Monthly Messages from Sally Weiesnbach, Ark Founder & Director of Operations
his month, we continue our journey through the Ten Commandments as we discover how Jesus’ new commandment helps us follow all ten by following His one – to love one another as He loves us. When most people think of the 4th commandment, they typically think of a day of rest and relaxation. But it is much more than that. It is also a reminder of how interconnected we are to God and to our fellow man, and how important it is for us to take time to celebrate our relationship with them.
Exodus 20:8-11 says: “Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and Sea, and everything in them; He rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; He set it apart as a holy day.”
At first glance, this commandment reads like a simple instruction for everyone to take one day a week off from work. But look deeper. Do you see the reminder of our interconnectedness with God and our fellow man? See how God created everything in six days (on God Time) and rested on the seventh. How does that show His sovereignty, faithfulness, and desire for us to appreciate what He created for us to enjoy?
Look again. Do you see the reminder that our relationships with each other and creation wind through our daily lives? Keeping the Sabbath holy means to spend the day in reverence and honor of God. How? We do it by resting, reflecting, and celebrating the beauty of our relationships with each other.
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday hustle and bustle of our lives and forget how important it is to take a break. We are constantly pressed to be productive and get things done. If we do take that break, it is not often to reflect on our Creator and His love for His creation. But that’s exactly what this commandment means.
Ultimately, Jesus could love us so well because He intentionally made time to take Sabbath breaks to restore His energy, focus on His Father, reflect on His creation, and appreciate it. By remembering and keeping the Sabbath, we too become aware that life is not just about us but is a gift and we are responsible for appreciation of that gift.