Learning to Practice the Sabbathনমুনা

24 Hours of Rest

God created us for a life rhythm that includes 24 hours of holy, set-apart rest every week. The idea of setting aside a full day for rest is pretty radical in the modern world. It was also unheard of in ancient times when life was all work all the time. But God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we need rest and life is fuller when we get it.

When God created the heavens and the Earth, He rested on the seventh day.

For Jewish people, the seventh day is known as the Shabbat - from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. This is their Sabbath day. Amid the frantic pace of life, Jewish obedience to a God-commanded weekly day of rest holds strong, having steadfastly endured, week after week, throughout the centuries. In the Jewish mind, Friday afternoon heralds the onset of the sweet gift of rest – in obedience to the Lord.

Many Christians follow the practice of resting on the first day of the week, Sunday, which is the traditional Christian day to especially honor the day of Jesus resurrection. Christians are under no obligation to keep the Torah prescription given to Israel to worship on the Jewish Shabbat but do well to rest one day a week.

So which day is the Sabbath?

It doesn’t have to be a Saturday. It doesn’t have to be Sunday. It just has to be.

Perhaps Wednesday is a better option for your Sabbath. Choose the day of the week that works best for stopping your work, and enjoying God's sweet gift of rest. Sabbath is about making time and space for God. Just start. It’s worth it.

Pause and Consider

Identify the day of the week that you can set aside as your weekly day of rest. Mark it on your calendar and plan ahead. Rest often requires preparation. Remember God’s rhythm is six days of work and then we stop, rest, and then we start our work again.

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about the Sabbath, and the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, please visit www.jewishvoice.org, or enjoy one of o ur other Bible reading plans on this app.