Over the past week I have been thinking about the Sabbath, what it is, how we view it and how I tend to neglect it.  The thought was placed in my heart when reading some Old Testament passage, where the prophet said the people were neglecting the sabbath.  Here is a portion of a sermon by Calvin on the Sabbath.

Calvin – From a sermon on Deuteronomy 5.12-14

Deuteronomy 5.12-14 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

Let us realize that it is not only for coming to the sermon that the day of Sunday is instituted, but in order that we might devote all the rest of time to praising God…. It is true that it would be a poor thing if we did not think about the benefits of God except on Sunday, but on other days, seeing that we are so occupied with our affairs, we are not as much open to serve God as on a day totally dedicated to this.  Thus we ought to observe Sunday as if in a tower, in order that we might climb high up on it to contemplate the works of God from afar, in a way in which we are neither impeded by or occupied with anything else, so that we might be able to extend all our senses to recognize the benefits and favor with which he has enlarged us. And when Sunday is able to help us practice that – that is to consider the works of God – then certainly once we have meditated on his works for a long time in order to know how to benefit from them, we will surrender to him all the rest of the time….  But when Sunday is spent not only in pastimes full of vanity, but in things that are entirely contrary to God, it seems that one has not at all celebrated Sunday [and] that God has been offended in many ways. Thus, when people profane in this manner the holy order that God has instituted to lead us to himself, why should they be astonished if all the rest of the week is degraded?
The Soul of Life: The Piety of John Calvin by Joel R. Beeke Pg 111-112

What a great last question.  There is really no need to answer it, because Calvin has already showed us the answer.  How is your Sabbath spent?  Do you sit and gaze upon the face of your King and Savior, or do you gaze at the TV, self, beach?  Maybe this is why it feels as if God is so distance throughout the week.

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