Sabbath Prep and the Idol of Cleanliness

Can we talk about 'prep day' and this notion of 'getting ready for Sabbath'? 

When I first started observing the Sabbath, I think about 90% of the related internet content consisted of cleaning checklists. Long ones too: vacuum the floors, straighten up the house, take out the trash, wash the dishes, make the beds, set the table, clean the bathrooms. And don't forget about making a fancy dinner, and then tons of food for tomorrow, empty your inbox, bathe the kids, and plan a special activity. It's not surprising that much of the Hebrew community refers to Friday as prep day, because that's how long all of this takes.

There are a few problems with this system. Firstly, Scripture does not teach that this thorough cleaning is required of us for the Sabbath day. But also, keeping Sabbath is meant for all of YHWH's children, not just the retirees and the stay-at-home-mom families. When we (unintentionally or otherwise) present to others this enormous checklist of things to do before Shabbat we are telling them that if you can't juggle in this extra load of work then they can't keep the Sabbath day. That is a tragedy! When we make the Sabbath more about having a clean house than about relationship with YHWH, it becomes an idol. May he forgive us if we make having a prep day for Shabbat a requirement, because he didn't.

Friends, I know that none of you want to place a stumbling block before others or to make Sabbath keeping seem like a burden. But can you see how this pervasive mentality of Friday as a house cleaning day can be a hindrance to those that work or have other commitments before the Sabbath? I also know that many of you feel overwhelmed with getting ready for the Sabbath each week. And honestly when I would put my effort into those checklists it did not leave me with an attitude that loved the set apart day. Why are we clinging to this tradition of near impossible standards if it causes frustration and resentment with one of YHWH's commandments? What does that do to our relationship with him, or to our spirits?

Is it nice to have a clean home? Yes...but it's not a commandment, nor is it a prerequisite to having a day of rest. A clean house is nice but it should never come before our relationship with YHWH, and it shouldn't come at the cost of discouraging others from honoring the Sabbath. It really is both possible and permissible to have a day of rest, even if you don't have a day to dedicate to preparing for it. What if you just stopped to rest on the seventh day, even if the laundry wasn't done and the beds hadn't been made? What if we showed others that Shabbat keeping is doable even if you work full-time or juggle a hundred things each week?

Yes, keeping Shabbat calls for intention. But I think most of the time spent preparing should be working to keep ourselves free of other commitments on the Sabbath, not on having an immaculate house. There is no shame in eating simple foods like sandwiches, green salads, veggies with hummus, cheese and crackers, fruit, or other snack items that don't require prep work the day before. Don't forget that in Genesis 1, YHWH himself rests on the Sabbath day. Please note, he did not spend day six cleaning up his work from the rest of the week. He just rests. Give yourself and others permission to do the same. 

More on the Sabbath:
Why I'm Still Keeping the Sabbath
Tips for Resting on the Sabbath
Sabbath in the New Testament

Don't Let Me Stray - Psalm 119 Printable

 

Have you read through Psalm 119 recently? That passage is one of my favorites in Scripture, and if you haven't, I would for sure encourage you to give it a read. It is packed with encouragement to honor YHWH's instructions and I think we all benefit from those reminders.

"Don't let me stray from your commands." Can you hear the cry of the author who penned this? I love how their desire to serve and honor YHWH is expressed this way. You've told me what to do...don't let me wander away from that. I decided to make this into a printable so that we can all be reminded of that prayer for help.

Click here to download this printable from Psalm 119. It's free for your personal use.

Five Things Every Believer Should Know About Christmas

Here are five things every Believer should know about Christmas:

1. Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible. You can read the entirety of Scripture and you will not once come across 'Christmas.' Luke 2 and other places give some details of the birth of the Messiah, but without question this didn't happen on December 25 or even in December. You will not find the events of Christmas celebrations in Scripture, even by a different name (at least in a positive light). It just isn't there. Take a moment to consider the wisdom of basing a considerable block of your faith on something other than the word of God. What did the Messiah say about building your house on sand?

2. Many of its traditions are expressly prohibited by Scripture. This includes bringing a Christmas tree into your home to decorate (Jeremiah 10:2-4), the traditional Christmas ham (Leviticus 11:7), many nativity scenes (Exodus 20:4), and more. Does it make sense to try and worship YHWH by doing things he tells us not to? What does it say about us if we aren't willing to follow some basic instructions from him?

3. Scripture does not tell us to celebrate Christmas. Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to celebrate Christmas or even the Messiah's birthday. If this had been something the Creator wanted us to do, he would have told us! Yahusha had many chances to throw himself birthday parties, but we don't see that. The Disciples could have preached on celebrating Christmas, but they didn't. However, Leviticus 23 gives us the details on seven set apart times of YHWH that we are to observe, and we can see these honored by both the Messiah and the Disciples.

4. Christmas predates the birth of the Messiah by centuries. There is a reason so many cultures and faiths celebrate Christmas, because it's not a holiday that is rooted in Scripture. The December 25 Christmas holiday has a long history of honoring the sun god or other pagan gods around the time of the winter solstice. So no, this isn't something that started out as a nice little way to honor the Messiah's birthday. This is something that originated from faiths against the Living God. While YHWH certainly could choose to redeem it, according to Scripture that is not how he handles things of pagan origin. One such example would be 2 Kings 10:27, when rather than 'redeeming' a perfectly usable temple of ba'al for his own glory he had it made into a public toilet. Here is a good article on Christmas predating the Messiah.

5. The lies of Christmas undermine faith! In our culture, children are told stories of beings they don't see but who do nice things for them. Santa brings presents, the Easter bunny gives candy, and the tooth fairy leaves money under pillows. In time children are let down (Or devastated. These things can hurt.) with the truth...that these are just lies. How does that impact their faith in the Messiah, whom they also can't see, but supposedly loves them and will give them eternal life? I don't think we can emphasize enough how confusing and detrimental these lies are to faith. Even if your children know Santa isn't real, what are the implications for their faith when they find out Christmas isn't in the Bible? It's frustrating and confusing to realize that the Christian faith isn't based on following YHWH's commandments, and if we don't believe we should do as YHWH instructs in one area, why would we in another? 

Those are a few of the reasons why I decided to stop celebrating Christmas. 

More posts about Christmas:
Are Christmas Trees in the Bible?
Why I Stopped Celebrating Christmas as a Believer in Messiah
The Father Christmas Detail CS Lewis Had Wrong in the Chronicles of Narnia

1 Corinthians 8:13 and Not Eating What Causes Someone to Stumble

Paul wrote very plainly that he would not eat something if it caused someone else to stumble in their faith. Are believers today following his example?

"If food causes my brother to stumble, I will not eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." -1 Corinthians 8:13

My friend Christopher wanted to show others that all things are truly possible with YHWH. So he became a vegetarian. People were floored that he was able to give up eating meat, and that he did so joyfully. His choice to forgo meat eating was a powerful example to his friends and family who felt they couldn't give up the thing that was keeping them back from the Messiah. His vegetarian diet was the spark that ignited freedom from drugs, addiction, sinful relationships, and lies in the lives of many people. Does Scripture teach that you have to be a vegetarian? No, many passages make it clear which animals are permissible for eating. But Chris's choice to not eat those animals helped many encounter the truth and love of YHWH.

I don't share this to say that you have to become a vegetarian, because you don't. Scripture gives you the right not to. But as Paul said, "Watch out that this right of yours doesn't become a stumbling block."

Scripture gives us certain instructions regarding what we are to eat. Mainly we are to avoid unclean animals (pigs and shellfish, as well as other creatures like bats, camels, and ostriches). You can see more on this here or in Leviticus 11.

We are not going to get into the debate of if YHWH's word still stands today or not. So regardless of if you are eating clean or unclean animals and foods, let's look at this verse again: I will not eat what causes my brother to stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:13)

When my husband and I started making changes away from the mainstream Christian faith, many people started working very hard to explain why following Scripture's dietary instructions was unnecessary. To this day, we are regularly questioned, teased, or told we are wrong by well-meaning believers. Even if this were true, how is this a good use of anyone's time? I would so much rather they would spend that time and energy to share the Gospel with the masses who desperately need it, than to to try and give me more dinner options.

The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 8 explains that people have different sensitivities when it comes to what they eat. It's worth noting that this is in regards to Biblically clean animals that have been offered to idols, not if unclean animals are acceptable to eat. Many translations use the word 'weak' but sensitive better encompasses the meaning of this passage. This entire chapter of Scripture tells us, "Not everyone is going to agree with you on this, be respectful anyway." You know what is not in this passage? Some sort of clause that says if someone is more sensitive than you are about what they eat, just go ahead and explain why they are wrong. Or belittle them until they agree with you or try to trick them into eating bacon. Be kind to those who are sensitive, their faith is on the line.

Is what you're eating causing someone to stumble? Let's look at who your dietary choices can impact:

-The roughly thirteen million Jewish people in the world who have not accepted the Messiah. One of the major set backs is that Jews see Christians representing the Messiah as someone who did not keep the commandments. Additionally many Jewish people are uncomfortable or unwilling to sit at a table with someone who is eating something that Scripture says not to, which obviously hinders relationship development and a chance to share truth. 

-Those frustrated by the confusion and hypocrisy of the faith. While Christians are used to how they do or don't apply certain passages of Scripture, this is truly confusing for someone new or outside the faith. I've been in churches where before the sermon everyone holds up their Bible and says that it is the inerrant word of God, and then the pastor's sermon explains that well, actually a good chunk of it is out of date. We can all think of people who have left the faith because of hypocrisy in others. 

-People who have decided not to eat meat for ethical reasons. In the mass food system there are many horrible things that happen during the factory production of meat. Many believe that the Messiah would not take part in this system, and therefore they choose not to as well. Does anyone benefit by debating this decision? Why try to convince them that the one whose eye is on the sparrow doesn't care about the welfare of his creatures? 

-Those who need to see a demonstration of love and power. Like Christopher's friends and family, who doesn't want a tangible example to point to of the transformation that happens through the Holy Spirit? Who doesn't need to see that change is possible? Being respectful of someone's dietary choices is a great way to show that person love. It is so meaningful to go to a friend's for dinner knowing that they have gone out of their way to make sure the meal is something I am comfortable with. There are too many believers claiming to love others, but aren't willing to give up any of their own rights to support another's faith.

Pick up any cookbook or flip on any food related show and you will hear how food has an amazing power to connect people of different cultures, ages, nationalities, lifestyles, etc. But the quickest way to break that connection is to be disrespectful of someone's dietary restrictions. Don't let your food choices cause someone else to stumble. Make sure your table is one you can invite them to.

More about eating the Bible's way: 

What is Biblically Clean Eating?
Did the Messiah "make all foods clean"?
What Scripture Teaches About Peter's Vision
Understanding 1 Corinthians 10:27