Sabbath , day of rest....

On Friday night, while the sun is going down, I get ready to light the candles of  Shabbat(Sabbath). This is the one time that each week, millions of women mostly, light their candles in one accord. To bring the light of the sabbath, the "rest" of God, into our homes, hearts and the world. I light two candles; 1. to remember the day of Sabbath to sanctify it Exodus 20:8 and 2. to Guard the day of Sabbath to sanctify it Deuteronomy 5:12. After I light them, I draw my hands to myself in a circular way 3 times.  To draw the light to my mind soul and body, then I recite a blessing, in english and sometimes in hebrew too.

"Blessed are you O Lord our God King of the Universe, who has sanctified us in your word and given us Yeshua our Messiah and commanded us to be light to the world. Amen"

"Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melach haolam, Asher kidshanu bid varecha venatan lanu et Yeshua Mishichenu vetzivanu lehiyot Or la Olam. amen"


Afterwards I then pray for my friends and family, things in my life that need help. Others that need help and blessings...
Then we break bread and have juice just like communion or the Lord's Supper. We also have prayers to go with that also. A very slow and worshipful evening. It's nice to have guests, but we ususally just are the two of us,  recently although because of hubbys work schedule, I am alone. But when he comes home, then he gets to enter the day of God's rest also. With the smell of fresh baked bread and the candles glow you know it's a really special rest.

I try to unplug from work things. Doing housework, running errands, paying bills or anything that causes me to fret, or is stressful,  is not done or even mentioned for the next 25 hours, as we try to commune with God and our family. I try to make sure that all that needs to be done before then is accomplished before lighting; cleaning the cat box, doing laundry, doing the dishes, cleaning the house, sweeping the floors, etc, I try so hard to get as much done, unless it can wait until Sat night, or another day. I will do other things, such as chat with friends, and commune with nature, walk in the park. I try not to make others do work for me either, as it says in the 4th commandment, in the book of Exodus, chapter 20 ~ "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work; nor your son , nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates" For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."

I know some will ask, what is Shabbat? Shabbat just means Sabbath in Hebrew.  Why are you doing this on Friday night/Saturday, why not go to church on Sunday like most people do?  Because I am  following what the Bible says, not what man came up with many many years ago.  From the first books of Moses, beginning with Genesis,  to the last of the New Testament Revelation.  I am truly ready to really "follow Him.

For our house, even if for just one day, we are able to go back in time, like the Bible's matriarchs, Sarah, Rebekah and Leah, and light the Sabbath candles, bringing the light and love of God's specially commanded and sanctified Sabbath rest, into the world,  and what a glorious rest it is!