Grace
Opening Prayer
God of peace, I rest in the reality of the finished work of Christ. Thank You for this indescribable gift.
Read Leviticus 23:1-14
[1] The LORD said to Moses, [2] “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. [3]The Sabbath “‘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. [4]The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread “‘These are the LORD’s appointed festivals, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: [5] The LORD’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. [6] On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. [7] On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. [8] For seven days present a food offering to the LORD. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.'” [9]Offering the Firstfruits The LORD said to Moses, [10] “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. [11] He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. [12] On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect, [13] together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil-a food offering presented to the LORD, a pleasing aroma-and its drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine. [14] You must not eat any bread, or roasted or new grain, until the very day you bring this offering to your God. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Are you honoring the principles of Sabbath?God knows how we are made and he knows what is good for us. However, it can be easy to overlook God’s blessings or take them for granted. God ensured that the Israelites received what they needed and also honored him for the grace of his provision. The weekly Sabbath (3) provided both regular rest and a specific time to honor God in day-to-day life, two things key to their (and our) well-being. God also knows that we can be very quick to forget what he has done for us. So there were specific occasions (4-8) for the Israelites to celebrate and reflect on the history of God’s goodness and provision in their past. This ensured that they did not forget the incredible miracles and deliverance God had given to them, and it renewed their faith for the future. Of course, God’s goodness and provision is not simply historical, but is ongoing in daily life and work. So an annual feast day celebrating each year’s harvest (9-14) ensured that the people could regularly give the best of themselves and the first of all God had given to them.
Apply
Are you allowing yourself proper rest and renewal in God? How can you bring God your very best?
Closing prayer
Father, I consider all Your goodness to me. Thank You for Your abundant love.
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