Sabbath – Me From the Inside Out

Bible study, From Broken to Restored, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Quiet Time

Honoring the Sabbath

Posted on September 12, 2023September 13, 2023 by

based on an LGG Study, From Broken to Restored / w6d2

Scripture: Nehemiah 13:15-22; Mark 2:23-28 / SOAP: Mark 2:27-28

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath. ²⁸For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27-28

From time to time I like to share tidbits from the LGG Journals because I think their Devotions are one of the greatest assets. However, today, I am sharing the entire devotion – A) Because I believe it has much to offer in helping us to understand the importance of the Sabbath, both then and now … and B) because, I want you to see the value of having the journals they offer with each study. You can check out their availability and options at https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg/bible-studies/

What’s the Deal With the Sabbath?

The spiritual rebuilding of God’s people did not happen overnight. In fact, the final sections of Nehemiah cover several decades, showing the ways Nehemiah and the leaders continually corrected the people when they strayed from the law. Just as they repeatedly intermarried with foreign nations, the people also fell into habits of not honoring the Sabbath.

Nehemiah corrected the people and even set up guards to ensure that the Sabbath would be honored the way God intended. Nehemiah’s intent in doing this was to guard the people against falling into the sin of despising the Sabbath, one of the factors that led to their idolatry and exile in previous generations. Nehemiah set out to help the people walk in God’s commands and not fall into a sinful pattern. His heart was to honor God and preserve his people like he had done since he first began rebuilding the wall.

Over time, the laws around the Sabbath became more rigid . The religious leaders set up extra guidelines and rules to ensure that no one came close to breaking the Sabbath laws, or any laws for that matter. The problem was that their hearts were not in the right place. They lost sight of what was truly important: honoring God and trusting Him to provide even though they took a day of rest. Instead, they made very rigid rules, feeling self-righteous for keeping them and condemning those who didn’t.

Jesus showed us a different way. He showed the religious leaders and His followers the true intent of the law: to provide a time of rest and celebration for God’s people. The healing He did on the Sabbath led to rest and celebration. The Sabbath was created to provide rest for God’s people so they would remember that He alone sustains them.

Today, we can honor God by keeping the Sabbath. While we are not bound to the Sabbath law the same way the Jews were, taking a day to cease work and celebrate God’s goodness is an important practice for Christians. We stop working, showing our trust in God and His ability and willingness to provide for us. We celebrate His goodness, stopping to remember His constant faithfulness. May we be people of faith, who stop to rest in God’s power and ability and celebrate His goodness.

Make it Personal – Reflection

What are your perceptions of the Sabbath? Do you currently practice Sabbath rest? Why or why not?

Going Further

What does it mean that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath?

Bible study, LGG Study

The Gospel of Mark: Week 1 Thursday – The Sabbath

Posted on March 18, 2021March 14, 2021 by

Today’s Scripture: Mark 2:18-28 (SOAP: Mark 2:27-28)

A Discussion about Fasting

Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

¹⁹Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. ²⁰But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

²¹“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

²²“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

A Discussion about the Sabbath

One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. ²⁴But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

²⁵Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ²⁶He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

When Jesus broke the Sabbath law, the Pharisees questioned Him. They were concerned Jesus had broken the law and was leading others to do the same. Jesus reminded them what the Sabbath was for: to …
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In our memory/focus verse this week (Mark 1:35) why does Jesus go out to a deserted place? Comment below

Bible study, LGG Study

Everlasting Covenant – Week 2 The Sabbath

Posted on December 2, 2020December 1, 2020 by

Three more days on the memory challenge! Here’s a jumps tarter for this verse: Ask yourself, how are we to love the Lord our God

Today’s Scripture: Exodus 31:12-17; Mark 2:23-3:6 (S.O.A.P. Mark 2:27-28)

Instructions for the Sabbath

The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses: ¹³“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. ¹⁴You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. ¹⁵You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. ¹⁶The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. ¹⁷It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

A Discussion about the Sabbath

²⁷Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. ²Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

³Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” ⁴Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

⁵He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! ⁶At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

LGG Blog

Mark 2:27 Reference

Mark 2:28 Reference