Laws About the Sabbath and Festivals

 

Exodus 23: 10-19

 

September 25, 2024

 

Laws About the Sabbath and Festivals

“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.

“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.

“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

“Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me.  You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed.  You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.  Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God. 

 “You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.

“The best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.  “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.  

 

We live in a culture of I deserve, but my dear brother and Sister, if you got what you deserve, you would not like it.  You deserve judgment, you have received mercy and Grace.

 

As followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, how should one apply this Scripture to their daily walk with the Lord?  To not only be aware of the under-resourced in your community but also help those who cannot help themselves.  Jan and I are blessed to be part of two organizations that do so.   One is Oakwood in New Braunfels, Texas.  Our Pastor has a heart for the under-resourced and has led the Church to be part of solving the problem.  Oakwood just finished a clinic for 2 million dollars, and local doctors and others give of their time to help meet the physical needs of people at no cost to them.  In that same area, we have a thing called a kids club that works with the Community & Schools to help children who are not meeting the level or requirement of the grade they are in.  It has helped many young children.  And a counseling center that is also to meet the needs of the under-resourced. 

 

The other is Samaritan’s Purse, which helps families all over the world, and we have been blessed to help do what they call mud-outs of homes that have been damaged by weather, and give to help with monthly gifts. 

 

Many of us who God has blessed are blind to the many needs of those who are under-resourced.   But the need is great, and God will show you what to do if you just ask.

 

Now I believe the Lord is telling His people to rest, to give thought to all that He has done for them.  We live in a culture that seems to never rest, they are not grateful, and they are not happy because they are driven for more.  How does that show up in our lives as followers of Christ?  We have so much good stuff that many of you have storage buildings full of stuff, you are paying to keep, much of it you will never use, but it to good to give to someone who can use it.  That is not being Christ-like, but it is a sign that you have valuable stuff, good stuff over others.

 

Scripture is clear that we need rest; many believe that they can achieve more by long hours of work, but Scripture is not in agreement with that view. “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.  It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil;  for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

(Psalm 127:1-2)

 

Each of us who follows Jesus must find time to rest, to be thoughtful of how we have been blessed, and to care about those who have needs.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice