In my study of the Hebrew word “shabbat”, I came across a verse that completely stumped me.

“‘For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the Lord.’ So your descendants would make our descendants cease (shabbat) fearing the Lord.” Joshua 22:25

What I’m finding in this study is that there is a deep, deep meaning in the word “shabbat” that is completely missed when we focus on Sabbath being a day of the week that we go to church to worship God.

The deeper meaning is sprinkled throughout various stories in the Old Testament.

In Joshua 22, we read that the eastern tribes built a very large and impressive altar along the Jordan River.

The western tribes jumped to conclusions and assumed the eastern tribes had wandered into idolatry and had built the altar to worship foreign gods.

They quickly assembled to go to war against them to avenge the name of the Lord.

After being confronted, the eastern tribes explained that they had built the altar to the Lord as a symbol to future generations.

Should the day come when the children of the western tribes show bigotry toward the children of the eastern tribes, it would serve as a reminder that they serve the same God.

They feared that bigotry and rejection would cause their children to “shabbat” from fearing the Lord.

And there was reason for concern.

We often see this today.

Hurt
Rejection
Bigotry
Misunderstanding
Conflict
Trauma
Disappointment
Disillusionment

These lead us to put a separation between the Lord and us. Out of our hurt, we grow cold in our relationship with God.

We stop reading our Bibles. We stop praying as often. We may even skip church more often.

When we feel hurt, will we “shabbat” from God or to God?

The answer lies in the deeper meaning of “shabbat” - or Sabbath.

When we follow the covenant of Sabbath throughout the Old Testament, we realize that Sabbath is not just rest for the body and mind, but it is rest for the spirit.

That spiritual rest is rooted in complete and total trust in God.

The choice to “shabbat” from God comes from a distrust of God and His goodness. A distrust of His will being the very best for us.

Whatever that best may be.

When we totally and completely trust God, we can endure pain, hurt, trauma, rejection…all of it, and find our “shabbat” in God because He becomes our refuge, our resting place.

You see, the eastern tribes of Israel feared that their descendants wouldn’t trust God enough to “shabbat” to the Lord in times of rejection, so they erected this enormous altar as a tribute, a monument, that they worship the same Almighty God.

We don’t need a gargantuan altar to remind us that our God is able.

We have the Word of God, His testimony, and records of His great and mighty deeds to remind us in those times of disappointment and hurt that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

That His thoughts toward us are good thoughts that number more than the sands of the seas, and that His plans for us are good and hopeful.

If we will only “shabbat” to Him in those times, our trust in Him will grow and deepen, and our walk with Him will be closer and more meaningful.

Our faith will be strengthened and more sure.

Dear friend, train your heart to “sabbat” to Jesus. Make the Lord your trust and your refuge.

Not people.

Not pastors.

Not politicians.

No one but the Lord.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7

Are You Sabbath-ing From God or To God?