The Beauty of Sabbath and Resting in Him

Before I touch on the Sabbath, here is just a brief update.  I have not been diligent in posting, but have about 10 different subjects I would love to tackle! For now, I posted my personal testimony on a separate page which I hope you will find interesting. I also was working on putting descriptions and details regarding all the books listed on my favorites page, only for it to get deleted (I almost wanted to cry...but refrained!) I have 11 more books to add and I will give descriptions and comments in a few days....Adonai willing!

 For this busy homeschooling keeper at home Mom to 6, there are not enough hours in my day! So, please be patient....there is much more to come! Really. If I could download from my brain to the computer, it would simplify things greatly!! The Lord is telling me to rest at night instead of sneaking back up to this computer and staying up until the wee hours. My adrenals thank Him!

Alright...on to the topic of the Sabbath. Today is "preparation day". I never knew before what that really meant, but now I DO! So, as I get ready for the Sabbath which is fast approaching and it is 1:30 pm here...I must get off this computer and get busy, so I can rest in a clean home and enjoy this time. Emily is our Challah bread maker, and she is busy in the kitchen as we speak.  She is able to do this herself which is an incredible blessing! I will be starting a big pot of chili, which will be great to eat for the next 2 days, especially when you have sliced avocados, fresh diced jalapenos, sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips to dip into it with :) Thanks to my friend Heather who inspired these additions! We are also going to have strawberries and whipped cream over angel food cake. AH, a little taste of summer, which is coming, right? I have begun to make sure we have a special dessert for every Sabbath evening as it is a wonderful time of celebration. I want to create something the children will anticipate with excitement. This to me is also a foretaste of the Wedding banquet to come! I am reminded that Yeshua said  (see Matthew 26:29) that He will not "drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."  As I drink, I anticipate that day with great longing and excitement! I love all the symbols of the bread, wine (actually we use carbonated grape juice) and the candles. The Light of the world has come to be a light in our hearts so we can be a light in the darkness. I LOVE IT!

As we light the candles tonight I am hoping it will be more meaningful, because we just talked about the Menorah in the Tabernacle this morning and all the wonderful application to our lives. We read from Brad Scott's book about the Messiah in the Tabernacles (see my list!).  He is the Light and the Torah (which doesn't mean law as much as it means teaching and instruction) is also the Light. His Word is the light which guides me on the path of righteousness. Without His Torah, His Word, I wouldn't know His will, what direction to go or how to walk in His ways. I cannot BE a light unless I take IN the Light (His Word) daily and let it do it's work in my heart and mind. Men do NOT like the light, they like the darkness. They hate those who have the light because it exposes the sin/darkness in their lives. The enemy is called the Lawless one or the Torahless one! He has no light! He doesn't walk in Yahweh's ways, he walks in rebellion to His ways!  I don't want to imitate the Lawless one and think that my ways are higher than Elohim's ways. I love lighting those Sabbath candles as the sun is going down. It reminds me that no matter how dark this world gets, as long as I have the Light of His Word, I will not live in darkness. Oh, blessed Light! I hate the darkness. The world is coming into a very deep darkness and the only way to survive is to have that Light and let it light our path.

I am so thankful for my heritage and being a part of Israel and the Olive Tree!  So many wonderful traditions that are rich in meaning and symbolism, the Sabbath being a weekly reminder, a weekly communion and Passover of sorts, of what Yeshua has done for me and for everyone who calls on His name to be saved! I finally am embracing and being obedient to the 4th command to keep a 7th day Sabbath. To be honest that is the one command I always struggled with wondering how to obey it and doubting I really ever kept a true Sabbath as outlined in the Scriptures. Leviticus 23 starts out with the Sabbath before talking about the Feasts. The first Sabbath was kept by Adonai Himself in the creation week, again demonstrated as a command for those wandering in the wilderness (before Sinai) as they gathered the Manna from heaven (but not on the 7th day), given again at Sinai when Moses and the Hebrews along with the mixed mulititude (grafted in ones) received the marriage contract or the Ten Commandments and it will be kept in the Millenium reign of Yeshua when He comes again to rule and reign on the earth. Am I to honestly think that Adonai has rescinded his commands to be obeyed for 2,000 years of earth history only to be reinstated at the Millenium? I apologize to anyone reading who may subscribe to being a dispensationalist, but I am not and believe there was GRACE from the very beginning in the garden. I do not chop up the Word and create artificial barriers between Israel and the Church like most do, nor do I believe in the pretrib rapture, which all hinge on dispensationalism. If I have learned anything as a disciple of Yeshua who studies His Word diligently, I have learned that it is 100% consistent from the first verse to the very last.

Some friends haven't understood why our family is celebrating a 7th day Sabbath. Because I celebrate a literal physical rest as the command states (and it is a forever command to be kept throughout all generations...one of the BIG TEN!), does that mean I am not resting in Yeshua as my Sabbath rest in a spiritual sense? NO an emphatic and absolute NO! Even more so, because I am resting physically and incorporating rich traditions and symbols into this day of rest....they ALL point to Yeshua the Messiah as our Rest and bring even more meaning (not less!) and thankfulness for what He has accomplished on our behalf. There is no striving to be accepted, no works based salvation (there never was for the patriarchs by the way either!) as He has said "It is finished." Obedience to commands is not legalism! I'm going to say that again and let it sink in...Obedience to Yah's commands is not legalism! Legalism is trusting that your works or obedience to His commands will somehow earn your salvation. Obedience, on the other hand, is done out of love for being already redeemed and giving your life completely to walking in the ways of the Master! There are blessings to obedience, yes, always! We never know what blessings we miss out on sometimes, because we often see the Old Testament as old and done away with. Yeshua clearly said He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. We cannot define fulfill as "end" because Yeshua said He did not come to abolish it very clearly.

 As the sun sets, I rejoice as the Sabbath begins and I enter into that rest in a time of fellowship, blessing and prayer with my family. Rest. I love that word! Isn't that what we all long for? Rest and peace? In this busy world where we are so distracted and running in so many directions, trying to balance a myriad of responsibilities, I am reminded of the most important task, to seek His face and rest in HIM.  I am reminded of Yeshua's words which He spoke on the Sabbath, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30).

Yeshua is the Light and is my Rest. He is all sufficient to meet every need! Shabbat Shalom (Sabbath Peace) to you and your household and may you find the beauty of resting in Him!