Sabbath meaning: Why the land is on Sabbath rest - Christian Personal Development

The situation today presents us with the opportunity to understand the true Sabbath meaning. As Covid-19 terrorizes our world, lots of countries are shutting down lots of activities and are on lockdown.

In most countries of the world, the streets are empty and neighborhoods are quiet. We can literally say the lands are on Sabbath rest.

Related: Watch this video on the scriptural ways Christians can respond to a pandemic

 

What is a Sabbath day?

A Sabbath day is a day of religious observance and abstinence from work, kept by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening and by most Christians on Sunday.

Israel, by tradition and the commandment of God, use those days to rest from their works and probably concentrate their attention on God. Today, countries all over the world have been forced by the covid-19 situation to rest from works and observe a Sabbath.

70 years Sabbath rest on Israel land

I discovered from the Bible and the story of the children of Israel in the Old Testament, that there was a time the land was forced to observe a Sabbath rest for 70 full years! The sins of Israelites on the land were much and the Lord had to allow the land to have a Sabbath rest for that number of years.

I want you to look at the story in the book of 2 Chronicles 36 below. It shows the cause of the Sabbath rest and the reason for it. It will also show you a practical Sabbath meaning especially with the coronavirus situation on our hands today.

Israel became bad and sinful

Israel got so bad, their Kings kept on doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 36:5,9
[5]Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord his God.
[9]Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord.

Foreign Kings reigned over them

And foreign Kings began to reign over them:

2 Chronicles 36:3-4,6-7
[3]Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
[4]Then the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt. The Reign and Captivity of Jehoiakim
[6]Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him, and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon.
[7]Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

Foreign Kings forced them to obey God

Things got so bad that even foreign Kings were forcing them to obey and do the will of God. It should have been the other way round. They should be the ones influencing gentile nations to serve God.

2 Chronicles 36:13
[13]And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.

Israel did not heed God’s warning

The Lord warned severally but they failed to heed His warnings:

2 Chronicles 36:15
[15]And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

Israel continued to sin

They sinned more:

2 Chronicles 36:14,16
[14]Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. The Fall of Jerusalem
[16]But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

God’s judgment followed

So God brought the punishment:

2 Chronicles 36:17-20
[17]Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand.
[18]And all the articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took to Babylon.
[19]Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious possessions.
[20]And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia.

True Sabbath meaning: 70 years Sabbath rest

The land had to go on Sabbath rest for 70 years for the next level of God’s plans and purpose for Israel.

2 Chronicles 36:21-23
[21]to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years. The Proclamation of Cyrus
[22]Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying,
[23]Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!

True Sabbath meaning: the land needs spiritual cleansing

When sin multiples and is out of proportion, a Sabbath rest is needed to get into the next level of God’s agenda.

Jesus said, Come unto me you that labor and are heavy ladden (with sin) and I will give you rest. (Emphasis mine).

Sin has multiplied in our world. Leaders of governments and nations have been become godless and have signed anti-God laws into laws.

African leaders have demonstrated selfishness on a large scale. Most African leaders are cultists and ritualists and they are godless.

Christian leaders have voted for self and money. The proof of a call is now plenty money and not the production of Godly fruits.

Sabbath meaning: Our land needs a Sabbath rest

It’s so clear that our lands need Sabbath rest and if you don’t fully understand the meaning of Sabbath as taught in the Bible, the Covid-19 situation in our world today presents you the opportunity to understand the true Sabbath meaning.

The situation today also presents the opportunity for you and I to reflect soberly and let God’s Spirit teach us about His plans for our lives and the earth.

From the Visionary Business Project… Whatsapp: 08034300979.

Let me read your comment. Please share this with your friends on social media.