Exodus 31:12–17
The Bible4Jesus.com Podcast
About this episode
Our culture is defined by two equal and opposite errors. On the one hand, we have the frantic idolatry of work, the constant hustle, the tyranny of the urgent that leaves men burnt out and families neglected. On the other hand, we have the frantic idolatry of leisure, the desperate weekend binge of entertainment, consumption, and distraction. Both are attempts to find meaning and rest apart from God, and both inevitably lead to a deeper weariness. We have forgotten how to rest because we have forgotten the God who gives rest. When modern Christians come to a passage like this one in Exodus, they often treat it with a kind of embarrassed awkwardness. The death penalty for gathering sticks on a Saturday? This passage is not an outdated regulation; it is a revelation of the very character of God and the rhythm of the reality He has made.