52 Days. Day 51, Sabbath Returns.

Nehemiah 13:19 (NLT) “Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.” Don’t miss this moment; it’s huge! The Babylonian exile, of which they are just now returning from, was directly linked to their failure to observe the Sabbath. Nehemiah knows that they are already drifting back to their old ways. And so he takes a stand! (Read all of Nehemiah Chapter 13.) The Sabbath Days were a very important observance. It served several purposes: spiritual, physical, and symbolic. It was to be a day of rest (physical and spiritual renewal); a day of worship (focus on God and offer sacrifices); a sign of the covenant (a visible sign of the covenant between God and Israel); a shadow of things to come (symbolic of the spiritual rest found in Jesus Christ). There are too many verses to put in this short devotion. But we must remember that we, like them, will suffer greatly if we neglect the principles that God has put in His Word for our benefit. The “rest” we now enjoy is all about what our Savior did and us submitting our will to Him. (Read all of Hebrews Chapter 4.) What area have you been neglecting? What commitments have you allowed to slip away? What needs to come back to the forefront of your walk with God? The promise of Joel 2:28 is “it shall come to pass afterward…” After what? After we have met God’s stated conditions. We have been consecrating ourselves with prayer and fasting for all these days to align ourselves with His Word. He will be faithful to His Word.