Leave This to Me
The Christian Sabbath
I. Remember
A. The first obligation of the Sabbath is to remember grace; in its Biblical context the Sabbath is inherently holy. “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
B. People who remember will keep the Sabbath. “Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.” (Deuteronomy 5:12)
C. The Sabbath is not merely for fasting from work, worry, and stress but for growing in grace; sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:” (2 Thessalonians 2:13) “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
D. God intended people to work; work was part of the human design before the fall. “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.” (Genesis 2:8) “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
E. Something is fundamentally wrong with people who do not plan their work and work their plans; faithful Christians prosper. “Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:” (Deuteronomy 5:13) “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)
II. The Sabbath Is Distinctive
A. What is obligatory on other days is forbidden on the Sabbath. “But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.” (Deuteronomy 5:14)
B. Rest had a heavenly quality even before work became a burden; genuine rest echoes God and in doing so conveys a blessing. “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 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.” (Genesis 2:2-3)
C. The Sabbath is a permanent refreshing expression of the relationship between God and Creation. “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17) “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
D. The call to return to the Sabbath marks the dawn of reformation; restoration must begin with grace. “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isaiah 58:1)
E. God does not make a promise about joining the institution, hitting the sawdust trail, or speaking in tongues; He does make a promise of abundant grace to those who turn from themselves and rest in Him. “If thou 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, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. ” (Isaiah 58:13-14)
