More recent research in ancient near east cultures has now made it possible to reasonably ask the question, “How would the original audience understood the creation account Genesis?” The short answer is that the creation account in Genesis would have been seen as the dedication of a temple, that is, God was making the universe as a cosmic temple, a place where He would meet with His human image-bearing creatures.
The first six days of creation were all marked by the phrase, “there was evening and there was morning …” The six days were followed by a never-ending seventh day, not marked by the phrase, “there was evening and there was morning.” After the six days of dedicating the cosmic temple, it was now time for Elohim to eternally settle into the temple with his image-bearing humans. In Genesis 2:2-3 we learn that
And on the seventh day God ended his work (Heb. “mlaka,” occupation, workmanship, service). which he had made; and he stopped (Heb. “shabbat”) on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had stopped (Heb. “shabbat”) from all his work which God created and made.
Exodus 20:11 expands on the meaning of the seventh day. Once the temple was fully dedicated, then God could stop (Heb. “shabbat”) his dedicating work (Heb. “mlaka”) to begin another activity, a settling-in set of activities. This new settling-in phase is noted in the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:11
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested (Heb. nuach) on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath (Heb. Shabbat) day and made it holy.
In Exodus 20:11, the English term, “rested” is a translation of the Hebrew, “nuach.” While nuach may represent resting, the larger sense of the word means, “to abide in, to settle into.” In other words, once the temple is complete then it is time to use the temple for what it was designed for, a place for God to dwell with the humans who would serve as stewards over God’s creation (see Heb 1:28; 2:15).
The eternal seventh day is not a time where God, and the humans He created would do nothing. The tasks of stewarding the cosmic temple would not cease. Living creatures would continue producing after their kind. The humans were also to reproduce and expand the Kingdom of God from the Garden of Eden and to fill the entire earth, overcoming the chaos of the world as they expanded their stewardship.
But we know that the seventh day would not be marked by a time where everyone simply lived “happily ever after.” The human rebellion marked an interruption in the process, a disruption where the humans and the world they lived in would be marked by corruption and the movement of creation back to the original chaos.
However, God had a plan to restore His creation and to restore the broken relations between the humans and each other and the broken relation between the humans and Himself. This plan included setting apart a group of humans out of all the nations through which He would restore creation. This group started with the selection of Abraham through which the nation of Israel would be formed. After this nation was released from slavery in Egypt, they arrived at Mt Sinai where they received many instructions, including the instructions we call the Ten Commandments.
In the fourth Commandment, in Exodus 20, this special arrangement is marked by the setting aside of every seventh day as a stopping day, a Sabbath. The human rebellion caused a curse in which soil would create toil as the soil would resist the attempts of the humans. The Sabbath activities were meant to turn the humans from their cursed toil and their reliance on their own abilities to provide for themselves towards a remembrance that it is God who provides. The seventh day stopping activity could then be focused on their relation to God and to each other, a remembrance that humans were ultimately created for relationship with God and each other.
While the laws given in the Old Testament are instructional, after Jesus, His followers are not under the law as such, but under grace. In regards to the Sabbath, there are many good practices and benefits that underly the Sabbath, but New Testament believers are not bound to them.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
There are many who find that the observance of a 24-hour Sabbath is beneficial for reorienting themselves to their relationship to God, to family and to community. That is good. But for those who do not set aside such a time, because they are unable or simply do not feel compelled to set aside as 24-hour observance of Sabbath, it may be worthwhile to consider what are the beneficial practices embedded in the Sabbath that would be useful to observe. In Hebrews 4:1-11 we read
1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
We need to be mindful that we are resting in God’s provision: in what we do, in our relationships, in our thoughts. We cannot satisfy our desires or our needs. For us, our Sabbath-rest is not about a day of the week but of a state of mind and heart. We must stop trying to provide for ourselves of our own effort but rather resting in our trust that God is our provider.
If we don’t set aside one day as a continuous reminder of our need to “rest” (“nuach”) with God, then we may consider the following:
- Are we daily mindful that we nuach with God in our daily tasks.
- Are we regularly setting aside time to focus on being with God and His people (our family and community)?
- Are we loving God and neighbor the way we should?
- Are our lives, our work, our habits, and our relationships marked our relationship with God?
- Does our work seem filled with our own toil or with our resting in God?
The point is not whether we observe Sabbath or whether our Sabbath remembrance is 24 hours or 24 minutes. The point is whether we are resting/nuaching with God and his people. If we can do better than our current practice (and most of us can) then we might consider what Sabbath discipline will be helpful for us to live in our freedom in Christ and to flourish as God has intended for us.
Transcendent Touched 