Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. – Exodus 20:8
In the original Hebrew, the commandment literally reads, “Keep on remembering the Sabbath.” How well do we do that?
Nearly 100 years ago, Scottish runner Eric Liddell was one of the fastest men in the world. In 1923, he gained national recognition by winning the 100- and 200-meter races at the Amateur Athletic Association championships.
Liddell had prepared his whole life for the 1924 Olympics, and he seemed ready. As the world watched in shock, Liddell dropped out of the 100-meter run—his strongest event—because the final was scheduled for a Sunday. As a Christian, Liddell felt he would dishonor God by participating on that day.
Instead, Liddell trained for the 200- and 400-meter races. At the Games, he finished third in the 200-meter run and turned in a remarkable performance to win the 400 meters. Starting in the outside lane, Liddell sprinted out of the blocks and set such a blistering pace that two racers stumbled trying to keep up. He won the race in a record time of 47.6 seconds!
His powerful story is captured in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. Few of us hold the Sabbath in such regard today. Let’s take a deeper look at Sabbath rest.
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