There are a few topics that are historically prone to controversy in the church world. The “Sabbath” is one of them. If you don’t know what a Sabbath is…let’s start at the beginning, literally.
At Creation, God created the world in six days and then Genesis tells us that on the seventh day, he rested. This is where we get our word as the Hebrew word for “rest” is “Shabbat” = “Sabbath.” Here read for yourself: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” (Genesis 2:1–3 ESV). So we see right from the get go, a day set aside for rest and devotion.
When God gave the Moral Law to Moses, he included it in the Ten Commandments. We read in Exodus 20. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8–11 ESV)
Later on in Exodus, we see this is a sign of the covenant that God made with Israel, with serious consequences for not obeying it. “And the LORD said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death. Whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ (Exodus 31:12–17 ESV). Pretty serious stuff!
So, we see a few things from these passages already:
- God himself established a pattern of rest and devotion for one day, before he gave the Law.
- God included “The” Sabbath for Israel as part of the Moral Law.
- God included “The” Sabbath for Israel as part of the covenant he made with them as a nation, and as part of the Ceremonial Law of Israel.
OK, so my question still remains – what does a Christian do with the Sabbath? Since, particularly, Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. [See Matthew 5:17-20]. Also since, particularly, Gentile Christians were never under the old covenant that he made with Israel, we are under a new covenant with Jesus. And not to mention, the ceremonial law has been fulfilled perfectly, completely and once for all in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. It was a shadow of the new covenant in Jesus. [See Hebrews 8]
Scripture is even more clear in Colossians 2 that “The” Sabbath is part of the shadow of the old covenant that has passed away. “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16–17 ESV).
Do I need to repeat my own question? [Is this like arguing with yourself?]
Here’s what we see from all of this: The Christian is no longer under “The” Sabbath but rather we are to take advantage of the blessing of “A” regular Sabbath, usually on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Let me explain.
- “The” Sabbath for Israel in the Old Covenant is fulfilled in Christ and Christians are no longer under the law, but under grace. There is really no way we could keep “The” Sabbath, as we’d worship on Saturdays at the Temple, offer sacrifices and have a process in place to execute our brothers and sisters who didn’t honor it. Furthermore, Exodus made it clear it was a sign for Israel in the Old Covenant.
- However we should be keeping “A” Sabbath which maintains the principle and pattern laid down by God himself in a day set aside for rest and devotion to God.
- We also see the New Testament church meeting on “the first day of the week”, Sunday, to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus and so this is the organic transition of “The” Sabbath to “A” Sabbath.
OK, fine. So if you are still reading that means you are interested. What about some practical application here? Because part of the controversy is fueled by the extremes – either people who over-regulate a Sabbath or treat the Lord’s Day like any other day of the week. Three suggestions, that all begin with the letter P, cuz I’m a preacher you know.
- Plan
- Prepare
- Prioritize
First, plan. We all live busy lives, all of our calendars look like they can’t fit a single thing in anywhere [calendar Tetris, anyone?] and that includes Sundays. But when the option comes up to add something to our Sunday calendar…pause…think. Is this the best use of my Sunday? What if I planned a little better so that I could still worship and rest and still also have fun as well. What if we are going to be away and can’t get to church? Where will we worship? What if we just said that wonderful two-letter word “NO” and said we’d be at the birthday party AFTER church. Plan your Sundays.
Second, prepare. As Sunday draws near, particularly the day before on Saturday, be thinking about worshiping with the church on Sunday. Where is the Pastor preaching from? Maybe read and pray through the passage. Is there anything special going on like Communion or an evening Member Meeting? Take time to reflect. Here’s a practical thing: don’t overdo it on Saturday in eating/drinking or over exerting yourself in yard work. Get to bed early and wake up early and be refreshed and ready for church. Dads: this is a great chance for you to show spiritual leadership, especially if you have little ones!
Third, prioritize. As Sunday goes on, most of us don’t have every second of the day mapped out. [If you do…you know that isn’t going to work, right?] We will find some free some here and there and what will we do with it? Stare at our phones mindlessly scrolling the Gram? Attack the to do list of projects? In those moments, might I suggest you prioritize things that would lead to rest and spiritual edification. Take a nap to the glory of God. Take a walk with your spouse and your dog in the sun. Read a chapter of a book that stirs your affections for God. Review the sermon passage and any notes from the morning and talk about it over lunch. Things like that. Sure, there will be time for fun, but this day is special…maybe prioritize the special things first.
As one might expect a Sabbath points to our ultimate, and eternal Sabbath Rest that we will have with Jesus. Hebrews encourages us “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9–11 ESV)
Last but certainly not least, there are different Christians with different convictions about Sundays and “A” Sabbath…it’s not our job to change someone’s convictions. [See Romans 14]. But I will say this and revel my hand – us non-denominational folks can be way to casual about “A” Sabbath and we are seeing folks more in need of physical rest and spiritual depth and renewal more than ever. Why not take advantage of what God has graciously given us in A Sabbath?
