A Day Of Rest

Shabbat Shalom! 

If you're wondering what that means, simply put, it means sabbath peace. This is a common phrase spoken by Jewish people on Friday evening when greeting others before, during, or upon entering the sabbath day.

Jewish people often celebrate the sabbath day by lighting candles, reciting special prayers, and enjoying a nice meal as the sun sets on Friday evening. (Biblically, a new day begins at sunset) Challah bread and wine/grape juice is usually served with the meal. There is no Biblical commandment to do those things on the sabbath day, but the Jewish people have special traditions to welcome in something that is very special to them - a day of rest. 

Observing the sabbath day, a day of rest, is something the Bible mentions as a command. (Exodus 20:8-11) God set apart the sabbath day after creating the entire world in six days. The Bible says it this way: 

"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." Genesis 2:2-3 

Most Christians have transferred the idea of the Sabbath day to Sunday. When I was growing up, Sunday was a special and different day to me compared to the rest of the week. On Sunday morning, our family attended church, and the remainder of the day was restful. We didn't do any work, and my mom didn't go shopping, clean, cook, or do laundry unless it was necessary. My mom would often prepare certain things the day before (Saturday) so that she didn't have to do those things on Sunday. We took "Saturday night baths" as children. Our Sunday's were indeed restful and relaxing. To me, Sunday was a holy, set apart day.    

The Jewish people apply the exact same principle or idea by preparing the day before the Sabbath (Friday) so that they can truly rest on Saturday.   

Many Christians have gotten away from the idea of a Sabbath rest, whether that be on Saturday or Sunday.

"Christ is our rest!" many say. "We rest in Him!" 

I say "amen" to both of those statements because they are true. My next blog post will be about that very thing - the importance of resting in Christ.   

However, while that is completely true, it does not take away our need for daily rest and weekly rest. Our bodies need actual, physical rest. Here's a great article I came across online about this:

https://www.becomingminimalist.com/resting/

I have no idea who this person is, but the things shared in this article (in the link above) are worth noting. 

Just like our bodies need about 8 hours of sleep each night, our bodies also need rest one day a week. Even people who don't believe in God notice that our bodies function much better when given a break. I call that the fingerprint of God on His creation. He made us, and He knows, better than anyone else, that we need a day of rest. Sadly, man often disregards God's Word or isn't taught God's Word in this area.     

My Dad was a pilot for United Airlines for 31 years. The company he worked for had certain requirements and laws in place about their pilots not being legal to fly unless they'd been given a certain amount of hours to rest from their previous day of flying. 

Trucking companies in the United States also have certain requirements and laws in place when it comes to rest. I was once informed by a trucker that they are also required to take a day off after trucking for so many hours.

Anyone who is a friend of mine on Facebook (the only social media site I use) will often see a weekly "Shabbat Shalom" post from me. I usually post it on Friday evening or Saturday sometime. I find a nice image to use (I search for free images online) and simply tack on the words "Shabbat Shalom". I do this, on purpose, to encourage my friends to rest during the weekend, whether that's on Saturday (the day God set apart) or on Sunday.

One of the most precious gifts God gave us is a day of rest. He gave us this gift to not only relax but also to spend time with Him and with His people.

Daily and weekly rest are very important factors when it comes to good health. 

With that said, since it's Friday evening where I live and the weekend has officially begun, I wish you Shabbat Shalom! 

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and I have no medical training. The things I share on this blog are simple, practical things that I've learned help with good health.