Tablets of Testimony

Tablets of Testimony
Words of Faith 3-3-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 31
[12] Then the LORD said to Moses, [13] "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. [14] "'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. [15] For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. [16] The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. [17] It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'"

This was huge. It is hard to imagine a more central or essential project for the people of God. Building the place and the appointments for worship was an enormous job and would take time. Bezalel and Oholiab had a huge task before them, assembling the various construction workers, craftsmen, and artisans in an organized way.
In modern settings, a project like this would include deadlines and penalties to push the progress forward. We don't know precisely how these general managers motivated the people. They were probably thrilled to be a part of such a magnificent expression. What we do know is that they stopped for Sabbath.
The word Sabbath actually simply means "Stop" or "Take Intermission." We need to stop if we're going to make the progress that God desires.
Many think that Chick-fil-A or Hobby Lobby invented stopping for a Sabbath on Sundays. No, this goes way back. For these people in the desert, the idea of a Sabbath was something brand-new. It was part of the Law given to Moses verbally. These 10 Commandments had not yet been chiseled into stone by the Lord. Here, the first one being introduced in a practical way was the Sabbath.
This was much more than a religious duty. Sabbath was designed as a sign of the covenant relationship between Israel and God. Through the centuries ahead, the Sabbath would testify to God's power among his people. This mark would show that God can do more with six days of your work than with seven. We don't depend upon the work of our hands; we rely on the power and work of our God.
Nothing would become more critical and central to Jewish homes. Sabbath is observed because the Sabbath itself is holy. Desecrating the Sabbath could bring a death sentence, and working on the Sabbath created separation from the people.
There is a profound truth in this. With the coming of Jesus to dwell ("tabernacle") among His people, he explained that the Sabbath is actually made "for man" and not man for the Sabbath. Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28).
Breaking Sabbath does incur a penalty of death, not because of the wrath of God, but because we were not designed to run like machines 24-seven. Failure to take Sabbath wears humans down. Sabbath avoidance discards the refreshing of God. Failure to stop and rest blurs the creativity God desires in us. All of this will eventually kill us.
So, even in this most critical project, the building of The Tabernacle of God, led by the Dream Team assembled by God, the people were to take Sabbath.

Father God, help me to trust You and the work that You can accomplish in me and through me in six days. Give me times of refreshing. Give me times of renewal and hope. Reveal in my life the sign of your blessing through Sabbath. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.