The first appointed time listed under the heading “Feasts of the Lord” is the Shabbat, not only in the list of festivals in Leviticus 23, but also as the very first appointment mentioned in the Bible, namely in Gen 2:3.

Compared to the other appointed times listed in Leviticus 23, the Shabbat is unique in several ways. Firstly, it is not an annual celebration, but a weekly one.  Secondly, it is the only feast mentioned in the Ten Words (Commandments), which serve as a summary of the Torah.

The Shabbat was a break from the week’s activities. When the sun set on Friday night, the farmer and housekeeper stopped working, the potter’s wheel stopped turning and peace filled the air.  It was a time to rest and pause one’s daily tasks, and also a day to spend with one’s Creator.

If you have ever been in love and didn’t see your beloved every day, you’ll understand how it feels when Shabbat is approaching. Throughout the week, your only contact is through quick conversations and messages, just like using a cell phone. But then the day comes when you can finally be together without any interruptions. It’s a time when all your focus is on the person you’ve been longing for six days to spend time with.  You prepare for this special time by dressing up and setting the table, he smell of fresh bread that filling the air. Candles are lit and soft music plays in the background. The excitement is not just in your soul, but your spirit yearns for this day.

The Shabbat meal is a custom that symbolizes the passing of time. It represents a break from our own needs, work and desires. Instead, we focus on our King, the Creator of the universe, who is incomparable. He deserves all the glory for His endless Kindness, Mercy and Grace. He is always just and never lies. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

We invite friends to celebrate the meal with us. The atmosphere is different than on all other nights; it is set apart. We try to get our attention away from the negativity of the week, politics and crime. Instead, we talk about His Word, His provision and His miracles, His wondrous deeds around us. As our focus shifts, our attitude follows. We are free from the heavy burdens of life and can truly rest in His presence.

We gather for a set-apart meeting, also known as a holy convocation (King James Translation), a time and place where believers come together to declare God’s goodness to the heavens and to each other. This is a peaceful space where we are inspired by messages from the Word and have fellowship with our spiritual family.

Every week we rehearse the 6000 years on earth.  After these six millennia, there will be 1000 years in His presence. We are excited about spending eternity with our King. This is what we long for!

We don’t set our watches to align our work week with the setting sun, as we do for the start of Shabbat. Our priority isn’t rushing to end the day; instead, we yearn to spend time in His presence.

When I met Johan, we lived 1600km apart. This was before the existence of cell phones and email. We had limited funds, so we could only have scheduled phone calls once or twice a week. However, we made the postal services work hard, sending daily letters and receiving them with great excitement. Every minute was spent thinking about our love, writing and reading letters repeatedly, wearing out the paper. Despite this challenge, we had a special time to look forward to.

Once a month Johan would drive his yellow Renault 5 outside the borders of his hometown, leaving Warmbaths on a Thursday after work and heading west towards Oranjemund.

Oranjemund was a closed mining town. The gates were locked at 18h00 and only opened at 6h00 the next morning.  At 6h00, the little yellow Renault would wait at the security gate. It stood there, eager to enter, like a Ferrari at the starting line of an F1 race.

In town, I excitedly waited for the car to arrive at E7, 9^th Ave. Time felt like it was moving in slow motion. We had an hour during which to catch up on the 30 days we were apart. After that, I had to go to work while he could sleep for a few hours since he drove through the night.

The town’s hooter sounded at 16h00, signalling the end of the workday and the work week. Cycling back from work felt different on those Fridays – someone special was waiting for me. I had 24 hours to spend with him and didn’t want to waste a single second.

Way to soon the weekend came to an end and Johan drove away into the sunset. We felt a tinge of sadness as another visit ended. However, we eagerly anticipated the following meeting, which was a month away. This gave us ample time to plan and prepare for our next monthly highlight.

This is how I think we should feel about Shabbat.

No effort should be too big to make this day special and memorable.  No time should be wasted on other things during these special few hours in which our full attention is directed towards our Creator.

The end of the special time should not be our focus.  When it ends, we should already concentrate on the next one; our clock set for the following visit.

May we all experience the anticipation of our next appointment with our King! May the light shining from our lives draw others to a closer relationship with our Creator.

All to the Glory of Our King!