What is the meaning of the Sabbath day?
“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work — not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.”
Exodus 20:8-11 (MSG)
One of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses to share with the Israelites after escaping slavery in Egypt is to honor the Sabbath day and to keep it holy. The way God commands His people to do this is to not do any work nor have others do work. It is a day to rest in reflection of the day that God rested after creating everything. However, understanding this concept is one thing. Putting it into practice is another.
What does it mean to keep the Sabbath?
Setting aside a day for rest helps us reflect on God. When we rest because God rested, it helps us to be mindful of Him during this time. Resting is a good thing, and it should be something we’re all thankful for.
Setting aside a day for rest helps us … rest. Seriously, we often push ourselves too hard and neglect our rest. The Sabbath forces us to take time to give ourselves the rest that we need. God knows we have a limit and doesn’t want us to push ourselves to the point of a breakdown.
The Sabbath was beneficial for the Israelites culturally. Cultures of this time were largely agricultural and used a lot of manual labor. These people were just freed from slavery, and it was important for them to have a mandated period of rest to reflect on God and His gift of rest and freedom.
The Sabbath does not need to be observed on a particular day. This is a point of contention for some people who are adamant that the Sabbath must be observed on Sunday (or even Saturday). However, we find this view is legalistic and misses the spirit of the Law.
If you have to work on Sunday, that’s OK. The point is that you should make time for a period of rest during which you can truly not focus on work and other distractions and solely focus on your well-being or your connection with God.
Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey
At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “To Hell With Normal.” It’s all about redefining what we consider normal in life as we seek to make our lives more like the way Jesus would have them to be.
Do you want to grow in your faith, or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.