Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2021
Sunday, November 21, 2021
The seventh day is a Saturday of complete rest. It is holy to Jehovah (Ex. 31:15).
God's Word says that after six “days” Jehovah stopped doing creative works on earth (Gen. 2: 2). However, Jehovah likes to work, so he has continued to do so in other ways. --John 5:17. The Sabbath law followed a pattern similar to that described in Genesis, that is, work six days and rest on the seventh. God said that the Sabbath was a sign between him and Israel (Ex. 31: 12-14). Everyone was forbidden to work, including children and slaves. They could not even work the domestic animals (Ex. 20:10). This allowed the Israelites to give more attention to spiritual matters. Many religious leaders in Jesus' day had very rigid rules on how to keep the Sabbath. They said that it was not allowed to even pluck a few ears of corn or heal a sick person (Mark 2: 23-27; 3: 2-5). These ideas did not reflect Jehovah's way of thinking, and Jesus made this clear to those who listened. w19.12 3-4 paras. 8, 9
What texts show what the Bible teaches about hard work?
The apostle Paul also knew what it was like to work hard. He devoted himself above all to bearing witness to the name and message of Jesus. But he also worked to support himself. The Thessalonians knew that he had worked “day and night without rest and with much effort so as not to be a financial burden” on anyone (2 Thess. 3: 8; Acts 20:34, 35). By these words, perhaps he was referring to what he did in Corinth. There he stayed with Áquila and Priscila and “worked with them”, since “their job was to make tents”. Just because he said he worked "day and night" doesn't mean he didn't stop. For example, he took advantage of Saturdays to preach to the Jews, who did not work that day either (Acts 13: 14-16, 42-44; 16:13; 18: 1-4).
What can we learn from Paul's example?
The apostle Paul set a good example. Although he had to work, he made sure to participate regularly “in the holy work of the good news of God” (Rom. 15:16; 2 Cor. 11:23). He encouraged others to do the same as him. Consequently, Aquila and Priscilla were his "co-workers in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 12:11; 16: 3). Paul advised the Corinthians to "be very busy in the Lord's work" (1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 9: 8). And he wrote by inspiration: "If anyone does not want to work, let him not eat either" (2 Thess. 3:10).
What did Jesus mean by the words of John 14:12?
The most important work in these last days is preaching and making disciples. Jesus predicted that his followers would do works greater than his (read John 14:12). He did not mean that they would perform miracles, just like him, but that they would preach and teach in a larger territory, to more people and for longer than him.
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