Sabbath.

Exodus 16:29 - "See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." - "See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."

Tell me more about the significance of the Sabbath.

The Sabbath holds great significance in various religious traditions. Here are some key points:

Judaism:
In Judaism, the Sabbath (Shabbat) is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening. It commemorates God’s rest after creating the world in six days (Genesis 2:2-3).

Observance includes lighting candles, reciting blessings, attending synagogue services, and refraining from work.

It’s a day of rest, reflection, and spiritual connection.

Christianity:
Christians observe the Sabbath on Saturday or from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset .

It’s a day for worship, fellowship, and rest.

Some denominations still observe Saturday as the Sabbath.

Islam:
While Islam doesn’t have a weekly Sabbath, Friday (Jumu’ah) is considered a special day.

Muslims gather for congregational prayers, listen to sermons, and engage in community activities.

Other Traditions:
Hinduism, Buddhism, and other religions have their own days of rest or spiritual observance.

These days promote mindfulness, gratitude, and connection with the divine.

Remember that interpretations and practices vary, but the common thread is honoring a sacred day for spiritual renewal and reflection.

What are the benefits of observing a day of rest?

Observing a day of rest offers several benefits for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being:

Physical Health:
Reduced Stress: Taking a break from work or daily routines helps lower stress levels.

Improved Sleep: Rest allows the body to recover and promotes better sleep quality.

Enhanced Immune System: Adequate rest supports immune function.

Mental Well-Being:
Increased Productivity: Regular rest improves focus and productivity when you return to tasks.

Creativity Boost: Downtime fosters creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Emotional Balance: Rest helps regulate emotions and reduces anxiety.

Spiritual Connection:
Reflection: A day of rest provides time for introspection, gratitude, and spiritual growth.

Community: Observing a shared day of rest fosters community bonds.

Connection with the Divine: Spiritual practices during rest days deepen faith.

Work-Life Balance:
Prevents Burnout: Regular breaks prevent exhaustion and burnout.

Quality Time: Rest days allow for quality time with loved ones.

Remember that the specific benefits may vary based on individual beliefs and practices.

Abide ye every man in his place — Neither go out to seek manna nor for any other purpose; rest at home and devote your time to religious exercises. Several of the Jews understood by place in the text, the camp, and have generally supposed that no man should go out of the place, i.e., the city, town, or village in which he resides, any farther than one thousand cubits, about an English mile, which also is called a Sabbath day's journey, Acts 1:12; and so many cubits they consider the space round the city that constitutes its suburbs, which they draw from Numbers 35:3-4.

Some of the Jews have carried the rigorous observance of the letter of this law to such a length, that in whatever posture they find themselves on the Sabbath morning when they awake, they continue in the same during the day; or should they be up and happen to fall, they refuse even to rise till the Sabbath be ended!

It should be noted that there were two great miracles connected with the introduction of the Sabbath. First, there was the fact that whether men gathered much or little, it always measured out exactly what God allowed; and second, there was the fact that on the sixth day of this wonder, every man measured out exactly two omers a head, exactly twice as much as on the previous six days. The Jews did not know what to make of that.

Even the rulers of the people went to Moses for an explanation.

In the context of the Sabbath, there’s an interesting exchange in the Bible. Jesus asked, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life or to kill?” The people remained silent, but the question highlights the tension between religious observance and acts of compassion .

While the Sabbath traditionally required rest and refraining from work, Jesus emphasized the importance of doing good and showing kindness, even on that day . So, it seems that doing good is not unlawful on the Sabbath, but rather a reflection of compassion and love.

Whenever Jesus publicly healed someone on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the Sabbath law (Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:2, John 5:14; 9:14–16). Jesus’ response was that He was working just as His Father was working, an answer that did not appease the religious leaders: “For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

Breaking the Sabbath would have been a sin, so we must ask the question: did Jesus actually break the Sabbath law?

The short answer is “no,” but here is some background: God instituted the Sabbath for the Israelites when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8–11). On the seventh day of the week, the Israelites were to rest, remembering that God created the universe in six days and then “rested” on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1–3).

The Sabbath was given for the benefit of the people (Mark 2:27) and as a sign of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:13). Over time, however, perspectives on the Sabbath changed. By Jesus’ time, the religious leaders had added burdensome rules and traditions for keeping the Sabbath and had elevated their own rules to the level of God’s instructions.

It was so bad that, when Jesus’ disciples picked and ate some heads of grain as they walked through a field, the Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath because they were supposedly “harvesting” and “threshing” (Luke 6:1–2).

Jesus did not break the Sabbath, as outlined by God under the Old Covenant. As He publicly stated, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

The Pharisees had so conflated their own standard of holiness with God’s that they accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law. They were furious over Jesus’ actions, yet it was only their Sabbath law He did not keep. Jesus kept God’s law, and He had done nothing to violate the Sabbath.

Many Pharisees opposed Jesus. He taught with authority unlike the scribes (Matthew 7:29). He called out their hypocrisy, saying, “They do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3). He also equated Himself with God (John 5:18). In the incident involving the man with the withered hand, the Pharisees asked Jesus, accusingly, if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10).

In Luke 14:3 Jesus asked lawyers what was lawful on the Sabbath.

They were experts in the law. This is their language! They were always deciding what is and isn’t lawful. If anyone should’ve been able to answer this question it was them. But they couldn’t answer, because they created a complex system of rules that made the Sabbath a burden instead of a blessing.

Learn why doing good was appropriate and lawful on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ response was full of logic: “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:11). Jesus applied God’s principle of desiring mercy not sacrifice (verse 7), referring back to Hosea 6:6.

Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath, not in the sense of resting and doing nothing. He fulfilled it in the true and greatest sense of doing good like people were supposed to do!

Jesus was the busiest man in history, and because of all the good He engaged in on the Sabbath, the Sabbath seemed like his busiest day of the week.

If you did fulfill the Sabbath by doing nothing, then Jesus would’ve been incredibly disobedient!

The irony is the religious leaders criticized Jesus for violating the Sabbath, but they were the worst violators for two reasons:

First, they wouldn’t do any good, which is what the Sabbath was about.

Second, they did evil. They did the opposite of what they were supposed to do. They used the man with dropsy for their wicked plan, and in many other accounts they spent the Sabbath plotting how to kill Jesus.

This infuriated the Pharisees, and they plotted how they might kill Him (Matthew 12:14). Yet Jesus came to do the will of the Father (John 5:19) not to follow the man-made religious rules.

Jesus referred to Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5). In doing so, Jesus proclaimed that He is greater than the law and has authority even over the laws that govern the Sabbath day. Jesus is the One who made all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16), and He instituted the Sabbath day.

He had the authority to overrule the Pharisees’ traditions and regulations that they had placed on the Sabbath. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus showed God’s goodness, revealed the Pharisees’ hardness of heart, and gave a glimpse of the full healing from sin that would soon be made possible by His sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus did not break the Sabbath law, although He did act against the Pharisaical interpretation of the law. He broke the Pharisees’ laws, and they couldn’t stand it. Jesus healed on the Sabbath to help people, to glorify God, and to remind people that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Just as the Sabbath was originally instituted to give people rest from their work and to turn people to God, so Jesus came to provide us rest from attempting to achieve salvation by our own labors. His sacrifice on the cross made a way for the law to be fulfilled and for righteousness and rest to come to all who trust in His finished work.

So here’s another way to look at Jesus’ question…

“Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath like I’m trying to do, or is it lawful to do evil on the Sabbath like you’re trying to do? Who’s really keeping the Sabbath and who’s really violating it?”

Let me conclude with this…

While we might not have dropsy, we all have spiritually ruined parts of our bodies.

This man had no idea Jesus wanted to heal his dropsy, but I can tell you Jesus wants just as much to heal the spiritually sick parts of our lives:

Maybe it’s a critical spirit.

Maybe it’s a mouth given to gossip.

Maybe it’s a covetous heart.

Maybe it’s eyes given to lust.

Maybe it’s a root of bitterness.

Maybe it’s a lying tongue.

We all have spiritually sick parts of our lives and these are areas the Lord wants to heal.

If you’ve never repented and put your faith in Jesus you’re still spiritually sick. You’re filled with unforgiven sin and unrighteousness.

But if you repent and put your faith in Christ, He’ll remove your sins and give you His righteousness. He’ll make you as spiritually healthy as this man was after Jesus healed him.