Rediscover the importance of the Sabbath Day
The Sabbath is a day of rest and worship observed by the Jewish people and some Christians on the seventh day of the week—Saturday.. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew shavat, which means "to rest”. According to biblical tradition, it commemorates the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation.
In Judaism, the Sabbath is considered to be a perpetual covenant for the Israelites, as a sign respecting two events: the day during which God rested after creating the world and when God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Today, according to Galatians 3:29 those who believe in Jesus Christ are the spiritual Israel!
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According to the Old and New Testament, the Sabbath is still available and mandatory today as it was in the past! (Matthew 5:17-19) In Catholicism and most branches of Protestantism, Sunday is known as "the Lord's Day" and is seen as a spiritual Sabbath, where believers are encouraged to set aside time for rest and worship. Yet, there is not a single verse in the Bible to show us the Sabbath was changed from Saturday to Sunday!
The Sabbath is a day of rest observed on the seventh day of the week—Saturday. It is believed to commemorate the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation. The Sabbath is first mentioned in Genesis, after the literal creation days (Genesis 2:2-3), then in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 16, 20:8-11), where it is commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest.
The observance of the Sabbath has been an important part for centuries. In ancient Babylonia, there was a similar concept known as shab/pattum, which corresponded to the fifteenth day of the month as a day of quieting God's heart. The institution of the Sabbath appears in the Torah as going back to the days of creation (Gen. 2: 1-3). The Christian church’s shift from observing the Sabbath on Saturday to observing it on Sunday was gradual.
This change began in early Christian times and was solidified by Constantine of Rome in the early third century. Sabbath observance remained constant among Bible believing people for many centuries, from biblical times up until modern times, and continues to be an important part of their identity today. Observance of the Sabbath day has its beginning at sundown on Friday and ending at sundown on Saturday. It is a time for rest and worship, in fulfillment of the commandment to rest on the seventh day.
Early Christians, mainly Jewish, observed the seventh-day Sabbath with prayer and rest. In Christianity, observance of the Sabbath has been spiritualized to refer to eschatological rest rather than observance of a literal day. Non-Sabbatarians who affirm that Sabbath-keeping remains for God's people often regard this as present weeklong spiritual rest or future heavenly rest rather than as physical observance of a literal day, unfortunately!
The Lord emphasized the importance of Sabbath observance in the Ten Commandments when He said, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (see Exodus 20:8–11). Church members seek to keep the Sabbath day holy at church and at home by participating in worship services, helping the poor, walking in nature and admiring the wonderful creation of God, etc.
The Sabbath is a special day for Christians to keep holy and refrain from work. There are many activities that can be done on the Sabbath, such as praying, singing hymns, walking in nature, watching Bible movies, visiting and encouraging others! Other activities include playing Bible trivia or other Christian-themed games, making a special dinner together, reading the Bible, listening to worship music, etc.
It is important to remember that the Sabbath is a day of rest and worship and family togetherness, so it is important to refrain from any kind of housework or employment that can be delayed until after the Sabbath. The Sabbath day in the Bible is Saturday, the seventh day of the week (Luke 23:53-56, 24:1-3). According to biblical tradition, it commemorates the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation. The biblical ban against work on the Sabbath includes activities such as baking and cooking, travelling, gathering wood, buying and selling, and bearing.
The Lord declared that Sabbath observance would be a distinguishing characteristic of His chosen people, and He has given some general guidelines for proper Sabbath observance. (Ezekiel 20:12). Blessings come to those who observe the Sabbath, but many Christians consider Sunday to be the new Sabbath day instead of Saturday. There is nothing in the Bible which explicitly states that Sunday should replace Saturday as a day of rest and worship.