REMEMBERING OUR CREATOR AND RESTING IN GOD’S GRACE
“Six days shall work be done, but the Seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation.” (Lev. 23: 3)
In a world of unbelief and atheism, the Sabbath reminds us that God is our Creator and the Maker of the Heavens and earth. “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” (Genesis 2: 1-3) As the scriptures tell us, the Sabbath was instituted by God. It was God who blessed the seventh day, and it was God who made it holy. Interestingly, the Sabbath day was also Adam and Eve’s first full day of life.
Many years later, God incorporated the Sabbath into the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment did not establish the Sabbath as a new institution. On the contrary, it reminded Israel to observe the Sabbath day as an old institution which God had ordained from the beginning. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20: 8-11)
Speaking of Jesus, John tells us that “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1: 3) The Sabbath points to Jesus Christ. After all, God made all things through Him. He is the One who said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” He is the One who created Adam and Eve and breathed into them the breath of life. He is the One who blessed the Seventh Day and made it holy. Therefore, this day was originally ordained by Jesus Christ who made all things.
The Sabbath also teaches us about sanctification. “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.’” (Exodus 31: 13-14) This scripture tells us that the Sabbath was actually intended to remind the Israelites that it was God who sanctified them just as He sanctifies us! In other words, the Sabbath points to God’s grace which is freely given to all who believe in Jesus Christ. No wonder that the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people.
On the Sabbath day, we cease from our labors to spend time with God. In doing so, we learn another important lesson. Only God can give us true spiritual rest. “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4: 8-11)
The Sabbath was also celebrated by both Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament church. For example, when Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch of Pisidia, they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath and preached that Jesus was the Christ. When the Gentiles heard the message, they were overjoyed beyond words! So, what did they do? Notice what Luke tell us: “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.” (Acts 13: 42) This is an interesting verse. Apparently, it did not even occur to the Gentiles to ask Paul to speak on any other day than the Sabbath. So, how did Paul respond to their request? Did he tell them that the Sabbath was nailed to the cross? Did he tell them that it was done away with? What did he do? “Now, when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.” (Acts 13: 43-44) This scripture makes it clear that Paul went right back into the same synagogue on the next Sabbath and preached the same message. It is also obvious from these scriptures, and from many others, that no one even considered meeting on a different day.
The Sabbath day has existed from Creation, long before Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the Israelites, or the Old Covenant. And it exists today! The Sabbath was the day of worship for Jesus Christ, the apostles, and New Testament Church. It is truly the Lord’s Day of the bible! As Jesus said, “the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12: 8). Come and worship with us this Sabbath!
“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures. (Acts 17: 2)
Joe Weicks