Sunday: Origins
How often we hear the phrase, the “old Jewish Sabbath.” Yet Scripture is clear that the Sabbath existed long before there were any Jewish people. Its origin is found in the Creation week itself.
Look up Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:11. Where do they clearly, and unambiguously, place the origin of the Sabbath?
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Although Genesis 2:2-3 does not identify the “seventh day” as the Sabbath (this identification comes first in Exodus 16:26, Exodus 16:29), it is clearly suggested in the phrase “he rested on the seventh day” (Genesis 2:2). The word rested (Hebrew, shabat) is related to the noun Sabbath (Hebrew, shabbat). “The word ‘sabbath’ is not employed [in Genesis 2:2-3], but it is certain that the author meant to assert that God blessed and hallowed the seventh day as the Sabbath.” — G. F. Waterman, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1975), vol. 5, p. 183. Evidently, Genesis 2:2-3 teaches the divine origin and institution of the Sabbath as a day of blessing for all humanity.
Read Mark 2:27. Jesus says that Sabbath was made for, literally, “man,” meaning humanity as a whole, as opposed to the Jews alone. Why would God Himself rest on the seventh day? Did He need it? What other purpose might His resting have served?
Although some commentators have suggested that God needed physical rest after Creation, the true purpose for God’s resting was to provide a divine Example for humanity. Humankind also is to work for six days and then to rest on the seventh-day Sabbath. Theologian Karl Barth suggested that God’s resting at the end of Creation was a part of the “covenant of grace,” in which humankind was invited “to rest with Him … to participate in [God’s] rest.” — Church Dogmatics, vol. 3, part 1 (Edinburgh, Scotland: T&T Clark Ltd., 1958), p. 98.
God in His love called the man and the woman on the day after their creation to fellowship in rest, to establish intimate communion with Him, in whose image they had been made. That fellowship and communion was to last forever. Since the fall of humankind, it has offered a weekly high point of one’s life with the Savior.
| If someone were to ask you, How has keeping the Sabbath benefited your relationship with the Lord, how would you respond? |
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We believe that the origin of the Sabbath was at the Biblical creation. I do not want to challenge that, but it would do us a service if we were to read some of the literature and be aware that there are others who would challenge that idea.
The main challenge is that the seven-day week was essentially a Babylonian idea that was adopted by the Jews during their captivity there. The Babylonians followed a lunar calendar and the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of the month were regarded as holy days. They were also known as evil days, so work was prohibited lest evil should befall you. They corresponded closely to the lunar quarters.
Niels-Erik Andreasen (Seventh-day Adventist Scholar, Jeffrey H. Tigay (Jewish Rabbinical Scholar), and others point to the Torah references to the week and Sabbath, showing that the Jewish concept of the Sabbath predated the Babylonian weekly rest and was not based on the lunar calendar. Of course, not everyone agrees with Andreasen and Tigay, and a discussion of the challenges is beyond the scope of a morning comment. But, I want readers to be aware of both alternative theories and the fact that there are scholarly studies that support our view that the origin of the Sabbath is much older than the Babylonian captivity.
Andreasen, Niels-Erik A. (1972). The Old Testament Sabbath: A Tradition-historical Investigation. Society of Biblical Literature. ISBN 9780891306832.
Tigay, Jeffery H. (1998). "Shavua". Mo'adei Yisra'el: Time and Holy Days in the Biblical and Second Commonwealth Periods (Heb.), ed. Jacob S. Licht: 22–23.
When I rest on the Sabbath and stop doing my own things but focus on God spend time in His word and prayer and reading spiritual books that focus on God, I feel closer to God and in fact I do come closer to Him and my focus throughout the week is more fully on God, so I make better choices and am happier throughout the week. I see God in all my decisions and the outcomes seem much better. I am not so easily disheartened or saddened.
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding. Job 28:12
'If someone were to ask you, How has keeping the Sabbath benefited your relationship with the Lord, how would you respond?'
God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. “Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and ... honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure.” Isaiah 58:13. Nor does the prohibition end here. “Nor speaking thine own words,” says the prophet. Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character. And the commandment includes all within our gates. The inmates of the house are to lay aside their worldly business during the sacred hours. All should unite to honor God by willing service upon His holy day. {PP 307.3}
The church or some congregations or some learning institutes has taken a different path to what the bible says and its definition to what it meant to rest on the sabbath. There are board/business meetings, weddings, school graduations, etc being carried out on the sabbath and men and women says its okay. Is returning tithe, offering and gifts a business? Some return on the internet in the privacy of our own homes. Then what is the difference if one pay their bills via the same route. Isn't it the same method used and the same purpose/principle applied? What about doing the same thing to support church organizations and charitable organizations? Where do we cross the line?
Some have used every idea to work, or go to work forbidden by the scriptures on the sabbath and state their job is 'essential', but it is not essential workers the precepts of the law addresses but those who work, must be showing 'acts of necessity and mercy'. I am reading the book- The commandments twice removed. It is showing while men have been champions for the word of Jesus yet they have forsaken the sabbath. Isn't it contrasting?
Many who claimed to be keeping the sabbath becomes restless on the sabbath complaining the hours are too long, or I need to catch up on my sleep or catch up with my conversation with my unchurched friends and families. There is no problem with resting/sleeping on the sabbath but the purpose of the sabbath was set aside for communion with out Creator.
No human can keep the law, it is Christ in us that will help us to keep the law. Our willingness must say yes.
How has the Sabbath benefited my relationship with the LORD?
One of the ways is that it has developed my trust in Him to provide for my physical needs. In addition because my temperament type means I am a concrete thinker (as compared to my brothers who are abstract thinkers) so abstract concepts are harder for me to process.
For those who have been through team building exercises one of things they get people to do is to pair up and then to fall back and trust the colleague to catch you.
This is part of what stopping from work helps me to comprehend, that spiritually the LORD keeps me from falling, He restores me to be upright in His sight.
Each Monday, I ask, "Where is the weekend?!" I look forward to the end of each week. The Lord knew that I would need rest (we all need a break from the craziness of the world). Having dedicated time alone with Him is what I need on the Sabbath. The week is full of distractions and I struggle with getting the much-needed quiet time with Him. The Sabbath is our day to spend with God. I am so thankful for the rest He has given me.
Interesting that "Le weekend" has become a thing in the world with overtures of 'rest and recreation meaning 'the getaway' sports, shopping, time with family yet lacking completely God focused activity.
Hummm I think I have an icebreaker for Sabbath there... thanks
Gen.2:2-3KJV – v.3 “And God blessed the seventh day; and sanctified it: because that in it He HAD rested from all his work which God created and made.”
This verse states that God sanctified the seventh day after He had rested; He declared it to be His Day of Rest. I believe that *His Day of Rest* has a place and funtion in the balance of God's Creation, is part of His Creation, just as important as all the preceeding days during the creation of heaven and earth.
Exodus 16:25KJV - ”And Moses said: eat that today; for today is a sabbath unto the LORD; today ye shall not find it in the field.”
It was the Lord’s Day of Rest and He declined to provide food on His Day of Rest for the children of Israel.
In my opinion, we first and foremost HONOR His Day of Rest. It is a memorial to the Creator who worked/created/established heaven and earth and all that is in it. But like so many straight forward, simple things in our relationship with God, our mind devises extra-curricular exercises to define and observe God’s simple Day of Rest.
To use the expression of ‘Rest’ in its basic form, it would mean: (verb) ‘cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength; – (noun) an instance or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity’. (Oxford Languages Dictionary).
All living is an expression of spirit; God's creative Spirit has sanctified His Day so HE can rest; it is important that He should rest. Should we partake in His rest, we remember His loving kindness, righteousness, and goodness He blessed His children with and live accordingly. Is this not what our Salvation aims for? Then, it will not be just one day but all days of our lives that we live in God's Rest.
We all know what ‘overload/burnout’ means – too much of anything will cause exhaustion. Could it be that the Creator and the design of His Creation just simply benefit from this Day of Rest to re-align, re-cover, rejuvenate - rest from the work of maintaining His Creation? After all, there are heavenly beings, powers, dominions and entities who are engaged in monitoring and maintaining the ‘administrative’ side of heaven. Does not everything which has life in it, even nature, need a period of rest?
God is Spirit, and Spirit, being creative, benefits from rest as well!
During the days that am not yet an adventist, (but heard about sabbath) and my day off from my work is thursday, I believe it's just ok to do it as my sabbath at least once a week I obeserve it. And while studying the bible further, looking research from other references ( dictionaries, encyclopedias) they pointed all that a sabbath in the bible is the seventh- day. The sabbath is a rest day, doing not during the regular days of the week. So, then I observe the seventh day as my sabbath, worshiping Him, praising Him, give back to Him my attention, I am blessed in keeping His true sabbath day. Because I didn't insist anymore my first conclusion, instead follow His command, whatever His words are so sweet to follow in our life. Following His command, shows my humbleness, shows that I need a superior divine in my life. Because truly, I am nothing without God in my life. Everything is useless if we don't care God's word. To know Him better, we must read every day the bible, dig deeper His words, cultivate it in our hearts, plants it in our mind, and show it in our day to day life. Praying to everyone, that we enjoy the true sabbath day of the Lord, as He continues give blessings to all who keep His sabbath day.
Without the Sabbath, could there be a relationship with God? How could there be if I wasn't where He is on Sabbath, or if I am where He is not?
The Origin of the Sabbath may be found by any honest seeker of Truth, while most do not care to know. Few will find the narrow Path to life because few are seeking it(Matt 7:7,14).