By Nick Bibile
We are living in a time when many in the church give little value to the Old Testament. Yet we must remember: the Old Testament is just as inspired as the New, for God is the author of both. The Old Testament is the gospel in bud; the New Testament is the gospel in full bloom. The saints of old saw Christ dimly, “through a glass darkly,” yet they believed in the same Savior and were led by the same Spirit as we are today. Therefore, the Old Testament is not merely history—it carries abiding truth and instruction for us.
The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew Shabbat, meaning “rest.” It appears frequently in the Old Testament and is given significant emphasis in the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment, in particular, is treated with greater detail than many others. While the ceremonial aspects tied to Israel were fulfilled and abolished at the cross, the moral principle of the Sabbath remains. Sadly, this command is widely neglected in many churches today.
To understand the Sabbath rightly, we must begin in Genesis:
“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day…” (Genesis 2:2–3)
God’s “rest” does not imply weariness. As Isaiah 40:28 reminds us, the Lord does not faint or grow tired. Rather, His rest signifies the completion of His creative work—a cessation from His six-day labor, not from His sustaining power over the universe. Even on the seventh day, God continued to govern all things.
More importantly, God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. Throughout Scripture, blessing flows from the greater to the lesser—God blesses His creation, and here He blesses a day for the benefit of man. As Christ Himself said:
“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
The Sabbath, therefore, is a gift—a day set apart for man to experience the presence, grace, and peace of God.
To sanctify means to set apart as holy. The Sabbath is not like other days. It is distinct, separated, and devoted to God. Just as the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle was set apart from all common use, so the Sabbath stands above the ordinary days of the week.
But the Sabbath is not only about creation—it ultimately points to redemption.
From the beginning, the seventh day was set apart with a greater purpose in view: the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Lord of the Sabbath:
“The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” (Luke 6:5)
God’s rest in Genesis anticipates the greater rest that would come through Christ. What creation began, redemption would complete. The Sabbath points forward to the cross, where Christ would accomplish the work of salvation, and to the resurrection, where that work would be declared finished.
Just as Israel was commanded to remember their deliverance from Egypt:
“Remember that you were a slave… and the Lord your God brought you out…” (Deuteronomy 5:15)
so the Sabbath calls us to remember a greater deliverance—freedom from sin, Satan, and death through Christ.
The miracles of manna in Exodus 16 reinforced this sacred rhythm: provision for six days, double on the sixth, and none on the seventh. God was teaching His people to trust Him and to honor His appointed day. Yet even then, many disobeyed—a pattern that continues today.
The Sabbath is not merely about physical rest but about spiritual renewal—a time to reflect on redemption, worship God, and delight in Him. As Isaiah declares:
“Call the Sabbath a delight… the holy day of the Lord, honorable.” (Isaiah 58:13)
This is where many go wrong. The day is treated casually—reduced to a short church service, then spent in worldly pursuits. But God has given six days for labor. Is it too much to give Him one day wholly devoted to Him?
The Sabbath is a sign of covenant relationship—a mark of belonging to God. Under the New Covenant, this principle continues in the Lord’s Day, the first day of the week, commemorating Christ’s resurrection. The ceremonial shadows have passed, but the substance remains, because the Lord of the Sabbath lives.
The work of redemption far surpasses the work of creation. In creation, God spoke—and it was done. In redemption, Christ shed His blood. In Adam, we received life that was lost through sin; in Christ, we receive life that is eternal.
Therefore, the Lord’s Day is a celebration of new creation. It is a day to gather, worship, pray, meditate on God’s Word, and encourage one another. It is a day to rejoice:
“This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
Let us not profane what God has made holy. Let us not trade sacred time for fleeting pleasures. Instead, let us honor the Lord of the Sabbath with reverence, joy, and wholehearted devotion.
“Blessed is the man… who keeps the Sabbath from defiling it.” (Isaiah 56:2)
The Lord of the Sabbath lives. Every Lord’s Day is a testimony of His resurrection, a celebration of redemption, and a foretaste of eternal rest.