Ten Commandments – Work and Rest

Greetings Dear Reader,

Growing up in the south things were very different.  Almost nothing was open on Sunday.  You bought gas on Saturday if you had to travel far on Sunday.  The day was set aside mostly for families and church.  As fewer people observed this more businesses began to open on Sunday. 

For mostly wrong reasons the religious culture of the south observed the command to do no work.

“You have six days to do all your work.  The seventh day is the day of worship dedicated to the LORD your God. You, your sons, your daughters, your male and female slaves, your cattle, and the foreigners living in your city must never do any work on that day.” (GW)

Later, during my teen years things were very different.  It was still many years ago, my faith was young and my mind less disciplined.  The church I attended had a weekly ritual.  After our Sunday evening service we would all adjourn to a local steak house for dinner and conversation.

The problem was not in going out to eat.  The problem was the contradiction that the church insisted that we not work on Sunday but we did business with restaurants and not very well.  I realized early on that the waitresses were not respected and that my fellow church goers tipped poorly.

If we are going to do business on a day that is to be set aside for rest then should we not at least be good to those who serve us?  I will not hammer on this too hard but there is contradiction in our actions.     

“You may work for six days. The seventh day is the Day of Atonement Jehovah, the existing One who is your divine ruler.  You must not do any work or business.  Your sons and daughters, your grandchildren, and your servants must not work or do business.  Your animals must not work.  Even the guests and immigrants in your city must not work.”  (ATT)  

It is obvious that God intends for us to rest.  We are to set ourselves aside for him and to be his all day long.  We cannot pick and choose which commands we see as valid but avarice has caused us to lay this one aside with little thought for the one who loves us and asks it of us.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."