Exodus 20:8-11: Sabbath rest is a gift from God

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

Response

Consider the following questions:

• What does the word “holy” mean to you in this context?
• Sabbath rest is God’s gift to us. How might you receive that gift with gratitude?
• If your job doesn’t require working on Sundays, are you able to put away your weekly work and celebrate sabbath? If not, what gets in your way? If your job does require you to work on Sundays, what other day or time period could you set aside to celebrate the gift of sabbath?

Mark 2:23-28: The sabbath is made for you

One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Response

Consider the following questions:

• What would a sabbath that is “made for you” look like? What would be life-giving? What would be restful? What would point you to God?
• What role does food play in your sabbath celebration? 
• What kinds of activities would you like to avoid on the sabbath?  

Luke 6:6-11: The sabbath is a day for healing

On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 

Response

Consider the following questions:

• In what areas of your life do you need healing and restoration?
• How might celebrating sabbath help you open your heart to letting Jesus “completely restore” and heal you?
• How might your sabbath celebration include opportunities to extend healing and restoration to your neighbor?

Psalms of Rest

Read Psalm 23. Or follow this 7-day Psalms of Rest reading plan from She Reads Truth.