Understanding the SabbathSýnishorn

What Sabbath Is

Genesis 2:2-3 is where we see the first mention of the concept of Sabbath. God, the Creator, had just finished all of the creation work He’d been doing, and that’s when He rested. In the original Hebrew language, the word for “rested” is shabbat, and it means to stop working. And that’s exactly what God did. Not because He was tired or weary, for creating the world didn’t take a toll on God. He simply rested, because the work He’d done for the previous six days was complete. Thus, the concept of Sabbath began.

Let’s fast-forward many centuries to Exodus 20. In this chapter, the Ten Commandments were given to Moses for the Jewish people. Out of those ten listed, the fourth had the most detailed description. It says:

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 NASB

To honor the Sabbath means to “keep it holy,” and holy simply means set apart. So, our Sabbath should look differently than the other six days of our week. When we strive to keep the Sabbath, it’s ultimately for our benefit. 

Rest looks differently for everyone. Maybe you’re not the type of person who wants to lay around on your day off, but prefer to be active or spend time with friends. Or maybe you don’t need as much physical rest, but mentally and emotionally could use a break. Then, make the choice to unplug from anything that causes you to stay connected to what has drained you for six days. Whatever is restful for you, then that’s how you spend your time on your Sabbath. 

Spend some time thinking about what it is that refuels you after spending six days working. And don’t worry if you don’t “get it right” every time. God’s not mad at you for not keeping the Sabbath. It’s not for Him, it’s for you! Just keep practicing how to rest on your Sabbath.