Sabbath as the Day of Salvation

I have been thinking about the Sabbath and how the Israelites are to remember how the Lord brought them up from the land of Egypt, the land of death, by his mighty arm .

What a wonderful thing to think about every Sabbath, every week, to never forget what the Lord has done, saving them from slavery and death. But we know the story all too well. They did forget. They didn’t listen to the Lord’s word. They despised it especially when the prophets were sent to call them to repentance. And eventually because of their disobedience and faithlessness they were exiled, and the temple was destroyed.

While we were not there in Egypt with the Israelites at the time of the Passover, we too have been brought from the land of death. It is through the work of Christ. The act of the Lord on behalf of Israel pointed forward to the greater act of salvation, Christ’s saving the world from sin by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. The Lord Christ went into the land of the dead and was victorious over sin and death for you and me. That is something to get excited about and hear on a weekly basis. We need it because there is plenty of things that take our time. There is always plenty of “work” to do. But on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day we get to be fed and nourished with the Word of God, where we hear again the wonderful news of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us and for our salvation. Not only that but we get fed with Christ’s own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. So don’t miss out. Come and remember what the Lord has done for you in bringing from death into life.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter Lutheran Church, La Grange, MO

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