Read: 2 Chronicles 35-36
Focus Verse: “He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its sabbath rest; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.” (2 Chronicles 36:20-21).
Devotion: On the seventh day God rested. Not because God was tired and needed to, but as an example to us to take time to rest from our work. 7 is a number of completion and a number of rest. Israel while living on the land was supposed to rest every 7th day and every 7th year. Every 7th year the land was supposed to rest. This went even further on the 49th year, as 7 times 7 years, the land rested but on the 50th year, which was the 7th year of the 7 x 7 years, was the year of Jubilee. All debts were to be erased, the land was to rest, and everything was to be set back as it was. There is a strong emphasis in scripture on resting from our work and taking sabbath rest. Imagine every 7 years getting a whole year off of work! This is supposed to be a heavenly, eternal, reflection of sacred rest, but Israel ignored this for generations. So, when exiled to a foreign country it says their land finally has sabbath rest. The land gets to take 70 years off. Do you make time to factor in sabbath rest to your life? Do you hold in balance work and rest? Too often we are like Israel, working hard but not trusting our time to God. That’s what were saying when we can’t take time away from our work to rest, that we don’t trust our time to just be with God and rest in God. Take time to rest.
Pray: LORD You sustain me, not my work, but You. Help me remember that by resting in Your sabbath. Amen.
Additional Scripture: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)