Rebekah's Insights

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For some time I have been reflecting on the Fourth Commandment...

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11, RSV)

As Liam began to learn the Ten Commandments this year in school, I began to wonder how he would understand what I was teaching. Aside from the morning being largely devoted to Worship, there is little difference in our activities on Sunday compared to our activities the rest of the week. I kept telling myself how impossible it would be to do no (or at least very little) work on Sundays, i.e., the washer size here makes going a day without doing any laundry a problem for subsequent days, we have to cook if we're going to eat, etc.

Yesterday, however, it just so happened that I had very easy, basically heat and serve meals. As planned, after Worship and lunch we spent the afternoon out and about the farm on which we reside. Consequently, I did not get to any laundry (much to my chagrin today as I attempt to catch-up on yesterday's loads as well as today's) nor any other household tasks. After dinner, baths, and tucking the children into their beds, Will and I enjoyed an evening playing one of our favorite games, The Castle.

It truly WAS a day of rest! I awoke this morning with so much more energy--mental AND physical, that I think I may be hooked--on the possibility and value of a true DAY of Rest. I should not be surprised that the Lord knew what He was doing when He set aside the Sabbath, eh?

And he [Jesus] 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." (Mark 2:27 & 28)

I think I will endeavor to facilitate this Day of Rest for this coming weekend. I can plan my menu with make-ahead or "heat-and-serve" meals, do an extra load of laundry a few days this week to eliminate the need to do it on Sunday, and try to accomplish any cleaning, etc. on the days prior to Sunday. I look forward to spending a day in worship of the Almighty God who made such a day for me and in enjoying the other wonderful treasures He has bestowed on my life.

And, perhaps Liam will be better able to understand the Fourth Commandment now as we attempt to walk through it, rather than only talk through it. I realize that not everyone has the same schedule we have with Will working Monday through Friday, so a Day of Rest may not be possible for everyone on a Sunday. I am also aware that others observe such a day on Saturday, believing it to be more true to observing on the seventh day of the week. But whenever it is observed, I am seeing the importance and blessing of truly setting the day aside--for remembering the sabbath and keeping it holy.