PROFANING THE SABBATH

Today's reading: Nehemiah 10-13

"So I confronted the leaders of Judah, Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?" Nehemiah 13:17 NLT

Nehemiah had a tough calling on his life.

He was asked by God to participate in restoring God worship in the Temple and in the hearts of God's people who had been exiled over 70 years.

He, with God's leading, was 'righting the ship'.

He reminded them of God's laws.

He pointed out where they had allowed enemy practices into their lives.

He questioned their motives.

Then?

Then, he turned their attention to the issue of the Sabbath.

God's day.

A day set aside to honor, glorify and rest in the Lord.

A day that if carried out to the Lord's specifications, would bless and nourish God's people.

The problem was, they had allowed the Sabbath to become 'just another day'.

Just another day to shop. Just another day to work. Just another day to do anything they wanted to do.

God had been forgotten. He had been pushed aside. He had been disregarded. He had been ignored. His commands had been disobeyed. 

His day had been profaned--which means to treat something sacred as if it is not. Or to take all the reverence away from something special.

So I must ask you, because I've asked myself, What have you done with the Sabbath?