Read: Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. (vv. 13-14)
Read Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and circle or write down the words that stand out to you. Perhaps these words stuck out to you as they did to me: Sabbath, keeping, holy, commanded, remember. Deuteronomy 5 includes the Ten Commandments, similar to how they’re recorded in Exodus 20. The Ten Commandments aren’t God’s way of making life difficult, but rather “guardrails” that keep us from going off course. That’s why in the children’s curriculum book Young Children and Worship, the lesson on the Ten Commandments is titled “The Ten Best Ways to Live.” These commands are for our good and when lived out, they not only bring glory to God but help us experience God’s blessings.
God rested on the seventh day of creation, and he created us to rest as well. Believers in Jesus rest and worship on the first day of the week in celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Deuteronomy 5 reminds its original hearers and readers today that the slaves in Egypt were forced to work seven days a week. Freed from the slavery of sin through faith in Christ, we too can enjoy a refreshing, renewing, recalibrating day of rest and worship. Our role is to slow down, keep the day holy, and remember. This special day each week is a gift from God. Are you observing it or burning out by continually working, rushing, and worrying?
As you pray, ask God to help you cherish and observe the day of rest he calls you to keep.
About the Author
Rev. Steve Petroelje is a specialized transition pastor who serves vacant churches and helps them assess health, pursue missional effectiveness, and conduct a pastoral search process. He is the past-president of the Words of Hope Board of Trustees.
