A Family Shabbat

Shabbat (the Sabbath) is as old as creation. We are family2.GIF (8300 bytes)clearly told in Holy Scripture that God, Himself, established the example of separating one day in seven as a time of renewal through his own actions in the week of creation. After Yahweh busied himself with the work of creation for six days, he rested on the seventh day.

For the Jewish people, from ancient times, Shabbat has been an opportunity to sanctify time, to set apart one complete day in seven for worship of God and interaction with family. The Gentile cultures among whom the Jewish people lived considered this action a waste of time and a sign of laziness; however, they did not understand that when the Jews obeyed God’s commandment to "remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" they were acknowledging their complete faith and utter dependence upon the God of creation.

For Christians, honoring Shabbat acknowledges their belief that Yahweh, the God of the Bible, created the universe and everything in it. The believer looks to God alone, not to blind fate or to the force of nature, as his source of life and being. Shabbat is also an acknowledgment of the believer’s faith in the finished work of Calvary when Jesus became the atonement for the sins of the world and the means of salvation. Faith in Jesus as God’s Sabbath personified causes the believer to cease from his labors to establish his own righteousness and to enter into the rest of those to whom God has imputed the righteousness of Christ. Additionally, Shabbat is an acknowledgment of the believer’s expectation of the coming Messianic Age, the Sabbatical Millennium, when God and man will rest as the Messiah rules the earth in righteousness.

The principle of allocating one day in seven for rest, renewal, worship, and fellowship is another legacy that the church has received from Judaism. It is a gift that is being revived by Christians around the world, who are restoring Shabbat as a celebration of God and family. (The family Shabbat has been prominent in the survival of the Jewish people. It has been said that the Jews have not kept the Sabbath–the Sabbath has kept the Jews!)

Christian families can claim their right to this biblically-Judaic practice and to the immeasurable benefits which it provides. It is a part of our opportunity to adopt a biblical lifestyle–to live biblically. Here’s how you can have a family Shabbat: Near sundown on Friday evening (the biblical day begins at sundown, not at midnight), gather your family together around the dining room table. For you, as for the Jewish people, your table will become an altar. For the Jewish people it is a substitute for the altar of the temple in Jerusalem. For you it is a personal family altar parallel with the altar in your place of corporate worship. Adapt the liturgy below and conduct your own personalized family Shabbat.

LITURGY FOR FAMILY SHABBAT

Lighting of Candles

The father says:

" ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . Through him all things were made . . . In him was life, and that life was the light of men. . . . The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ (John 1:1, 3, 14). Yeshua (Jesus) is ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12) , the ‘true light that gives light to every man’ (John 1:9). Through him we are empowered to be lights in the world (Philippians 2:15). As we light these two Shabbat candles, we set this night apart unto God to remember that we are given both physical rest and spiritual rest through the gift of God by his Son, Jesus Christ.’ "

The mother lights the two candles while praying this blessing:

"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your Word and has called us to be the light of the world."

Blessing God for the Wine

The father pours wine or grape juice into a cup (Kiddish), and holds it up, saying:

"Wine (or grape juice) represents to us the joy that we have in knowing that through the shed blood of Jesus we have ceased from our labors and entered into his rest. Through it we remember the price that he paid for our redemption."

The father prays this blessing:

"Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine."

Everyone at the table partakes of the cup.

Blessing God for the Bread

The father holds up two loaves of bread (challah), saying:

"Bread reminds us that we have shared in the true bread from heaven in the person of Yeshua, our Lord. The two loaves represent the dual blessing of his abundant provision for our physical and spiritual rest."

The father prays this blessing: "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth."

Everyone at the table partakes of the bread.

Blessing for the Wife

The husband reconfirms his love and honor for his wife by reciting Proverbs 31:10-31 and giving personal praise to her in the presence of the children.

Blessings for the Children

The father places his right hand on the head of each of his children and prays the following blessing: "May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh [for sons] Rachel and Leah [for daughters]. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them. [At this point, the father may add a personalized blessing for his son or daughter.] May the Spirit of the Lord rest upon you–the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord–and may you delight in the fear of the Lord."

Songs (Zimrot)

The father and/or mother may lead the family in appropriate songs of praise and worship to God.

Study of the Word of God

The father and/or mother may lead the family in the study of the Word of God and/or a Bible lesson. Remembering that study is considered one of the highest forms of worship, the entire family should be encouraged to participate in the discussion, asking questions and commenting freely.

Remember that Shabbat is primarily a family affair in which the family affirms its joy at being in the presence of God and of one another, resting from their labors, secure in the knowledge that they have entered into their Shabbat rest by grace through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach [Jesus Christ] and are free to celebrate his love and peace.