What is Sabbath anyway and does it still apply to us? Sabbath simply means to STOP or cease from activity.
In my last post, Stretched Thin, I encouraged you to follow God’s example by building a Sabbath day into your weekly schedule. You can check out the whole series here
Honoring the Sabbath goes beyond just resting or ceasing from our labor. God also calls the Sabbath holy making the Sabbath not only practical, it’s spiritual!
And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. (Genesis 2:3 NLT)
When the Bible says God blessed the seventh day, it means He showered down abundance and fullness on it, filling it with strength. In other words, there is a blessing in honoring the Sabbath that comes directly from God! When Genesis says God “declared it holy” it means He devoted it to sacred purposes – the sacred purpose of resting, being refreshed, and honoring Him!
The Sabbath Is A Command
That’s not all. God takes it step further by making it a command.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8 ESV)
It is one of the Ten Commandments, and therefore on the same level as – do not lie, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not murder, etc. Before you get mad and stop reading, let me explain. Christians like to sometimes use the excuse that we are “free from the law” because we are “under grace.” I’m not debating that, but grace doesn’t free us from the moral law, rather it gives us a new heart and empowers us to fulfill the law. Jesus Himself said He didn’t come to abolish the law or the prophets. He came to fulfill the law (see Matthew 5:17).
If you are a follower of Jesus, you will agree that the greatest commandment or “law” is love, namely to love God and love your neighbor (see Mark 12:29-31). When we operate by the law of love we will fulfill all the moral law (the Ten Commandments). Love would not steal, kill, lie, or break any of the Ten Commandments because love lives for the good of God and others. The same way you seek to observe the other Ten Commandments (by grace through faith) you seek to observe the Sabbath day! It’s not a rigid obligation. Loving God and keeping His commands is not a burden – it’s a joy (see 1 John 5:3). If you have a hard time seeing it as a joy, dig deeper and allow God to speak to you about it.
The Sabbath Is A Gift
Jesus rescues the Sabbath from a rigid day of grudging obligations to a loving boundary meant to bring joy, health, and fulfillment to your life. He told us the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath (see Mark 2:27). The Pharisees were using the Sabbath to oppress and put people under a heavy yoke. They condemned Jesus and His disciples for “doing work” on the Sabbath (they were plucking heads of grain because they were hungry), but Jesus brings God’s true intention for the Sabbath back into focus.
The Sabbath is meant to be a gift to mankind rather than a crushing obligation.
It’s perfectly fine to take care of your basic needs, enjoy God, do good and have fun on the Sabbath. In fact, God created it for that purpose.
When Should I Sabbath?
As the New Testament Christian Church, we generally celebrate the Sabbath on the first day of the week rather than the last day of the week. There is some precedent for this in Scripture and with the early church, but either way, it doesn’t matter that much for us. What matters is the Sabbath is a day to rest, be refreshed, experience God’s blessing and set aside time to honor, worship and enjoy Him and one another. This would include a Sunday celebration service, serving in your church, and doing good on the Sabbath (feeding the poor, praying for healing, etc) as well as taking some time to just relax, be with family and enjoy the blessings God has given you.
If you are a pastor or on a church staff, Sunday is probably not a Sabbath. Not that Sundays aren’t enjoyable and life-giving; they certainly are or at least should be. Many times, it’s the highlight of my week, but it’s also hard work and can be exhausting. I start at 4:30 am, pick up the trailer for our portable church, help the set up team, preach, sometimes lead worship, pack everything up, drive the trailer back to its parking spot, and finally arrive home at about 2 or 2:30pm. My Sabbath day has changed over the years. For many years it was on Friday, but now, since my children are in school, I typically sabbath from 5pm on Friday night until 5pm on Saturday night.
Selah
This might sting a bit, but it needs to be said: not taking a Sabbath rest is prideful and arrogant and it will catch up to you. When we don’t take time to stop, refresh and honor God, it’s like saying, my work is more important than You, and what I have to do takes precedence over your command to rest.
So I ask you again, what day have you chosen for your Sabbath? What is on and off limits on that day? How will you honor God on that day? Let’s not let this rebellion go one day longer. If God Himself can rest, surely you can too!
