“Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.” Exodus 31:13
Bill Engvall is a comedian best known for his “Here’s Your Sign” comedy routine. His routine rests on the premise that stupid people need to wear signs that just say, “I’m Stupid”. That way we won’t rely on them. We wouldn’t ask them anything. It would be like, “Excuse me…oops, never mind. I didn’t see your sign.” I don’t know if it is funny or sad that his stories are mostly true. Here are a couple links to Bill Engvall’s routine:
Bill Engvall – Stupid People
BILL ENGVALL – Here’s Your Sign
My friends and I have very ungraciously followed Bill Engvall’s lead with each other. Maybe it is a guy thing, but there is nothing quite like the joy of making your buddy feel like an idiot. It has become a rare occurrence for a stupid statement to escape the recognition of a “sign” in various forms, which got me to wondering how many times the angels have thought “Here’s your sign” when God’s people have done some horrendously stupid thing.
Why would any of us need a sign to remember
that it is the Lord who has sanctified us?
God gave the Sabbath as a sign between me and you. It was a sign to remind them that God had distinguished them from all other people. I find it difficult to see how the need of the Sabbath can be viewed as a compliment. It is like God saying:
“In a manner of a week, you will start to forget about me… here’s your sign.”
“I can part the Red Sea but you will turn away when you get hungry… here’s your sign.”
“I visibly descended upon a mountain but you made a golden calf when my prophet was delayed… here’s your sign.”
“I defeated the army of Egypt but when you see some big people you doubt my ability… here’s your sign.”
Some think that the observance of the Sabbath was only for those under the old covenant and that we don’t need a Sabbath since we are under the new covenant. I can only speak for myself but I need to be reminded of the sanctifying work of my Savior more regularly than I care to admit. I need to be grounded and refocused on the gospel of Jesus Christ at least once a week and often more frequently than that.
The purpose of the Sabbath as a reminder that God has set me apart is still necessary.
“In the course of a week, I can be swamped by the cares of the world…here’s my sign.”
“God has transformed my life but when I suffer a bit and I am quick to grumble… here’s my sign.”
“God has forgiven all my sin but when I struggle with temptation, I can start to doubt… here’s my sign.”
The fact that I need Sunday to remind me of who I am in Christ and what He has done for me is not a compliment. It frustrates me that I still do spiritually idiotic things. However, I am thankful that God continues to love an idiotic sinner such as me.
He loves me enough to give me signs for my own good. He does not give me a sign to make me feel like an idiot. He gives me a sign because I am an idiot and He lovingly has given me what I need to stay close to Him. The Sabbath is a gift that every child of God needs because we are all prone to devalue the sanctifying work of Christ. May we thankfully accept His gift in acknowledgement of who we really are and what we really need.
We all need our Sabbath more than we need a free weekend
…Here’s your sign.
PRAYER: Lord, thank you for knowing what I need and giving it to me. Forgive me for not seeing that a weekly day of rest is a gift from you. Forgive me for not recognizing that the Sabbath is for my good. Thank you for this sign. Thank you for giving me signs in my life that are intended to keep me close to you. Keep me from becoming legalistic about them. Help me to always value the loving giver behind the gifts that you have given me. I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Related articles
- The Sabbath Is A Gift From Jesus (gospelbondservant.com)
- The Sabbath: A Sign For Israel (Exodus 31) (answersfromthebook.org)
- Gift of Rest (4110fearnot.wordpress.com)
A DEVOTED LIFE 