We live at a fast pace, where work, screens and worries hardly ever stop. In the middle of all this, God offers us an ancient yet surprisingly relevant gift: the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, a time set apart for rest, for Him and for the people we love.
A gift from creation
The Sabbath did not appear as a rule imposed later; it is part of the creation story itself. The Bible says: “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (Genesis 2:3). Before any nation or organised religion existed, God gave humanity a blessed day, a sign of the relationship between the Creator and His creation.
A commandment to remember
When God gave the Ten Commandments, He began the fourth one with a special word: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8). It is the only commandment that begins with “remember”, as if God knew that in the rush of life we would be tempted to forget it. Adventists keep the Sabbath from Friday evening to Saturday evening as a time for worship, family, nature and acts of kindness.
The Sabbath in the life of Jesus
Jesus kept the Sabbath and made it a day of healing and joy. The Gospel tells us that “as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day” (Luke 4:16). He also reminded us of its purpose: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is not a burden but an invitation. The prophet Isaiah invites us to “call the sabbath a delight” (Isaiah 58:13).
A sign of freedom
When the Sabbath commandment is repeated in Deuteronomy, God adds a new reason, deliverance from slavery: “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm” (Deuteronomy 5:15). The Sabbath is not only a reminder of creation, but also of salvation. Every week it tells us that we are not slaves to work, money or worry.
In a culture that measures our worth by productivity, the Sabbath reminds us that we are loved for who we are, not for what we produce. Rest becomes an act of trust: we leave our unfinished work in God’s hands and acknowledge that He is the One who holds the world.
What a joyful Sabbath looks like
For many Adventist families, the Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset with a quiet meal, a prayer and perhaps a song. Phones are put aside and time is given to the people we love. On Saturday morning the community gathers for Bible study and worship, and the afternoon is ideal for a walk in nature, a visit to someone who is ill, or a good conversation.
Jesus showed that the Sabbath is a good day for doing good. When He was criticised for healing on the Sabbath, He answered: “Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.” (Matthew 12:12). The Sabbath does not mean inactivity, but a change of direction: from our own concerns to the things of God and the needs of others.
A day that looks to the future
The Bible also speaks of the Sabbath in the light of eternity. Describing the new earth, the prophet Isaiah says: “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 66:23). Every Sabbath today is a small foretaste of the perfect rest God is preparing for His children.
In this way the Sabbath connects past, present and future: it reminds us that God created us, assures us that He redeems us, and gives us the hope that one day we will live forever in His presence.
For reflection
What would a day of true rest look like for you, free from rush and worry? What could you do this Sabbath for someone around you? You are warmly invited to spend a Sabbath with us at church.
Bible verses are quoted from the King James Version.