May the mumbling commence!
What will you be remembered for? Will you be remembered for your steadfast devotion to God or for your steadfast devotion to your bottom line? Read a passage from Nehemiah chapter thirteen:
In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing – desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath."
When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. But I warned them and said, "Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love. (Verses 15-22)
Harvesting, preparing and selling all types of food are good and honest work. Even so, these things should not be done on the Sabbath. These activities can what until another day. Nehemiah knew that the Sabbath should not be ignored, and he knew that wrath would eventually ensue. So Nehemiah spoke and acted against working on the Sabbath.
Nehemiah warned the people of impending wrath for desecrating the Sabbath. Nehemiah ordered the gates of the city be closed on the Sabbath. And the gates were closed. When his warnings did not work, he resorted to threats. And the people stopped coming to the gates on the Sabbath.
Nehemiah ordered the Levites to purify themselves and guard the Sabbath day and keep it holy. He knew there was much more to the Sabbath than not working. And the Levites responded to his plea.
As is the pattern for this last chapter of Nehemiah (Verses 14, 22, and 29-30), Nehemiah pleads with the Lord to remember these words and actions done on behalf of the Lord.
How will we be remembered by God? How did we honor or fail to honor the Sabbath day? Did we rest and seek to our God? Resting and seeking God is what Sabbath is all about. We rest and seek God, because we depend upon God for our wellbeing. Sabbath, at its best, is a way of life. Read a couple of verses from Joel chapter two:
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing –
grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. (13-14)
No, clothes do not make the man or woman of God. It is the moral fiber of the heart that makes the child of God. How is our attitude toward God today? Will we allow God to rend our hearts so that we can be made anew?
Grace us with the full blessings of Your indwelling Holy Spirit. May we share these blessings with others, and may You remember us kindly in Your mercy and love.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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