Chapter 23
A lot of people are of the mindset that science and scripture are opposed to one another. I don’t agree. I will qualify that with science, properly applied, works in harmony with scripture. Science is the method of gaining knowledge about the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation and evidence. Those scientists that believe in the Holy Bible and its absolute inspiration have a “leg up” on those who do not. For the Holy Bible has revealed things centuries before scientist have validated them. But I do love hearing about scientist writing papers on something that was mentioned 4 thousand years earlier in the Bible.
We can see one great example of this in this next set of laws. Concerning the Sabbath Rest. I could not help but wonder what scientific research has shown about working six days and resting for one. Let’s see what scientist say are some benefits of a sabbath rest:
Physical Recovery and Muscle Repair
Scientific Perspective: After physical exertion, the body requires time to repair itself. This is especially true for muscles and tissues that undergo wear and tear from daily physical activity. Rest allows muscles to rebuild and become stronger. This process, called muscle hypertrophy, is critical for maintaining physical strength, endurance, and health.
Mental Health and Stress Relief
Scientific Perspective: Chronic stress is a well-known contributor to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and burnout. Continuous work without sufficient rest can lead to mental fatigue, decreased cognitive function, and poor decision-making abilities. Rest allows the brain to recover, reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone), and rejuvenate cognitive function. The practice of taking regular breaks is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance and avoiding burnout.
Improved Productivity and Creativity
Scientific Perspective: Rest isn’t just about recovery; it also plays a role in improving productivity and creativity. Studies have shown that taking breaks during work can increase focus, reduce errors, and enhance problem-solving skills. Without adequate rest, the brain becomes fatigued, and productivity declines. The concept of “resting” or “stepping away” from a problem often leads to creative breakthroughs because the subconscious mind continues processing even when you’re not actively focused on the task.
Spiritual and Emotional Fulfillment
Scientific Perspective: Emotional well-being is closely tied to purpose and meaning in life. Engaging in activities that foster a sense of spirituality, gratitude, or emotional connection can enhance happiness and life satisfaction. In modern psychology, practices like mindfulness, meditation, and reflection have been shown to improve emotional regulation and reduce stress.
Prevention of Burnout
Scientific Perspective: Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, overwork, or lack of balance. It can result in physical illness, depression, and a significant decline in productivity. Regular rest is one of the most effective ways to prevent burnout. The idea of a structured day off — such as the Sabbath — helps to create balance in life, ensuring that individuals do not push themselves beyond their limits without taking time to recharge.
Social and Family Bonding
Scientific Perspective: Social connections and strong family bonds are crucial for emotional health. Spending quality time with loved ones, engaging in meaningful conversations, and participating in shared activities contribute to overall life satisfaction and happiness. Regular rest allows time to nurture relationships, which can help buffer the effects of stress and provide emotional support.
Did you know all of this? The list goes on. When I read this, I just get a warm feeling inside about reading the Bible and it reminds me again how I can trust the Word and I can just do what God says to do. He knows all the benefits. Sometimes, it’s just okay to say, “Okay Father. You said it, and that is good enough for me.” Let’s all try to remember that the next time we are tempted to hold a grudge!
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1 “Do not spread [meaning: inventor or receiver] false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. [1Cor15:33: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” Be careful of the band-wagon you jump on!] When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, 3 and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit. [Allow facts/truth determine a case, not the high or low standing or perceived victim status of those involved.]
4 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. [Jesus reminds us to “love our enemy”] 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9 “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
[How you feel toward someone should not determine your right or wrong behavior toward them. Justice is higher than your feelings, and God honors faith/actions wrapped and love/agape.]
Sabbath Laws
10 “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. [There is both a practical use for this to help the poor, and a scientific value that has been proven. Leaving a field dormant also helps to regenerates the soil and helps to prevent soil erosion. Isn’t it nice to see science catch up with the Bible? Lol]
12 “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.
13 “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.
[The sabbath was made for man (and beast). There are both physical and spiritual regeneration benefits to be had.]
The Three Annual Festivals
14 “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
15 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
16 “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. “Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.
17 “Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD.
18 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast. “The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning. 19 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
God’s Angel to Prepare the Way
20 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you[Jesus before his birth, or what is known as pre-incarnate Jesus] to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. [Jesus said in John 14:3 “and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”] 21 Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. 22 If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23 My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. 24 Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. 25 Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.
27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.
31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River. I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them out before you. 32 Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. 33 Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.”
