Practicing and honoring the Sabbath appears to be a foreign concept in today’s culture. Maybe this is because we live in a weird time where overpacked schedules clash with idle minds. Mobile calendars quickly become filled with endless responsibilities as we grovel for a sense of accomplishment. Yet we find solace in the social media scroll and the fleeting dopamine hits and addictive highs it brings. It’s no wonder we have reached a tipping point in society, especially when it comes to seeking the kind of rest God created and designed for us.
So, why Sabbath?
The Bible recognizes the Sabbath as a day of rest and worship, taking place on the seventh day. For Christians, this Sabbath takes place on Sunday as we worship with the body of believers. However, nowadays, Sunday has become just like any other day. Sure, time may be carved out for an hour-long church service, but after that, families rush off to sporting events, children’s activities, running errands, or just playing catch-up from the week, leaving little room for rest.
Rest…Not to be confused with relaxation or laziness, which it often gets entangled with, particularly for those goal-setters and sense accomplishers. The truth of the matter is that it takes an act of faith and obedience to honor and practice the true rest that encompasses the meaning of the Sabbath.
Traditionally, Shabbat was observed by the Jewish community as a “Day of Rest” and took place from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday as families gathered for prayer, studied God’s law, and sang praises. Then, it transformed into the farming community where the Israelites let the land “rest” every seven years, putting a halt on all planting, plowing, and harvesting. Over time, the Sabbath has morphed into spending more time at church, then coming home to a meal and resting afterward. However, sadly, for the majority, including many Christians, a day of rest, seems practically void in our culture today.
Yet, we have the opportunity to flip the script. What if your family chose to observe the Sabbath and practice it in a way that truly honored the Lord? What would that look like and mean to you and your precious people?
If you would like to reflect on some verses that will help you gain a better understanding of the Sabbath and how you can practice it in today’s busy and mind-numbing society, grab your Bible, maybe a journal, and find a quiet spot to get refueled. God is about to offer you the kind of rest you truly need!
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1. Embracing the Holiness of Sabbath Rest
"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you." - Deuteronomy 5:12
God commands that we work with our whole heart as if working for Him, not man (Colossians 3:23-24), yet our flesh often gets in the way, and we can begin to crave validation, acceptance, or recognition. This is why God commands all people, even the animals, to stop working, and physically rest.
However, while physical rest is important, Deuteronomy 5:12 really emphasizes the spiritual rest we truly need—the rest that allows us to lean into the Lord and fill our weary souls. That could take the form of seeking a quiet place to surrender, meditating on His Word, or simply putting away any distractions and praying in earnest. The just is to be still and listen, waiting upon the Lord.
2. Understanding God Made Sabbath for Us
"One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, 'Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?' He answered, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”'Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”'"Mark 2:23-28
The Pharisees questioned and accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking the law during the Sabbath, which at that time had become legalistic and controlled by religious leaders. Jesus points out how they prohibit certain behaviors but defend David’s act of feeding his hungry companions. Jesus makes a point here that the Sabbath should serve a greater purpose, making concessions like caring for those in need being one, rather than becoming consumed by ceremonial rituals. Jesus furthermore drives home the point that God made Sabbath for us, for His benefit.
As we observe the Sabbath, we must posture our hearts to truly seek rest, not be overtaken by a “certain way” or become legalistic about it. This must be a time to rest as well as serve and care for those who are in need of rest, as David and Jesus model for us.
3. Following God's Lead to Rest
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
God gives us a beautiful model of the work/rest balance. Yet, God goes further than that and blesses the seventh day. The number seven is repeatedly noted throughout the Scriptures as it signifies completion, wholeness, and perfection. After God completed a whole and “perfect at that time” world, He rested. From the very beginning, God intended for the seventh day to be set apart.
As we praise and worship God on Sunday mornings, we may consider honoring the entire day. Choose to rest from your daily grind by putting the chores and errands on hold, saying “no” to the extra activities, and “yes” to physical and spiritual rest. Take an afternoon nap as a family or sit outside in stillness, soaking in the wonder of His presence.
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4. Embracing God's Great Mercy Through Sabbath Rest
"Also, I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I, the Lord, made them holy." - Ezekiel 20:12
Ezekiel 20 gets to the heart of God’s great mercy. While the Israelites were special to God, they held a pretty complicated history that consumed them with sin, leading to God’s wrath. Yet, despite their disobedience, God chose to make the Sabbath a sign of the covenant between Him and Israel.
We can hold on to this precious promise, too. God is holy, right, and just, but He is also full of grace and mercy that goes far beyond what we can fully comprehend. Consider allowing your Sundays to be a time of submission and surrender as you come clean before God. Open up and share your heart with Him, release any burdens, and confess any sins, then allow God to cover you with His divine mercy.
5. Embracing the Gift of Sabbath Rest
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." - Exodus 20:8-11
This wraps it all together and puts a pretty little bow on it. Basically, Exodus 20:8-11 captures the essence of the Sabbath and the fourth amendment, which tells us to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy while reminding us of the covenant God made with Moses and His people. We see that God worked hard to create the heavens and earth in six days, then rested on the seventh. We are called to do the same.
The purpose of our life is to live according to His purpose, working with a heart for the Lord for six days of the week. That way, when we enter into rest on the seventh day, it comes without guilt or heavy conviction but rather is seen as a welcomed reprieve and act of surrender as we fall into the arms of Jesus, receiving His peace and comfort. What a precious gift!
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6. A Prayer for Peace-filled, Sabbath Rest
Father, we are so thankful that You are a holy, right, and just God who provides us the beautiful and delicate balance of work and rest. As we strive to observe the Sabbath, we ask that You help us honor this sacred time and see it as the special gift that it is. We pray that we can sing of Your praises, sit at Your feet, and lay all our burdens down while lovingly serving those in need of rest. Help us get back to a place to observe the Sabbath so that we can truly honor You, Lord. Amen.
Originally published Thursday, 25 April 2024.