Focus: The Sabbath

Text: Ex.20:8

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

The sabbath day is a special day. It's a day set apart by God of all the days of the week. The sabbath is observed on the seventh day of the week. The week is incomplete without the seventh day. Take the day of rest out, then the six days of work will leave a sour taste in our mouths.

Of all the week days, only the seventh day was blessed and made holy by God. It was from the place of rest that God moved into the arena of labor, created the universe in six days, and then returned to rest on the seventh day.

Man started his own life from the place of rest, not from work. He had to enjoy God's work first, reflected on it all day long, and then did his own work later. Simply put, he meditated on creation and then imitated the God of creation.

The sabbath is so central and vital to the divine economy that whoever violated it was killed. Just imagine death penalty for breaking the sabbath law! Also, whoever kept the sabbath was declared blessed. Isaiah says, "Blessed is the man…that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it" (Isa.56:2). He also says, "I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth" (Isa.58:13,14). The sabbath is highly esteemed by God, and worth practicing by His people.

God links the sabbath to different things, but let me share three aspects with you.

1. It's connected to creation - Ex.20:11.

God rested after the six-day work. To practice the creation sabbath means to ponder on God's creative power, enjoy His infinite goodness, and worship before His glorious throne.

2. It's connected to the covenant - Ex.31:13,16.

Just like circumcision was a sign of the covenant, so is the sabbath. As the covenant people of God, the sabbath is an integral part of our covenant life. In it we practice the presence and experience the power of our covenant God.

3. It's connected to our redemption - Dt.5:15.

The sabbath, as a gift from God to us, is for the celebration of our redemption from bondage. God says, "And remember that thou wast a SERVANT in the land of Egypt…therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day."

The sabbath is a celebration of our freedom from slavery and liberation from taskmasters. Sabbath is a time to reflect on social justice and a time to make amends or right the wrongs. It is time to stand in the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free, and not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

In Christ, God provides us with 'exodus from tension.' In Christ we are forever set free. In Christ our souls have found rest, and we enjoy His gift of rest. God says it's a "sabbath of rest unto you." We are resting in the Lord our God.

God perfectly made the sabbath for us, and Christ is the Lord of the sabbath day.

There's an eschatological day of rest waiting for us. John writes, "That they may rest from their labours" (Rev.14:13). In Hebrews we read: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (Heb.4:9).

It's a time when we bear no burden. It's a time when we live free of stress and unfettered by stuff.

Beware of unbelief; it ruins our holy sabbath (Heb.4:11). It's the sabbath or rest of faith.

Keep the sabbath; it's for your own good. Sabbath keeps us more than we are willing to keep it, for in it we recover our vitality and regain our mental edge. We find our identity and refocus on our destiny. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter