Topical Bible: The Sabbath: The Seventh Day Observed As

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The Sabbath, observed on the seventh day of the week, holds a significant place in Judeo-Christian tradition as a day of rest and worship. Its origins and observance are deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and theological understanding of creation, covenant, and divine commandment.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of the Sabbath is first introduced in the creation account in Genesis. After six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day, setting a divine precedent for the Sabbath. Genesis 2:2-3 states, "And 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."

The Sabbath is further codified in the Ten Commandments, where it is presented as a perpetual covenant between God and His people. Exodus 20:8-11 commands, "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."

Theological Significance

The Sabbath serves as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, as articulated in Exodus 31:16-17 : "The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it as a lasting covenant for the generations to come. It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."

The Sabbath is not merely a day of physical rest but also a time for spiritual renewal and reflection on God's provision and sovereignty. It is a reminder of God's creative power and His deliverance, as seen in Deuteronomy 5:15 : "Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day."

Observance in Jewish Tradition

In Jewish tradition, the Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and concludes at sunset on Saturday. It is marked by various rituals, including the lighting of candles, recitation of blessings, and communal meals. The day is characterized by rest from labor, study of the Torah, and attendance at synagogue services.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, Jesus' relationship with the Sabbath is a subject of considerable discussion. While He observed the Sabbath, He also challenged legalistic interpretations that overshadowed its intended purpose. 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."

The early Christian church grappled with the observance of the Sabbath, especially as Gentile converts joined the faith. The Apostle Paul addresses this in Colossians 2:16-17 , advising, "Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."

Contemporary Christian Observance

Among Christians, the observance of the Sabbath varies. Some denominations, such as Seventh-day Adventists, continue to observe Saturday as the Sabbath. Others, influenced by the resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week, have shifted the day of rest and worship to Sunday, often referred to as the "Lord's Day."

The Sabbath remains a profound symbol of rest, worship, and the eternal rest promised to believers, as articulated in Hebrews 4:9-10 : "So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His."

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 20:9-11
Six days shall you labor, and do all your work:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Seventh-Day Baptists, or Sabbatarians,
... 1. That God hath required the seventh or last day of every week to be
observed by mankind, universally, for the weekly Sabbath. ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/seventh-day baptists or sabbatarians.htm

Of the Observance of the Sabbath.
... 1188] always, and not only every seventh day, but through ... month after month, and
day after day, and sabbath ... there was withal an eternal sabbath foreshown and ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter iv of the observance of.htm

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day ...
... to be performed as the Sabbath worship, which cannot now be observed (see Leviticus ...
and ample testimony we must conclude that the seventh day Sabbath, with its ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/questions about the nature and.htm

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... And every seventh year after, there is some alteration or change ... who (as Bodin notes)
died on the same day of the ... of a man is measured by the Sabbath; for how ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

Concerning the Festivals; and How Each Day of Such Festival is to ...
... The Festivals; And How Each Day Of Such Festival Is To Be Observed. ... at the ending
of the day; but on the seventh day, which is called the Sabbath, they kill ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 concerning the festivals.htm

Whether the Third Precept of the Decalogue, Concerning the ...
... Objection 3: Two things are to be observed in the ... words: "Remember that thou keep
holy the Sabbath day." For in ... in the words (Ex.20:11), "On the seventh day . ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the third precept of.htm

Thou Shalt Sanctify the Holy Day. [Remember the Sabbath Day to ...
... working], or heiligen Abend geben [sanctify the Sabbath]. ... Old Testament, God separated
the seventh day, and appointed ... practised, there a true holy day is being ...
/.../luther/the large catechism/thou shalt sanctify the holy.htm

Against the Jews on the Question of the Sabbath.
... The Sabbath, moreover, is the cessation from sin; so ... one, and so both together, when
observed by those ... Law, therefore, enjoined that the seventh day should be ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xxiii against the jews on.htm

Of the Eternal Felicity of the City of God, and of the Perpetual ...
... this divine gift there was to be observed this gradation ... 1695] There shall be the
great Sabbath which has ... written, "And God rested on the seventh day from all ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 30 of the eternal felicity.htm

Sacred Times --The Lord's Day.
... Christ as the Lord of the Sabbath opposed this mechanical ... The day was transferred
from the seventh to the ... On that day he ordered the Galatian and Corinthian ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 57 sacred timesthe lords.htm