Who doesn’t love a great chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A?!
Chick-fil-A is an American fast food restaurant chain and the largest chain specializing in chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in College Park, Georgia, Chick-fil-A operates 3,059 restaurants across 48 states, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The company also has operations in Canada, and previously had restaurants in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The chain also provides catering services. They offer many discounts for local sports, church events, and other non-profits as a way to give back to the community they serve. Chick-fil-A calls its specialty the “original chicken sandwich”. The sandwich is simply a piece of deep-fried breaded boneless chicken breast served on a toasted bun with two slices of dill pickle, or with lettuce, tomato, and cheese.
Many of the company’s values are influenced by the Christian religious beliefs of its late founder, S. Truett Cathy (1921–2014), a devout Southern Baptist. Reflecting a commitment to “honoring the Sabbath”, all Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed for business on Sundays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Cathy said “Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business.”
The company’s official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A”. It has been proven that honoring God by keeping the Sabbath holy along with allowing employees a day of rest from their labors, has been pleasing to God as all glory was given to God for Chick-fil-A’s success. Chick-fil-A continues to rise above the competition who sell chicken as their specialty and are open seven days a week. In other words, Chick-fil-A does in six days what the others try to do in seven. So, in our world, it has been proven by Cathy’s company that to continue “honoring the sabbath and keeping it holy” is still for our good and God’s glory!
Exodus 35 is where it all began—with God’s commandment— “For six days, work; but on the seventh day, observe a holy rest.”
Exodus 35
Sabbath Regulations
Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, “These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do: 2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. 3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”
Materials for the Tabernacle
4 Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: 5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; 6 blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; 7 ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; 8 olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; 9 and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.
10 “All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the Lord has commanded: 11 the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; 12 the ark with its poles and the atonement cover and the curtain that shields it; 13 the table with its poles and all its articles and the bread of the Presence; 14 the lampstand that is for light with its accessories, lamps and oil for the light; 15 the altar of incense with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense; the curtain for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle; 16 the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the bronze basin with its stand; 17 the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; 18 the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, and their ropes; 19 the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary—both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests.”
20 Then the whole Israelite community withdrew from Moses’ presence, 21 and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved them came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. 22 All who were willing, men and women alike, came and brought gold jewelry of all kinds: brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments. They all presented their gold as a wave offering to the Lord. 23 Everyone who had blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen, or goat hair, ram skins dyed red or the other durable leather brought them. 24 Those presenting an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it. 25 Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun—blue, purple or scarlet yarn or fine linen. 26 And all the women who were willing and had the skill spun the goat hair. 27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. 28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense. 29 All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do.
Bezalel and Oholiab
30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.
WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?
God calls. God equips. God sends. God fills the souls of men and women whose hearts are willing and obedient with His Holy Spirit. God could have most certainly waved His hand over the wilderness sojourners to provide a tent of meeting for Himself; but instead He chose men and women with special skills, wisdom, and abilities to not only do the work but teach others the work. God is teaching His People how to give Him glory in all areas of their lives! It’s not about the task itself; it’s about God. It is God who is inviting us to JOIN Him in His work! What an awesome opportunity! THIS is what the “willing people” throughout this passage are driven by—God’s invitation!
God knows that when we see Him work in and through us, equipping us, teaching us through discovery learning, (as we educators call it); that we will not soon forget how much God does for our good as we give Him the glory! It is in doing the tasks that we see the glory of God at work!
We learn that we can do nothing of significance without God leading and equipping us; providing all we need to accomplish His will and plan with His purpose. God always has purpose and that purpose is unique to every man and women He has created. With God, ordinary people do extraordinary works!
We learn that our willing obedience to God gives us more understanding and insight about God. We learn that God knows that sometimes the obedient enjoy doing what God wants so much, they forget to rest and just be with God. So, God, who also rested on the seventh day after creating the whole world in the previous six days; commands that we do the same.
God is God. We are not God. The Psalmist tells us that holy rest includes being still and letting go of all that is between God and us;
“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (Read the whole psalm!)
Jesus taught this same truth to His followers;
“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.”—Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30
Our response to God’s command is to come and rest from our labors, taking one Sabbath day each week, coming before our holy God, seeking to be made holy by Him. Why is this necessary, even today? For our own good! God knows exactly what we need when we need it. We must take time to be still. Being still in Psalm 46 means letting go of all that concerns us so that we can give our full, undivided attention to God. It is in this response that we know God more! It is a time to freely worship God and give thanks for all He has provided. And it is a holy time to give back a portion of what God has given to us willingly. It is time for God to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves—make us holy.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Just ask the chicken sandwich maker!
Lord,
You call us to come to you then you equip us to accomplish your uniquely created purpose in each one of us. You are amazing in all your ways. Your love and compassion for us is sometimes beyond our understanding—but I am grateful for your relentless love, mercy, and grace! Thank you for saving my soul by your willing sacrifice. I offer my life back to you willingly as an offering to you today. Lead me, Lord with your agenda, through every detail of today. May your glory be seen in me.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 