Kesolenuo Suokhrie
OTS
Growing up, Sunday was a literal “no work” day because “it is Sabbath.” Needless to say, the kind of work that engages the other six days is not done on this day. But even to do something that situation demands was like a taboo. For instance, using the hammer to nail a broken door or to fix a roof damaged from the storm, or even using the needle to mend a skirt for church. Worse, if any misfortune happens, it is one’s action on the “Sabbath day” that is called to question. Myths and superstitions surround the observance of Sunday. The Old Testament does emphasize, “Remember the Sabbath…on it you shall do no work” (Exod. 20:8-10)—no work even to the point of cooking or baking (Exod. 16:23), kindling of fire (Exod. 35:3), travelling (Exod. 16:29) or carrying of burden (Jer. 17: 21-22). The command is intensified on the threat that “whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death” (Exod. 31:15).
The question is, if this command and its entire requirements still stand for Christians or are they only meant for the Jews? Is Sunday a Sabbath day? If so, should we cease from doing any kind of work, like the ones mentioned above? What about pastors and ministers who travel around for their ministry; church meetings that are usually held after the service; doctors and nurses who still need to attend to their patients on Sunday; mothers who still need to cook for the family; school kids who need to finish their homework and likewise, teachers who need to prepare for class the next day?
These are burning questions, which pertain to the complex issue of whether Sunday is a Sabbath day and if Sabbath rules should be imposed on it. This article seeks to clarify this matter by dwelling on how the Old Testament present Sabbath, how Sabbath (Saturday) became the Lord’s Day (Sunday), and what implications the Old Testament Sabbath still has for Christians today. It is not an exhaustive treatment, in that, it does not deal with the theological questions that involve the issue but it only discusses the biblical texts that are relevant to the subject matter.
Sabbath in the Old Testament: Its origin and requirements
The word Sabbath first appeared in Exodus 16: 22-30 where the Israelites who just came out of Egypt were instructed to gather manna only enough for each day except on the sixth day, when they were to gather twice for the seventh day too, which is Sabbath. This instruction was, then, permanently established as a law for the Israelites in Exodus 20: 8-11: “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work….” As one of the Ten Commandments, this law demands the Israelites to remember the Sabbath day, to consecrate it as a day separated from the rest of the days. The reason is rooted in God’s work at creation where he worked for six days and rested on the seventh day, blessing and consecrating the day. Hence, it follows that not only human but even livestock are to rest on this seventh day.
Sabbath keeping became more than a law for the Israelites when it was given as a sign of covenant between God and the people of Israel (Exod. 31:12-17). Hence, for the Israelites, Sabbath observance was not just a matter of ritual but also a privilege that marked their identity as God’s people. To break the Sabbath was to forfeit that identity. It means to break the covenantal relationship and therefore, death penalty was imposed on the transgressor (vv.14-15).
The significance of Sabbath observance was reinforced as Moses reiterated the command in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, where the Israelites are called to observe Sabbath as remembrance of their liberation from slavery in Egypt. This complements with the Exodus version of the command in that the Sabbath is to be observed and kept holy not only because God worked for six days and blessed the seventh day holy but also because the Israelites were liberated from slavery and they are to model kindness and compassion to their slaves after God’s own character.
With the institution of Sabbath, there also came specific prohibitions where the Israelites were commanded not to kindle fire (Exod. 35:3), not to walk out of one’s place (Exod. 16:29), not to engage in trade or commerce (Neh.10:31), not to carry loads (Jer. 17:21-22), and so forth on the Sabbath day. The Israelites were banned from engaging in any kind of work, be it heavy or light. Such Sabbath sanctions were imposed even during the most engaged and busy season of the year: “even in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest” (Exod. 34:21). The seriousness of the prohibition is portrayed in Numbers 15: 32-36, which gives a distressing picture of how a man was served capital punishment for collecting woods on the Sabbath day. The prophets also related the Babylonian exile to the breaching of the Sabbath law by the community of God.
Initially, Sabbath was associated only with rest but later on, it also became a day of worship for the community of God, a time where they gathered for holy convocation, feasts and offering of sacrifices (Lev. 23:2-3;37-38). Psalm 92 is a “Song of the Sabbath Day,” which tells of how the community of God used Psalms in their worship to express praise and thanksgiving to God.
From Sabbath to the Lord’s Day
As discussed above, Sabbath was a day of rest as well a day of community worship. That being said, should we understand Sunday as Sabbath given that most Christians rest and worship on this day? Although there are Christians who would stand by this, the development of the Lord’s Day (Sunday) from Sabbath (Saturday) gives a different picture. The Gospels bear witness to the fact that Jesus Himself, who was a Jew kept the Sabbath day diligently (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:16; 13:10) although there were times when his opinion about Sabbath observance clashes with the religious leaders, to be precise, on six occasions. In all of these, Jesus did not try to abolish the Sabbath law but his point was that human need outweighs every ritualistic law. Exceptions could be made in times of needs and emergency situations.
After Jesus, the early Christians who were also Jews observed the Sabbath as documented in the book of Acts (13:14-16; 17:1-3). While they gathered on the Sabbath day (Saturday)for the reading and preaching of the Word, they also felt the need to gather on Sunday, the first day of the week, the day Jesus first appeared to the disciples after his resurrection. Sunday gathering was to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus. Acts 20:7 and I Cor. 16: 2 record what the early followers did as they congregated on Sunday—they broke bread, preached, and collected offering for the saints of Jerusalem, rituals which later became important elements of Christian worship. While they gathered on the Lord’s Day (Sunday), the Jewish Christians continued to observe the Sabbath on the seventh day. However, Sabbath observance and other Jewish customs were urged not to be imposed on the gentile Christians as indicated in Pauline Epistles (Colossians 2:16). How Sunday took over the seventh day is well expressed in the words of Denise T. Olson, “As the Gentile Christian community grew and the Jewish Christian community diminished in size and influence, the early church more and more established Sunday, the first day of the week, as the primary day to gather for worship” (Dennis T. Olson, “Sacred Time: The Sabbath and Christian Worship,” 62). Then, in 321 AD, Sunday was officially declared as a day of rest by emperor Constantine.
That was the context in which Sunday became a day of worship and rest. It came to be called as the Lord’s Day falling on the first day of the week unlike Sabbath, which is observed on the seventh day. The Lord’s Day celebrates the resurrection of Jesus while Sabbath commemorates God’s creation and redemption at Exodus. On this note, we may conclude that Sunday is distinct from the Old Testament Sabbath although it assumed some characteristics of the latter. Does that mean that Sabbath has no significance for Christians? The next section deals with this concern.
The Implications of Sabbath for Christians
Even after the early church chose Sunday for their gathering, they continued to regard the Sabbath commandment highly along with the rest of the Ten Commandments. Likewise, Sabbath still has significance for Christians although a lot of its legal prescriptions and prohibitions have no more binding on us. There are many implications that we can draw to enrich our Christian life and worship.
Among many, here are few:
Sabbath and Time: It is through Sabbath that the seven-day week was introduced, which became a worldwide standard to monitor time. When Sabbath was first introduced in Exodus 16: 22-30, it was to a group of people who just came of Egypt, following the ten-day week. The command to gather manna for six days and refrain from it on the seventh day, the Sabbath day is significant in that it introduces these people to a new time system, that of seven-day week, a week fashioned after God’s work at creation. It was a divine timetable different from what they learnt in Egypt. This timetable was later adopted by Jesus, the early Christians and later, reinforce legally by state authority, which eventually became an accepted pattern to count time, week, and months. Hence, to acknowledge Sabbath is to acknowledge that we live in a timeframe designed and controlled by God, the Creator. Sabbath and Rest: Those of us who are usually engaged 24/7 can tell what it is like to handle stress and tension. Time’s pressure is always heavy on us. We are always racing against time. Our mind is always occupied let alone our schedule. Our body gives signal for rest but we are cramped by deadlines and our packed ‘to-do’ list. We are compelled to keep social engagement and family time at minimum rate to get works done. Our sleeping is shortened and our meals are disrupted. We work and work to the point of nervous breakdown. It is this kind of oppressive routine that Sabbath intends to break and give us the opportunity to rest, to heal, to rejuvenate and to renew our strength. Sabbath interrupts our daily activities and redirects our focus to what is important. Without such pauses or periods in life, we will not only burn out but also lose the purpose of what we do.
Sabbath and Worship: The whole point of Sabbath was to release people of the burden of everyday work for a day rest to not only refresh the body but also the soul. Recognizing that, the community of God whether it was in their homeland or in a foreign land where they were exiled observed the Sabbath day resting and worshipping God. Jesus himself no matter how busy he was, he devoted himself to synagogue worship on the Sabbath day. If Jesus himself felt the need for observing Sabbath in worship, how much more do we need one, those of us who are enslaved by our daily routines, who work at the expense of our body and tend to labor neglecting the needs of our soul? Sabbath not only creates space for us to rest our body but also renew our spirit as we dwell on the Word of God, contemplate in prayer, and fellowship in worship. Sabbath enables us to refocus ourselves to God and others.
Sabbath and Social Justice: Both Exodus and Deuteronomy command emphasize that Sabbath should be observed so that not only “you, or your son, or your daughter” but also “your male or female slave, or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in your towns” may rest. In particular, the Deuteronomic version connects that act to the mercy and kindness God showed to the Israelites in liberating them from the bondage of slavery. It is in this regard that Sabbath is synonymous with compassion, mercy and justice—virtues that are expected to be shown to those who work for us at home and at work place. A special mention is made of those “alien resident in your towns”. These are foreigners and immigrants living in our land, the group of people who are not favorably welcomed and accepted in our community. It is to these kinds of vulnerable and marginalized that Sabbath practice calls us to extend care, grace, mercy and compassion.
In conclusion, although Christians are not mandated to practice Sabbath in the same way as the Old Testament people did or the Jews do today, taking a day off from the seven day as Sabbath can touch our life in a way that is redeeming. It could be any day, not necessarily Sunday (which many confuse it to be Sabbath) or Saturday (on which the real Sabbath falls). We need to be inventive depending on our needs and circumstances. The day doesn’t matter as long as we find the time and the space as “our Sabbath”. That practice can restore our chaotic life to a more meaningful and peaceful rhythm of work and labor as we find time to rest and relax, to reflect and worship, to care and to promote the welfare of others. Let Sabbath give us the impetus to halt and to reflect on self, on God and on others amidst all that we do. Shalom Aleichem!
Bibliography
Bass, Dorothy C. “Keeping Sabbath.” Pages 75-88 in Practicing the Faith: A Way of Life for Searching People. Edited by Dorothy C. Bass. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010, 75-88.
Carson, D. A. “Jesus and the Sabbath in the Four Gospels.” Pages 21-35 in From Sabbath to the Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation. Edited by D. A. Carson. Eugene, Oregon: Wift and Stock Publishers, 1982.
Dawn, Marva J. “Sabbath Keeping and Social Justice.” Pages 23-40 in Sunday, Sabbath and the Weekend: Managing Time in a Global Culture. Edited by Edward O’ Flaherty, Rodney L. Petersen and Timothy A. Norten. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.
Dressler, Harold H.P. “The Sabbath in the Old Testament.” Pages 21-35 in From Sabbath to the Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation. Edited by D.A.Carson. Eugene, Oregon: Wift and Stock Publishers, 1982.
Jewett, Paul K. The Lord’s Day: A Theological Guide to the Christian Day of Worship. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971.
Olson, Dennis T. “Sacred Time: The Sabbath and Christian Worship.” Pages 43-66 in Sunday, Sabbath and the Weekend: Managing Time in a Global Culture. Edited by Edward O’ Flaherty, Rodney L. Petersen and Timothy A. Norten. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010.
Kesolenuo Suokhrie teaches Old Testament Studies at Oriental Theological Seminary.
This is the eleventh article of the Sabbath/ Sunday Series, an initiative of Oriental Theological Seminary.
