KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS
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O Gentiles of the Nations,
Let us join the nation of Israel,
chosen to be
“a light to the gentiles,”
“a light to the nations,”
—with whom the One True God made the only covenant with ‘representative humanity’;
and given the 4th commandment—
to set apart and remember the Sabbath day
as a memorial of their liberation
from bondage to Egypt and former gods,
to serve their Liberator,
the God Who revealed Himself on Sinai as YHWH,
and gave them guidelines for living in community,
particularly on how to relate with one another
and with Him as their God.
Let us welcome the “Queen of Days”,
a memorial to the Creator God
Who set it apart as a day on which
He Himself ceased from His completed and perfected creative work;
A specific day He blessed—
for the blessing of all Sabbath-keepers,
who recognize YHWH as ‘Lord of the Sabbath’,
as Master of the universe,
as King over all humanity,
as Creator,
as the One and Only God,
for indeed, there is no other.
Let us enter YHWH’s
‘sanctuary in time’,
for it IS about TIME—
time to set aside the cares of our work-week,
time to rest from our daily strivings,
time to fellowship with like-minded worshippers of the One True God,
time for spiritual enrichment,
that we might listen to the voice of YHWH who commanded—
“Be still and know that I am God.”
We Sinaites, Gentiles, join Israel in proclaiming—-
“Blessed are You,
YHWH, our God,
King of the universe,
Who has sanctified us by Your commandments . . .”
We trust that Gentiles who heed and obey YHWH’s TORAH
are indeed sanctified for having chosen YHWH,
as God, as Lord and Master, as King over our lives.
And so we kindle the Sabbath lights as a symbolic gesture
of dispelling the ‘darkness’ in hearts and minds,
brought about by ignorance of His Torah,
resulting in failure to obey His revealed Will—
failure to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul,
failure to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
We kindle the Sabbath lights
to make us look back to the kindling of the Menorah,
the only source of light in the Tabernacle in the wilderness,
and in His Holy Temple
when it still stood as the worship-center of His chosen people
in the Land of Promise—Israel.
We kindle the Sabbath lights to remind ourselves
that we are not only receivers of His Light,
but more so reflectors of His Light,
so that together with Israel, we might illuminate
and enlighten a world full of religious devotees
who, in this day and age,
have no more reason nor excuse
not to know Him as the One True God,
and know His Name, O YHWH,
and worship none other but Him —
except as a matter of self-will and individual choice.
We kindle the Sabbath lights,
to rekindle our resolve to be light-bearers ourselves,
in word, in action, in conduct, in all of life,
and to continue to pray for enlightenment
for all those who have yet to acknowledge Your call.
As the Shema well expresses:
“Hear O Yisrael, [hear O Nations!]
YHWH is our Elohim,
YHWH alone.”
We are not of ethnic Israel,
but as Gentiles to whom your call has reverberated
across six millennia in time,
recorded in the Scriptures of Israel,
we have heard, we have listened,
we have chosen to respond:
“O YHWH,
You are our God, You and You alone:
Creator, Master of the Universe,
Lord of Life, Revelator on Sinai,
Lord of our Sabbath.”
Image from men.colonial.org
Excerpts from ISAIAH 55, 56, 57
The righteous man perishes, and no one considers:
Pious men are taken away, and no one gives thought that because of evil the righteous was taken away.
Yet he shall come to peace,
he shall have rest on his couch who walked straightforward.
But as for you, come closer, you sons of a sorceress,
for soon My salvation shall come and My deliverance be revealed.
Happy is the man who does this, the man who holds fast to it;
who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and stays his hand from doing evil.
Let not the foreigner say, “I am a withered tree.”
For thus said YHWH:
“As for the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,
who have chosen what I desire and hold fast to My covenant—
I will give them, in My House and within My walls,
a monument and a name better than sons or daughters.
I will give them an everlasting name which shall not perish.
As for the foreigners who attach themselves to YHWH,
to minister to Him,
and to love [His Name],
to be His servants—
all who keep the sabbath and do not profane it,
all who hold fast to My covenant—-
I will bring them to My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be welcome on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Thus declares the Lord God,
for the sake of YHWH your God,
the Holy One of Israel Who has glorified you:
seek YHWH while He can be found,
call to Him while He is near.
Let the wicked give up his ways,
the sinful man his plans;
let him turn back to YHWH,
and He will pardon him:
to our God, for He freely forgives.
“For my plans are not your plans, nor are My ways your ways”—
declares YHWH.
“but as the heavens are high above the earth,
so are My ways high above your ways
and my plans above your plans.
For as the rain or snow drops from heaven and returns not there,
but soaks the earth and makes it bring forth vegetation,
yielding seed for sowing and bread for eating,
so is the word that issues from My mouth:
it does not come back to Me unfulfilled,
but performs what I purpose, achieves what I sent it to do.”
Yea, you shall leave in joy and be led home secure.
Before you, mount and hill shall shout aloud,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the brier a cypress shall rise; instead of the nettle, a myrtle shall rise.
These shall stand as a testimony to YHWH as an everlasting sign that shall not perish.
BLESSINGS
[Original Tune: “In His Time” / Revised Lyrics]
Bless this bread, bless this wine,
Bless the celebrants who’re here,
It’s Your Time,
May Your Presence fill this space,
May You grant us peace always,
Bless our loved ones by Your grace,
In Your Time.
May this world keep Your time,
May all people worship You in due time,
May they know You by Your Name,
May they glorify Your Name,
Praise and worship in Your Name, in Your time.
Yes, we pray for all to know You, YAHUWAH.
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Image from apcod.wordpress.com
HAVDALAH
May YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath, bless us and protect us;
May YHWH deal kindly and graciously with us;
May YHWH bestow His favor upon us and grant us peace.
“Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel,
and I will bless them.”
“So are they to put my name upon the Children of Israel,
that I myself may bless them.”
—-[EF] Numbers 6:22-27
Image from hebraicdance.ning.com
SHABBAT SHALOM to all Sabbath Observers,
from Sinai 6000 Core Community,
NSB@S6K
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