It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.
Leviticus 23:32
We’re talking about hidden treasures in the Books of Moses. I wanted to direct your attention to a second treasure I found, this one also in the book of Leviticus. The context is the Day of Atonement, the only day in which the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle to make atonement for the sins of the Israelites. What struck me about this passage is the relationship made between humility and work we find in it.
In today’s verse, Yahweh emphasizes to Israel that the Day of Atonement is to be a day of complete rest without work. In fact, God emphasizes this so strongly, that verses 28, 30, and 31 all restate the injunction in no uncertain terms. God repeated Himself because He wanted Israel to be certain to obey. It’s worth considering how this passage interlaces the ideas of not working and humbling oneself. In verse 27 God says that the people are to “humble [their] souls.” In verse 28 He says they are not to “do any work.” In verse 29 He speaks of a person humbling himself. In verse 30 He says no one should work. In verse 31 He says no one should work. The concepts of humbling oneself and not working are clearly interlaced in Leviticus 23. Why?
It seems to me that in Leviticus 23 God is making the point that not working is a humbling thing, because when we are not working, we are not providing for ourselves. We are unable to accomplish anything in our own strength. We are rendered powerless. Our hands, in a sense, hang limply by our sides. Herein is the thing I believe God was trying to etch into the minds of ancient Israel. He wanted Israel to look to Him as Provider. He did the same thing in the year of jubilee. In that year, God told the Israelites they were neither to sow nor harvest, but rather to trust Him for the provision. He did the same thing with manna in the wilderness. He told the Israelites they were not to gather more manna than was necessary for that day. God wanted ancient Israel to understand the same thing He wants us to understand: No matter how capable we may be, He and He alone is our Provider.
The fact that God is our ultimate provider is a critical insight for us, because apart from it, we can quickly become smug and satisfied in our ability to provide for ourselves. We can forget that God is the One who provides the increase, both in the spiritual and physical realms. It is only His kind providence that allows us to have anything at all. I love the way Solomon expresses this idea in Psalm 127:1: “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.” Unless God grants the increase, the prosperity, it matters not how hard we work; it will be for naught.
This principle of provision from God calls for balance. There are those who regard true spirituality as sitting on their hands. They presume God’s provision without conditions, believing that God will provide for them without regard for any involvement on their part. That’s not the biblical model. We are called to diligence in Scripture. That means working hard, making ourselves available for promotions, asking for raises when they are warranted, sending out resumes, and scanning the job ads. In 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, “For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.” Scripture does not endorse idleness. But a right understanding of this doctrine of provision also includes humble assent to the fact that if God doesn’t do it, it won’t be and can’t be done. Reckoning with this reality is a sure path to humility.
The Sabbath is not mandated for believers in Jesus Christ. We can work on Saturdays. Be that as it may, rest is essential. We’re designed to have a day of rest each week. In that time of rest we need to recognize that if Yahweh does not provide, our labor is for naught. He is the Provider. May we lay aside our “can do” philosophy and self-sufficiency, and recognize that we are utterly and helplessly dependent upon Almighty God for the strength only He can provide. That’s a hidden treasure from Leviticus 23.
