Remember the Sabbath - Resting in, Trusting, and Worshipping the LORD

Introduction

Eat, work, some play, and sleep. Is that all there is to life? Of course not. There is also struggle, joy, heartache, pain, fear, laughter, aging, taxes, and certainly death. These things come to / are experienced by a great many of us, in varying degrees and various times. Still, are we nothing more than highly advanced and programmed androids who merely go about our routines? Is all this, even if we experienced only the good, the total of our purpose. I submit to you the answer is no. We must work, but we were not made solely for work. We have to eat, yet that is not our end goal. It’s wonderful to enjoy life, yet nothing in this world satisfies completely. We must suffer pain, yet this was not how things were in the beginning. What then is the end of the things? What is to be our aim? How are we to endure the worst life can bring? We rest, trust, and worship the LORD. We remember the sabbath.

Background

The Sabbath command was unique to Israel. While other statutes of the covenant are seem in other ANE law codes, the sabbath is in a class of it own. According the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: “The hallowing of the seventh day—even the use of a seven-day week—was unique in Israel within the broader ancient Near Eastern world. Calendars and most measurements of time were based on the lunar or the solar cycle; the seven-day week is based on neither. Still, a period of seven days seems to have had special significance.”[1] What is the reason for this? Why was a day of rest so important that the God of heaven commanded it for Israel? What does the believer today do with the sabbath?

Exposition

Sabbath in the OT

This is not the first time we have seen the sabbath or been given the command to rest. It first came during the provision of Manna back in Exodus 16:22-30. Remember that the LORD commanded the people to collect the manna for six days. Each day they were to collect for only that day except day six when they would gather two days worth. We discussed at that time the need for Israel to trust their savior. They needed to trust in His love, care and ability to provide for them. Yet as we discussed back then, the sabbath goes back further than that. The ideas of sabbath goes back to creation. The LORD God of Israel, our God rested from His labor. He rested from His work. Genesis 2:3 tell us God blessed and sanctified the seventh day and then rested. He set apart the seventh day for His creation to worship and adore Him. It is not to be like any other day. This was done before there was any promise was made to man or any law given. It is therefore something we must consider and pay attention to. We must time set apart to give to the LORD our undivided attention, acknowledging His glory, and trusting that the universe will keep operating even with our temporary rest.

The sabbath rest requirement applied to all persons and animals as it was to the benefit of all. The obvious question is what is provided? We are not immediately given a list of banned activities. Rather there are delineated over time. Prohibited activities include: leaving one’s place on the sabbath (Num. 16:29), kindling a fire (Ex. 35:3), gathering wood (Num 15:32-36), engaging in business (Neh. 13:15-18), carrying burdens (for the purpose of sale), treading the winepress, and loading asses (Amos 8:5 and Neh. 13:15-18).”[2][3] Not all work is prohibited on the sabbath. Basic necessities such as food preparation, feeding and watering animals, and what was required to make it through the day was allowed.[4] Israel’s sabbath was a very serious thing. The penalty for violating the sabbath was death (Ex 31:14-15) and this was actually carried out (Num 15:30-36). We get some additional insight from Deut 5:12 - 15.

That sabbath instruction is given to the generation that grew up in the wilderness. The emphasis there is on what the LORD did for their fathers and them. He brought them out of Egypt and cruel slavery. They were about to go into the land the LORD promised, where they would find rest and enjoy the presence of the LORD. Putting these two together, the goal of sabbath is acknowledgement, celebration, and worship of the one true God. We give glory for who He, what He did in creation, His incredible salvation, and His gracious blessing to His people. Let us go into the NT.

Sabbath in the NT

By the time we get into the NT, the sabbath was become much more complex. Rules and regulations are added during the intertestamental period that move the sabbath away from its intended purpose. According the Lexham Bible Dictionary: “walking farther than 1000 cubits, drinking outside the camp, drawing water into any vessel, wearing perfume, opening a sealed vessel, assisting an animal to give birth or helping an animal out of a pit, having sexual relations”.[5] Christ challenges this in Lk 14:5 and tells us in Mark 2:27 that sabbath is for the man and not the other way around. This positive principal is found in Exodus 23:12. The sabbath is a gift for redemption, restoration, and refreshing.

The Sabbath for Believers Today

Does the Sabbath requirement apply to believers today? No and Yes. The answer is no in regards to the specific commands to natural Israel as expressed in the Sinai covenant. The Sinai Covenant was pointing to and fulfilled in Christ. In terms of the underlying meaning of the Sabbath, what it was trying to teach, this answer is Yes. We will describe this terms of three aspects: rest, trust, and worship.

Rest - The LORD God Himself ceased from His creative activity on the seventh day. He didn’t do so because of fatigue but to glory in His creation. He rested to draw focus on His work of creation. He declared it very good (Gen. 1:31). We rest on the seventh day because God rested. We do get tired. We can’t go on forever. We weren’t designed to toil and labor without end. We need that day to rest, refresh and reflect. We are to rest and encourage our brothers and sisters to rest. This also helps remember the greater rest. We will return to that shortly.

Trust - It would be a incredible thing for an agrarian society to give up on a whole day. Planting, harvesting, and tiling the ground is time consuming but necessary. Would giving up a day allow for our needs to be meet? Yahweh says yes. John Piper describes the LORD as putting it this way: Observing to sabbath helps us to “Let my highest creature, the one in my image, stop every seven days and commemorate with me the fact that I am the creator who has done all this. Let him stop working and focus on me, that I am the source of all that he has.”[6]

Remember and Worship - The greatest thing we can do on the sabbath is worship the LORD and dedicate the day to him, remembering who he is, who we are, and what we have done. To cite John Piper again: “Attention is to be directed to God in a way that is more concentrated and steady than on ordinary days. Keep the day holy by keeping the focus on the holy God.... So the focus of the sabbath is on God not only as the source of creation, but also as the source of salvation.”[7] Following Isaiah we are set aside our own pleasures, and those of this word, to take delight in the LORD (Is 58:13-14).

Practical Application

To be added

Gospel Application

I mentioned remembering the sabbath by resting. I spoke of physical rest but there is a greater rest. I speak of the rest from the struggle against sin. I speak of the rest from the effects of sin. I speak of the rest from enmity with God, trying to achieve self worth through our own efforts, and salvation via our own means. It means rest from legalism by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ and obeying him. It is a freeing rest takes relies on his grace, mercy, forgiveness, and strength (Matt 11:28-30). There is no other rest like this. No other rest that can give peace with God. There is only one way to get this rest: repent and believe the gospel. Acknowledge your sin and guilt before God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, perfect life, atoning death, miraculous resurrection, and glorious ascension. Confess him as savior and Lord, placing your trust in him alone and you shall be saved. Don’t delay. Repent and believe the gospel today.

Bibliography

2. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ex 20:10). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

3. Sarna, N. M. (1991). Exodus (p. 112). Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.

4. Stuart, D. K. (2006). Exodus (Vol. 2, p. 459). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

5. Babcock, B. C. (2016). Sabbath. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

6. Piper, J. (2007). Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

7. ibid.