The Sabbath

Exodus 16:29

See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath …

The English word for Sabbath is the Hebrew word šabāṯ (שַׁבָּת). It means to stop, or pause. The Sabbath was originally instituted by God at the end of creation, early in the book of Genesis. God created the universe in six days and He rested on the seventh (Genesis 2:2). It all started with that.

God did not need rest. He rested as an example for us to follow. Exodus 16:29 above says that God gave us the Sabbath, not the other way around. The word Sabbath first appears in Exodus 16:23 as a command from God. It is so important that God made it the fourth of the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:8).

I heard a pastor in New Mexico years ago. He said that in his 20s, preparing for ministry, he lived in Israel for a while. He could remember working hard for six days and then getting a full day’s rest from work one day each week. He loved that model, because it also allowed for God’s intention of worship that day, which impacts us on the inside. It was so beneficial for him to be able to rest, away from his day job, for a full day. The true rest allowed him to go back to work after that, rested, recovered, and ready to get back to it. 

Most Americans today have made it a normality to work five days per week and then work another two days on what we call “the weekend.” Much of the time, people get themselves so fatigued on their days off that they are worn out by the time they go back to work. This should not be the case. God gave us the idea of the Sabbath rest because, in His wisdom, He knew we would need it. 

Don’t think it doesn’t take some growth and practice, though. It certainly does. It can be tough to get into that routine. I have struggled with it myself. We think about all the things we should get done and we just keep working. God knew how life would keep us busy, so He actually had to command rest. He did so we could pause and take time to worship Him and so we could rest. Both are monumentally important. 

Many people out there get it a little mixed up and make the Sabbath a burden, something God never intended it to be, adding rules and regulations to it, loving to point the finger. G. Campbell Morgan said: “Any application of the Sabbath Law which operates to the detriment of man is out of harmony with God’s purpose.” They did it back in Jesus’ day, too. We should realize that Jesus said: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Let’s not get it reversed. The passage makes the point that God made the Sabbath for our benefit. He did it for us. Our spiritual well being is more important than religious ritual.

Believe it or not, we can actually be more effective after a nice rest away from work than we can working constantly. Don’t force the day of rest. Enjoy the day of rest. God loves us. This is another way of Him showing it.

Mark 2:27

“The Sabbath was made for man, not made for the Sabbath.”