The Sabbath Day

2022-08-29

The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week. When God created the world in six days, He rested on the seventh, because His work was complete. There was nothing left to be done. “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 2:3).

The commandment of the Law was for the Israelites to rest on that seventh day.

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)

The Sabbath day was the sign of the Mosaic covenant. “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you” (Exodus 31:13). Interesting that the covenant that includes hundreds of required works has a sign that is rest! They do not sanctify themselves. They do not work their way to the Lord. The work was the Lord’s; they rest in Him. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4).

This Sabbath day was a lesson. One day the Lord of the Sabbath was going to come. He was going to offer true rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day” (Matthew 12:8).

The Lord Jesus Christ fulfills Lamech’s hope of old: “And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed” (Genesis 5:28-29). He will restore the earth upon His return, and eventually will bring a new heaven and new earth.

The day that was required in the Old Testament pointed to our Lord. “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17).

Every believer keeps the Sabbath... every day. “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world” (Hebrews 4:3). And again, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:10).

We are God’s workmanship in Christ. He does His work through us. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

Enter into His rest. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Again, “...for without me ye can do nothing.” Jesus Christ is the Sabbath.