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P R A C T I C I N G
SABBATH Fall 2016 Sunday School Series
Sabbath in the Old Testament
Bu i l din g a S an ct u ar y i n T i m e
Week 2
Introduction% From!the!Pentateuch!to!the!Prophets,!the!notion!of!the!Sabbath!receives! considerable!attention!in!the!writings!of!the!Old!Testament.!Its!classic!expression!is! found!in!the!two!versions!of!the!Decalogue!(Exod!20:8P11;!Deut!5:12P15).!There,!the! Sabbath!is!more!than!just!a!commandment!about!not!working—it!is!a!divine!gift,!an! invitation!to!participate!in!the!sanctification!of!time!and!to!remember!that!we!are! created!in!the!image!of!a!God!who!rests.!Beyond!the!Decalogue,!the!Sabbath! commandment!is!expanded!into!a!broader!theological!principle!that!undergirds! God’s!compassion!for!the!oppressed!and!concern!for!the!poor.!The!Sabbath!is!also! described!as!a!“sign!forever”!of!God’s!covenant!and!it!is!seen!as!the!basis!upon! which!a!radically!inclusive!worship!community!can!be!built.!Especially!during!the! exile!and!the!subsequent!diaspora,!Sabbath!keeping!became!for!the!Israelites!the! most!visible!and!tangible!marker!of!their!faith!identity.!! ! !
Lesson%at%a%glance% ! % % %
I.%%%%Sabbath%and%Creation% II.%%%Sabbath%and%the%Exodus% III.%%Sabbath%and%Social%Justice% IV.%%Sabbath%and%Covenant%
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Notes%
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Conversation%starter% Of!all!the!commandments!in!the!Decalogue,!the!one!about!Sabbath!is!arguably!the! least!followed!by!Christians!today.!Do!you!think!that!practicing!Sabbath!is!akin!to! “keeping!kosher”!–!an!ancient!Israelite!/!Jewish!practice!that!no!longer!applies!to! Christians!today?!Why!or!why!not?!%
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IV.%Sabbath%and%Covenant%% Especially!during!the!period!of!the!exile,!practicing!Sabbath!became!the!most!visible! marker!of!Israel’s!loyalty!to!the!covenant.!
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I.%Sabbath%and%Creation% In!the!Exodus!version!of!the!Decalogue,!the!motivation!for!practicing!Sabbath!is! connected!to!the!creation!story.!
! Read%Exod%31:12-17.%Why!do!you!think!Sabbath!keeping!is!such!an! important!“sign”!of!the!covenant!for!the!Israelites?!!! ! Prior!to!the!exile,!ancient!Israelites!could!look!to!a!number!of!institutions!as!markers! of!their!faith!identity:!the!temple,!the!king,!the!land,!the!system!of!sacrifices,!dietary! laws,!and!so!forth.!However,!when!the!Babylonians!overthrew!Judah!and!a!number! of!Israelites!were!sent!into!exile,!many!if!not!all!of!these!institutions!were!lost.! Sabbath!keeping!remained!as!one!of!the!most!enduring—and!mobile—signs!of! covenant!loyalty!!! ! What!are!some!tangible!markers!of!your!own!faith!identity?!To!what!extent! and!in!what!ways!could!Sabbath!keeping!be!a!marker!of!Christian!identity! today?!! !
!! In!Isa%56:3-7,!Sabbath!keeping!is!the!basis!upon!which!nonPIsraelites!and!eunuchs— both!of!whom!would!have!been!excluded!in!some!measure!from!full!participation!in! the!Israelite!community—were!included!and!embraced.!The!result!is!that!God’s! temple!becomes!“a!house!of!prayer!for!all!peoples.”! ! What!if!we!saw!Sabbath!keeping!as!a!measure!of!the!spiritual!health!of!our! own!church!community?!How!would!we!think!differently!about!the!journey! of!discipleship?!Church!attendance?!The!Long!Range!Strategic!Plan?!!! !
Read%Exod%20:8-11%and%Gen%2:1-3.!According!to!Exod!20:11,!why!should!we! keep!Sabbath?!How!does!this!notion!change!your!sense!of!what!it!means!to! be!made!in!the!image!of!God?! ! ! In!Christianity,!we!typically!think!of!holiness!as!a!characteristic!of!special!places!or! people.!But!in!the!creation!account,!the!first!thing!to!be!sanctified!or!“hallowed”! (the!verbal!form!of!the!adjective!“holy”)!is!not!the!garden!or!the!heavens!or!even! humanity,!but!rather!the!seventh!day.!For!this!reason,!Jewish!scholar!Abraham! Heschel!refers!to!the!Sabbath!as!“a!sanctuary!in!time.”! ! Are!there!certain!times!or!seasons!in!life!that!you!consider!“holy”?!Why?!! In!what!sense!is!a!“holy”!day!different!than!a!holiday?! ! ! Genesis!2:1P2!presents!a!striking!paradox:!while!God!is!said!to!have!rested!on!the! seventh!day,!God!is!also!described!as!having!“finished!the!work”!on!that!same!day.! The!ancient!rabbis!addressed!this!seeming!contradiction!by!explaining!that!on!the! seventh!day!God!did,!in!fact,!create!something—namely,!menuha,!the!Hebrew!word! for!tranquility,!delight,!and!peace.!We!encounter!this!same!word!in!Psalm!23:2!–! “God!makes!me!lie!down!in!green!pastures,!he!leads!me!besides!still!(menuha)! waters.”! ! How!does!the!rabbis’!understanding!of!God’s!creation!of!menuha'on!the! seventh!day!change!what!you!think!Sabbath!keeping!entails?!In!what!ways! does!this!make!the!Sabbath!as!much!of!a!gift!as!it!is!a!command?!! ! !! !
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II.%Sabbath%and%Exodus% In!the!book!of!Deuteronomy’s!version!of!the!Decalogue,!the!rational!for!practicing! Sabbath!is!rooted!in!the!story!of!Israel’s!exodus!from!Egypt.!
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! III.%Sabbath%and%Social%Justice% !
In!other!legal!materials!in!the!Pentateuch,!the!Sabbath!is!the!starting!point!for!a! range!of!ethical,!social,!economic!concerns.! !
Read%Deut%5:12-15.!What!two!motivations!are!given!for!why!one!should! keep!the!Sabbath?!How!do!these!motivations!further!clarify!why!Sabbath! keeping!is!important?! ! ! While!in!slavery!in!Egypt,!the!Israelites!faced!unceasing!work!and!relentless! production!schedules,!being!forced!to!bake!bricks!for!Pharaoh’s!supply!cities!even! when!they!were!no!longer!supplied!with!straw!(Exod!5:6P9).!According!to! Deuteronomy,!the!Sabbath!commandment!reminds!the!Israelites!of!their!exodus! from!Egypt!and!affirms!that!unceasing!work!and!a!singular!focus!on!productivity!is! not!a!way!of!life!that!God!intends.! ! Do!you!think!Americans!today!are!“addicted”!to!work!and!busyness?!Where! do!you!see!this?!How!would!practicing!Sabbath!effect!your!own!view!of!the! role!and!place!of!work!in!your!lives?!! ! % In!Deuteronomy,!keeping!Sabbath!not!only!involves!resting!from!our!own!work!but! also!refraining!from!placing!burdensome!work!on!one’s!neighbor!(v.!14b).!In!this! sense,!keeping!a!day!of!rest!is!a!personal!spiritual!discipline!even!as!it!is!also!a! fundamental!expression!of!community!ethics.!!! % OT!professor!Patrick!Miller!contends!that!keeping!Sabbath!is!an!example!of! “loving!thy!neighbor!as!thyself”!(Lev!19:18).!To!what!extent!to!you!agree?! Have!you!ever!thought!of!Sabbath!keeping!in!this!way?! %
Read%Deut%15:1-18.%How!is!the!Sabbath’s!1PinP7!principle!of!rest!extended! and!applied!in!this!passage?!! ! ! In!the!ancient!Near!East,!kings!would!occasionally!issue!decrees!that!allowed!for!the! remission!of!debts!and!the!release!of!slaves!in!order!to!curry!favor!with!their!people! and!demonstrate!their!magnanimous!character.!! !
In!comparison!to!the!practice!of!ancient!Near!Eastern!kings,!in!what!ways!is! the!OT’s!approach!to!remission!and!release!more!just!from!the!perspective! of!the!poor!and!the!oppressed?!! ! ! In!Exod%23:10-11,%the!Sabbath!principle!is!applied!to!the!earth!and!maintains!that! farm!land!should!be!allowed!to!“rest!and!lie!fallow”!every!seventh!year.!This!is!not! only!good!agricultural!practice;!rather,!it!is!a!form!of!radical!care!for!the!poor!since! they!were!allowed!to!freely!eat!the!produce!of!a!field!that!lies!fallow.! ! In!Lev%25:8-24,!the!Sabbath!principle!is!expanded!to!“seven!weeks!of!years.”!In!the! the!50th!year,!known!as!the!Jubilee,!the!land!is!to!have!rest!and!those!who!have!sold! their!property!out!of!economic!distress!are!allowed!to!reclaim!their!inheritance.!This! practice!guarded!against!an!unequal!distribution!of!wealth!and!longPterm,!systemic! poverty.! ! ! How!can!these!OT!texts!about!Sabbath!motivate!and!inform!how!the!church! addresses!issues!of!social!justice!today?!Can!you!think!of!any!concrete! connections!between!practicing!Sabbath!and!serving!the!poor!in!our! context?!
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!
II.%Sabbath%and%Exodus% In!the!book!of!Deuteronomy’s!version!of!the!Decalogue,!the!rational!for!practicing! Sabbath!is!rooted!in!the!story!of!Israel’s!exodus!from!Egypt.!
!
! III.%Sabbath%and%Social%Justice% !
In!other!legal!materials!in!the!Pentateuch,!the!Sabbath!is!the!starting!point!for!a! range!of!ethical,!social,!economic!concerns.! !
Read%Deut%5:12-15.!What!two!motivations!are!given!for!why!one!should! keep!the!Sabbath?!How!do!these!motivations!further!clarify!why!Sabbath! keeping!is!important?! ! ! While!in!slavery!in!Egypt,!the!Israelites!faced!unceasing!work!and!relentless! production!schedules,!being!forced!to!bake!bricks!for!Pharaoh’s!supply!cities!even! when!they!were!no!longer!supplied!with!straw!(Exod!5:6P9).!According!to! Deuteronomy,!the!Sabbath!commandment!reminds!the!Israelites!of!their!exodus! from!Egypt!and!affirms!that!unceasing!work!and!a!singular!focus!on!productivity!is! not!a!way!of!life!that!God!intends.! ! Do!you!think!Americans!today!are!“addicted”!to!work!and!busyness?!Where! do!you!see!this?!How!would!practicing!Sabbath!effect!your!own!view!of!the! role!and!place!of!work!in!your!lives?!! ! % In!Deuteronomy,!keeping!Sabbath!not!only!involves!resting!from!our!own!work!but! also!refraining!from!placing!burdensome!work!on!one’s!neighbor!(v.!14b).!In!this! sense,!keeping!a!day!of!rest!is!a!personal!spiritual!discipline!even!as!it!is!also!a! fundamental!expression!of!community!ethics.!!! % OT!professor!Patrick!Miller!contends!that!keeping!Sabbath!is!an!example!of! “loving!thy!neighbor!as!thyself”!(Lev!19:18).!To!what!extent!to!you!agree?! Have!you!ever!thought!of!Sabbath!keeping!in!this!way?! %
Read%Deut%15:1-18.%How!is!the!Sabbath’s!1PinP7!principle!of!rest!extended! and!applied!in!this!passage?!! ! ! In!the!ancient!Near!East,!kings!would!occasionally!issue!decrees!that!allowed!for!the! remission!of!debts!and!the!release!of!slaves!in!order!to!curry!favor!with!their!people! and!demonstrate!their!magnanimous!character.!! !
In!comparison!to!the!practice!of!ancient!Near!Eastern!kings,!in!what!ways!is! the!OT’s!approach!to!remission!and!release!more!just!from!the!perspective! of!the!poor!and!the!oppressed?!! ! ! In!Exod%23:10-11,%the!Sabbath!principle!is!applied!to!the!earth!and!maintains!that! farm!land!should!be!allowed!to!“rest!and!lie!fallow”!every!seventh!year.!This!is!not! only!good!agricultural!practice;!rather,!it!is!a!form!of!radical!care!for!the!poor!since! they!were!allowed!to!freely!eat!the!produce!of!a!field!that!lies!fallow.! ! In!Lev%25:8-24,!the!Sabbath!principle!is!expanded!to!“seven!weeks!of!years.”!In!the! the!50th!year,!known!as!the!Jubilee,!the!land!is!to!have!rest!and!those!who!have!sold! their!property!out!of!economic!distress!are!allowed!to!reclaim!their!inheritance.!This! practice!guarded!against!an!unequal!distribution!of!wealth!and!longPterm,!systemic! poverty.! ! ! How!can!these!OT!texts!about!Sabbath!motivate!and!inform!how!the!church! addresses!issues!of!social!justice!today?!Can!you!think!of!any!concrete! connections!between!practicing!Sabbath!and!serving!the!poor!in!our! context?!
!
!
IV.%Sabbath%and%Covenant%% Especially!during!the!period!of!the!exile,!practicing!Sabbath!became!the!most!visible! marker!of!Israel’s!loyalty!to!the!covenant.!
!
I.%Sabbath%and%Creation% In!the!Exodus!version!of!the!Decalogue,!the!motivation!for!practicing!Sabbath!is! connected!to!the!creation!story.!
! Read%Exod%31:12-17.%Why!do!you!think!Sabbath!keeping!is!such!an! important!“sign”!of!the!covenant!for!the!Israelites?!!! ! Prior!to!the!exile,!ancient!Israelites!could!look!to!a!number!of!institutions!as!markers! of!their!faith!identity:!the!temple,!the!king,!the!land,!the!system!of!sacrifices,!dietary! laws,!and!so!forth.!However,!when!the!Babylonians!overthrew!Judah!and!a!number! of!Israelites!were!sent!into!exile,!many!if!not!all!of!these!institutions!were!lost.! Sabbath!keeping!remained!as!one!of!the!most!enduring—and!mobile—signs!of! covenant!loyalty!!! ! What!are!some!tangible!markers!of!your!own!faith!identity?!To!what!extent! and!in!what!ways!could!Sabbath!keeping!be!a!marker!of!Christian!identity! today?!! !
!! In!Isa%56:3-7,!Sabbath!keeping!is!the!basis!upon!which!nonPIsraelites!and!eunuchs— both!of!whom!would!have!been!excluded!in!some!measure!from!full!participation!in! the!Israelite!community—were!included!and!embraced.!The!result!is!that!God’s! temple!becomes!“a!house!of!prayer!for!all!peoples.”! ! What!if!we!saw!Sabbath!keeping!as!a!measure!of!the!spiritual!health!of!our! own!church!community?!How!would!we!think!differently!about!the!journey! of!discipleship?!Church!attendance?!The!Long!Range!Strategic!Plan?!!! !
Read%Exod%20:8-11%and%Gen%2:1-3.!According!to!Exod!20:11,!why!should!we! keep!Sabbath?!How!does!this!notion!change!your!sense!of!what!it!means!to! be!made!in!the!image!of!God?! ! ! In!Christianity,!we!typically!think!of!holiness!as!a!characteristic!of!special!places!or! people.!But!in!the!creation!account,!the!first!thing!to!be!sanctified!or!“hallowed”! (the!verbal!form!of!the!adjective!“holy”)!is!not!the!garden!or!the!heavens!or!even! humanity,!but!rather!the!seventh!day.!For!this!reason,!Jewish!scholar!Abraham! Heschel!refers!to!the!Sabbath!as!“a!sanctuary!in!time.”! ! Are!there!certain!times!or!seasons!in!life!that!you!consider!“holy”?!Why?!! In!what!sense!is!a!“holy”!day!different!than!a!holiday?! ! ! Genesis!2:1P2!presents!a!striking!paradox:!while!God!is!said!to!have!rested!on!the! seventh!day,!God!is!also!described!as!having!“finished!the!work”!on!that!same!day.! The!ancient!rabbis!addressed!this!seeming!contradiction!by!explaining!that!on!the! seventh!day!God!did,!in!fact,!create!something—namely,!menuha,!the!Hebrew!word! for!tranquility,!delight,!and!peace.!We!encounter!this!same!word!in!Psalm!23:2!–! “God!makes!me!lie!down!in!green!pastures,!he!leads!me!besides!still!(menuha)! waters.”! ! How!does!the!rabbis’!understanding!of!God’s!creation!of!menuha'on!the! seventh!day!change!what!you!think!Sabbath!keeping!entails?!In!what!ways! does!this!make!the!Sabbath!as!much!of!a!gift!as!it!is!a!command?!! ! !! !
Introduction% From!the!Pentateuch!to!the!Prophets,!the!notion!of!the!Sabbath!receives! considerable!attention!in!the!writings!of!the!Old!Testament.!Its!classic!expression!is! found!in!the!two!versions!of!the!Decalogue!(Exod!20:8P11;!Deut!5:12P15).!There,!the! Sabbath!is!more!than!just!a!commandment!about!not!working—it!is!a!divine!gift,!an! invitation!to!participate!in!the!sanctification!of!time!and!to!remember!that!we!are! created!in!the!image!of!a!God!who!rests.!Beyond!the!Decalogue,!the!Sabbath! commandment!is!expanded!into!a!broader!theological!principle!that!undergirds! God’s!compassion!for!the!oppressed!and!concern!for!the!poor.!The!Sabbath!is!also! described!as!a!“sign!forever”!of!God’s!covenant!and!it!is!seen!as!the!basis!upon! which!a!radically!inclusive!worship!community!can!be!built.!Especially!during!the! exile!and!the!subsequent!diaspora,!Sabbath!keeping!became!for!the!Israelites!the! most!visible!and!tangible!marker!of!their!faith!identity.!! ! !
Lesson%at%a%glance% ! % % %
I.%%%%Sabbath%and%Creation% II.%%%Sabbath%and%the%Exodus% III.%%Sabbath%and%Social%Justice% IV.%%Sabbath%and%Covenant%
!
! !!
!
Notes%
! _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________! _____________________________________________________________________
Conversation%starter% Of!all!the!commandments!in!the!Decalogue,!the!one!about!Sabbath!is!arguably!the! least!followed!by!Christians!today.!Do!you!think!that!practicing!Sabbath!is!akin!to! “keeping!kosher”!–!an!ancient!Israelite!/!Jewish!practice!that!no!longer!applies!to! Christians!today?!Why!or!why!not?!%
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P R A C T I C I N G
SABBATH Fall 2016 Sunday School Series
Sabbath in the Old Testament
Bu i l din g a S an ct u ar y i n T i m e
Week 2