The text below is from the book Woman, Christian and Successful?Biblically redefining work in and out of the home by Carolyn McCulley and Nora Shank of Faithful Editor.
When we think of people who lived in biblical times, we can imagine the static scenario of Christ’s birth in the manger, surrounded by animals, where everyone is on a frozen platform of perpetual rest, but this was certainly not reality. not for the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt; Were you distraught by the hard work of making bricks?and without the straw they needed to make them; then they cried out to the Lord for relief, and he heard them (Exodus 2:23?25). Through Moses, the Lord freed them from slavery and sent them on a journey to?A broad and good country, a country where milk and honey flow?(Exodus 3. 8).
- But the journey was long and arduous.
- And the Israelites quickly forgot the promises for the future that God had made to them.
- As well as the misery of their past.
- They whispered that they were hungry in the desert.
- Remembering with envy “when we sat by the pots of meat and ate bread to eat!?(Exodus 16.
- 3).
- Worse.
- Moses was accused of negligent leadership.
- Saying.
- “Did you bring us here into the wilderness to starve this whole assembly?”.
The Lord heard his grievances and then decided to “make bread rain from heaven. “For six days, did mana appear on the surface of the desert?A flaky substance similar to a sweet wafer. There was always enough for each person to take two steps, but on the seventh day there were no unexpected gains. Did the double share of unexpected gains that the Israelites reaped on the sixth day remain fresh on the seventh day?Unlike the rest of the week. ? so that they can stop harvesting food and resting; however, not everyone believed that the provision would come as God had promised.
On the seventh day, some people went out to pick him up, but they couldn’t find him.
Then the Lord said to Moses, How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and laws?Consider that the Lord gave you the Sabbath day; therefore, on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days; that everyone stays where they are, no one leaves their place on the seventh day. Thus, people rested on the seventh day (Exodus 16:27-30).
After initially disobeying these orders, the Israelites learned an important lesson about rest: God will provide the resources needed to stop daily work. In your kingdom, there is no need to work tirelessly. We serve a God who gives us a purpose for our work and resources for our rest.
There is another aspect of the rest we find in this story: when Moses presented the Ten Commandments, the Israelites learned that God has another purpose for rest: the Sabbath marks God’s people as set apart for their glory.
And the LORD said to Moses: For this reason you shall speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall certainly keep my sabbaths, for it is a sign between you and me in your generations; Know that I am the Lord, who sanctify you; therefore keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to the rest of you; he who profane it will die; for whoever does any work there will be cut off from his people (Exodus 31:12? 14).
In stark contrast to the surrounding cultures, where work never stop, the Lord gave his people a day off and also told them why: a day of rest, the Sabbath, was a sign of the covenant between them and their God. It was an external expression of their trust in God, a physical demonstration of worship for those who watched them. Rest distinguishes them from how the rest of the world worked.
This is God’s rebuke in Isaiah 30: He said the people had put their trust in a covenant with Egypt without consulting him (in Egypt? Right where they had been slaves!) And did not trust his promise to care for them. he exchanged rest and provisions for oppression and deception.
For thus speaks the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: With conversion and in peace, your salvation is; in peace and confidence your strength, but you didn’t want it. On the contrary, you say: No, we will flee on horseback; That’s why you’re running away. e: We will ride on light horses; yes, your pursuers will be light (Isaiah 30,15?16).
For many years, I had a work of art inscribed with this verse, hanging where I did my home delivery. It was a visible reminder that my strength is not in me, but in God, whom I trust. Is rest a choice of faith? a physical act of saying that God keeps his promise. It is not a modern problem. While technology may have increased distractions, stillness, and trust in the Lord, this is a very old problem. We may not believe that fast horses will save us, but our working model reveals what we believe will save us. The most important thing is that the rest mark shows that we are liberated people. In this regard, Tim Keller points out: God freed his people when they were slaves in Egypt, and in Deuteronomy 5: 12-15, God associates the Sabbath with liberation from slavery. Anyone who works too hard is truly a slave. Is someone a slave who cannot rest from work? the need for success, a materialistic culture, employers exploiting the employee, a slave to parental expectations, or all of the above. These slave masters mistreat you if you are not disciplined in the practice of Sabbath rest. Saturday is a declaration of freedom.
Therefore, the Sabbath is more than the rest outside the body; it’s about the inner result of the soul. Do we need to rest from the anguish and effort of overwork, which is actually an attempt to justify ourselves?Get the money, or the status or reputation we think we should have. It requires a deep rest in Christ’s complete work for our salvation (Hebrews 4:11-10). Only then can we work regularly with vocation and rest.
Do you have a recognized profession?Take care of your home and your family?Is employment reserved for women who need an income?Can women be feminine, pious and, at the same time, have professional aspirations?According to God, what is the difference between the mother who stays home?and the woman who works outside?
In this book, Carolyn and Nora answer these and many other questions that weigh on the heads of women of different ages and backgrounds. Far from the accusatory arguments, which divide more than collaborate for a healthy and uplifting discussion, Carolyn and Nora show how the Message of the Redeeming Gospel allows biblical teachings on the role of women to coexist with professional commitment, fostering female contribution at home, in society, and in the church.
If you have ever wondered if you live the life that glorifies God the most, this book will help you think biblically about the relationship between women and work.
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