The Sabbath: What It Means to Me

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The Sabbath

What It Means to Me

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In the Fourth Commandment, God says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).  What does He mean by “remember?”  When I think about remembering, I think about something very important, something I am not to forget; purposely recalling something from memory or bringing something to mind.

A road sign for life

In Mark 2:27, Christ said that we weren’t made for the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath was made for us.  But why did God make the Sabbath for us?  He made it so that we come together to worship Him, and so that He can guide and direct our lives, teaching us His ways.

Exodus 31:16-17 reads, “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.  It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.”  Notice that Israel was to “observe,” meaning to celebrate, keep, or adhere to in practice.  It is to be “a perpetual covenant,” an agreement or contract between God and man. 

Furthermore, it is to be a sign.  People need signs to show them where to go or give them helpful information.  There are many signs in our society that direct us where we should go, and God has given us signs in the Bible for the same purpose.  The Sabbath is one of those signs.  Just like a road sign helping you while driving, the Sabbath points you in the right direction in life.

When God first opened my mind to His truth, the Sabbath was a point that stuck hard in my thoughts.  I knew the Sabbath was important, and I was afraid I wouldn’t keep it.  I had thought Saturday was my day to do what I wanted – to work, go shopping, do recreational things – but now God was showing me it was a day to be close to Him.

Importance of fellowship

I’ve learned through the years what a pleasure it is to keep the Sabbath together.  Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”  The idea is that people grow from interaction with one another. 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Love and good works need to be stirred up – they do not just occur!  We have a tremendous impact on each other.  This is why we need to exhort one another to gather together.

Blessed for keeping the Sabbath

Isaiah 58:13-14 says, “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking you own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.  The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

So then, this is what the Sabbath means to me:  it is a day to rest and be renewed; it is a day to be with God and with family and brethren, knowing His presence is there.  As I go through the week, I can meditate, study, and pray on things I have learned and look forward to the Sabbath, when I can learn more and delight in all the things God has given me.

To learn more about this important time each week, request our free booklet Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest.

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Comments

  • KARS

    Greetings everyone! Even though I counted the cost and took the Sabbath day test seriously. I still feel like a outcast among many brethren and I know Our Father's truths and follow them. Sometimes I wonder if I am following the right people. I am an attendee of the statutes of Leviticus 23 including the weekly Sabbath. Along with serving others when I can. It's sad to feel physically alone yet not spiritual alone for God is with us. God our Father is truly a friend and helper in time of need with our Savior Jesus Christ leading the way when you let Him.

  • MelindaRae

    I am sitting at a birthday party with my son. He was invited so we accepted. I didn’t consider that it is on the Sabbath when we accepted. Now I am sitting here watching the sin have fun with his friends. I am feeling very sad though because what I thought is just a celebration away from home I realize isn’t just that. We are are a venue, people are clearly working to provide the entertainment and here I sit.’
    What do you all do in these cases?

  • Lena VanAusdle

    Hi Melinda,
    that's a tough spot to be in. I typically avoid events and parties on the Sabbath, but I understand how challenging it can be to explain to friends and family when you can't be at some events. I think it's also okay to back out of an event if you sincerely didn't realize it was on the Sabbath, and you just explain to your friends your belief. Praying it gets easier for you!

  • Skip Miller

    Hello Melinda, It looks to me like you were caught somewhat unprepared. I imagine you probably would not do the same thing again. If you have not done so already you could take the time to tell your son what bothered you about going to a "fun park" on God's Sabbath. That way, the sadness you felt might be somewhat taken away by the lesson that you both are learning. Hope your son appreciates your love and concern for him.

  • irini_limaj

    I am applying for a PhD program and I just read that the first semester they have classes all evening friday and all day saturday...Is that wrong to go to school on a sabath? What should I do? (I think that all PhD programs here have classes on those days)

  • Ivan Veller

    Hi Sunny,

    Our booklet "Sunset to Sunset: God's Sabbath Rest" is available here: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/

  • Sunny

    The shabath was given to Israel in the old testament. What is the position of sabbath in the 21st century. Do Christians keep saturday/Sunday sabbath?

  • Skip Miller

    Hi Sunny,

    Gen 2: 2 and 3 clearly indicate that the 7th day is God's Sabbath.
    It was sanctified and blessed. No other day of the week was like it.

    People changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
    People changed the way God said days start and end.
    All of these facts are easily found on Google and Wikipedia.

    What we need to decide is who (or what) will be our criteria.

    If we let God's Word be our guide we will keep God's original Sabbath.

  • Webelieve

    Shalom and hello.
    We can truly truly say that once we began honoring Father G-D on HIS day, we felt as though the weight of the world fell off our backs! )praise the LORD! We did visit another sabbath keeping church but just didn't get a blessing as big as we should have I think. And as soon as my wife is able, we will visit the UCG in our area. Furthermore, we still honor Father G-D on His Sabbath from sunset to sunset each and every sabbath, albeit, here at our home and we still feel so very very blessed each week. It does the soul very good to obey our Father G-D. Praise the LORD!
    Also, let me remind all the church to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for Father G-D to keep HIS Face on Israel and His holy peoples and also us, His elect. May Father G-D bless and keep us. Love through HIS Holy Son, Christ Jesus.
    David & Jodi W.

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