BIBLE
God’s Sabbath Rest: Observing God’s holy Sabbath day can help us regain energy, refocus spiritually and be encouraged by others. God’s Sabbath rest is truly a day of refreshing!
O
ur world is full of turmoil. Tensions between nations have risen to alarming levels, and the effects of a worldwide pandemic have upended our lives. Even if the virus itself doesn’t frighten you, a slowing economy threatens everyone’s livelihood and standard of living. Compounding our apprehensions, government leaders and health experts can’t always agree on the best course of action. Furthermore, people around the world are angry about a number of issues, ranging from racial inequality to police misconduct to loss of personal freedoms, and they are demanding change. In such a contentious environment filled with anger, fears and unknowns, it’s easy to become discouraged and worn down. An important antidote to the stress we are facing is found in an ancient command from mankind’s Creator. It’s called the weekly Sabbath.
Resting on this day is one of the 10 Commandments God gave on Mount Sinai. God said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath was observed by Jesus when He was on earth (Luke 4:16). It was observed by the apostles and by both Jews and gentiles who were part of the first-century Church of God (Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 18:4). And today the seventh day—Saturday—“remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9, English Standard Version).
Sabbath definition
The Sabbath: a type of future refreshing
According to the Bible, the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath—a day for resting from one’s normal labors and assembling with fellow believers to worship God. God created it, blessed it and set it apart just after He created Adam, the ancestor of all mankind (Genesis 2:1-3).
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DISCERN
The weekly Sabbath is a reminder of a refreshing God will bring about on earth after Jesus returns and establishes the Kingdom of God here. In the first century, Peter spoke passionately of this wonderful future.
November/December 2020
