Saturday, October 12, 2013

What About The Ox?

Resting is a good thing. When God gave us His plan, it included one day of rest a week. It is the one day I allow myself to sleep in, to take it easy, and sometimes relax and drink coffee on the patio. Frequently I have discussions with other believers about the sabbath, and about what to do on the sabbath. The scriptures tell us to rest on the sabbath, but what does that include exactly?

Jesus (Yeshua) addressed this several times in His teachings. In Mark we read,

Mark 2:23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungered, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

When the Pharisees challenged Him about the disciples picking corn to eat as they walked on the sabbath. He reminded them about David when he and his troops were starving ate the bread from the temple, which was against the letter of the law. His point was that was about life, and doing what is necessary to support life. This is also why He reminded them in Luke about the ox.

Luke 14:5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day?

Here He was healing on the sabbath. Here again Jesus (Yeshua) pointed to the need for us as humans to preserve life. The sabbath was made to help us do that by resting. Jesus (Yeshua) also said He was the Lord of the sabbath. The law was meant to lead us to Jesus (Yeshua), teaching us how to live. But the law was never above Jesus (Yeshua) or above life. It was not an end in itself to be worshiped.

So, on the sabbath day, I do my best to rest, to promote the kingdom of God in the earth and to promote life.

Prayer
Father, we praise and exalt You as the Most High God. Nothing is before You. We thank You for Your law and Your sabbath rest. We thank You for life. We ask that You watch over us and keep us today. Provide us and those around us with what we need for today. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.