KEEPING GOD’S SABBATH
BY ENJOYING HIM, RESTING IN HIM,
AND BEING SATISFIED IN HIM
AS THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS
In 17:19-27 we have a word about keeping Jehovah’s Sabbath. We should consider this word in relation to the foregoing points regarding God’s economy. We all need to learn that the way to keep God’s Sabbath is to enjoy Him, to rest in Him, and to be satisfied in Him as the fountain of living waters. We should not do anything in ourselves or of ourselves. Rather, we should simply rest in this fountain and enjoy this fountain. The significance of keeping the Sabbath ordained by God is to take this fountain of living waters as our enjoyment, rest, and satisfaction. There is no need for us to do anything; we should simply be satisfied with all that God has done and accomplished.
In ancient times, those who were busy laboring on the Sabbath were those who had forsaken Jehovah. Having forsaken God, they labored in hewing out cisterns for themselves. The ones who labored in this way did not have any rest or satisfaction. Eventually their cisterns became broken and could hold no water (2:13). However, with those who trusted in Jehovah the situation was entirely different. On the Sabbath they could say, "Hallelujah for another day for us to rest in our God and be satisfied in Him! We are satisfied in Him for His rest and satisfaction. God rests with us, and we rest with Him to enjoy Him." This is God’s economy.
COMING TO THE ORCHARD OF THE BOOK
OF JEREMIAH TO PICK RIPE FRUIT
Through more than sixty years of studying the Bible, I have learned to pay attention to what is precious. In other words, I have learned to pick the "fruit" in the Word. For this reason, in the first message of this life-study, I pointed out that we may compare our reading of the book of Jeremiah to picking fruit from trees in an orchard. In picking fruit we do not care about old branches or dry leaves; we care for ripe fruit. The "old branches" and "dry leaves" in the fifty-two chapters of Jeremiah are there for the purpose of showing us the "fruit," that is, of showing us Christ as He is revealed in this book. The aspects of God’s economy covered in this message should certainly be regarded as ripe fruit.
We will see more fruit when we come to chapter twenty-three. Verses 5 and 6 say, "Behold, days are coming, / Declares Jehovah, / When I will raise up to David a righteous Shoot; / And He will reign as King and act prudently / And will execute judgment and righteousness in the land. / In His days Judah will be saved, / And Israel will dwell securely; / And this is His name by which He will be called, / Jehovah our righteousness." Jehovah our righteousness refers to Christ in His divinity, and a righteous Shoot refers to Christ in His humanity. The Christ revealed here is the One who will be our life. Christ’s being our life is based upon His redemption and God’s justification. This life is nothing less than Christ as Jehovah to be the fountain of living waters. In this fountain we have all things concerning God for our enjoyment.
(Life-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, Chapter 17, by Witness Lee)
