The free gift of Divine rest, part 1
Remember.
We have actually been commanded to remember. First, to remember something that was forgotten, and then, much later, to remember the origin of the holiest day that would be changed, not by God, Who does not change, but by men, mercurial men. People, and tradition.
God, our Father, Yahweh, called "The Father of Lights," the Creator of the entire universe and beyond, all the stars and nebulae, the Author of eternity, came to this world, a dead, motionless planet in the dark, and hovered over the waters, and God said: "Let there be..."
And this magnificent Being, after six days of labor, finally...rested. God rested.
God rested, not because He was tired, but because it was His holy day, the most holy of all. Throughout Scripture, God calls this special day "My holy day." I gave them My day. Before sin ever entered this world, God rested, and hallowed His day. God Himself made His day holy. Holy.
God hallowed the Seventh day. He set the Seventh day apart. There were six days of intensive labor, Sunday through Friday. The Creation of the world and everything in it. And then the other day, the day set apart, the holy day, the hallowed day, God's day. The Seventh day.
God gave this day, as a free gift, to all mankind. To humankind. The birthday celebration of the world, of Creation, for the first couple, and for all their children, throughout time, even before there was such a thing as religion, or rules. Unchanging, God's day, as God Himself is unchanging. We are told that the Father of lights gives good gifts. And we are told that throughout eternity, God's good gift, the very first gift — Divine rest — that in honor of God and His day, all creation will come together, even in the far reaches and eternal nuances of heaven itself, that all will come together to bow before the King.
Even in a world without a sun, where the very light of God will illuminate all, all creation will come together every Sabbath day, and worship the King, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus said that light came into the world. Light came into the world to save the world. But sadly, most prefer darkness to light. Jesus said: "Come unto Me and I will give you rest."
Jesus — Yeshua, in common Aramaic, and Yahshua, which means "Yahweh is salvation" in proper Hebrew — gives rest, the holy rest of His Father. Our Father. In a miraculous way, Grace itself walks hand in hand with the holiness of God. God, Who was not tired, rested, and set that day apart for mankind. And the Savior, Lord of Sabbath, called the New Adam, again offers the purity and holiness of God, Divine rest, that which was given before sin ever entered.
It is our gift. It is your gift. Regardless of race, or creed, color, religion or denomination, God gave His Own Holy Day, the Sabbath, to the world, to all, for eternity, forever. A free gift, Divine rest, that is already yours, even if you do not remember the wonder.
Remember. God said this in His Ten Commandments, using more words than in any other single commandment, right in the heart of the stone, written with His Own finger, God declared, God commanded: "Remember."
God said "Remember" at the beginning of the Fourth Commandment. He said remember because His people had already forgotten. Even before the thunder bellowed from the top of Mt. Sinai, before the lightning and smoke ever roiled and flashed, God asked the question: "When will you remember My holy day?" The people, lost in slavery for generations, had forgotten.
Living in darkness, the people preferred darkness to light, because after a long, long time, the light can hurt the eyes that have been hidden. The healing light may cause pain. Long ago, He said "remember," but for this day as well. The light, bursting into the darkness, might cause some to flee, their hands over their eyes. Looking back, we have forgotten. Remember.
God, Who does not change, gave us a holy day independent of sin, His Own Holy Day that does not change, as a free gift. We cannot merit this gift, because it existed long before we ever did. We can do nothing to change or alter this gift because it exists outside of time and space, kept in Heaven, safe, where thieves cannot break in and steal, where criminals cannot commit vandalism to mar the eternal laws of God.
God, Who counts time from sunset to sunset, gave us a free gift that is precious today, that is forgotten today even as it was at Mt. Sinai. But it is yours, today, given from God Himself. LIke manna, from heaven, the Sabbath is a gift of delight, a thing of heaven, the heavenly component of time, spirit, sumptuous delight, the joy and happiness of God. Something real today that belongs to you, even at this very moment, the Sabbath is yours.
It is yours, right now, a very piece of heaven. A gift that existed in heaven, and is yours, right now, at this moment. Remember.
Jesus said He was the Lord of the Sabbath, and Scripture tells us that it was Yeshua's custom to keep the Sabbath holy, to visit the synagogue, and read the very Scriptures which inform us of Yahshua's very customs. Scripture tells the story.
He says: "Come to me. I willl give you rest." Refreshment. Divine rest.
God, at Creation, informs us that His holy day, His very Own Holy Day, set apart and hallowed, exists. The Sabbath exists. But we do not have to go all the way back to Creation in fear that His Seventh day could be lost. We only have to go as far back as Yahshua Mashiach, Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One, Who kept the Sabbath throughout His life, Who promised the Sabbath to us, and Who even kept the Sabbath, the Seventh day, in His death here on Earth.
Jesus kept the Sabbath.
We are to follow HIs example. Walk the walk that He walked, that is our gift from God. The Sabbath is a blessing, a good thing, a gift from the Father of lights Who gives good gifts to His children.
God, in the New Covenant, promises to write His Own Laws, His Commandments, His very Holy Day, in the heart of the New Covenant believer. The New Covenant is with Israel. And God writes those unchanging laws and times inside of our mind. At the heart of our very being. As He wrote them upon stone, now He writes them upon stone hearts, converting them to hearts of flesh, and even more, hearts of spirit.
We quicken, we wake. We breathe. Our spirits thrill to the light. Light has come into the world!
The free gift of Divine rest is yours today. The Sabbath has absolutely nothing to do with denominational lines, or man-made rules and traditions, the traditions of the elders, the whimsical new ideas of a new world order. The Sabbath has absolutely nothing to do with race, or creed, or legalism, or fear, or rule-making, or rule-keeping.
The Sabbath is yours, today. And the good news is, the Sabbath is about rest, and delight. Even if you are a Jehovah's WItness, a Baptist, or a Messianic Jew, Catholic, even Buddhist, Muslim, Animist, Atheist or Agnostic, it is your right to approach the One that can take your burden, and in its place leave you with rest, Divine rest, and more, delight.
The Sabbath is not about shouting, or showing off. You do not have to tell three friends or send an e-mail to seven people. You can come to God secretly. There is no paper trail. Come to God and know rest.
At sunset, on Friday night, quietly and humbly, bow your head and lift your spirit up to God. Draw nigh to Me, God promises, and I will draw nigh to you. Come to Me, He promises, and I will give you rest. For that period of time, sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, release all the fear, anxiety, and cling to the Father of lights, throw yourself at His feet, and discover real delight.
God bless you and your family!
Art et Amour Toujours
Continue to The free gift of Divine rest, part 2.
