Over the past several weeks we’ve been gifted with a unique view into Israeli culture. It’s a view that we don’t receive when we’re here touring the Land as we rush from place to place with little time to rest in between. I’ve experienced Israel twice before and both times were incredible, life-changing experiences. But, both times left little time to meet the Living Stones of Israel and little time to experience the rest that’s available. This experience has been entirely different.
One of my favorite days each week has become Preparation Day – more commonly known to the rest of the world as Friday. In Israel, living with a family who cherishes the Sabbath, we have received a true vision of what Preparation Day looks like in a Scriptural sense. I’m left wondering how Earlene and I can incorporate it into our own lives when we settle back into the American culture we’re used to. How do we embrace this and make it part of our life rather than leaving it behind when God sends us home?
Preparation Day is meant to prepare the home for the Sabbath. It’s meant to make all the necessary arrangements so that the entire home may enter into a time of rest, restoration and worship for the entirety of the Sabbath – Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. This is something Earlene and I are used to of course, but only to a point. We have been observing Shabbat (the Sabbath) for five years now, but we haven’t really taken in the idea and the heart of Preparation Day. That lack of preparation inevitably negatively impacts the desire to enter into a full rest on Saturday. We still had to figure out our meals each week and because of our service to our community, true rest was a rarity.
While we’re here we watch how the entire home is busy all day on Friday. Ashley, the wife of the family we’re living with, spends a large portion of the day cooking the elaborate and beautiful five-star meal that will provide the food for Friday evening and Saturday lunch. As Scripture teaches us, she is preparing a “double portion” in anticipation of the Sabbath (Ex 16). She spares no energy in this preparation as she is providing for both the family and her King whom she is honoring for Shabbat. Micha’el, the husband of the couple, spends some of his day preparing a teaching for those that he helps to embrace Shabbat and the weekly Torah portion. The children usually spend their day watching videos that help them learn more about Shabbat and other aspects of honoring God – of course in between playing. Earlene and I have fallen into a routine of helping to clean the house before we enter into Shabbat.
If chores have gone undone during the week for any number of reasons the families around us are rushing to complete them before sundown. Laundry dries on many area balconies and most people can be seen cleaning their homes, brushing their broom full of debris out the door and vacuuming balconies and trimming gardens. It’s a full fledge preparation! On a walk around the neighborhood you can barely pass a home without catching a delightful scent wafting through the air as they all prepare their Sabbath meals. The more observant families shower and clean themselves just before sundown in an effort to honor HaShem when He tells the people to wash and change their clothes to sanctify themselves for their meeting with God (Ex 19).
In town, the stores and parking lots are full for their busiest day of the week. A mixture of excitement and frustration fills the air. Some are joyously preparing for the Sabbath while others are angry at the crowds. Most families rush to the market to purchase any necessary items as they make final preparations for their Shabbat meals and rest. At 2:00 p.m., or thereabout, the country, as a nation, shuts down and rests to honor the God of their ancestors. It’s all in preparation for worshiping the Great King, God Almighty, and for the Believers – Yeshua the Messiah.
On Saturday, if enough food was prepared on Friday, a hotplate is available to set the food on a few hours before lunch and one must simply set the food on the plate and allow it to warm before the lunchtime meal. As some have described this to me in the past, I thought of it as burdensome or maybe “over the top” – but as I’ve watched it, it’s beautiful and natural and during Shabbat, it’s simple and restful. Food preparation is completely minimized leaving more than enough time to spend with family and time to worship.
The picture is a stark difference from what we see in the United States among the hubbub of life during weekends. There is no rest. Everyone thinks they need to perform their chores every day of the week and we don’t plan out our meals to fully embrace a Sabbath rest. We are busy living life and exhausting ourselves with no regard for separating the holy and common. Even for those of us that have embraced the Sabbath, unfortunately, the differences are overly apparent.
I can’t help but see a larger picture of the Kingdom in this as well.
From an eschatological view (a prophetic view), how are we as the Body of Messiah spending Preparation Day? One thing the Sabbath represents is the coming Kingdom where the Messiah will set up His Kingdom with His throne in Jerusalem. In the grand scheme of Scripture, the 1,000 year reign represents the Seventh Day or perhaps it’s the other way around with the Sabbath Day representing the millennial reign of Yeshua.
Most Believers are reading the signs of the times and feel we are incredibly close to Yeshua’s return. If that’s the case, that means we are in the midst of Preparation Day. That means we should be spending the vast majority of our time preparing for the Sabbath/the Kingdom. Most Believers I’ve talked to during 2020 see some pretty significant birth pangs through the historically profound events of the year, the year of Coronavirus. The King is coming soon. If not in our generation, I struggle to see it not being the next. For my own reasons and from my own study, at this point, I think “the generation” that won’t pass away before His return may be the generation of the holocaust. That generation is late in their life and so I am left with thinking, if that is accurate, I would guess we’re less than 30 years away from the conclusion of this “day” in history and we’ll be moving into the Seventh Day with our Messiah sitting on His throne in Israel.
If you are reading this on Friday, what are you doing to prepare for tomorrow? Are you busy preparing for your day of rest and worship?
From the bigger view, are you busy preparing for the Kingdom daily? Or are you taking part in a generation as Noah saw that busied themselves with self-indulgence while literally missing the boat?
These things have already been written. How are you participating?
Shabbat shalom!
I’m so new to all this. Preparation Day…yes, I think I need to adjust my schedule. Thank you for this real life view of this day!
Love your Preparation Day message. I know from my experience that when I prepare well for Shabbat, life is better. Thank you for bringing us into your world. Someone made the comment about how you had made such a mistake going to Israel at this time, but I thought, “No, they are seeing the people up close and personal, and the Covid shutdown only changes things a bit. It doesn’t keep you from experiencing people at all different levels and having divine appointments.” What a lovely time to be there. Anytime, really. Bless you guys! Love you! Siri
Our trip here was perfect timing. There’s no mistake in our being here. Right now there are so few tourists that people have time to sit and talk with us. People have time to build relationships with one another. The Land is hurting, but they are also experiencing a year of Shabbat rest. I don’t see it as a bad time in any way. It’s been completely His timing. Love and miss you!