God’s commandment on observing the Sabbath
We read in Exodus 20:8–10,"Observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. You have six days in which to do your work, but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work..”(GNB)
One of the Ten Commandments from the Lord as mentioned in Exodus 20:8, was that we should observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy. The Sabbath is a day of rest, dedicated to the Lord alone. One can engage in all sorts of work for six days in a week, but on the seventh day everyone is commanded to rest, and consecrate that day to the Lord.
There is much misunderstanding about this particular commandment on observing the Sabbath, but we will study this in the light of God’s word, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to understand, and get clarity as to what this means to us today.
The blessings of observing the Sabbath
We read in Isaiah 58:13-14, The LORD says, "If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, then you will find the joy that comes from serving me.... (GNB)
The above mentioned verse is specific that on six days we can pursue anything we desire to, but the seventh day is God’s day, and it belongs to Him. Isaiah, prophesying on the Lord’s behalf, goes on to explain that there were certain things that should not be done on the Sabbath day. On the Sabbath day, we do not chase after our own interest, our personal work or engage in idle talk, but rather remember, and treat the day as holy, thereby honoring God on that day.
There are three things that Lord says this day should be observed as; a day of rejoicing, a day of glory and one that is holy to the Lord. Therefore, we are expected to give the honor and glory to God, and when we do so the Lord will be pleased with us.
Many people are confused as to which day of the week should be observed as the Sabbath, should it be the first day of the week or the seventh day. In order to understand this it is always good to go back to the very beginning and delve a little deeper into the creation account. The first day of creation God created light and on the sixth day, the culmination of God’s creation was Adam, who was made in the image and likeness of God.
For Adam, his first day was pronounced by God as a day of rest. From God’s perspective it was the seventh day that God declared to be His Sabbath, when God rested from all that He made.
We don’t need to get caught up in the debate as to which day of the week it is, but simply understand that God’s command was that we work for six days, but observe the Sabbath day on the seventh. This principle is at work in any secular firm or organization too, where the employees are expected to work for six days, and are given off on the seventh day. If an employee is not given the one day off during the week, then he ceases to be an employee and becomes a slave or a bonded laborer instead. This principle applies even for those who run their own business. It is in their hands to take one day off during the week, and if they fail to do so for whatever reason, they are enslaving themselves to their business.
The Jewish misunderstanding about the Sabbath
While God gave us the Sabbath as a day to worship Him, honor Him and meditate on His word, over the years, many have made this into a ritual or tradition. The Jews for instance, were so bogged down by the rules and regulations of observing the Sabbath that one of the main accusations that they made against Jesus over and over again, was that He performed miraculous works on the Sabbath. When the laws of God become a ritual, we will certainly lose out on the purpose as to why it was given in the first place.
We read in John 5:16, “and because of this were the Jews persecuting Jesus, and seeking to kill him, because these things he was doing on a Sabbath” (YLT)
Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day, which upset the Jews so much, that they persecuted Jesus, and were looking for ways to kill Him. The Jews were so caught up in the rituals of the law, that they forgot the meaning and purpose of these laws, and were unable to accept Jesus as the messiah. By misunderstanding the commandments of God, they thought that they were zealous for God, and did not realize that they were in reality displeasing Him.
Many people are entangled with rituals, and are blindly led to follow man made traditions, without even comprehending the reason as to why they do what they do. If we do not understand the core of why the laws of God were given to us, and follow them, we are in danger of being followers of a religion and not of a living God.
A Sabbath healing
We read in John 5:5, “Now a certain man had been an invalid there for thirty-eight years.” (TLV)
In John 5:8, “Jesus said to him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” (GNB)
We read in John 5:9-10, “And the man became well straight away, and took up his bed and went. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been made well, It is the Sabbath; and it is against the law for you to take up your bed.” (BBE)
In John 5:11, “He said to them, But he who made me well, said to me, Take up your bed and go.” (BBE)
Here was a man who had an infirmity for 38 years, lying by the pool at Bethesda. In John 5:8 Jesus saw the man, and commanded him to get up, take up his mat and walk. The healing was done on the Sabbath day, but Jesus particularly commanded the man to take up his mat, which was considered a forbidden act by the Jewish leaders. As the man walked around with his mat, it might have aroused the curiosity of many who were bound by the rituals of the Sabbath, who would have certainly frowned on him.
However, the man by obeying Jesus’ command to walk around with his mat, made it clear to everyone, that what their laws and rituals could not do, Jesus did by raising him up from his deplorable condition, that kept him tied down for thirty eight long years. It was the Lord Jesus alone, not traditions or religion that could transform the life of that man.
The Jews who saw this man who was healed did not rejoice with him that his condition had changed so dramatically after thirty eight long years of misery, but rather they were so stuck up with their traditions, that they found fault with him for carrying his mat with him, and accused him of breaking the Sabbath law. Their traditions had so blinded them, that they were unable to empathize with the man, nor did they seek after Jesus who performed the awesome miracle to comprehend who He really was.
When the Jews questioned him as to why he carried his mat, the man who was healed was categorical in his answer. In John 5:11 he said to them, “But he who made me well, said to me, Take up your bed and go.” In other words, he made it clear to them that, he chose to obey the one who changed his condition instantly, rather than be in bondage to traditions of men that did nothing for him for thirty eight long years.
If we become fanatical about our traditions, we will definitely miss out on the humaneness that God has placed inside of us.
The Bible (Old and New Testament) reveals the same God, who is a God of grace, but also a God of judgement. It would be unwise for one to believe that because we are believers of the new covenant that we are freed from any of the laws of God. God as revealed through Jesus is a God of grace but we must remind ourselves that He is also a God of justice and judgement. The characteristics of God never change. The blessings for those of us who are believers of the new covenant through Jesus Christ, is that there is forgiveness of sins if we truly repent and change because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross. However, if we harden our hearts, we are in danger of God’s divine judgement because our God is a holy God.
There are some who are so caught up with the day, that they insist that Saturday is the Sabbath, and therefore condemn those who gather together on Sundays. These people are like the Jews in Jesus’ day who lost the very essence of God’s commandments. Irrespective of which day it is, the point is that the Lord commands us to set aside that one day, when we give Him the honor and preeminence.
The reason for the Sabbath
We read in Mark 2:27, And He said to them, "The Sabbath came into being for the sake of man, and not man for the sake of the Sabbath.” (EMTV)
Jesus was explicit that the Sabbath was made for the sake of man, and that man was not made for the Sabbath. This means that six days are meant for us, but the Sabbath is the day when the Lord should be honored. If we get involved in all other activities on the Sabbath, then in a way we also steal from the Lord, and from the time we can give to Him.
For those who often say that they are busy and have no time to do anything, it would be beneficial for them to try this out. Work for six days and do all the personal work you want to, but dedicate that one day for the Lord and decide to honor Him, and you will be confounded to see how you will have more than enough time to spare through the week.
What should we do on the Sabbath?
1. A day of rest to reflect on God and meditate on His works
When God gave this commandment we read in Exodus 20:11, “In six days the LORD made heaven, earth, and the sea, along with everything in them. He didn't work on the seventh day. That's why the LORD blessed the day he stopped his work and set this day apart as holy.” (GW)
God created the heavens and the earth with all that is in it in six days. On the seventh day the Lord rested from all His works. If we think about it, God does not need rest, but the fact was that it was the day when he rested (completed) all His works, and God sanctified the seventh day and made it holy. It is a day to recall and ponder on all the mighty wonders of God, and reminisce with gratitude all the good things God has done in our lives.
Our lives have become so hectic, that often even seven days do not seem sufficient. But the Lord has commanded us to observe the Sabbath, and when we do so in obedience to His command by spending time with God, in fellowship with others and with His word, we will experience unimaginable blessings that we failed to receive when we labored and toiled for all seven days.
2. A day to remember our redemption
We read in Deuteronomy 5:15, “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God used his mighty hand and powerful arm to bring you out of there. This is why the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the day of worship.” (GW)
The Sabbath day reminded the people of Israel that they were once in bondage to the Egyptians, but it was God who delivered them. As long as they were in slavery, the Israelites had no day of rest. God broke that bondage, because He did not desire that His people be enslaved by working on all seven days. Though they labored so hard, they were unable to enjoy the fruit of their hard labor. The Sabbath day was therefore a day of jubilation, a reminder to them that they were set free, and the Lord commanded that they observe the Sabbath as a day of worship unto the Lord.
God delivered the people of Israel with His mighty and powerful (outstretched) hand, which was a fore shadow of the redemptive act of Jesus on the cross. Our hearts must be filled with gratitude to the Lord for saving us from our sins and redeeming us with His precious blood. In the New Testament, when Jesus rose from the dead, it was the first day of the week. The Sabbath is not a tradition, but a commandment of the Lord to honor the Lord. It is a day to reminisce with a deep sense of gratefulness, all that Jesus did for our salvation and freedom from sin.
Jesus healed on the Sabbath
There are seven miracles of healing recorded in the Gospels that Jesus performed on the Sabbath. These are recorded in Mark 1:21-28, Mark 1:29-31, Mark 3:1-6, Luke 13:10-17, Luke 14:1-6, John 5:1-18, John 9:1-16. By so doing, Jesus had to reiterate to the Jews the true purpose and meaning of the Sabbath which they had completely missed out.
As Jesus cried out on the cross saying ‘it is finished’, the veil of the temple tore in two from top to bottom to indicate that all their efforts with all their sacrifices could not give them the rest from all their labors, but only the finished work of Jesus on the cross could attain it for them.
We conclude with this incredible verse in Matthew 11:28, where Jesus said "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (GNB)
Jesus came down to earth to offer Himself up as that one and only supreme sacrifice, so that there is no need for any more sacrifices. Jesus came to grant us that rest which we desire to have, which He alone can give. Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but he came to explain the law, and help us find joy and fulfilment in obedience to the law. If we decide to observe the day of rest (Sabbath) as commanded by the Lord, and set aside all of our personal works to spend time with God and His word, we will be abundantly blessed, and will find a lot more time to accomplish all that we yearn to do.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
