Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 23:10-30

Modern life is very busy. We have a never-ending stream of opportunities to make money, play, and be entertained. Thus, we tend to cram as many things into our schedules as we possibly can so that we don’t miss out on what life has to offer.

However, busyness has a cost. Humans need rest. We will see in Exodus 23 that the Mosaic Law required the Israelites to rest. This not only benefited the men, it also benefited their animals, servants, and foreign visitors. This emphasis on rest reminds us that we need to make time in our lives for rest and relaxation.

Today’s passage is part of a long section of instructions given to Israel at Mount Sinai. The 20th chapter of Exodus included the Ten Commandments. Chapters 21–22 contained instructions about how to treat other people. Chapter 23 gave the Israelites guidance on how to structure their lives.

Ex. 23:10 ¶ “Now you shall sow your land for six years and gather in its produce,

Ex. 23:11 but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. Thus you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove.

Yahweh gave more detail about resting every seven years later during their stay at Mount Sinai (see Leviticus 25). Overall, Israel was not very faithful in observing this command. Eventually, the Israelites were taken to Babylon as exiles so that the land could have rest (see 2 Chr 36:20–21).

Ex. 23:12 ¶ “Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your maidservant, as well as your sojourner, may refresh themselves.

Notice the day of rest was not just for the Israelites. It was also for their animals, slaves, and foreign visitors.

After Yahweh created the universe and everything in it in six days, He rested on the seventh day. He consecrated the seventh day, but the passage in Genesis that tells us about this does not specifically say it was wrong to work on the seventh day (see Genesis 2:2–3). As we see in this passage in Exodus 23, the Mosaic Law explicitly forbade the Israelites from working on the Sabbath. The Mosaic Law only applied to Israel. The New Testament does not prohibit labor on the Sabbath.

Having said that, Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man (see Mark 2:27). Humans need rest. It is good to have a day of the week where we rest and relax.

Modern life is full of opportunities to work, play, compete, and indulge in entertainment. Thus, we are very busy and reluctant to take time to rest. We try to cram as much stuff into our calendar as we possibly can. However, busyness has a cost. Humans need rest.

The Mosaic Law required rest. The New Testament does not require rest, but we should voluntarily take time to rest—not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of our family and employees.

Ex. 23:13 Now concerning everything which I have said to you, beware; and do not mention the name of other gods, nor let them be heard from your mouth.

Ex. 23:14 ¶ “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me.

Ex. 23:15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Ex. 23:16 Also you shall keep the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.

Ex. 23:17 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord Yahweh.

Ex. 23:18 ¶ “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; nor is the fat of My feast to remain overnight until morning.

Ex. 23:19 ¶ “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your ground into the house of Yahweh your God. ¶ “You shall not boil a young goat in the milk of its mother.

In modern Judaism, this command against boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk is practiced by never mixing milk products and meat products. That means Jews do not eat cheeseburgers. Observant Jewish households have separate cooking pots for meat dishes and dairy recipes.

Ex. 23:20 ¶ “Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to keep you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.

Ex. 23:21 Keep watch of yourself before him and listen to his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him.

Ex. 23:22 But if you truly listen to his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Ex. 23:23 For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I will annihilate them.

Ex. 23:24 You shall not worship their gods, you shall not serve them, and you shall not do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly pull them down and shatter their sacred pillars in pieces.

The Old Testament instructions telling the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites are controversial. Some people think those instructions are contrary to God’s love. However, the Canaanites were idol worshippers. Eventually, at some point in the future, God will destroy all idol worshippers by throwing them into hell.

Ex. 23:25 But you shall serve Yahweh your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.

Ex. 23:26 There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

Verses 25–26 appear to teach a health-and-wealth philosophy. It is true that Yahweh promised health and wealth to the Israelites if they would obey Him. However, these promises in the Mosaic Law apply only to Israel. These verses do not justify teaching a prosperity gospel to modern-day Christians. The New Testament makes it clear that Christians will suffer persecution and rejection. The New Testament also teaches us that trials and tribulations are good because they make us better people.

Ex. 23:27 I will send My terror ahead of you and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

Ex. 23:28 And I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.

Ex. 23:29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

Ex. 23:30 I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take the land as an inheritance.

After Yahweh created the universe and everything in it in six days, He rested on and consecrated the seventh day. He did not specifically say it was wrong to work on the seventh day (see Genesis 2:2–3); however, the Mosaic Law, which came centuries later, explicitly forbade the Israelites from working on the Sabbath. The New Testament does not require us to rest, but we should voluntarily take time to rest because humans need rest.

Modern life is full of opportunities to work, play, compete, and indulge in entertainment. Thus, we are very busy and reluctant to take time to rest. We try to cram as much stuff into our calendar as we possibly can. However, busyness has a cost. We should set aside time for rest for ourselves, our families, and our employees.

When do you slow down and give your mind and body time to rest and recuperate?

Are you diligent about making sure your family and employees are able to rest?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”