The Ten Commandments

The 4th Commandment

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

Oh boy, this one gets a bit crazy, depending on to whom you’re talking about it. For Seventh Day Adventists, this is their thing. But they aren’t the only ones. 

This time I’m not going to quote the Hebrew Interlinear; it’s too big and not really worth it. If you want to see it though, here you go.

Why don’t we start by reading what Paul wrote about this:

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 

Colossians 2:16-17, NLT

And Jesus said this:

…“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Mark 2:27, NLT

Perhaps it would be best to consider what the purpose of the Sabbath is. To do this, let’s go back to the beginning – the place where the Sabbath was first introduced.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. 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 2:1-3, NLT

When God introduced this idea, He seems to have instituted a day of rest in every 7 days (work 6; rest 1). And this is the way it’s been for God’s people ever since God made it official with the Jews. In Exodus 16, He told them this:

[Moses] told [the Jews], “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much [manna] as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.”

Exodus 16:23, NLT

So another reason for this day of rest is to set it apart “for the Lord”. I take this to mean that it should be a day of prayer, Bible study, fellowship with others, and generally being thankful for the blessings that God has given us. 

All in all, I can see why Jesus said that the Sabbath is for man, not the other way around. It is a way for us to have an official day off and work on our relationship with our Creator (and each other). This is a good thing. It helps us in both our physical and spiritual wellbeing. But, of course, people have a way of taking anything and turning it into something else. Especially when religion is concerned. By the time of Jesus, the Jews had turned the Sabbath into a ridiculous set of rules that went far beyond what God had intended. 

But for us who are not bound by the Law of Moses, things seem to be a bit different than they were for the Jews back in the days before Christ. As I scan the New Testament for instruction on this, I don’t see any reaffirmation that the Sabbath is to still be kept. Instead, what I see is that Jesus is now our rest.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30, NLT

I also see that we are no longer living under the Law of Moses.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:14, NLT

With all of that said, we should still keep the spirit of the Sabbath and give ourselves a day off each week and improve our relationships with each other and with our Creator. 

That’s about all I have to say about that.

Be blessed. Take a break. Listen to God. Give time to each other.

Gary

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