THR3E WAYS TO THINK ABOUT THE SE7ENTH DAY

"Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. "'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you.’” Exodus 31:13-14

To be holy is to be set apart for God. To observe the Sabbath was an action intended to signify that the whole of life is aligned with our Creator and given over to God for His purposes. To obey this command was to show to others to whom you belonged. The Sabbath rest was a sign that a community was in a covenant relationship or pact with the God of Israel.

Q. Can the Sabbath rest have significance in distinguishing us as the people of God today?

1. Follow the principle of freedom.

The Gospels tell us that Jesus of Nazareth observed the Jewish Sabbath as his custom. And this makes sense since he was born into a religious Hebrew family under the laws and regulations of the day. Matthew’s Gospel in chapter 12, verses 7-8, however, shows that Jesus took a different approach to the Sabbath than his peers. Jesus was quite scathing of the teachers of the religious laws of 1st Century Galilee and Judea. Several incidents make it clear that the religious leaders had made Sabbath a burdensome affair for many (e.g. Luke 11:46). There was little room for meaningful and thankful worship of God. Jesus scolded them, saying:
If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

In these words and other examples in the New Testament, Jesus himself claimed to be the fulfilment of all the laws and commands given to Moses. In regard to the Sabbath- he chose to do what was most important on any given day. He claimed to be the Lord, the master, and the owner of the Sabbath itself. Jesus claims that the Sabbath rest day was made for HIM!!

Jesus’ attitude to the Sabbath has many implications for Christians.
The purpose of the Sabbath has found its true end and goal when a person worships and follows Jesus Christ.
Like Jesus, we are free to choose when to work, when to rest and how to make all aspects of our life worshipful.
For Jesus, rules are not more important than people.
For Jesus, worship is firstly a matter of the heart and attitude, not just an outward observance.

For Christians, the Sabbath reminds us that we are called to a lifestyle that demonstrates a real and living relationship, not mere obedience to rules. This is what God wants from the Sabbath as with all his other commandments. Mark's Gospel quotes Jesus as saying:
The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27)

Ask these questions of yourself:
Q. How are my diary decisions helping or hindering this relationship with God through Jesus Christ?
Q. Do I come to Christian gatherings or engage in Christian ministries out of obligation or because I am free to choose how to use my time?

2. Consider Sabbath as a way of life, not a day in life.

The seventh day in the Old Testament times was what we call Saturday! No-where in the Scriptures is Sunday referred to as the Sabbath day per se, however the shift away from Saturday to Sunday has several points of significance:
Sunday meetings gave Jewish converts in the 1st Century AD a clean break from their previous burdensome religious observances and a distinctive identity in a new community; Jesus is said to have risen from the dead on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1). Many New Testament churches appear to have met for worship on Sundays (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2), perhaps to emphasise the centrality of the resurrection to their celebrations. The book of Revelation chapter 1 verse 10 even calls Sunday “The Lord’s Day”.

In early Christian history the great Emperor Constantine called it "the venerable day of the Sun" when he legislated the first day of the week as the Lord's Day for the Roman Empire.

What a great way to take the true significance of the Sabbath and the fulfilment Jesus brings to it, by celebrating the great new exodus of the cross on the resurrection day! But we must ask: “Is a Christian response to the commandment just a matter of making Sunday our Sabbath?”

Eric Liddell is famously known as the Olympian who refused to run in the 100 yard sprint at the Paris Olympics in 1924. The event was scheduled for a Sunday and on the principle of his faith he chose to observe the Sabbath rest despite public uproar and distress. His story was depicted in the film “Chariots of Fire”.

Liddell’s ancestors obviously thought held to a legalistic practice of a Sunday Sabbath, albeit for sincere reasons. The Great Westminster Divines' meeting and Assembly in the 17th Century stated it plainly:
…that there be a holy cessation or resting all that day from all unnecessary labors; and an abstaining, not only from all sports or pastimes, but also from all worldly words and thoughts… What time is vacant, between or after the solemn meetings of the congregation in public, (should) be spent in reading, meditation, repetition of sermons; especially by calling their families to an account of what they have heard, catechizing of them, holy conferences, prayer for a blessing upon the public ordinances, singing of psalms, visiting the sick, relieving the poor and such like duties of piety, charity and mercy accounting the Sabbath a delight.”

As sincere and honorable as this teaching may have been, shifting the Sabbath from a Saturday law to a Sunday law doesn’t seem to fully realize the controversy Jesus caused in the accounts of the New Testament. Ironically and sadly, many a devoted Sunday Sabbath-keeper might manage to exclude a living celebration of God from the other 6 days of the week while emphasizing the one! Besides, we are now live in different times; 21st Century people are rarely owners of their own time. Other people have significant control of our time. Should we impose a rigorous burden on people again?

The Old Testament teaching about the Sabbath is relevant today because it points to principles of a Sabbath way of life, not just a Sabbath day in life. A brief Bible survey shows that the Sabbath was to be a means:
v. of acknowledging and displaying God’s primary place in our lives (Exodus 31:13,14)
v. of expressing joy and delight and singing songs of thanksgiving to God (Ps. 92; Is. 58:13)
v. of learning from the scriptures and praising God (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 14:29; 33:10)
v. of showing dependence on God (Ex 16 - the Manna and the Sabbath)
v. of remembering God's abundant blessings (Showbread renewed - Lev. 24:8)
v. of remembering and giving thanks for the salvation God has won for his people (Deut. 5:15)

Taking the commandment seriously today will mean seeking to incorporate Sabbath principles into the rhythm of our lives. How are you incorporating these principles into your worship of God?

The letter to the Hebrews describes the return of Christ as the true Sabbath rest to yet to come (Heb. 4:9). The writer implies that our work in the world is supposed to contribute to the spreading of the gospel until Christ’s promised return. The time for resting from evangelism and works of mercy will not come until God makes it clear to everyone that a new heaven and new earth is at hand.

3. Rest, replenish, and nourish your life.

Q. Do you live to work, or work to live?

The creation story of Genesis is the basis for setting the 7th day aside. Genesis 2:1-3 tells us:
1. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

According to the story of creation in the book of Genesis, Human beings do not primarily exist for work; we are created for God.

Organising your life into a balance of work, ministry, rest, & reflection upon God makes good sense and offers a significant relevance to the rat-race of today’s society.

Human beings need time out to understand ourselves and God. Not only do we need to rest from work to replenish our physical needs, it makes good sense to replenish our emotional and spiritual needs.

God's example in the creation story is not a picture of someone falling in an exhausted heap for one day after a week at work, but a day which is set apart for re-creation and enjoyment the world and of life.

Consider these four questions:
1. Do work-related considerations drive the majority of my decisions?
2. Do I require those around me to be governed by the demands of my work?
3. Is my self-worth rooted in my work? (or lack of work?)
4. Am I able to see where my work gives honor to God?

Our challenge is to plan ahead so that rest, replenishment, and re-equipping are in balance so we may serve God well. The 7th day of rest was commanded to help people put God first so that God can permeate and prevail over each day of the week.

Many Christians view the following elements of their week as “Sabbath lifestyle” activities:
1. Sunday worship services (praising, learning, fellowship, prayer, remembrance)
2. Mid-week church services
3. Small Groups
4. Retreats
5. Breaks in the day
6. Morning or evening devotions and prayers

List here those things you intend to plan into your weekly activities as signs that the Sabbath is important to you.

Going Further

Look up these passages of Scripture to broaden your appreciation of the principle of sabbath rest:
v. To depend on God (Ex 16 - the Manna)
v. To replenish (Lev. 25- Sabbath rest for land)
v. To show trust in God (Deut 5- a sign to others)
v. A sign of the covenant (Ex 31- show your love)
v. Mercy, not ceremony (Hos. 6:6)
v. Entering rest of Jesus (Heb. 4- the ultimate rest)
v. Following God's example (Gen 1- the model of recreation)
v. Being thankful for Exodus (Deut 5; Ex. 16- and foreshadowing the new exodus)
v. A time of joy and delight (Ps. 92;Is. 58:13; Hos. 2:11; Num. 28:9- music and mercy)
v. Rest from work (Ex. 23:21; Num 15:32)
v. Reminder of God's abundant blessing (Showbread renewed - Lev. 24:8)
v. For instruction and praise (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 14:29;33:10)
v. Made for humans (Mk. 2:23- not for avoidance of mercy)