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How the “Sabbath” Started
Our English word sabbath is rooted in the word sabat, which means to rest, to repose, to cease, or to be still. The Sabbath day of rest was very important to the Lord and to His relationship with His people.
The seventh day was more than just a day off. Moses spoke emphatically of “a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord,” a day uniquely set apart to God. It was a day of rest, a day of ceasing from work, but it was also a day on which they were to focus on the Lord, trusting Him for provision and remembering who they were as His people. The Sabbath provided a weekly reminder to the children of God that they were a people set apart from all other nations.
From time to time, the people of Israel struggled and lived for themselves (Isaiah 58:13-14):
- Following their own ways: Going against or ignoring God’s ways
- Seeking their own pleasure: Doing what pleased them instead of what pleased God
- Speaking their own word: Engaging in empty talk, conversation void of God and His will that was not beneficial to them or a blessing to God
At times, everything—direction, desire, deeds, and words—was self-centered, self-focused, and self-pleasing rather than God-centered.
The Sabbath principle of “work six days—rest one” is the pattern God had in mind since He practiced it at creation.
The Sabbath of the Old Testament was meant to be a weekly reminder of the radical relationship to which the people of God were called, unlike any other nation in history.
Jesus & The Sabbath
Over many centuries, Jewish leaders made meticulous rules about what was permissible on the Sabbath and what was not. Then Jesus came and confronted those rules and the attitudes behind them head-on. Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6 about God’s desire for compassion or mercy more than ritualistic sacrifice. External observances—whether in a sacrifice or on a Sabbath day—are meaningless in someone who does not have the right attitude toward the Lord and toward other people. God looks into the heart.
Jesus continually emphasized compassion of God, whether for taking care of livestock or taking care of neighbors. Dozens of rules had been crafted to keep people from working on the Sabbath, but those same rules often kept people from caring on the Sabbath. Such rules imposed by people (not by God) dictated that care for others could wait until a workday in the interest of keeping the Sabbath rules.
Jesus was baffled that the rules allowed for unbounding of animals, but the Pharisees were upset with Him when he “unbound” a woman from a spirit that crippled her for 18 years (Luke 13:10-17). In every encounter Jesus faced concerning the Sabbath, He focused attention on the heart of the people—why were they making the choice to act or not act?
Why Sunday?
There are many reasons why Sunday became a day of rest and worship for Christians all over the world:
- Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday morning;
- The Holy Spirit descended and filled believers on a Sunday morning (Pentecost); and
- The early church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
However, Hebrews 4 calls for a “Sabbath rest” as more than a weekly observance—it’s a daily lifestyle. Hebrews 4:9 says, “There is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.” It’s the contentment we feel when we experience all that God has for us.
Whenever you practice Sabbath, how have you found rest by “practicing the presence of God”?
Applications of the Sabbath Principle
Both employees and employers must remember that their focus should be on the Lord—obeying and serving as though they served Christ and expecting reward from Him (Ephesians 4:28). To that end, God wants to see a balance between work and rest in our lives.
We should honor the “Sabbath principle,” the work six-rest one pattern that has been in place since creation. We should also practice “Sabbath rest,” as described above. It is not a matter of “either-or,” or of applying only one, either a “Sabbath rest” or the “Sabbath principle,” but of applying both.
The Sabbath Principle of resting one day out of the week has several benefits:
- Enhancing relationships with God, with others, and for intensifying reverence for God and His Word.
- Time to evaluate and gain perspective on the past “six days” as well as think through the next “six days.”
- Genuine rest, especially when we need a break physically. Psalm 16:8-9 says, “Set the Lord always before [you]” this week, so your “body also will rest secure.”
- Refreshment spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
- Adjusting our attitudes and actions to attune our schedules and lifestyles with what God wants.
To evaluate your own practice of Sabbath rest, ask yourself the following questions:
R – Relationship Reverence: How is my relationship with God? Is it marked by reverence? How are my relationships with others?
E – Eternity: Living in the light of eternity means pausing each week to evaluate my purpose, my priorities, my plans, and m placement in life. Am I functioning as God wants?
S – Salvation: Am I content, even joyful, in His ways, His will, and the work He has given me to do?
T – Time: The Sabbath Principles focuses on time set aside—one day out of seven: time for a more intense focus on God; time to reflect on the past six days and the next six; and time to receive refreshment physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Am I practicing the Sabbath Principle?
The Sabbath Year
In the Old Testament, the Sabbath year (every seventh year) provided an opportunity for the people to trust the Lord’s promise that the harvest of the sixth year would be adequate to meet the needs for three years—the sixth, the Sabbath, and the eighth. The Lord also commanded the celebration of a Jubilee Year of rest every fiftieth year (the year after seven periods of seven, or forty-nine years).
I think the principles of Sabbath and the Sabbath Year are also applicable to leadership. Just as University Professors generally receive a sabbatical—a period of paid leave granted for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked—those in industry, government, or non-profit organizations should consider similar practices of rest.
Just as every seventh year provided an opportunity of rest and refreshment for the land, so too a leadership change in an organization can offer an opportunity for renewal. Several years back, we had a Center Director at the Johnson Space Center whose philosophy was to rotate Senior Leaders every five years. You need a new perspective because “where you sit determines what you see.” I think there’s something Biblical about a Sabbath rest for Senior Leaders and their organizations…
Are you regularly practicing Sabbath? If you’re in a Senior Leadership role, what do you think of the Sabbath year? Are you preparing your exit strategy? I highly recommend one, as you shoot for the stars!