Mark 2:27-28 And He said to them, The sabbath came into being for man’s sake, and not man for the sabbath’s sake. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the sabbath.
People often ask me why I so enjoy Shabbat and the rest it affords and why I preach on it so often. Some people think it’s a “legalistic” attitude, but actually, I’m simply being relational. They need to remember that our relationship with the Lord Yeshua is bridal; it’s a marital relationship. [Ephesians 5:22-33; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-8]
Marriage counselors invariably recommend a “date night” for married couples to maintain a healthy, passionate, and strong relationship. The date night immediately invokes a new atmosphere for the couple to experience and cultivate the specialness of their relationship. Of course, I’ve been married to my wife all week, but tonight, date night, is special, unique, and intimate.
Setting apart the Sabbath for God serves the same purpose as “date night.” I’m saying, “You have given me rest, I’ve grown to deeply trust you, I know you’ve been with me all week, and now, on one special day, my ‘date night,’ I’m expressing my love for you, and I want to know you better.”
My approach to the Sabbath is not because it’s a commandment. In fact, the New Testament contains no command to observe a particular Sabbath day. It’s even more significant and profound than anything that I “have to” do precisely because it’s voluntary. I desire to be with my Bridegroom to know and love Him better, and Shabbat is my day, my weekly habit, for that joy. I’m choosing to have a “date night” so that I can thoroughly enjoy the intimacies of the Lord and be refreshed and renewed! So, really do enjoy your “date night” and until next week — Shabbat Shalom!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The city of Laodicea was founded nearly three centuries before the birth of Christ. Built on a trade route, Laodicea was quite prosperous. The wealth of the city was legendary, as Jews who lived there sent 9 kilograms (20 lbs) of gold to the Temple in Jerusalem on a yearly basis according to historical records.
Laodicea was an idyllic city except for its lack of a water supply. It depended on water from an external source, the city of Hierapolis was located six miles to the north, the site of mineral hot springs which were used for medicinal purposes. These steaming hot waters were piped to Laodicea, arriving there… lukewarm, hence the metaphor in Yeshua’s warning to the Laodicean church.
The church at Laodicea received a stern warning in chapter 3 of John’s Revelation. We would do well to reflect on it.
The word “Laodicea” is a compound in the Greek; “Laos” which principally means “people”, and “dike”, defined as “principle or decision”. One rendering might read, “rule of the people”, or, in modern terms, “Democracy”. In the western world, we have an affection and even a deep commitment to Democracy. Yet this form of government, “rule of the people” is fatally flawed… because we are fatally flawed by our sin nature…
As we continue to probe the lessons from the salt covenant, we now inquire into our part in the covenant.
Yeshua (Jesus) said He is the “bread of life”. It was His body that was broken on our behalf as the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Notice that He never once called us to be the “bread of life”! He is the ONLY “Bread of Life” – the true bread who came down from Heaven which anyone may eat and not die. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is His flesh, given for the life of the world.
For years, when I visited my father-in-law’s home in Jerusalem on the Sabbath, we would break bread and bless the bread with the traditional blessing – “Baruch Ata Adonai Eleheynu Melech HaOlam Ha-Motzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz” – which translated means,”Blessed are You Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has given us bread from the earth”. After the blessing, my father-in-law would take salt and sprinkle the challah bread as he broke and passed it to everyone at the table.
One day a passerby saw a homeless man on the roadside. He stopped for a moment to hand him some loose change and casually said “God bless you, my friend”.
“I thank God,” said the homeless man, “I am never unhappy.”