The concept of rest, particularly in the context of specific days set aside for rest, is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and holds significant theological and practical implications. The primary biblical foundation for days of rest is found in the creation account and the Mosaic Law, which together establish a rhythm of work and rest that reflects divine order and purpose.

Creation and the Sabbath

The origin of rest as a divinely instituted practice is found in the creation narrative. In Genesis 2:2-3 , it is recorded, "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished." Here, the seventh day is set apart as a day of rest, establishing a pattern that God Himself observed. This sanctification of the seventh day underscores its significance as a day of rest and reflection on God's creative work.

The Fourth Commandment

The formalization of the Sabbath as a day of rest is codified in the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Exodus 20:8-11 states, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy." This commandment not only reiterates the creation pattern but also establishes the Sabbath as a covenantal sign between God and Israel, emphasizing rest as an act of obedience and worship.

Sabbath Observance in Israel

The observance of the Sabbath was central to the life of Israel, serving as a weekly reminder of God's provision and deliverance. In Deuteronomy 5:12-15 , the Sabbath command is reiterated with an added dimension of remembrance: "Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God... Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." Here, the Sabbath is linked to the liberation from Egypt, highlighting rest as a symbol of freedom and divine deliverance.

Prophetic and New Testament Perspectives

The prophets often called Israel back to faithful Sabbath observance, associating it with covenant faithfulness and social justice. Isaiah 58:13-14 exhorts, "If you turn your foot from breaking the Sabbath, from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way or seeking your own pleasure or speaking idle words, then you will delight yourself in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your father Jacob. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

In the New Testament, Jesus' teachings and actions regarding the Sabbath reveal its intended purpose and fulfillment. In Mark 2:27-28 , Jesus declares, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." This statement emphasizes the Sabbath as a gift for human benefit, pointing to Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of Sabbath rest.

The Lord's Day

In the early Christian church, the first day of the week, known as the Lord's Day, became the primary day of worship and rest, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts 20:7 notes, "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread." This shift reflects the new creation inaugurated by Christ's resurrection, offering believers a foretaste of eternal rest.

The biblical concept of rest, particularly as it pertains to designated days, serves as a profound reminder of God's creative work, covenantal faithfulness, and the ultimate rest found in Christ.Exodus 23:12
Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 34:21
Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest: in ripening time and in harvest you shall rest.
Nave's Topical Index

From all Thy Saints in Warfare, for all Thy Saints at Rest
... II. THE CHRISTIAN YEAR Holy Days: General for Saints' Days 267. From all thy saints
in warfare, for all thy saints at rest. 7.6.7.6.D [1004]Paean: ...
/.../holy days general for saints.htm

For all the Saints, who from their Labors Rest
... II. THE CHRISTIAN YEAR Holy Days: All Saints 295. For all the saints, who from their
labors rest. 10.10.10.4 [1116]Sarum: Joseph Barnby, 1868. Refrain. ...
/.../holy days all saints 295.htm

Last Days and After.
... How could I rest without daily and lively communion with God." But the clouds burst ...
the threshold of eternity, and there was no need in his closing days to make ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclean/william black/vii last days and after.htm

Noah's Faith, Fear, Obedience, and Salvation
... and commit folly. Rest days or work days, we alike need faith. By faith
Noah did everything before he entered the ark. This is an ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 36 1890/noahs faith fear obedience and.htm

Days of Heaven Upon Earth
... Table of Contents. Title Page. THE DAYS OF HEAVEN. JANUARY 1. "Redeeming the time"
(Eph. v. 16). ... xxviii. 20). FEBRUARY 5. "Rest in the Lord" (Ps. xxxvii.). ...
//christianbookshelf.org/simpson/days of heaven upon earth /

Rest.
... My dear friends, are we not living in solemn days? ... Won't you take up your cross
now? The blessing of God will rest on your soul if you will. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/the overcoming life/rest.htm

Continued.
... psalm, too, breathes the very spirit of sunny confidence and of perfect rest in
God. ... in the psalm is so thoroughly David's, that in his younger days, before it ...
//christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/the life of david/iii early dayscontinued.htm

1877-1879. "They Helped Every one his Neighbour" --Miss Child, a ...
... passing through Liverpool, had spent all their evenings at the 'Sailors Rest,' so
we ... Five days after we met again, and he held out his hands, exclaiming 'Bibel ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/lowe/gods answers/chapter vii 1877-1879 they helped.htm

Early Days
... CHAPTER III EARLY DAYS. ... He wrote to Cardinal Osius that he would not rest until he
had broken up the Jesuit college in Pultowa and driven every schemer of them ...
/.../greater things the story of saint stanislaus kostka /chapter iii early days.htm

Fourth Commandment
... The constitution of the United States protects the president in his weekly day of
rest. He has ten days, "Sundays excepted," in which to consider a bill that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/fourth commandment.htm

Why does Exodus 35:2 require the death penalty for working on the Sabbath? | GotQuestions.org

Is working on Sunday a sin? | GotQuestions.org

Why do the four Gospels seem to present a different message of salvation than the rest of the New Testament? | GotQuestions.org

Rest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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