Sabbath Rules

Exodus 23: 10-13

A short section with a few rules.

After six years of harvesting, leave the fields be on year seven. The poor then have access to get what they can from them- wild animals too. Same thing goes for vineyards and olive groves. Seems like this served this culture's welfare needs. No discussion of how this would make the poor dependent on the productive farmer or inclined to be lazy or any other negative deterrent to helping the needy- however, this aid did only come once every seven years- which certainly would make it hard to live off exclusively.

Not only is the seventh year special- but the seventh day is too. Work six days- but that seventh is for resting- for you, for your ox, your donkey, your slave and even the alien. That day is to refresh yourself for the week to come.

Finally- make sure you do all these things that have been spelled out. And don't be calling on other gods. Almost seems like God's setting them up for a fall. Here's a million rules- now don't mess up... well look here, looks like you can't get there yourself after all.

Which is so much of the point thus far (and of what's to come)- we can't handle righteousness- we need someone to bridge the gap.

And we need lots of seventh days. Maybe three or four a week.