
What is the real reason for the Sabbath? Why did God give it to us?
Most people think of the Sabbath as merely a rule, a law, maybe not even applicable to our day. But the sabbath is not a law alone. There is a great reason for the fourth commandment.
The Sabbath is the memorial of Creation
In the fourth commandment we find the following reason why the Sabbath should be observed:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. (Ex. 20:11).
It is the day when we should remember who the Creator is. The day when we should think of our creation as creatures made in the image of God. He only has the power to create. From the beginning God desired that man would keep in mind who created the earth and how the earth was created but after sin, when the devil began spreading alternate theories of origins, the Sabbath was especially needed to not only remember the Creator but to commune with Him and receive the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” that He only can give. God knew that we would need one day of every week rest from our work and remember Him as Creator. As long as there is a creation there will be the day on which to worship the Creator.
When God refers to His authority He often uses the title Creator, even though He answers to many other titles. In Isaiah 45:18 He says:
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
At the end of the 6 days of creation the Bible says that:
And on the seventh day God ended his work which He had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had created and made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God had created and made. Gen. 2:2-3
As we can see from the verses God made the Sabbath holy because that it in it He had rested from His creative work. Let’s take a look at a few other verses where the connection between the Sabbath and Creation is brought out.
Psalm 92 is a song for the Sabbath. Notice as we read the connection with creation:
A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. Ps 92:1-4
On the Sabbath the psalmist would praise God for His creation.
Even in the creation of the new earth the Sabbath is linked with Creation:
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 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. Isa 66:22-23
After God creates the new earth all flesh will come before Him every Sabbath for eternity to worship Him as Creator.
The connection between the Sabbath and Creation is very clear. They are inseparable. Satan wants to obscure the Sabbath because it is a sign of God’s creation. There is no reason for a seven day week other than the fact that God created all things on six days and rested on the seventh.
The Sabbath is a day to remember that we were created in the image of God. What a high position! It would do us well to think of what that actually means. We are not gods but were created to be like God in character. And on the other hand to remember that we are but dust in comparison with Him.
Evolution destroys the Sabbath
But Satan has introduced a counterfeit. He is doing all He can to obscure what God has wrought. He wants people to forget who the creator is, to attribute the work of God to evolutionary processes. He wants them to forget the Sabbath because it is a reminder of Creation.
The devil has come up with a compromise: That God created everything but that He used evolution over millions of years. It is called Theistic Evolution. This is what the plurality of people believe right now. We will be looking at the implications of this in the next paragraphs. It limits and weakens our conception of God.
By the way, there are many reasons why Creation is more scientific and makes more sense than Evolution. There is much evidence for Creation. But that is not the topic of this article.
If evolution is true than the first 11 chapters of Genesis are false and God is a liar (or nonexistent). Some say that Genesis is how Moses believed it had happened, not necessarily as God knew it had happened. But Proverbs 30:5 says “Every word of God is true” and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “All scripture is given inspiration of God.”
Evolution teaches that it took millions of years for everything including man to evolve. Genesis chapter 1 tells us that God created all in six literal days. If there are no six days of creation there is no seventh, thus no Sabbath. There would be no creation to remember.
Evolution teaches that everything was not good but is getting better. The Bible teaches that the earth started out very good and has been getting steadily worse. This is something any reasonable person ought to see if he looks at the world honestly. Have humans themselves become better through the years. You can say that we have more knowledge than earlier peoples but certainly not that we are stronger and more fit than previous generations.
Evolution portrays God as having a very mean and cruel character, a God who would put innocent humans and animals through millions of years of evolving, to whom humanity is not worth much. The Bible portrays the very opposite: a God who is loving and kind, who gave Adam and Eve every warning not to fall into sin, a God who gave them an exalted position in the universe, and a God who gave all heaven in the gift of His Son for the redemption of the human race.
Evolution does away with our need for salvation for if death (which the Bible calls “the wages of sin”) occurred before the fall there is nothing to be saved from. Death is required for the evolutionary cycle. It teaches that it is just our portion to die. But God told Adam and Eve that only if they ate of the tree they would die. If death didn’t come from sin than there was no reason for the Son of God to come and die for us. God would have been deceiving them.
Evolution teaches that you do not have a free will but the Bible plainly says that we can choose. If there is no free will but our thoughts and actions are the products of uncontrollable processes we cannot change. The Bible says that we can change, we can be partakers of the divine nature through Christ.
Evolution casts doubt on how God would create the world again (Rev. 21:1) the second time if the first time was by evolution. Would we have to wait millions and billions of years for the new earth to be recreated?
How was the earth created according to the Bible?
God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light!…God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” It was so. Gen 1:3,24
God said let there be [light, living creatures, etc.] and “it was so.”
The LORD God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Gen 2:7
He formed man in a different way, after His own image, from the dust of the of the ground. This is to show that God considers man a much greater creation than the animals. Evolution considers man and animals the same, in fact man is a animal, having evolved from other animals.
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. Ps 33:6-9
Again, God made everything by the breath of His mouth. He spake and it was done. “Done” is very plain. It means DONE. It doesn’t mean to start a process. It means to FINISH IT!
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Heb. 11:3
This verse tells us that the things that were created were not made from things that were preexistent. They were created by the Word of God. God’s word is so powerful that whatever He says happens as soon as He says it.
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 2 Peter 3:5
Peter predicts that in the last days men would be willingly ignorant of how God created the world.
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col 1:16-17
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3
All things were created by Him and He still upholds them. Nothing was made without Him.
He spake and it was done! The very word of God creates. God didn’t need a gradual evolution. He made everything perfect by His word alone. He created everything better than it is now and it has been gradually getting worse because of sin. He planned His creation, He spake, and it was created just as He spake. But He formed man with His own hands out of the dust of the ground. He did not speak man into existence: for man was made in His image. Thus as we keep the Sabbath we remember the great power that God has in creation. We remember that as Creator He owns everything and has a call on our life. And because He is who He is, we can believe His promises all confidence that what He promises He will do.
When we keep the Sabbath it shows that we believe that He is Creator of all and that we trust His word.
If we can’t believe what He inspired the Bible writers to write about Creation how can we believe what is said about Salvation.
Sabbath and Salvation
The Sabbath also signifies something else:
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: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Deut 5:15.
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God. Ezek 20:20
Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Exod 31:13
The Sabbath is a time to remember that God has brought us out of bondage and that He is able to sanctify us [make us holy]. Keeping the Sabbath shows that we believe that He can bring us out of bondage to the world, the flesh, and the devil, just as He brought the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt.
Healing on the Sabbath
And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus. Luke 6:5-11
and
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. Luke 13:10-17
Jesus specifically picked the Sabbath to do some of His miracles that people would the connection between the Sabbath and Salvation. On every Sabbath thereafter that woman would remember that Jesus had brought her out of bondage to Satan. The Sabbath is a day of restoration. Jesus restored these people on the Sabbath to that He wants to restore people on the Sabbath, not only physically by spiritually. Again He spoke the word and immediately they were made whole, just like He created the world!
The Sabbath is a memorial of our deliverance from Satan. Because Jesus rested from His work of salvation in the tomb, we also can rest from our works on the Sabbath. It shows that we believe in His power to save and to provide.
The Sabbath and Creation in the Last Days
While I was thinking about this topic the thought came to me that Creation will actually play a fairly large part in the end time events. We already read what Peter said, that in the last days people will not believe in creation, and that they will scoff and jeer at those who do. Reminds me of Noah’s day. They were all scoffing and then the rain came just as God said it would.
It’s amazing that many Christians, probably even a plurality, are accepting evolution. I saw a poll surveying Evangelical leaders: 41% accept theistic evolution.
The Pope says:
“When we read the account of creation in Genesis, we risk thinking that God was a magician, complete with a magic wand, able to do everything. But it is not like that,” he said. “He created living beings and he let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave each one, so that they would develop and reach their full potential.”
“The Big Bang, which today is held as the beginning of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator, but requires it,” he said. “Evolution in nature is not at odds with the notion of creation because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve.”
“The scientist must [nevertheless] be moved by a trust in the idea that nature hides, within her evolutionary mechanisms, potentialities that it is the task of intellect and freedom to discover and actuate, in order to achieve the [kind of] development that is in the design of the Creator.”
In the preceding statement from Pope Francis, he says “we risk thinking that God was…able to do anything.” What an amazingly blasphemous statement! The Bible clearly declares that God is all powerful and there is nothing He cannot do. The Pope also says, “nature hides, within her evolutionary mechanisms, potentialities that it is the task of intellect and freedom to discover and actuate.” He is putting nature above God! That God would have to discover potentialities in His creation. Wow!
In Revelation chapter we see what God’s message will be shortly before He comes to reap the world:
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, and he had an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
He declared in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has arrived, and worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water!” Rev 14:6-7
The verse says “Worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water.” In other words, The Creator. So just before the coming of Christ there will be preached a message: worship the Creator. This is in a time in earth’s history where nearly everyone, Christians included, are forgetting the Creator. The best way to remember the Creator is the to keep the Sabbath of creation. If we look at the expression used we will immediately think of the fourth commandment. John is here obviously drawing his language from the fourth commandment.
Satan is seeking to destroy the two institutions that God set up in the first week of the history of the world: the Sabbath and Marriage. Satan wants people to forget there is a Creator that we have to answer to, a Creator who knows what is best for us.
At this time in earth’s history marriage is seen as unnecessary unless it is homosexual marriage. Adultery is seen as fine, especially if it is in the thoughts. But God has said, marriage is between a man and a woman for life. Anything else is an abomination in God’s sight. Satan hates marriage because it was set up by God and if rightly entered into marriage honors God and promotes the happiness and well-being of society.
There is another abomination mentioned in scripture. To worship the creation instead of the Creator. It is the devil again seeking to destroy what God has done. You see it all over. Worship yourself. Worship the earth. Worship other people. But only God should be worshiped as He only is Creator and He only upholds all creation. Only He is worthy of worship.
Soon we will be ridiculed, maybe even by other Christians, for believing what the Bible says about Creation. They will say, these people reject clear Science. They are unreasonable. That only fools believe that the earth and its contents were created in six days.
But in the end there will be a people who will hold to the authority and inerrancy of God’s Holy Word. They will honor God as Creator on His Holy Sabbath. They will glorify His name and power. They will preach the everlasting gospel. Now is the time to proclaim the Creator God by worshiping Him on His Holy Sabbath: for it is a sign that we believe and accept Him as Creator and as Saviour.
This isn’t an exhaustive study of the Sabbath. There are many other aspects of the Sabbath.
If you have questions about something in this article please let me know.