The Ten Words: Rediscovering Covenant Rest in a Chaotic World

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Sacred rhythms anchor us in a chaotic world, and none is more powerful than the ancient practice of Sabbath. Looking beyond religious obligation to the heart of divine appointment, this episode explores how entering God's rest transforms our spiritual journey.

Starting with Isaiah 30:15, we discover that "in quietness and confidence shall be your strength" - a powerful antidote to our culture's obsession with productivity. The Sabbath isn't about following rules but accepting an invitation to commune with the Creator who promises to meet us there. When sunset arrives, we're called to release our identity from what we do to who we are in relationship with the divine.

At the core of this practice lies the Ten Words - not merely commandments but wedding vows establishing covenant between us and God. These principles, beginning with the Shema and flowing through honoring parents, preserving life, maintaining covenant faithfulness, practicing honesty, and rejecting comparison, become the foundation for meaningful Sabbath experience. By meditating on these truths, we clear away the "thorns and thistles" that typically cloud our spiritual awareness.

The transformation happens when we stop trying to contain God in human understanding and instead surrender to true rest. This isn't just physical relaxation but spiritual renewal that enables us to carry his name and character into the world. Whether you've practiced Sabbath for decades or are curious about this ancient rhythm, this episode offers fresh insight into finding peace in divine presence.

Ready to experience true rest? Listen now and discover how stepping out of busyness for 24 hours might be the spiritual breakthrough you've been seeking.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good morning, it's Charles.
This is Living Words Podcast.
This morning I want to talkabout the devotional I did and
what my thoughts are thismorning.
But in quietness and confidence, the strength of covenant rest.
It comes from Isaiah 30, 15,for thus says the Lord Yahweh,

(00:25):
the Holy One of Israel Inreturning in rest, you shall be
saved, and quietness andconfidence shall be your
strength.
So today is Preparation Day.
We're heading into the Sabbath.
So at sunset tonight it'll beSabbath again, and I've been
looking forward to it because Ienjoy the time.
It's a spirit, it's anappointment, it's a waiting,

(00:45):
he's an appointment, you knowit's a waiting.
He's there, he's going to bethere.
He's told you he's going to bethere.
He says, because I've set thisday aside for this purpose and I
expect you and desire you toenter into my rest, to meet me
there and to commune with me.
So that's what Sabbath isreally about is entering into

(01:07):
the rest of God and he's callingyou there.
So today's a preparation day.
Let's you know I want toprepare my heart.
I have to work.
I'm working today, you know, onmy job.
So it's not like I can just,you know, forget about that.
I have, but in the in theprocess of working, I can

(01:27):
actually have a prayerful heartand a prayerful attitude, and
it's doing whatever you can toset aside those things that you
know that may be standing in theway of you relaxing and getting
some rest.
But when the sun goes down,wherever you are, you're not
about who you are, you're notabout what you do, you're not

(01:49):
about your work, you're aboutwho you are and who he is and
how you're known to him.
So that's my goal today is, asI work, as I do my job, to be in
prayerfulness and have a heartattitude to seek out the things
that are standing in the way ofme entering into his rest.

(02:11):
And then, this evening, whenthe sun goes down, I want to be
in a place where I can justrelax and set aside all the
cares and all the worries for 24hours to just spend time with
him and to just do, you know,whatever it.
Whatever, I want to do itwithin the realm of, of of rest,

(02:36):
if that makes sense.
So, uh, you know it's time tospend it's.
It's a time to spend time withyour family.
It's a time to be open tothings without worry, worry and
care and the troubles that wedeal with on a day-to-day basis
cloud out the knowledge of theSpirit and the knowledge of the

(03:01):
things of God that he wants togive us, but we can't receive it
because we're so busy, we're soclouded, we're so, we're so
crowded with the thorns and thethistles of life.
But Sabbath is about a time toum, to set that aside.
So it's about the rhythm of the, of the cycles of the feasts,

(03:22):
it's about understanding his,his, hebrew, uh, origins.
For me, it has always beenabout understanding the Hebrew
origins and understanding thetrue voice of covenant, to
meditate on his word, the 10words.
So that's one thing that I've,that I'm doing now and have been

(03:42):
doing now for a while, and ithas helped me tremendously is to
center myself on the ten words.
To start with, shema Israel,yahweh Elheno, yahweh Ehad.
He's one, he's one on a list ofone, there's none other before

(04:03):
him.
So he's the king and he's whowe owe our allegiance to, and
that's number one.
That's the first thing.
And then the next thing is he'sinvisible, he's unknowable, yet
he makes himself known.
Make no graven image.

(04:23):
Don't try to contain him, don'ttry to describe him.
Don't try to contain him.
Don't try to describe him,don't try to put him in a box,
don't try to create a God thatyou can understand.
Worship him in spirit and intruth, and then, next, we carry
his name with honor, we speak ofhis name and the things of his

(04:48):
name in reverence, that we'rehis ambassadors, and so we're to
project and present hischaracter to the world.
And the only way you can dothat is to have been transformed
into that character, into thatimage, through the washing of
the water, of the word, and inthis case, the ten words, the

(05:08):
ten original words written bythe finger of God, written on
your heart by the Holy Spirit,the Ruach.
And then number four, the fourthword remember.
Remember the Sabbath day, theseventh day, the day that I set
apart, the day that I sanctifiedfor this purpose to rest, enter

(05:34):
into my rest.
And then five honor your fatherand mother.
And first honor your father inheaven, honor him.
Honor him by keeping hisSabbath, by not putting any gods
before him, by not trying tocontain him or describe him or
put him in a box.
Honor him.

(05:54):
And then honor your generations, honor your mother, your father
on earth, your children, yourbrothers, your sisters, all of
those in your family.
And then don't have anger.
Don't allow anger to harbor inyour heart, because anger is the
seed of murder and bitterness.
Have sanctity of life, thoushalt not kill.

(06:19):
And then honor him in covenantfaithfulness.
Honor your marriage to mirror,as a mirror of your relationship
with him, because it's amarriage we have with him.
The ten words are his weddingvows, and when we accept him,
when we lift the cup to him,when we drink his blood and eat

(06:40):
his body, participate in thecommunion the affirmation of
that covenant we're keepingcovenant faithfulness with him.
Don't let lust or greed orselfishness get in the way of
that.
And then be honest in all ofyour dealings.

(07:03):
Honor righteous stewardship ofpossessions.
Don't take what's not yoursthere's no lack in the kingdom
of God.
Only take that which has beengiven to you by trust.
And then be honest in yourdealings with others.

(07:26):
Don't bear false witness, don'tlie.
Let your yes be yes and your nobe no.
And finally, don't compare,don't be jealous, don't covet.
Lay up your treasures in heaven, where moth and rust don't

(07:50):
corrupt and thieves don't breakin and steal.
Those are the ten words andthose are the things that
prepare my heart for him and forhis rest, and I hope it
prepares your heart today too,as we look forward to this event
, look forward to this time wecan rest and relax and trust in

(08:11):
him.
So my prayer for you today isthat you'll have just a resting
time.
Rest in Him, know Him, allowHim to lead you In Yeshua's name

(08:32):
, amen.