The goal of this article is to provide a concise explanation of the Sabbath for people who are new to it.
The Sabbath
Hebrew Word: Shabbat
Greek: Sabbata or Sabbaton
English: Sabbath
When does it occur? It is the seventh day of the week, which is from Friday sunset through Saturday sunset.
In the beginning, God made the Heavens and the Earth and everything within them, including mankind, in six days (Genesis chapter 1). On the seventh day, God set apart the Sabbath day by blessing it, making it holy, and resting (Genesis 2:1-3). Using today’s language, the Sabbath is Friday sunset through Saturday sunset. It is the only weekly feast.
The Sabbath is the first thing God made holy, it is the first of the Ten Commandments mentioned in the Bible, it is the first thing God blessed, and it is the only day of the week God rested upon. God is the first being to rest. He set an example for us (Lev. 19:2-3). By extension, we can also infer that Adam and Eve rested on the seventh day since they were with God.
God made humans in His image (Gen. 1:27-28). Since God rested on the seventh day, then all humans are designed and made by God to rest on the seventh day. In the Bible, the seventh day is never called the Jewish Sabbath or Israelite Sabbath. It is called the Sabbath of the Lord our God. It is His Sabbath. It is our weekly meeting with Him.
On the seventh day, we rest from our job (or jobs) and our routine household chores (Ex. 20:8-11). We take a break from our pursuits to delight in the Lord and His holy purpose for our lives and that of our families (Deut. 5:12-15, Isaiah 58:13-14). It is also a time to gather with other believers (Lev. 23:3, Luke 4:16).
God’s presence makes something holy (Ex. 3). God wove His presence into the seventh day for our benefit. Resting from our labors and personal pursuits sets aside distractions and helps us to position to receive from Him. There are many blessings that come from observing the Sabbath, such as being refreshed, blessed, and full of joy (Ex. 23:12, Isaiah 56:1-7). The Sabbath reminds us that we are set apart from the rest of the world (Ex. 31:13) and that we will feed on the inheritance and heritage of Jacob (Isaiah 58:14).
When Jesus ministered on earth, He observed the Sabbath (Luke 4:16). He corrected the man-made rules which yoked the people with heavy burdens and bondages. These rules often hindered the people from observing the Sabbath the way God intended for it to be observed. Both before and after the resurrection, the disciples of Jesus observed the Sabbath (see Luke 23:54-56, Acts 13:14, 27, 42, 44, Acts 15:21, Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4).
There is no evidence from the New Testament that the Sabbath was changed by Jesus or the early disciples. In fact, the New Testament upholds Sabbath observance. The Sabbath was observed by most Christians for hundreds of years after Jesus.
The weekly Sabbath teaches us many lessons, among which is that we are saved by grace. Before we come to know Jesus, we all try to earn our salvation. We are saved when we repent and accept the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin; this means we decide to stop working to earn God’s forgiveness. We put our trust in the Lord. In the same way, we work six days and rest on the seventh day. The Sabbath reminds us of God’s grace.
The weekly Sabbath is also the template for observing the Annual Sabbaths!
Bible Verses
Tanakh References (86 total verses): Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 16:1-30, 20:8-11, 23:12, 31:13-17, 34:21, 35:2-3, Lev. 19:2-3, 30, 23:3, 23:11, 15-16, 23:38, 24:8, 26:2, Num. 15:32, 28:9-10, Deut. 5:12-15, 2 Kings 4:23, 11:5-9, 16:18, I Chron. 9:32, 23:4-8,31, 2 Chronicles 2:4, 8:13, 31:3, Nehemiah 9:14, 10:31-33, 13:15-22, Psalm 92:1, Isaiah 56:1-7, 58:13-14, Jer. 17:19-27, Lam. 1:7, 2:6, Ez. 20:12-24, 22:8, 22:26, 23:38, 44:24, 45:17, 46:1-12, Amos 8:5.
New Testament References: Matt. 12:1-12, Matt. 24:20, Matthew 28:1, Mark 1:21, Mark 2:23-28, Mark 3:1-4, Mark 6:2, Mark 16:1, Luke 4:16, 31, 40, Luke 6:1-9, Luke 13:10-16, Luke 14:1-5, Luke 23:54-56, John 5:9-10,16-18, John 7:22-23, John 9:14-16, Acts 1:12, Acts 13:14, 27, 42, 44, Acts 15:21, Acts 16:13, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4, Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 4:4, 9-11