Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
--Genesis 2:1-3
As we have been studying the days of creation, did you notice a pattern? God forms then He fills. On day 1 He created light, and then on day 4 He created the sun, moon, and stars. On day 2 He created the sky and seas, and then on day 5 He created the birds and sea creatures. On day 3 He created land, and then on day 6 He created the land animals.
God created time and space, and then on day 7 He filled it with eternity.
Friend, if you study the major religions in the world, there usually is a holy place or temple associated with that religion. In certain religions, it is a requirement that the followers of that religion must make a pilgrimage to the holy place at least once in their lives.
Let’s turn to Exodus 16:23-30.
- According to these verses, what day is the Sabbath?
- Answer (highlight to read): The seventh day
- According to these verses, what is the Sabbath?
- Answer: It is a holy day of rest.
Yet, Christianity does not have a holy place or temple. We have the Sabbath – a holy time. We do not have to make a pilgrimage to a holy site – the Sabbath comes to us every week. Even if you are in jail, at the bottom of the ocean, or in outer space, the Sabbath comes to you.
Note that Genesis 2:3 states that God not only blessed the seventh day, He sanctified it, that is to say, He set it apart from the other six days of the week. No other day in the week, including Sunday, which most Christians observe as a day of worship, has this distinction.
Let’s turn to Exodus 20:8-11.
- According to these verses, what does God tell us to do about the Sabbath?
- Answer: God tells us to remember the Sabbath and to keep it holy.
The Sabbath is a memorial of creation. It testifies that God created the heavens and earth in six literal days. When you look at measurements of time, there are astronomical reasons behind those measurements. A day is the time it takes for the earth to complete one revolution around its axis. A month is the time it takes for the moon to revolve around the earth. A year is the time it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun. What about the 7-day week? There really is no astronomical explanation or anything in nature to explain why we have a 7-day week. The best explanation we have is from the Bible!
Let’s turn to Mark 2:27.
- According to this verse who does Jesus say the Sabbath was made for?
- Answer: Man
Let’s turn to Isaiah 56:1-8
- According to these verses, is Sabbath-keeping limited to just the Jews?
Answer: No
Many people think the Sabbath was a Jewish invention, but who does Jesus say the Sabbath was made for? Man! The Jews were not the first people to keep the Sabbath – it was Adam and Eve!
Jewish author Abraham Heschel once said that the Sabbath is a palace in time. Friend, the seventh day reminds us that God is our Creator and wants to have a relationship with us. The Sabbath is our opportunity to spend time with our loving Creator. God fills our hearts with eternity on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a taste of heaven. We will all worship God on the Sabbath in heaven (Isaiah 66:22-23). When we are with God on the other side of eternity, we will be in His presence.
Friend, will you keep the Sabbath and spend time with God?
