A Prayer for Embracing the Sabbath Rest
"He said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day." - Exodus 16:23-30
Gracious and Almighty God,
We come before You today, filled with gratitude and reverence for Your holy presence. We acknowledge You as our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Guide. Lord, as we reflect upon the words spoken through Your servant Moses in Exodus 16:23-30, we are reminded of the gift of the Sabbath, a gift that is precious and profound. You have called us to rest, to cease from our labors, and to remember the significance of this holy day.
"He said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord..." Lord, we acknowledge that You have set apart the Sabbath as a day for rest and renewal. Help us to embrace this day with joy and gratitude, understanding that it is a time to reconnect with You, to refresh our bodies, and to rejuvenate our spirits. May we see the Sabbath not merely as a day off from our work, but as an opportunity to delight in Your creation and presence. May we create space in our lives for silence, prayer, and reflection.
When You instructed them to prepare for the Sabbath, You said, "Bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Lord, like the Israelites gathering manna, may we learn the discipline of preparation. Help us to not only prepare our physical needs for the Sabbath but also to prepare our hearts. As we make time for You, let us seek to lay aside distractions and worries that seek to disrupt our peace. Let us equip ourselves to truly rest in Your goodness.
We recall the miraculous provision that You gave, how the leftovers did not stink nor had worms. What a marvelous sign of Your faithfulness! Teach us, Lord, that when we obey Your commandments, there is provision, even in our resting. It shows that our trust in You transcends our circumstances. Challenge us to be faithful in our obedience to Your word. Let us remember the blessing that comes when we give our burdens to You and rest in Your loving care.
Lord, Your servant Moses reminded the people, "for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field." May we hear this command in our own lives. There is nothing that can be found outside of You, nothing more satisfying than resting in Your arms. Help us to recognize that our incessant searching for worldly provision often leaves us empty. You are our true source of sustenance, and it is in You alone that we find our strength and hope.
Yet, we confess that even as Moses declared the importance of the Sabbath, some did not heed this call, and "there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none." Lord, teach us to be vigilant and committed to Your commandments. Remind us that disobedience only leads to disappointment. Help us to understand the importance of resting and trusting in You so that we do not fall into the trap of restlessness and anxiety.
And just as You questioned Moses, "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" stir within us a desire to seek Your laws and to keep them. May we understand the Sabbath is not merely a command but a compassionate invitation to live in accordance with Your divine order and rhythm. May we experience joy in our obedience and clarity in our purpose as we align our lives to Your will.
Finally, as the Israelites obeyed and "the people rested on the seventh day," grant us the same submission to Your will. May this weekly rhythm of rest bring us closer to You and inspire us to glorify You in all that we do. Enable us to be a people who not only rest but also share the wonder of Your love and grace with others, inviting them to experience Your Sabbath rest.
In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer and Restorer, we pray. Amen.
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Exodus 16:23-30 Artwork
Exodus 16:23-30 - "He said to them, "This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day."
"He said to them, "This is what the Lord commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. "Eat it today," Moses said, "because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out." So the people rested on the seventh day." - Exodus 16:23-30
Exodus 16:30 - "So the people rested on the seventh day."
"So the people rested on the seventh day." - Exodus 16:30
Exodus 23:30 - "By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land."
Exodus 30:16 - "And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls."
Exodus 30:23 - "Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,"
Exodus 23:16 - "And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field."
"By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land." - Exodus 23:30
Exodus 26:30
Numbers 23:30
Exodus 28:30-43
Exodus 28:15-30
Exodus 30:30 - "And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office."
Daniel 2:30-23
judges 16:30
Exodus 30:17 - "¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Exodus 30:11 - "¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Exodus 30:22 - "¶ Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Exodus 23:20
Exodus 23:4
Exodus 23:28
Exodus 15:23
Exodus 16:23 - "And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning."
2 Samuel 23:30 - "Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,"
Exodus 8:30 - "And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD."
Exodus 23:4
Exodus 15:23
Exodus 23:28
Proverbs 23:30 - "They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."