God's
Third Great Gift
by:
Pastor Dan M. Appel
Every one of us has heard it at one time or another. Many of us have said it as a rationalization for too much time spent at the office or on the golf course. It goes like this: "When it comes to time with your kids, it's quality not quantity that counts." Anybody who has been a child knows deep in their gut the falseness and folly of that statement - but every generation spouts it again when it is their time to parent.
Don't misunderstand me. Quality time with your children is important. But, so is quantity time spent focusing on them. It is not an "either/or" situation. Both are vitally important!
First of all, quantity focused time with our children indicates far more than our words how important our progeny really are to us. It reveals where they fit in our life list of priorities. It dramatically illustrates the reality of our commitment to their young minds. It speaks in stentorian tones the extent of our love and devotion.
Now before I go further, let me state that I realize that jobs are necessary and that the demands on our time are sometimes crushing. We all have those important things that must be done to survive. It is not the truly necessary time which I am talking about - it is the use of our discretionary time and resources which tell the tale.
Every one of us has rubber in our schedules - time that we decide how to use either deliberately or by default. It is how we choose to invest that time that tells the tale to our children and spouses.
And, it is the gift of His time that reveals how much God loves us!
It is the end of the six days of creation. In six days God has taken raw energy and turned it into matter.And He has formed that matter into all of the organic constituents of this world. Now it is sundown on that sixth day. The Bible says that God took a look around at everything that He had made and that He was more than satisfied. He found it to be "very good!" And God leaned back against a tree in the light of the setting sun and rested from His labors.
Even God had a right to be tired after what He had just done. We are just now beginning to comprehend the incredible power locked up in the atom. To be able to control that and to mold it at will is an awesome thought. We discover a God in the Bible who is more powerful that the forces generated in a black hole; stronger than the nuclear furnace of the sun, yet gentle enough to control it all with a gentle touch we still don't understand called gravity. The energy involved in the creative process defies the most vivid imagination. God had a right to be tired, but that is not what the words the first three verses of Genesis 2 in the Bible are saying when it says that God "rested."
The particular Hebrew word that is translated "rest" designates the satisfaction of someone who has completed a very enjoyable project and who sits back and admires His handiwork. It is the feeling I experience, once in a while, when I have finished a project in my shop that I have really enjoyed and lean back against my workbench and savor the moment.
Then the Bible goes on and states that God blessed the seventh day of every weekly cycle and designated it as "holy." This 24 hour period was a special gift for the whole creation from the Creator. It was not only the gift of a quantity of time -- 24 hours of our Father's time -- it was quality time. In Exodus 20 when God reminded the Isrealites who He was rescuing from 400 years of Egyptian slavery of His gift to them, we discover His carefully detailed instructions on how the day was to be enjoyed. No one -- servant or master, visiting foreigner or citizen, man, woman, or animal was to work on the Sabbath, which is the Hebrew word for this gift day of satisfaction God gave to His people. Six days they could work, but on the Sabbath God commanded them to set that work aside, not for indolence or inactivity, but for taking the time to focus on our vertical (with God) and horizontal (with our fellow man) relationships which are so often shorted the rest of the week.
That is why the particular Hebrew word for work that is used was chosen. It has nothing with labor, strenuous activity, or sweat and dirt. The sense of this word is the work we do to put food on our tables, the labor to provision our pantries and restock our bank accounts, the things we do to take care of our property and pay our taxes. It refers to our daily "business" -- the normal activities of our daily lives. It's focus, whether it is house work, yard work, work at the office or shop, in the classroom or at the gym is on those things that consume our lives on a daily basis.
Once in a while I need to be reminded to slow down and "smell the flowers." I come from generations of workaholics. Once in a while my wife and kids need to remind me to "slow down! We're important too!" When that happens, I am learning, it is a sign to me to re- examine my priorities. Generally I discover that I have gotten out of balance.
God told humanity when He created them that He had made provision for them to stop and to rest and focus on the things that would often be neglected. Then, in something so incredibly special that it boggles the mind, He said that He was setting that time aside to spend with them. The God of the universe was taking time off to spend quality time with us! If that doesn't make you feel special nothing will!
It is that commitment on God's part that regulates what we do on the Sabbath, as this seventh day is called in the Bible. Six days I am immersed in things temporal, on the seventh I am immersed in things eternal. In this context, certain activities just don't make sense at all, and certain become refreshingly possible. Six days of the week I worship God in the midst of the swirl of life's "business." On that special seventh, I take a break and focus on the pleasure of my relationship with God. I go to the church of my choice and worship Him. I protect my time with Him from interruption and distraction. I spend relaxed time talking with Him, fellow-shipping with Him, enjoying Him, resting with Him. It is also an opportunity to do His work on this earth — to share my faith in ways that I do not have time for on other days; to reach out and to meet the needs of those less fortunate than myself — to do those acts of healing that ease the way and heart of those in need.
The Sabbath is also a time for focus on relationships that are often neglected during the week - quality and quality time spent with spouses, children, relatives and friends in worship, rest, and true re-creation. You may be asking at this point, "Why haven't I heard about this before?"
The answer could be any one of several reasons. Maybe some one who could have told you about it thought that this gift was just for the Jewish people. That's too bad because it means that you have been missing out on something great for a long time. Remember, God gave this gift to everyone on earth before there ever was a Jew. He gave it to humanity before the first sin. It is for everybody!
Which brings us to the second reason. Once sin entered our world you would expect Satan to try to obscure or destroy any gift from God to His creation. Whether it is the gift of life, or marriage and the family, or the Sabbath, Satan has done all in his considerable power to make certain that you and I will never enjoy it. Sort of like the bully at a birthday party who steals or breaks the presents. God, on the other hand, has done all that He can to restore those gifts to us. That's why I believe that you are reading this right now. He has led you here so that you can know what He offers you.
Another reason you may never have heard of God's Sabbath gift is tradition. Unfortunately, God's church on earth allowed pagan customs to creep into its life and beliefs in the first centuries after Jesus' return to heaven after His resurrection. Their motives were pure. Times were tough in the Roman Empire and they wanted to make Christianity more palatable to pagans. So, they began to worship God not only on the Sabbath but also on the first day of the sun. Now, we should worship God every day of the week. There's nothing wrong with going to church and worshiping God any day. But in time, for convenience sake, they forgot that it was God they were to be spending time with, that it was He who had made the appointment and who set aside the day for them. And, tradition took over. After a while people forgot God's gift. Some never knew it existed. After a while when it came up people began to invent reasons to defend their traditions rather than God's gift. After all, no one easily admits they are wrong.
Today a renaissance is occurring that must excite God. Sincere people all over the world, from every church, every land, and every nationality are discovering God's gift. Pastors of churches in all denominations are beginning to realize what they and their congregations have been missing. People who are not from a Christian background, many who have wondered for a very long time why, if God is so great His gifts would be so ignored, are starting to celebrate God's Sabbath and discovering what a blessing it is. It is a blessing that transcends denominations and backgrounds and culture. It is a gift for everyone!
If you'd like to know more about this special gift God created for you, why not drop me a note though the link below. I'll be glad to tell you all about it. Or better yet, why not drop by some Sabbath and let me tell you about it personally.
I'd also like to offer you a gift. Several years ago I wrote a little book about this incredible gift of God's time. It was published by Review and Herald Press under the title "A Bridge Across Time." Because we are so grateful to God for His gift of time, our church meets for it's worship services every seventh-day Sabbath. I'd like to offer you a free copy of my book when you visit us. Just find me and ask for a copy and I'll get you one. If you are out of our area, let me know and I'll arrange for the publisher to contact you so that you can order one.
In the meantime, why not celebrate this Sabbath? Take the time to enjoy this focused time with God and those you love. You'll discover it is one of the greatest gifts you have ever received!
© Dan M. Appel
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