What did God mean when he said, "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy"?
Exodus 20:1 - 26
ESV - 1 And God spoke all these words, saying. 2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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Asked September 25 2015
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Mark Jefferson
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Ariel HaNaviy
Using the TaNaKH (OT), I could not find a verse that simply commands us to “Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy,” (with the original Hebrew words כָּבַד kavad for “honor” and the word קָדוֹשׁ kadosh for “holy”), although Is 58:13-14 probably comes the closest since it employs both of these words across two verses: “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy (Hebrew=קָדוֹשׁ kadosh) day of the Lord honorable; if you honor (Hebrew=כָּבַד kavad) it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” However, there are quite a few verses commanding us to single out the Sabbath in special ways. I will list a few more familiar ones, along with the original Hebrew root verb used to describe the action listed in the Torah: • “Remember” (Hebrew=זָכַר zakhar) the Sabbath (Ex 20:8) • “Keep” (Hebrew=שָׁמַר shamar) the Sabbath (Ex 31:14, 16) • “Observe” (Hebrew=שָׁמַר shamar) the Sabbath (Deut 5:12) You can see from above that “keep” and “observe” share the same root Hebrew word “shamar,” yet are translated with two differing English words. The original Hebrew word “shamar” actually implies “guarding.” Within close proximity of “remembering,” and “keeping/observing” the Sabbath, we also find verses such as Ex 20:8 commanding us to likewise keep it “holy” (Hebrew=קָדַשׁ kadash), and Ex 31:16 commanding us to “celebrate” (NIV, NASB) it (Hebrew=עָשָׂה asah). What is more, we find that God himself “blessed” (Hebrew=בָּרַךְ barakh) the seventh day and made it holy” (Gen 2:2), a day which we know to be the Sabbath day. God also declared the seventh day Sabbath to be a “sign” (Hebrew=אוֹת oat) between Isra'el and himself, to expressly declare to the world that it is God who sanctifies Isra'el (Ex 31:13 and Ez 20:12, 20). The reasons for Isra'el marking out the Sabbath are numerous, but perhaps the two most well known are: 1) To remember that God is the creator (Ex 20:11) 2) To remember that Isra'el was rescued from Egypt (Deut 5:15) Conclusions: When God commanded Isra'el to mark out the Sabbath, it often envisioned one or many of the following terms: “remember,” “keep,” “observe,” “bless,” “sanctify,” “celebrate,” “sign,” as well as others I may have missed in this brief word study. What does it mean to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy? At the very least, we can conclude that it means to take God at his word and make his seventh day Sabbath a special day in our lives and in our communities. Moreover, as a witness to our unsaved brothers in National Isra'el, since we of Remnant Isra'el affirm that Yeshua (Jesus) is the embodiment of Sabbath peace and Sabbath rest (Matt 12:8; Mark 2:28; Lk 6:5; as well as Matt 11:28; Heb 4:3, 9, 11), the Sabbath rest concept was obviously given to Isra'el to also teach her about this vital spiritual reality. Since National Isra'el has yet to receive her Messiah, we know that she is yet to experience genuine and lasting Sabbath peace. Why not take some time today and pray for the peace of Jerusalem: Ps 122:6 “Sha’alu shalom Yirushalayim! Yishlau o’havayich!” (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you!)
Doreen Lovell
After God's creation, He rested on the 7th day. He is God and does not need rest, but He did this to set an example for us. Rest rejuvenates our tired bodies, and strengthen tired and stressed nerves. God gave us the 10 Commandments in the Old Testament to help us to live closer to Him. In giving the commandments He said "Thou shalt " at the begging of each commandment but emphasis was placed on the day of rest "Remember"was the begging of this commandment. In resting we rest from all manual work, we focus more on the Word, being in tune with God and giving Him the honor and praise that belongs to Him---we may do so every day of the week when we find the time; but this is a 24 hour set aside for God. God showed us the importance of the Sabbath while the Hebrews were going through the dessert. He gave them manna for meat and was told to collect for one day meal day 1-6 but on the afternoon of the 6th day manna should be collected for two days. The Hebrews who did not obey and collected for more than two days on the 6th day found that the manna was infested with maggot and spoiled. Jesus when He was on earth (New Testament) went to the Temple on the Sabbath and after His death His disciples did likewise. Sabbath keeping is a form of mending,it is mortar in the joints. Without rest we miss the rest of God; the rest He invites us to enter more fully so that we may know Him more deeply. "Be still and know that I am God"., some knowing is never pursued, only received and for that we must be still.Sabbath is both a day and an attitude to nurture such stillness. It is both a time on a calendar and a disposition of the heart, It is a day we enter, but just as much a way we see. Sabbath imparts the rest of God--actual, physical, mental, spiritual rest, but also the rest of of God --the things of God's nature and presence we miss in our busyness. Sabbath is as essential to our well-being as food and water, and as wood fire on a cold day. It is a day (entire) for feasting, resting, worship, It is a gift not a burden, and neglecting the gift too long will make your soul like fallow soil ---hard, dry and spent. By Sabbath is also meant an attitude. It is perspective and an orientation; a Sabbath heart not just a Sabbath Day. A Sabbath heart is restful even in the midst of unrest and upheaval; it is attentive to the presence of God and others even in the welter of much coming and going, rising and falling. It is still and knows God even when mountains fall into the sea. "You will never enter the Sabbath Day without a Sabbath heart" References:- Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 16:22,30; 31:13; Acts 8:4; 13: 14,42-44; 1 John 5:1-4
DEAN R. DONAHUE
The Fourth Commandment found in Exodus 20, verses 8-11, has been a point of contention between several religions since the days of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century C.E. It is commonly debated that it is simply a Hebrew Law for the Children of Israel and that the significance is lost to the gentiles. But this is not the case. Long before Moses and the children of Israel were given the Law, God Himself initiated a day of rest for His original creation in Eden. Adam, Eve, and God by His Holy example, rested from their labors. Then, He hallowed it and gave to man the gift of rest. It is the presence of God that makes the Sabbath Holy. Remember what God said to Moses when he approached the burning bush? "Take the shoes from your feet, for the ground you stand upon is Holy Ground." What made the ground Holy? The answer is the presence of God...... God is present and receives our worship and commands that we abstain from our common labors on the Sabbath. He also commands we not allow anyone to labor for us or to conduct business. He is telling us to rest from the daily grind and to prosper in the rest and peace we find through His presence. The Sabbath is Holy because of His Presence. It's a great relief to know that our Creator equip our weekly grind with a day of respite. This commandment is a gift for rejuvenating our commitment to the Creator and through His wisdom, to show that Christ Jesus is always willing to give us rest. Keeping the Sabbath Holy and remembering It's significance will bring not only rest, but a closeness to God and a reverence for His Presence. Dean Donahue, Show Low, Arizona
Mike Copeman
What did Jesus say regarding His ministry? ‘The law and the prophets were until John [the Baptist]: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it’ (Luke 16:16). What did Jesus mean when He said He had come to fulfill the Law? (Matthew 5:17-18). In Revelation the first heaven and earth pass away to allow the new heaven and earth to descend from the Father but not until after the judgement of the Great White Throne (Revelation 21:1). If the Law is to remain until then, it is still in place. Can we claim Christ has fulfilled it? The Apostle Paul mentions the Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2) the consequences of compliance or not are evident but no indication of what the Law of the Spirit of Life is. It would be uncharacteristic of God to present a Covenant without defining it. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He defined that Law (Matthew 5-7), He gives deeper insight in John’s Gospel ch 13-17. When we reflect on the Sermon on the Mount and John ch 13-17 we see that there is a common theme: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). From what He said Jesus did not come to make all Law redundant, otherwise, we would not have the Sermon on the Mount and the Law of the Spirit of Life. God expects us to see holiness and follow it irrespective of the consequences, it is not a choice but the Way to eternal life. Paul saw the Law of the Spirit of Life as a specific entity in his experience that he could identify and one that needed to be identified in us. It is the following of this Law that frees us from condemnation, as he confirms in Galatians 2:16. The crucial point is that our relationship is not by conformity to rules but by being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). His nature is love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love (John 15:10). If we love Him we willingly order our lives by His commandments (Philippians 3:10-16 AMP – note v16). The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore, the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). In Matthew 12, Mark 2, Luke 6 and John 5 and 7 Jesus tasks the Pharisees over the imposition of the Sabbath as a burden. The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath, Paul restates this in greater detail in Colossians 2:16. Hebrews supports Mark’s Gospel in identifying Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath: He owns it, it is fulfilled in Him. We are resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, but I would agree that there is a need to rest our body and mind from our weekly work. If we follow the constraints of walking with Christ, committing our life to God daily, waiting on Him and ordering our life by His precepts and commands what more would we do on the Sabbath? Finally, the Lord Jesus Christ put me through a deeply cathartic experience asking if my beliefs were scriptural or tradition. Until then I declared every day was the Sabbath. God reminded me of that but told me I did not keep even one day as the Sabbath. He taught me to daily commit all my life to Him. For me, keeping the Sabbath as a rite is not a command for the Age of Grace. But look again at Paul’s words in Colossians 2:16: ‘let no man judge you’. If you are persuaded that out of love, not burden, YOU want to keep the Sabbath let no one judge you. God bless you, Ephesians 4:1-6.
Mike Copeman
Some Christians rate the relevance of Christ’s words on their perception of to whom His comments were addressed. If they are perceived to be addressed to Jews the Lord’s words are ‘under the Law’ and irrelevant to Christians. Most of Jesus words were addressed to Jews, in that case little of His gospel would be relevant to us. What did Jesus say regarding His ministry? ‘The law and the prophets were until John [the Baptist]: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it’ (Luke 16:16). What did Jesus mean when He said He had come to fulfill the Law? (Matthew 5:17-18). In Revelation the first heaven and earth pass away to allow the new heaven and earth to descend from the Father but not until after the judgement of the Great White Throne (Revelation 21:1). If the Law is to remain until then, it is still in place. Can we claim Christ has fulfilled it? The Apostle Paul mentions the Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2) the consequences of compliance or not are evident but no indication of what the Law of the Spirit of Life is. It would be uncharacteristic of God to present a Covenant without defining it. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry He defined that Law (Matthew 5-7), He gives deeper insight in John’s Gospel ch 13-17. When we reflect on the Sermon on the Mount and John ch 13-17 we see that there is a common theme: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). From what He said Jesus did not come to make all Law redundant, otherwise we would not have the Sermon on the Mount and the Law of the Spirit of Life. God expects us to see holiness and follow it irrespective of the consequences, it is not a choice but the Way to eternal life. Paul saw the Law of the Spirit of Life as a specific entity in his experience that he could identify and one that needed to be identified in us. It is the following of this Law that frees us from condemnation, as he confirms in Galatians 2:16. The crucial point is that our relationship is not by conformity to rules but by being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). His nature is love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love (John 15:10). If we love Him we willingly order our lives by His commandments (Philippians 3:10-16 AMP – note v16). The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath (Mark 2:27-28). In Matthew 12, Mark 2, Luke 6 and John 5 and 7 Jesus tasks the Pharisees over the imposition of the Sabbath as a burden. The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath, Paul restates this in greater detail in Colossians 2:16. Hebrews supports Mark’s Gospel in identifying Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath: He owns it, it is fulfilled in Him. We are resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, but I would agree that there is a need to rest our body and mind from our weekly work. If we follow the constraints of walking with Christ, committing our life to God daily, waiting on Him and ordering our life by His precepts and commands what more would we do on the Sabbath? Finally, the Lord Jesus Christ put me through a deeply cathartic experience asking if my beliefs were scriptural or tradition. Until then I declared every day was the Sabbath. God reminded me of that but told me I did not keep even one day as the Sabbath. He taught me to daily commit all my life to Him. For me, keeping the Sabbath as a rite is not a command for the Age of Grace. But look again at Paul’s words in Colossians 2:16: ‘let no man judge you’. If you are persuaded that out of love, not burden, you want to keep the Sabbath let no one judge you. God bless you, Ephesians 4:1-6.
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