Zeal for Restful Worship – March 5, 2024

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.”
“There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the LORD.”
Exodus 20:8; Leviticus 23:3

Zeal for Restful Worship

Today’s Bible passage is the third of the Ten Commandments. The word “sabbath” means “rest.” If given the chance to work seven days a week, many would do it, and physical rest would suffer. God loves us, so he commands us to take time for physical rest every week for our physical health.

More importantly, these words remind us that God wants us to get rest for our souls. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest…for your souls” (Matthew 11:28,29). Whether we realize it or not, our souls are weary from daily battles against temptations to sin and the guilt of losing some of those battles.

We need rest for our souls. We need reminders that we are not alone; we are loved, forgiven, and victorious in Jesus to deal with anything in life. God gladly provides that rest in his Word. Daily time spent resting in that Word is vital to our spiritual health. So, too, is weekly time spent resting in God’s Word while gathered in “sacred assembly” with Christian brothers and sisters.

The German reformer Martin Luther summarized the Third Commandment in this way: “We should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.” Guilt and weariness encircles us as we compare these words to our own mindset about worship. Lord have mercy! And he does! Jesus perfectly kept the Third Commandment, and through faith in Jesus, God considers us to have kept the Third Commandment perfectly as well. Since that is true, trust the Lord that gathering for worship while here on earth will provide you with the spiritual rest you need until you are safely worshiping God in heaven.

Prayer:
Triune God, give me zeal to gladly hear and learn your Word so that I am well rested for life and eternity. Amen.