“But he said to them, “This is what Adonai has said. Tomorrow is a Shabbat rest, a holy Shabbat to Adonai. Bake whatever you would bake, and boil what you would boil. Store up for yourselves everything that remains, to be kept until the morning.” …. So the people rested on the seventh day.”
Exodus 16:23, 30 TLV
Shabbâth –perhaps from the Assyrian word šabattum meaning day of rest of heart and an intensive form of shâbath- cease, celebrate, rest.
Shabbat. It is a holy gift and our favorite family time.
Today’s verse is special to me because it’s the first time in the Bible that G-d commanded His people to observe Shabbat and that He provided a way for them – He sent a double portion.
All I know about Shabbat I learned from Author and friend Bonnie Wilks through her book: Sabbath: A Gift of Time. I heard about Shabbat through our church but it wasn’t until I read her book that I understood it could be for me. She teaches in her book that G-d created the sabbath for all mankind and that it existed before the Jewish people were a nation (Genesis 2:2-3).
Rest is G-d’s idea.
When we began to observe Shabbat, something shifted in me and in our home. He made a way for rest and connection for us. “Unplugging” is His design and plan for us. He desires us to pause, reflect, rest, and remember.
When we light our candles on Friday, we do so to remember what He brought us through this week and to remind us to rest from the weariness of the week.
We choose to incorporate many of the traditional Jewish elements because the elements are like memorial stones used to remember and exalt Him over our week – the hand washing, the cup, the bread – all of it. (Side note – We love to tell our story and share Shabbat – especially to our children – and we even take it on the road. If you’re curious, reach out).
The encouragement and reminder for me in today’s reading is this: Rest. Pause. Reflect. Remember. Celebrate.
I love etymology and the first lines above include something new to me today. The word Shabbat is perhaps from the Assyrian word šabattum meaning day of rest of heart. That might be my new favorite meaning.
He designed rest for our hearts. It’s a Holy gift. A gift like no other that I hope we can each open in our own way as we pause and rest from the weariness of the week so that we can reflect, remember, and celebrate all that He’s done for us.
Father- thank you for Bonnie and her family opening this gift for me. Bless them today. Thank You for Your provision for rest. I receive it. I am grateful. You are good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Bonnie’s book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41817800-sabbath
Today’s reading: Exodus 16-18