Exodus 34:21-24 The Sabbath Rest teaches us to celebrate life amid insecurity

Exodus 34:21-24 The Sabbath Rest teaches us to celebrate life amid insecurity

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest.

You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.

BACKGROUND

The Sabbath Rest is celebrated in the context of the three feasts. The three feasts represent the three attitudes that are necessary for God’s people to experience enduring prosperity. During the Sabbath Rest day, we cease from work and focus on healing and restoring one another. In so doing, we nourish one another’s hearts, minds and bodies to begin another week of work. During the Sabbath Rest, we celebrate the power of Christ by taking authority over impossible situations; We celebrate the Word by purifying our hearts with the truth; We celebrate God’s faithful provision by rejoicing no matter the circumstances. Today’s devotion teaches us how to celebrate life amid insecurity.

OBSERVATION & TRUTH

“You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest.

“Rest” means dominion. On the seventh day of creation, God “rested” from all His works by presiding over creation (see Genesis 2:2). To follow through in His act of “rest”, God established the law and ordained Adam to subdue evil and rule over creation in righteousness (see Genesis 1:27-28, 2:16-17). However, Adam succumbed to temptation and lost his mandate to rule. As a result, Satan began to rule in place of Adam bringing untold sin, sickness and poverty into the world. Even as man failed to enter into God’s rest, God remained firm in His rest. He appointed Jesus, His Son to lead humanity back into God’s rest, which is the kingdom of God. Jesus’s resurrection, ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ushered in the beginning of man’s rest to rule over creation.

The restoration of man’s rest and dominion begins with our relationship with Jesus, the Lord of Sabbath. Jesus said,

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Here, we learn to abandon the yoke and burden of life to take on the “yoke” and “burden” of Jesus. The yoke and burden of life are wearisome and heavy. But the “yoke” and “burden” of Jesus is easy and light. To take on the “yoke” and “burden” of Jesus is to make a covenant with God through the blood of Jesus. In the process, we become sons of God and released from the bondage of Satan to enter into God’s rest. Indeed, entering God’s rest brings divine authority, protection and favour in all our endeavours.

That said, entering into God’s rest requires a change of attitude and mindset. The three feasts: the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Ingathering, when celebrated, are meant to help change our attitudes.

In the practice of the Sabbath Rest, we turn our focus from work to the community of the Spirit. Here, we begin the process of healing by practising grace towards one another. In helping to restore one another towards the right mindset, we nourish one another to begin another week of work.

The three feasts represents three mindsets and attitudes that will bring enduring peace and prosperity no matter the circumstances.

You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

The Feast of Weeks occurs between May and June, which is seven weeks from the day of the Passover. Here, the people commemorate the day when God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. The purpose of the Feast is to remind the people of the importance of regenerating their hearts through with word. Many could not experience prosperity in their work because their motives are wrong. Many families could not experience peace because they are not united by truth. Even though they have no lack, they could not live in harmony with one another. The Feast of Weeks reminds us that miracles alone are not sufficient. The way to experience enduring prosperity is to transform our hearts daily by the Word. Israel’s failure to enter the promised land is not due to the lack of power but the lack of the truth.

The Feast of Ingathering occurs in September. Here, the people commemorate God’s faithful provision during the 40 years when they are in the wilderness. Even as the wilderness makes it impossible to cultivate food, God rained down manna every single day, for 40 years. And their shoes and clothing do not wear out. As part of the celebration, the people erect tents made of branches which remind them of God’s faithful provision in protracted times of lack. Indeed, the Feast teaches us how to live with insecurity and still celebrate life.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs in March. Here, the people commemorate how with great power they were released from the bondage of slavery. The feast reminds them how the angel of death goes out to kill the firstborn of every Egyptian family; And how the Red Sea parted allowing them to cross on dry. The unleavened bread symbolises the body of Jesus. As we eat of the bread, we walk with Him and His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Deliverance and breakthrough come when we walk by Jesus’s directives. In other words, we must learn to take authority over impossible situations by the infinite power of Christ.

Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.

The commandment comes with an explicit promise of security, peace and prosperity. If God’s people will keep transforming their hearts daily by the word; if they will take authority over life’s challenges by the blood of the Lamb; if they will continue to celebrate life amid insecurity, God will continue to expand their territories.

APPLICATION

Whether you are in abundance or lack, learn to do the following daily:

• Celebrate the power of Christ by taking authority over the challenges of life.
• Celebrate the transforming power of the Word by studying and meditating on the Word daily.
• Celebrate God’s faithful provision by rejoicing while we are still experiencing lack.

Dear Lord, let my attitudes please you even as I go through life’s challenges. I believe you are in control of my situation and have made plans to prosper me. Nourish my spirit so that I may learn to celebrate life amid insecurity. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.