“You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary…” – Leviticus 19:30
The Hebrew word used for ‘reverence’ is ‘yara’ which literally means fear. This Hebrew word can refer to respect or reverence as two healthy forms of fear. God commanded the people of Israel to observe Sabbath in a respectful way. In essence, God instructed the people of Israel to take rest from all their secular work and to turn their attention towards God with reverential fear.
As New Testament believers, we gather together on the Lord’s day to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! While Sabbath relates to law, the Lord’s day relates to grace. How is our attitude towards God and His presence, when we gather virtually or in-person? God expects us to come into His presence with reverential fear, focusing our attention on Him and to have an attitude of gratitude!