Sabbath Debate Notes

Sabbath Unites us With God

Genesis 2:2–3 ESV

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Wenham notes that by observing the Sabbath we imitate our creator. The Sabbath has far more significance than mere religious ritual.

Not a Burden

For our argument today we did not argue for a sundown to sundown Sabbath where no action could be done. We argued for a day of rest that is edifying to each individual believer and allows for them to worship as they see fit.

The Jewish hedging of the law made sabbath a burden but this is not how Sabbath was presented in the scriptures.

Sabbath in Creation

As I already noted sabbath is has its roots in creation, before the law, and unites us with God.

We see this in the reality that the two words are rooted in the same Hebrew concept.

The Sabbath is primarily about rest and worship.

That God blesses the day and makes it holy, and unusual act for a day, denotes the idea that those who practice it receive the blessing.

Sabbath Refocused not Abolished

Halakah “walking” a combination of the law of Moses and oral tradition.

Since Moses didn’t clarify everything they viewed their oral tradition as authoritative in its intent to understand the ;aw. This created undue burdens on the people.

Jesus in passages like Mark 2 is not abolishing the Sabbath. He is Lord in that he refocuses it to its purpose in creation. If Sabbath is abolished he can not be the Lord over it.

Jesus ceases authority and does not concede his law to the Pharisees.

In Acts and other passages like Col. 2 that remove the burden of the law, even the practice of festivals, we do not see Sabbath abolished. The Jerusalem council removes cleanliness laws and Paul removes the burden of Sabbath ritual. However, as with the rest of the Decalogue, the NT does not release us from obeying the commands of God.

In light of the Imago Dei and work of Jesus on the cross, a day of Sabbath will present in a Christian’s heart an attitude of worship and trust in their Lord and Savior as they seek rest in the manner that is fitting for them.