Creation and Liberation: The Sabbath Story
One of the concepts seen all across the Scriptures is the concept of the Sabbath. If you search the Scriptures, there is mention of the Sabbath before the Law, during the Law, in the books of the Prophets, in the Gospels of Jesus, and even after the resurrection. As we have mentioned many times, the Law and the Prophets all point to Jesus Christ and His mission. In this write-up, we will attempt to shed light on the meaning of the Sabbath and how this is applicable to us today.
Remembering and Keeping the Sabbath Holy
God commanded Israel to remember and keep this day holy by ceasing from all work, along with their children, servants, livestock, and even foreigners living among them (Exodus 20:8–11; Deut. 5:12–14).
This verse is very straightforward. Israel was to remember the Sabbath day. But the remembrance here is not by memory alone. The way to remember it is by keeping it holy.
This leads to the question: How would the Israelites keep the day holy? We find the answer by referring to the beginning and examining how God made the Sabbath holy.
How God Made the Sabbath Holy
Genesis 2:2–3 (NIV): “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.”
God made the day holy because He rested from all His work. In other words, the rest is what made the Sabbath day holy. The context of “holy” here is “set apart.” To rephrase the verse: God set that day apart from the other days by resting on that day instead of working.
A Command Rooted in Creation and Redemption
The idea of rest is so important to God that He included it as part of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. This was also reiterated by Moses in Deuteronomy 5:12–15. But in verse 15, God added another reason for Israel to observe the Sabbath:
Deuteronomy 5:15 (NIV): “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.”
God commanded Israel to observe/remember the Sabbath:
- To celebrate/remember that He rested from creation on the seventh day
- To celebrate/remember that He delivered Israel from Egypt with a mighty hand
This should make us ask the following questions:
- What is the similarity between creation in Genesis 1 and the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt?
- What is the big deal about resting? Why did God care so much about rest — to the point of putting people to death who refused to rest?
Exodus 31:14 (NIV): “Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.”
As we consider these questions, please keep in mind: the Law and the Prophets are all speaking or pointing to Jesus Christ.
Creation & Liberation from Egypt: Two Pictures of One Story
God created the heavens and the earth in six days, including the creation of mankind. God rested on the seventh day. Mankind was created to enjoy the creations of God. The “work” in context here is the work of creation — bringing something from non-existence into existence. And the “rest” here is not idleness. How do we know this?
John 5:17 (NIV): “Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.’”
Adam and Eve chose against the plan of God, and they removed themselves from that rest into works. But God promised to restore them back to that rest through the Seed of the woman (Jesus Christ).
Genesis 3:15 (NIV): “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
The Israelites were in slavery, working endlessly. This is the complete opposite of what God intended. Even worse, they were in a foreign land — not in the Promised Land. They were mixing with and participating in idol worship. The liberation of the Israelites from Egypt was the journey to restore them back to the land of Canaan. We discussed this in detail here: “Canaan represents a place of intimacy with Jesus Christ. It is a place of communion with Him, full knowledge of God, and God’s rest.”
In Conclusion: Why Did God Care About the Sabbath?
This brings us back to the earlier questions: What is the similarity between these two events, and why did God care so much about them?
Both events — Creation and the liberation of Israel from Egypt — are foreshadowing the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who came to save mankind and restore us back to a place of intimacy and rest with God.
We do not know if the Israelites fully understood the message of the Sabbath. But we have the benefit of hindsight. Every time the Israelites observed the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day, they were prophesying or acknowledging what God already planned to do to save mankind.
Looking Ahead: In the next parts of this topic, we will explore:
- The elements of the Sabbath as revealed by God
- The literal meaning of “work” and “rest”
- The core message of the Sabbath