"Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him." Exodus 19:18-19
Main Character: God
Scripture: Exodus 19:1-20:20
Symbol: Tablets of the Torah
Now all you parents out there, don't get too excited about today's passage! We have finally come to the ten commandments. As a small child, I was regularly reminded about number five - honor your mother and father. Instead of focusing on this passage as being a rule book, I would like us to take today to examine the last commandment.
Moses and the Israelites had been wandering through the desert for three months to the day after the parting of the Red Sea. Can you imagine camping for three months straight unsure about your next meal, where you would go to the bathroom, what animal or bug might be lurking around the corner, and how you would keep your children entertained? Finally, they arrived at Mount Sinai; this would become a resting place where they would encounter God.
Like any society, God knew they would need some structure to keep order. Moses was presented with the tablets of the Torah, otherwise known as the ten commandments, while the Israelites gathered at the bottom of the mountain. All ten of these commands were designed to help them live peacefully as a group while keeping their hearts and minds focused on God.
Most of us can probably that we are pretty good at observing most of these commands on a daily basis. We typically do not use the name of God in vain, don't steal, don't murder, and don't commit adultery. The last command of resting has become particularly hard for me as the years have gone by. Sunday in one of the worst days for me to try to rest as my husband is a youth pastor and spends about ten hours at work.
On the other hand, there are those that take the idea of the Sabbath to the extreme. Some say no work is to be done which includes doing anything that "creates a change to the environment or any object." Also, no cooking or food preparation is to be done. They also condone allowing anyone else to do work for you which means no shopping, no going to the movies, or no going out to eat. Pretty extreme?
Our challenge today is to balance the concept of rest and worship with day to day necessities. Jesus himself performed healings and other miracles on the Sabbath day. I do not mean for this to be an excuse to do whatever we want on our day of rest, but it helps offer some perspective.
Ponder Points:
- How do you handle the Sabbath in your household? Do you schedule unnecessary activities on Sundays that cause you to miss time in worship or time together as a family unit?
- Do you think it's a good idea to participate in extracurricular activities that require a Sunday commitment?
- How can you carve out some more time for rest and worship on a day to day basis - especially during the hectic holiday season?
- Over and over again in our lessons the past few days we have seen God providing for his people. God has given us the gift of rest, and it is important that we do not ignore it!
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