Archived Daily Manna | Rejoice Fellowship | A mission to release people to rejoice in the world.

Message: As we have seen in the past few discussion of Exodus, what belongs in “the ten commandments” is not completely clear. There is pretty good evidence that the two verses today actually were intended to be in them, somewhere! Verse 20 comes right to the point: “Do not come to worship God without bringing an offering.” (I'm sure some church leaders regret leaving this one out!) But it is so easy to follow to the letter, and so commonsensical, there is no reason not to just do it. Some people always put something in the offering plate at church, even if they have a regular giving schedule by mailed check or auto-deposit. We might think of it as a “communion of giving,” a symbolic participation in the group activity. (Concerning substantial giving to the church generally, the best blueprint is Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 16.) Early Christians Verse 21 is much more familiar, as “keep the Sabbath” is included in every version of the Ten Commandments. But we get some additional information in the Exodus 34 version. Basically: no exceptions! No matter how pressing your work, you must keep the Sabbath holy as a day of rest. In many cases, this might involve a real test of faith, because a person might face a situation where he would be fired, lose a customer, or at least incur his employer's wrath. Usually, though, if you take a consistent stand and your employer knows about your faith, they will honor your commitment to your faith, even if only grudgingly. As for the two holidays created here, it is a good example of following the “spirit of the law.” Almost nobody celebrates the “Festival of the Harvest” or “Festival of Shelters”; but few Christians literally observe the Sabbath, which falls on Saturday, either. We do celebrate our own versions of these festivals in the modern world: Thanksgiving in the fall (at least in North America) and Easter in the spring, just as we celebrate Holy Week during Passover week, and Good Friday on Passover. Most Christians, then, would not have a problem with Verse 6. But we now know that our “Thanksgiving Day” is a feast commanded by God. Broadly speaking, it is God's will for us to celebrate communal holidays several times a year. The festivals that God ordained here were major productions for the Hebrews. For example, see Leviticus 23. In the time of Christ, people would travel to Jerusalem for seven days to celebrate them. The concept is for God's people to come together as a congregation. Can we manage to maintain the level of discipline and obedience to God that will fully show our love for Him, without having a strict and detailed legal requirement? In many cases, our practices slowly become haphazard, watered down, and co-opted by the secular world. Most of us can benefit from a thorough self-examination on the commandments relating to the Sabbath and holidays. Do we participate, with dedication and vigor, in communal festivals or holidays dedicated to God three times a year? Do we keep one day in seven holy, abstaining from work? Do we require (or at least encourage) our “servants” to rest also?