Four hundred-thirty years.  That’s how long the Israelites were slaves in Egypt.  When you consider our country is not quite 250 years old, that adds some perspective to the event.

The Israelites endured over four centuries of being repeatedly told that their only value consisted in how many bricks they could make.  When they reached Mt. Sinai after the deliverance, God presented a covenant with a special attribute—Shabbat, or a weekly day of rest.

As God sought closeness and growth in partnership with his people, he effectively told them, “Before we do anything else…you need to learn how to take a break.”  This break celebrated not only God’s good creation, but it also served as a repeated reminder to the Israelites that their value comes not from production, but from who they are—God’s VERY GOOD creation.

What a beautiful gift to a weary and downtrodden people!  The invitation to Shabbat still extends to us today…  Shabbat may not look the same as under the old covenant, but we could all use a regular reminder of who—and whose—we are…because we tend to be pretty busy brickmakers in our own right.

Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.                               Genesis 2:3

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.                    Exodus 20:8-10