Sabbath Peace

Capstoning the Shabbat

There is a theme to the assigned passages in our liturgical schedule. That theme is giving. We will look at the theme in the Ezekiel, the 2 Corinthians and the Exodus.

Ezekiel 45:16 - 17 (Moffatt Bible) The entire population must offer this contribution to the prince in Israel, 17and it shall be the prince's duty to provide the burnt-offering, the cereal-offering, and the libation; at the festivals, at every new moon, and on the sabbaths, at all the great occasions in Israel, he shall provide the sin-offering, and the recompense-offering, by way of expiation for Israel.

The entire population gave an offering for their sins. The prince, however, gave a larger offering (1). If you want to read more about the offering the prince gave, read verses 21 to 25.

Does that remind you of something? We are called upon to sacrifice a little for the Lord. But Jesus, the King�s Son, gave it all for us. He gave His life for us. No greater gift could He give.

2 Corintihains 9:7 (Moffatt Bible) Everyone is to give what he has made up his mind to give; there is to be no grudging or compulsion about it, for God loves the giver who gives cheerfully.

Our giving can be from a generous heart, not a guilty conscience (2). We can give, without guilt being a motivation, because our debt of sin was paid in full at Calvary.

Exodus 35:1- 3 & verse 5. (Moffatt Bible) Moses convened all the Israelites in their assembly and said to them: "There are the orders laid down by the Eternal for your obedience. 2Business may be done for six days, but on the seventh day you are to have a sabbath of entire rest, sacred to the Eternal; anyone who does any business on that day shall be put to death. 3You must light no fire in any house upon the sabbath day.

Skipping to Verse 5. You are to raise a special offering for the Eternal, to be made by anyone who has a willing mind, a special contribution to the Eternal, of gold, silver and bronze (and the list goes on).

According to Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, the purpose of the assembly was to collect a freewill offering to help build the Tabernacle (3). In this context, Moses gave the people strict rules about how to observe the Sabbath. The Sabbath law was the capstone of God's covenant ordinances (4). Moses put it ahead of other instructions for building the temple (5).

The first rule was for the people not to work on Shabbat. The people were building the tabernacle. A God who rested after creating His world wanted His people to rest when building His home (6). There is meaning for us here. We are not to stress ourselves so much with doing the Lord�s work on His day that we miss the blessing of the Sabbath.

No lighting fires on Shabbat. To the ancients, fire was a �phenomenon of divine origin� (7). The principle for us today is that we are not to compete with God. The fire of God in the church is to outperform the our personal fires. No lighting personal fires on Shabbat. One day a week, stop trying to prove yourself. Lay down the struggle to be great. That is hard work. Rest. Let the One who is truly great show His greatness. He does not need our help to do that.

And why was the Shabbat so important?

The Sabbath was a "sign of the covenant" between the children of Israel and God (8). The Sabbath is not the covenant. It is a sign of the covenant.

The Sabbath had this prominent position, not so humanity could earn God' love by keeping the Sabbath, but because it represented God's the purpose in having a place where God could dwell with people (9). After humanity sinned, the Sabbath's purpose was to help redeem people (10). The purpose of the Sabbath was to help people be in relationship with God.

The children of Israel did not keep the Sabbath. The Sabbath kept the children of Israel (11). And helped protect Israel's spirituality, even when Israel was in captivity and exile (12). The Sabbath kept the children of Israel, because it helped them keep their relationship with God alive. Through the Sabbath rituals, the children of Israel were regularly reminded of the God who chose them, the God who rescued them from slavery and the God who would restore them.

"Israel's ability to create a setting for God's Presence is a measure of its greatness, and indeed, a primary reason for its very existence� (13). As a royal priesthood, our greatness is determined only by our creating a setting in our hearts and lives for the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit.

Verse 5 is critical. It contrasts pagan religion and God�s religion. The people could give willingly (14). When the golden calf idol was built, offerings �were required� (15). Exodus 32:2 (New Living Translation). So Aaron said, �Tell your wives and sons and daughters to take off their golden earrings and to bring them to me.�

The children of Israel were free, no longer slaves. Giving money to build the tabernacle did not earn that salvation. The salvation was a gift, resulting from God choosing Israel, not from offerings from the children of Israel. A golden-calf idol form of Sabbath observance exists. That form demands offerings, when God asks for a free-will Sabbath. It symbolizes relationship through edict, not through love.

Reb Zalman says we should start Shabbat by saying, �Today I am going to pamper my soul� (16). So pamper yourself today. Enjoy God�s friendship. And pamper others today. Extend friendship to the friendless. Have lunch together. Have coffee with somebody. Go Shabbat Slaloming - extend God�s eternal rest and peace.

Notes

1Wayne A. Meeks, et. al., eds. HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (New York: HarperCollins, 1993), 1296.
2Bruce B. Barton, et. al., eds. Life Application Bible: The Living Bible. (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House and Youth for Christ, 1988 ), 147.
3cited in A. Cohen, ed. The Soncino Chumash. (Brooklyn, New York: Soncino Press, 1983), 573.
4Walter R. Roehrs and Martin H. Franzmann. Concordia Self-Study Commentary. St. Louis: Concordia Pub. House, 1979), 86.
5Roehrs and Franzmann, 86.
6A similar idea is expressed in Wayne Muller. Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives: Sabbath. (New York: Bantam Books, 2000), 29. Muller says, �If God could rest in creating the universe, God�s people could rest in the building of the sacred temple.�
7W. Gunther Plaut and Bernard J. Bamberger. The Torah: A Modern Commentary. (New York: Union of American Hewbrew Congregations, 1981), 676.
8D. A. Carson, et. al., eds. New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. (Leicester, England: Inter-Varisty Press, 1994), 118.
9Roehrs and Franzmann, 86.
10Roehrs and Franzmann, 86.
11Muller, 9.
12Muller, 9.
13Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz, eds. The Stone Edition Tanach. (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Pub., 1996), 225.
14Edward E. Hindson and Woodrow M. Kroll, eds. The KJV Parallel Bible Commentary. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pub., 1994), 181.
15Jean M. Alley, et. al., The Open Bible: New Living Translation. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Pub., 1998), 124.
16cited in Muller, 30.