Deuteronomy

Sabbath: Faithful Rest

August 18, 2019

God commanded rest. Moses reminds the people of the need for rest, according to God’s command, but also for the sake of the community. In this new land they are going into, things are going to be different. It’s not like in Egypt where they had to work constantly, at the expense of their bodies of the sake of the empire. The land suffered, the animals were used up, and the people were made to be miserable. No – in this new place there will be rest for weary bodies, but also for families, animals, servants, visitors, even those from foreign lands. They all get to be at rest together. The day of rest commanded by God was for the sake of the community, that all would come together to be renewed, to reflect on God’s goodness, and to be reminded of the deliverance God had given them in this new land.