Sabbath
— (Heb.
verb sabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest. It is
first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in
innocence (Gen 2:2). "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of rest
and refreshment for the body and of blessing to the soul.
It is next
referred to in connection with the gift of manna to the children of Israel in
the wilderness (Ex 16:23); and afterwards, when the law was given from Sinai
(20:11), the people were solemnly charged to "remember the sabbath day, to
keep it holy." Thus it is spoken of as an institution already existing...
In the
Mosaic law strict regulations were laid down regarding its observance (Ex
35:2,3; Lev 23:3; 26:34). These were peculiar to that dispensation.
In the
subsequent history of the Jews frequent references are made to the sanctity of
the Sabbath (Isa 56:2,4,6,7; 58:13,14; Jer 17:20-22; Neh 13:19). In later times
they perverted the Sabbath by their traditions. Our Lord rescued it from their
perversions, and recalled to them its true nature and intent (Matt 12:10-13;
Mark 2:27; Luke 13:10-17).
The
Sabbath, originally instituted for man at his creation, is of permanent and
universal obligation. The physical necessities of man require a Sabbath of
rest. He is so constituted that his bodily welfare needs at least one day in
seven for rest from ordinary labour. Experience also proves that the moral and
spiritual necessities of men also demand a Sabbath of rest. "I am more and
more sure by experience that the reason for the observance of the Sabbath lies
deep in the everlasting necessities of human nature, and that as long as man is
man the blessedness of keeping it, not as a day of rest only, but as a day of
spiritual rest, will never be annulled. I certainly do feel by experience the
eternal obligation, because of the eternal necessity, of the Sabbath. The soul
withers without it. It thrives in proportion to its observance. The Sabbath was
made for man. God made it for men in a certain spiritual state because they
needed it. The need, therefore, is deeply hidden in human nature. He who can
dispense with it must be holy and spiritual indeed. And he who, still unholy
and unspiritual, would yet dispense with it is a man that would fain be wiser
than his Maker" (F. W. Robertson).
The ancient
Babylonian calendar, as seen from recently recovered inscriptions on the bricks
among the ruins of the royal palace, was based on the division of time into
weeks of seven days. The Sabbath is in these inscriptions designated Sabattu,
and defined as "a day of rest for the heart" and "a day of
completion of labour."
The change
of the day. Originally at creation the seventh day of the week was set apart
and consecrated as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is now observed as
the Sabbath. Has God authorized this change? There is an obvious distinction
between the Sabbath as an institution and the particular day set apart for its
observance. The question, therefore, as to the change of the day in no way
affects the perpetual obligation of the Sabbath as an institution. Change of
the day or no change, the Sabbath remains as a sacred institution the same. It
cannot be abrogated.
If any
change of the day has been made, it must have been by Christ or by his
authority. Christ has a right to make such a change (Mark 2:23-28). As Creator,
Christ was the original Lord of the Sabbath (John 1:3; Heb 1:10). It was
originally a memorial of creation. A work vastly greater than that of creation
has now been accomplished by him, the work of redemption. We would naturally
expect just such a change as would make the Sabbath a memorial of that greater
work.
True, we
can give no text authorizing the change in so many words. We have no express
law declaring the change. But there are evidences of another kind. We know for
a fact that the first day of the week has been observed from apostolic times,
and the necessary conclusion is, that it was observed by the apostles and their
immediate disciples. This, we may be sure, they never would have done without
the permission or the authority of their Lord.
After his
resurrection, which took place on the first day of the week (Matt 28:1; Mark
16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), we never find Christ meeting with his disciples on
the seventh day. But he specially honoured the first day by manifesting himself
to them on four separate occasions (Matt 28:9; Luke 24:34,18-33; John
20:19-23). Again, on the next first day of the week, Jesus appeared to his
disciples (John 20:26).
Some have
calculated that Christ's ascension took place on the first day of the week. And
there can be no doubt that the descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost was on
that day (Acts 2:1). Thus Christ appears as instituting a new day to be
observed by his people as the Sabbath, a day to be henceforth known amongst
them as the "Lord's day." The observance of this "Lord's
day" as the Sabbath was the general custom of the primitive churches, and
must have had apostolic sanction (comp. Acts 20:3-7; 1 Cor 16:1,2) and authority,
and so the sanction and authority of Jesus Christ.
The words
"at her sabbaths" (Lam 1:7, A.V.) ought probably to be, as in the
Revised Version, "at her desolations."
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