RADICAL REST

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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God’s gift of radical, undeserved mercy and grace can be seen all over the entire Christian Bible. From the gift of creation to the provision of the new heaven and new earth, the grace of God shows itself from cover to cover. This is especially true when looking into the meaning and message of the third of the ten commandments. 

Listen again to the example of grace that can be found in this command:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

(Exodus 20:8-11 NIV11)

Recipients

Here is a list of those people who were to be included in the gift of the Sabbath’s day of rest:

•   You
•   Your children
•   Your employees
•   Your animals
•   Those living among you
•   Those visiting your town

And as if that were not explicit enough, there are further breakdowns available elsewhere. Read the following passage to hear even more.

13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. 

(Deuteronomy 5:13-14 NIV11)

•  Again we see that the Lord is extending this covering of the Sabbath as a day of rest and reflection to every member of the family, the household, the marketplace, and the field. 
•  The only person not included in this call to don no work are those who were given explicit instructions concerning the provision of worship. 
•  Outside of this sacred duty, everyone was to have the day to spend in reflection upon the Lord and in fellowship with their own people.

As we keep reading, we will hear an example of why this command to honor the Sabbath has been given to everyone in their society. 

15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

(Deuteronomy 5:15 NIV11)

Grace

The people were once unable to choose for themselves when to work, when to worship, when to be with their families. They were slaves and lacked these freedoms. 

In the third commandment, the Lord uses the gift of the Sabath to communicate his grace and mercy to every member of society, no matter their place. 

Radical

The third commandment is an example of God’s radical gift of grace. No other culture or society on earth has ever built into the fabric of its day to day life such a gift of unilateral grace. 

To give every living being in your society a day of rest like this was unheard of in all of human history. Even today, in my world, we do not see this kind of grace being extended to all. 

This commandment was a radical reorientation of the purpose of the people. Their primary goal in life was not to work and make a living. Yes, they were to be industrious six days a week, but then they were all to have a time of rest and reflection upon the Lord. 

The boss and the employee were seen as equal in this command. Both were to be afforded the space needed to honor the Sabbath. Children and spouses were also to be set free to enjoy their own forms of rest and reflection.

Today

We are still in a place today where we need to figure out how to honor this commandment. 

•   How can we allow others to have a day like this in their lives? 
•   How can we help those who serve us on Sundays to honor this command?
•   Where are we limiting others in their ability to rest and reflect on the Lord?

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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