders to arise and guard the sabbath. They needed to remind people that God fully intended for them to rest. They did not do this either. Laws have to be enforced or people will eventually violate them in ignorance because they no longer remember the law. This does not mean the law ceased to be a law though.

The next word is "shabbat". Shabbat is translated as sabbath and means rest. It was part of a traditional Hebrew greeting to say "Shabbat shalom" or rest and peace. It was there to remind the hearer that in God they had been granted rest and peace from slavery and wandering. In the context of the verse, the people were to rest and remember the Lord their God.

Finally there is the word "yom". Yom means day. It is the word used in Genesis 1 to describe each of the six days of creation and the seventh day that God rested. When put with the other words, the Hebrews were to keep or observe the day of rest. In other words, this was a specific period of time that God was speaking of. When studying the Old Testament, it is important to understand that there were many shabbats. Each holy day was a shabbat. This specific shabbat was the 7th day of the week. Each week God wanted His people to rest from their labors. He knew many of us would work ourselves (or others) into an early grave if He didn't give this command.

The rest of this verse is clarification that the hearer had to rest, but so did everyone else he was in charge of. The whole family was to rest. The servants or employees were to rest. The animals were to rest. Everything needs rest! A man was not allowed to work his family or employees to death.

Many times we face burnout because we do not take time to rest. Yes, rest means to cease from our labors, but we should also remember that rest is found in the Lord. In a Psalm that Solomon wrote, he said:

Unless the LORD builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the LORD guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early,

To sit up late,

To eat the bread of sorrows;

For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Psalm 127:1-2

Father, thank You for knowing what we need, even when we do not. Left to ourselves, many of us will work ourselves to death. Left to ourselves, many bosses would work their employees to death. You know that we need rest, and You set the example for us in creation. Give us rest and restore our strength.