It is time to go to work!

I often find myself puzzled by Messianic believers who believe that most important principal of the Shabbat is the idea that we are to "Rest" as "Hashem" has rested on the 7th day. However the narrow understanding of the Shabbat is missing the mark. We read this Shabbat:

טז וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-הַשַּׁבָּת, לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-הַשַּׁבָּת לְדֹרֹתָם, בְּרִית עוֹלָם.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

The goal of the Shabbat is to be a "sign" that we recognize Hashem's sovereignty, majesty, and authority over our lives and the entire world as it is to remind us the time of creation when Hashem created Heavens and Earth. In many ways the Shabbat is a weekly reminder of the story of creation more than anything else!

Can a person recognize G-d's majesty, Lordship and power and still do "work" in Shabbat? The answer is absolutely yes!! It just depends what type of work they are doing.

There are two type of works in the Hebrew Language:

Avodah- Comes from the word "eved" or Slave in english
Melacha- Comes from the word "Melech" or King in english

Notice that these two words are the exact opposites yes they both called "work". Why is it that does not allow us to do "Melacha" on a Shabbat? yet there is not a single verse that say that we can't do Avodah on a Shabbat?

Avodah can potentially involved "getting tired" which means going through and overcoming some sort of challenge, while Melacha is "supernatural work" that belong to G-d almighty.

It appears like Melacha should be allowed, but since G-d is resting on the Shabbat, we are commanded to keep our eyes on the Melech, instead of doing the Melacha itself!

The Torah portion this week brings up the point that Hashem has filled B'tzalel (which means in the image of G-d) with his Holy spirit to do his Melacha, which means supernatural work that G-d is doing (from the word Mal-ach which means an angel)

ג וָאֲמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ, רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, בְּחָכְמָה וּבִתְבוּנָה וּבְדַעַת, וּבְכָל-מְלָאכָה.
3 and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

May we all be filled with the same spirit so that Hashem can not only use us to do Avodah (which means appointed task), but also his Melacha, just not on the Shabbat.