Deuteronomy 5:15 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.
Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.
We have come to the final meditation in this journey through the Z’roah, the Arm of the LORD. From the Arm that redeemed Israel out of Egypt, to the Arm that pierced the dragon, to the Arm that is coming with reward — all of these revelations lead us here: the Arm that brings His people into rest.
Redemption is not complete until rest is secured. God’s arm not only broke Pharaoh’s power; it also gathered His people into covenant fellowship. Shabbat is the covenant sign of this rest — not a burden to bear, but a gift to receive. Israel was commanded to stop striving, not because they had accomplished enough, but because God’s Arm had already done the work. Sabbath is God’s weekly reminder: “You are not slaves. You are Mine, and you are carried.”
Isaiah’s vision shows the same truth: the Arm that split seas and struck empires now cradles lambs and carries them close. This is not a contradiction, but a completion. The Warrior Arm clears the way so the Shepherd Arm may gather His flock. In Messiah, the fullness is revealed: He conquered death, and then He spoke the invitation — “Come to Me… and I will give you rest.”
Every Shabbat, every quiet surrender to His finished work, is a rehearsal of eternity. It declares to the world and to our restless hearts: “The battle is already won. The Arm has finished the work.” And one day soon, when He returns, that rest will be eternal — the final Sabbath of God, where His people dwell in His embrace forever.
This is the last word of the Arm: rest. Not a legal duty, but a covenant delight. Not striving, but surrender. Not fear, but being held. The Arm that shattered your enemy is the Arm that now carries you home. Stop struggling. Rest in His embrace — for you are not only redeemed, you are kept.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Most people overlook a very significant part of the parable of the prodigal son, which is – the elder son received his inheritance as well! (Luke 15:12b) According to the custom of the times, the older son's inheritance would have been twice that of the younger son. In that light, his response to his younger brother's initiative, a response of silence...speaks volumes.
I'm sure we all have heard the parable of the Prodigal Son [Luke 15:11-32], but I want to spend some time this week really dissecting this particular parable so we can gain deeper insight into this message of Jesus (Yeshua).
Many believers have a special place, a quiet place where they go to spend time with the Lord. This is a very important thing. But how many believers have actually 'prepared a way' for the Lord?
An organization in Montana offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night, they scoured the mountains and forests searching for their valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without success, they both fell asleep.
My wife and I had the privilege of leading a tour in Israel with over 50 people from all over the world. When tourists come to Israel, and especially to these southern parts where we live, one of the first things they're warned is to make certain they drink enough water. The climate here is very dry -- it fools you into thinking it's not as hot as it really is. You might not even feel thirsty, and before you know it, you can collapse from dehydration.
In one passage in John, Mary and Martha come running to Jesus, asking Him to heal Lazarus, who was critically ill. Since Lazarus was a good friend of Jesus, I'm sure they were expecting that Jesus would come immediately to his aid. The scripture says, however, that Jesus stayed two more days in the place where He was. It was in those two days that Lazarus died.
A noncommissioned officer was directing the repairs of a military building during the American Revolution. He was barking orders to the soldiers under his command, trying to get them to raise a heavy wooden beam.