Last night, I was trying to fall asleep and started rehearsing Bible verses. During this time, the words, "Eloi, Eloi, Shabbat Shalom" started running through my mind.
These words are in Hebrew, of which I know very little, although I've heard some words and phrases through church and Bible studies. I knew that "Eloi" referred to God and "Shalom" means "peace," but I didn't know or remember what "Shabbat" means.
I looked it up this afternoon. It turns out "Shabbat Shalom" is a common greeting among Jews between sundown on Friday evening and sundown on Saturday evening. It basically means "peaceful Sabbath" or "May your day of no work be peaceful."
"Eloi" means "my God."
"Shabbat" literally means a ceasing or stopping and is the Hebrew word used to reference the Sabbath.
"Shalom" actually has more to do with being whole or complete than just being at peace. I love the definition provided by one website: "Peace, hello,
goodbye, health and wholeness, tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, contentment,
success, comfort, wholeness, integrity, also a common greeting." (http://briangan.ms11.net/personal/dictionary.htm)
So, late on a Saturday evening, I find myself talking to God, my God, about a peaceful, whole, complete Sabbath. I'm not sure what to take from it, but being more intentional about observing the Sabbath day has crossed my mind many times recently.
Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."
Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
(Websites referenced: http://jewsandjoes.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-shabbat-shalom.html, http://yehudafm.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/what-does-shabbat-shalom-mean/, http://briangan.ms11.net/personal/dictionary.htm. Please know that I don't endorse any of the content of these websites, as I have not reviewed them more than the specific pages viewed for this post.)
I was talking to a good friend and mentor tonight and she reminded me that every time we hear a message from God, it doesn't mean that message is directly for us. Maybe this message was meant to be shared with someone else. Maybe this message was meant for you.
ReplyDelete1. I've been thinking I would like me/my family to be more intentional about keeping the Sabbath.
ReplyDelete2. "Eloi, Eloi, Shabbat Shalom"
3. This next Sunday's Sunday school lesson is on Rest - something at which I'm really not good.
4. I was discussing this all with a friend this afternoon. Later, she sent me a message that she saw a friend's message about a Bible study they are doing - about the distractions the enemy throws your way to keep you from honoring the Sabbath and getting rest.
I'm thinking this message might really be for me, but it can definitely be for some of you as well. God reveals Himself in very interesting ways sometimes.