Why the Sabbath Really Matters
by Jack Klumpenhower
12/16/2006

Observing a Sabbath—a period of rest—has gone out of fashion. But it is a huge theme in the Bible. It’s one of the Ten Commandments and a key cultural mark of God’s people.

The Sabbath is tangible. People in the Bible take real rest from real work. The Sabbath enters the guts of day-to-day existence, creating shared habits, rituals, and language—culture. In 1 Peter 2:9, the Bible calls believers a “holy nation.” Like any other nation, our unique culture has vast implications. Tangible practices like Sabbath-keeping determine how we think and live for God.

Here are some of the fundamental life attitudes that the Bible says flow with the Sabbath:

Live for God, not for yourself. “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day” (Isaiah 58:13).

Trust God to provide. “Stop carrying on your trade at Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day” (Jeremiah 17:21).

Follow God’s example. “And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation” (Genesis 2:3).

Devote attention to worship. “[Jesus] went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath” (Luke 4:16).

Practice good deeds. “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” (Luke 6:9)

Be stewards of the earth. “The land itself must observe a Sabbath rest” (Leviticus 25:2).

Remember how God saved you. “Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the LORD your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day” (Deuteronomy 5:15).

This list shows that Sabbath-keeping isn’t just a single idea. Rather, the Sabbath reinforces an entire godly lifestyle. Our worship, good deeds, stewardship, trust, and theology all suffer if we neglect the Sabbath.

Christians disagree on whether Sabbath-keeping in our post-Jesus era ought to include making one day of the week special and which day that should be. But whatever your conscience and further study tell you, the Bible is clear that Sabbath-keeping extends far beyond weekly observances.

Colossians 2:17 tells us, “These rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” This is an amazing claim. It says that our special-day Sabbaths, so real and practical, are only shadows compared to the day-to-day realness of Jesus.

Jesus gives a real rest that reaches our souls. We live with real power to love hard-to-love people because Jesus really died to put sin to rest. His sacrifice gives us real acceptance with God, real friendship in prayer, and a real, bodily, eternal life of rest beyond the grave.

Do we believe this? Do we believe prayer, heaven, and forgiveness are a Sabbath even more down-to-earth than our decision about how to spend the weekend? We must believe. We must keep this Sabbath. We must immerse ourselves in the Sabbath of Jesus.

Whenever we preach and teach, study the Bible, help the needy, pray and meditate, we must pay constant attention to this Sabbath—to the wonders of forgiveness in Jesus and heaven to come. This will create a culture of God. It will have vast implications for how we think and live, as any Sabbath should.

Read More: Read the Sabbath command in both accounts of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15). How does the reason behind the Sabbath differ? Why would the Sabbath be central to both the creative and the saving work of God?