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Hallel FellowshipMessianic fellowship in Santa Rosa, California Author: Hallel Fellowship Language: en-us Genres: Christianity, Religion & Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Sacred cycles: Embracing God’s rhythms of rest and labor (Exodus 16; Isaiah 58; Mark 2)
Saturday, 6 December, 2025
7 takeaways from this study The Shabbat (Sabbath) is a delight. More than a rule, it’s an invitation to rest, celebrate, and reconnect with God and community. True readiness is spiritual as well as practical. Be prepared, like the five wise virgins in the Gospel parable, for what God is doing, both now and in the future. God’s provision requires both trust and action. Gather your “manna” daily, but also rest when He tells you to. Justice, mercy and compassion are weightier matters of the Law and should be practiced alongside outward observances. Daily spiritual nourishment (prayer, Scripture, community) is essential. It cannot be crammed at the last minute but must be cultivated consistently. Relationship with God is two-way: not just knowing about Him, but being known by Him, through ongoing, honest communication. Rest and trust go together. Sabbath is God’s gift of renewal and an act of faith that He provides, even when we “cease from our labors.” Exodus 16, Isaiah 58, Mark 2, and other passages of Scripture help shape our understanding of שַׁבָּת Shabbat (Sabbath), trust in Heaven, preparation for appointments with God, and the delight of a relationship with the Holy One, blessed be He, through our Messiah, יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshua (Jesus). Let’s walk together through these ancient lessons and see how they speak directly to our lives as followers of Yeshua. The delight and depth of Shabbat What do we do when we go looking for “manna” and “lamp oil” — after Heaven has taught us to store them up — and there is none to be found? Some say Shabbat (Sabbath) is one of the “lighter matters of the Law,” compared to “weightier matters such as justice, mercy, faith, and the love of God” (Mt 23:23). Heaven, however, teaches that Shabbat is intimately connected to the Torah’s commandments to show mercy to our fellow human beings and even to our animals (Isa 58:13–14; Mk 2:23–28). It is bound to mercy (“ox in the ditch,” rest for workers and animals), faith (double manna on the sixth day, none on the seventh), and loving God “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Dt 6:4). When we think of Shabbat, many people imagine a simple break from work, a set of do’s and don’ts. Yet, as Isaiah 58:13–14 tells us, Shabbat is so much more. It’s is an עֹנֶג oneg (“delight”), not a burden. The prophet Isaiah says: If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the sabbath a delight (עֹנֶג oneg), the holy day of the LORD honorable … then you will take delight in the LORD…. Isaiah 58:13–14 NASB 1995 Shabbat is a taste of the world to come, a reminder that our lives are not solely about productivity but about delighting in the Creator Himself. The Torah command (Exodus 20:8–11) and its echoes in Mark 2:27–28 — “Yeshua said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath’” (ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, “man”; σαββάτου sabbatou, “Sabbath”) — frame Shabbat not as a chore, but as a gracious gift and a foundation of trust. Many in our modern world, myself included, find ourselves caught in the trap of constant productivity—always doing, always striving. Technology has made us more productive, but it has not made us less busy and robs us of margin. Shabbat calls us back to breathe, to rest, and to root ourselves in God’s provision (שַׁדַּי Shaddai, “the Almighty”). Lessons in provision: Manna and trust Exodus 16 is a foundational story for us. The Israelites learn to trust God’s daily provision through the miracle of manna (מָן man, “What is it?”). Listen to Moses’ words: He said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” Exodus 16:23 NASB 1995 God commands collecting extra manna on the sixth day (yom shishi) so that His people can truly rest on the seventh. When some go out looking for manna on Shabbat, they find none — a vivid lesson that His provision is both abundant and timely. On the other hand, when the Israelites looked for manna on the seventh day—though they had been instructed to gather double on the sixth—they found none, revealing the consequences of disregarding divine instruction. We are invited not to anxiously hoard, nor to worry, but to trust that His instruction is good, and that rest is part of His good gift. This cycle of working hard when it is time, preparing ahead and then ceasing in obedience to His word is woven into our spiritual DNA. As part of the Shema (Dt 6:4ff) reminds us: אָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ ahavta et Adonai Elohecha b’chol l’vavcha “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NASB 1995) Readiness: Parable of the Ten Virgins and oil Another passage that speaks strongly to our calling is the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13. Five wise virgins (παρθέναι φρόνιμοι parthenai phronimoi) keep oil (ἔλαιον elaion, “oil”) ready for their lamps, while five foolish virgins (παρθέναι μωραί parthenai mōrai) do not. This story lines up with Exodus 16: be prepared, be watchful, for you do not know when the bridegroom (νυμφίος nymphios) will come. The foolish virgins discover too late that oil cannot be obtained at the last moment, and so they are shut out of the feast. The punchline of the parable is clear: “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13 NASB 1995). But this readiness is not just about activity; it’s relational. Just before the punchline, Yeshua says, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you” (οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς ouk oida hymas; Mt 25:12). Readiness, then, is founded on knowing Him intimately, not just having the right “supplies.” These stories call us to repentance, renewed dependence on God, and a willingness to learn from missed opportunities to align ourselves with His timing. We prepare for the feast by getting to know the Bridegroom. John and Abigail Adams, who exchanged letters for decades, showed how steadfast communication deepens love. In our relationship with Yeshua, we lift our concerns to Him in prayer and read His letter to us in Scripture. Exodus 16 and Matthew 25:1–13 both teach that God’s provision requires active engagement. We are not called to passively accept His provision but to seek it and extend it to others. When the Israelites sought manna on the seventh day, despite the clear command, they found none. God was teaching them to trust His word and His promises. Similarly, the foolish virgins learned that spiritual preparedness cannot be rushed. There is no last-minute shortcut to relationship—whether with people or with God. Knowing and being known: Relationship, not just religion Biblically, relationship trumps ritual. We’re reminded that knowing God (יָדַע yada, “to know”) is about more than studying facts or traditions. It is about connection, communication and trust (faith). This is woven throughout Torah and renewed powerfully through Yeshua the Messiah. Just as the Israelites had to “gather” manna daily, we are called to seek spiritual nourishment — a living relationship, not mere formality. Our lamp oil is not just our deeds but our abiding fellowship with God through Yeshua (John 15:5). We keep these relationships strong through prayer (תְּפִלָּה tefillah), reading the Word, and community. Like friends or spouses writing letters back and forth to maintain and deepen their relationship, prayer is like our sending a letter to Heaven, and the Scriptures are God’s letters in return. We also get messages by the Spirit, but Scripture reminds us: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1John 4:1 NASB 1995; cp. Deuteronomy 13; 18:15–22 This two-way dialogue is what turns knowledge into relationship. As apostle Paul writes: “But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him” (1Corinthians 8:3 NASB 1995). Justice, mercy and faith: The weightier matters of Torah Some people might consider Shabbat and other Torah commandments as lightweight in comparison to the serious “weightier matters of the Torah” — justice (מִשְׁפָּט mishpat), mercy (רַחֲמִים rachamim), faith (אֱמוּנָה emunah). Love (אַהֲבָה ahavah) wraps around all three: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” Matthew 23:23 NASB 1995 Yeshua is not saying that tithing is unimportant or that careful obedience is wrong. Rather, He warns against using one Torah observance to neglect another. Both the tithe and the Shabbat remind us that everything we possess comes from God. Because all we have is from Him, gratitude and obedience serve our own good. Shabbat teaches us to pause and notice those around us — the widow, the orphan, even the stranger and our animals (cf. Exodus 20:8–11; Deuteronomy 5:14). How can we claim to honor God if we lack compassion for His creation or ignore injustice around us? As Isaiah 58:3ff emphasizes, true fasting and Sabbath delight are tied to undoing the bonds of injustice and caring for our neighbors. Preparation and trust: Learning from the ant Proverbs 6:6–8 draws a parallel with the industrious ant (נְמָלָה nemalah): “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.” In the same way, the wise in Messiah prepare not simply to survive, but to thrive spiritually. Like the Israelites gathering manna for Shabbat, we work diligently while it is day (cf. John 9:4). But this is always paired with trust (בִּטָּחוֹן bitachon), knowing that in the end, it is not by our might (חַיִל chayil), but by His Spirit (רוּחַ ruach): “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NASB 1995 This was in the context of the prophecy–parable of the “two witness” of the olive trees feeding the menorah, a symbol of the eyes of Heaven on the actions of His people (Zechariah 4:10). Zerubbabel was commissioned to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem and carried it out, but Heaven brought that to success against intense opposition. Community and the blessing of Shabbat Shabbat is not a solitary event — it is a communal gift. In our discussion, we are reminded that Shabbat rest is to be extended to family, workers, animals, and strangers (Exodus 20:10). The rest we are called to is holistic: it’s physical, spiritual, and relational. Scripture describes Shabbat as a delight (Hebrew: עֹנֶג oneg in Isaiah 58, meaning exquisite pleasure or luxury; LXX Greek: τρυφή tryphē, enjoyment), and links it directly to justice, mercy, faith, and love. On Shabbat we look forward not only to a good meal but to fellowship with other believers. It is a celebration of community. This lesson is echoed in the teaching on tithing (מַעֲשֵׂר ma’aser) — returning a portion to God acknowledges that every blessing comes from Him and builds care for those in need. Yeshua himself pointed to the interconnectedness of loving God and loving others, embodied in the communal rhythms of Shabbat: we rest, we feast, we worship, we share. Our fear that we will lack something if we follow God’s instructions about tithing and Shabbat is unfounded. Daniel’s three friends trusted God to deliver them from the furnace, yet even if He did not, they preferred fellowship with Him over fellowship with the world. Esther showed similar courage, choosing truth over deception. Shabbat and tithe, then, are not just “rules” but avenues for blessing, connection and witness — reminders that we are custodians and channels, not owners, of God’s goodness. Rest: Active and passive trust in God There is both an active and passive element to faith. On the one hand, Sabbath calls us to act (by preparing in advance like gathering a double portion of manna), and on the other, to cease from acting: הַרְפּוּ וּדְעוּ כִּי אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהִיםhar’pu u’de’u ki anochi Elohim “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NASB 1995) As we discussed, sometimes we struggle to be still in a noisy, restless world. But trust (אֱמוּנָה emunah) means learning contentment (שָׁלוֹם shalom, peace), even when provision isn’t visible or immediate. As in the days after the exile, when the prophets fell silent and many wondered if Heaven still heard, the call remained to trust in His faithfulness — God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Seek first His Kingdom The parables, laws, and stories we’ve studied all point to one thing: seeking first the Kingdom (מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם malchut shamayim) and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). We are called to work and to rest; to prepare, but also to trust; to delight and to show mercy; to know God and to be known by Him. Yeshua’s invitation is to rest in Him, to bear His yoke, and to find shalom for our souls: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 NASB 1995 When we face seasons in which manna seems absent and the lamp oil runs low, Heaven invites us not into fear but into fellowship. The wilderness stories and Yeshua’s parables remind us that scarcity is never a sign of God’s abandonment; it is a summons to draw nearer to the One who provides both the bread and the oil. The people who sought manna on the seventh day learned that trust is built by taking God at His word. The virgins who neglected their oil learned that relationship cannot be manufactured at the last moment. Both lessons point us back to the Bridegroom Himself. Shabbat embodies this same call to trust and intimacy. It teaches us to rest because God sustains us, to refrain from striving because He has already given what we need, and to delight in Him because He delights to dwell among His people. Rest becomes an act of faith, mercy becomes a form of worship, and preparation becomes an expression of love. As we walk with Messiah, may we learn to gather what He offers in its season, to rest when He commands us to rest, and to nurture the oil of continual fellowship with Him. Let every perceived lack turn our eyes toward the true Bread of Life, every delay draw us deeper into His presence, and every Shabbat remind us that His provision, His timing, and His love are always enough. May we be found ready, watching, and richly supplied with the oil of His Spirit when the Bridegroom comes. Let’s step into each week prepared — rested, alert, nourished — and ready for the blessings He desires to pour out. Shabbat shalom!
