From the time of creation, the seventh day was set aside as a day of rest (Gen 2:2); it was a time to celebrate, to rejoice in work accomplished, and to praise the Creator. Today, most Christians and Jews observe every seventh day as special, whether they recognize Saturday or Sunday. The Hebrew word shabbat, “Sabbath,” is formed from the root shabat, meaning “to cease,” “to desist,” or “to rest.” In the Old Testament, while ordinary work ceased on this day, sacred activities were encouraged, and feasts or festivals sometimes coincided with the Sabbath. The religious high point of the year was the Day of Atonement, which was also called a shabbat shabbaton, “a Sabbath of complete rest,” yet there was a great deal of religious activity carried out by the High Priest and other Levites (Lev. 23:32; 16:31).[1]
The need for Israel to focus upon God one day per week was absolutely necessary to keep them from being so preoccupied with their work. Numbers 15:32-36 shows us the seriousness of breaking the Sabbath – death! Additional worship unto God was expected by offering two one-year old male lambs were to be sacrificed on the Sabbath. Even the land was to rest every seventh year.
When you transition into the Biblical New Testament, we see Christ and his disciples observing the Sabbath. However, Christ would teach the Sabbath was created by God for man’s good and not his oppression. Christ would declare that He was Lord over the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28). The true “Sabbath” of God, true rest in and with Him through Christ, is the goal and purpose of every believer. With joy, we strive to enter that rest (Heb. 3:10, 11; Rev. 14:13).
The Covid-19 Pandemic has radically altered how we do business and church. No one is exempt! The suddenness of this pandemic has forced a surge of nervous energy to simply cope with a new reality. Six weeks into this crisis, we are still nervous, yet we remain busier now than ever. There is a new reality that is going to settle upon every person, home, business, and church. History tells us that every significant crisis brings about social change that will not look like the “old-normal.” However, there is an ancient truth that is just as real today as it was in Genesis 2:2 when the sabbath is first mentioned – Shabbat! Stop the nervous energy and shut down, form a Sabbath day of true uninterrupted rest. It is perhaps the most important spiritual, mental, and physical thing you can do for yourself during this pandemic and post-pandemic.
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[1] Carpenter, E. E., & Comfort, P. W. (2000). In Holman treasury of key Bible words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew words defined and explained (p. 157). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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