Family Bible

This morning, I dropped my oldest son off in a neighboring town (roughly 40 minutes away) to take his PSAT test (I know, he’s getting old, isn’t he?). On the way home, a song by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard called “Family Bible” came on my playlist. In it, Merle (we were not on a first name basis) speaks of how when the workin’ day was done, the family would gather at the table, and his dad would read from the family Bible, while his momma would sing “rock of ages, rock of ages cleft for me.” A verse in the song really hit me hard, convicting me deeply:

Now this old world

Of ours is full of trouble

And this old world would also better be

If we'd find more Bibles on the tables

And mothers singing rock of ages, cleft for me.

It hit me hard! Men need to be the high priests of their homes, leading their families in reading from God’s Word together, and their wives should be leading their children in to worship! This song speaks of a cycle of work and rest (note the song speaks of when the workin’ day is done), not going to the television (or in our day and age, phones), but work, and returning to the Lord for rest and comfort and companionship. This lifestyle was as it was in the beginning! Adam and Eve would work the Garden, and in the cool of the day (when the workin’ day is done), walk with the Lord. It wasn’t merely for the Sabbath; it was a daily rest in Him.  This is what we’re meant for, not merely one day a week of worship and rest, but a daily practice and habit of it! Willie and Merle had their flaws, to be sure, but the truth of this song remains: we would all do so much better if we, instead of gathering around our phones and televisions, gathered around our family Bibles, reading and worshipping together that our rest may be found solely in Him.

Mark 2:23

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Hebrews 4:1-13

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath,

‘They shall not enter my rest,’”

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.