God gave his people the Sabbath as a day of rest. It is a day to reflect on the fact that God created us and that we are his creations. The people were to rejoice in the Lord and be happy in his presence. They were to sing songs of praise and give thanks to the Lord for all that he had done for them. Jews refrain from working and from making purchases on the Sabbath. Instead, they put their attention on studying the Bible, praying, and spending time with their loved ones.
God instructs the Israelites to keep the Sabbath day holy in Exodus 20:8–11. They are to take a day off from work and engage in acts of worship. In contrast, they must work and perform all of their labor on the other six days of the week. God instructs the Israelites in Deuteronomy 5:12–15 to keep the Sabbath day holy. On this day, they are not to labor but rather to worship God. God instructs Moses to rest on the seventh day since he has been working hard in the Exodus story (Gallagher). God gave his people the Sabbath as a day of rest. This demonstrates how much he cherishes and seeks to connect with people on a personal level.
Several actions are specifically prohibited on the Sabbath. God instructs Moses in the Exodus text that the Israelites are not to work on the Sabbath. This implies that they are not permitted to engage in any of their typical livelihood-generating activities. They are also forbidden from lighting a fire on the Sabbath. This is possibly because God intended for the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath and the tabernacle’s construction required the use of fire.
God instructs the Israelites not to gather wood on the Sabbath in the verse from Numbers. This is most likely a result of God intending for the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath and the laborious nature of gathering wood. God instructs the Israelites not to bear burdens on the Sabbath in the text from Jeremiah. This is possibly because God intended for the Israelites to rest on the Sabbath and carrying loads is laborious work. God instructs the Israelites not to buy or sell on the Sabbath in the verse from Nehemiah. This is most likely due to the fact that selling and purchasing are both permissible on the Sabbath, when God intended for the Israelites to rest.
The instruction to observe the Sabbath is still valid today. Even if we should still take a day off from work, the Sabbath is a day of rest. The Sabbath also serves as a day to reflect on the fact that God is our Creator and that we are his creatures. It’s a day to honor God and spend time with loved ones.
As the day of the resurrection, Sunday is the day of worship for Christians.
On this day, Christians are to take a day off from work and concentrate on their connection with God. The Sabbath is a day of spiritual and physical rest. It is a day to ponder God’s benevolence and express gratitude for everything He has accomplished. The Sabbath is observed on Sunday to serve as a reminder of the power of God to save us.
Work Cited
Gallagher, L. J. (2019). A theology of rest: Sabbath principles for ministry. Christian Education Journal, 16(1), 134-149.