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Understanding the Sabbath: God’s Weekly “Divine Downtime”

Enjoying quality downtime—authentic rest—is sadly becoming less and less common. The world is shrinking, and the demands of life are rapidly on the rise. We deal with them at home, in our work, and almost everywhere we go. And to top it off, global health issues are at an all-time high. When can we get a break from the endless influx of stress that actively confronts our well-being? When and how can we rest? Truly. Authentically.

As believers, most of us know that Jesus invites us to enter His rest (Matt. 11:28–29). Daily, hourly, moment by moment, we can put our trust in Him. Cast our cares upon Him. Learn from Jesus and let Him lighten our load as only He can do. But there are also cycles of rest in the Bible when God invites us to purposefully set aside time away from it all to join Him, meet with Him.

The Gift of Sabbath Rest

The first special time of rest is the weekly Sabbath, which God first practiced in Genesis 2:1–3. On that day, He rested from all His work of creation. Then He blessed and sanctified it: set it apart from all the other days of the week. The first time God called this day of rest the Sabbath was in Exodus 16:22 after He provided manna in the wilderness for the children of Israel. Since that time, our Jewish brethren have observed the Sabbath (Shabbat) every Friday at sunset through sundown on Saturday. (The first chapter of Genesis clearly teaches that an “evening and morning” constitute one day.)

Is the Sabbath for All Believers?

To many non-Jewish believers, this is unfamiliar territory. Taking a full day off with the Lord and our loved ones seems like one more thing that takes valuable time away from our hectic schedule. We are used to getting a lot of things done on Saturday, and then attending church on Sunday—before we keep pressing on with our list. When I was first introduced to Shabbat, it seemed strange, odd, to me. I was used to the Monday through Friday work-around-the clock workweek, followed by compressed time on the weekend to busily get everything done that I hadn’t accomplished the days before.

But how “odd” is Shabbat, really? God’s day of rest was established long before He gave the Ten Commandments (the Law) in Exodus 20:1–17. So, while remembering the Sabbath day and keeping it holy is the fourth commandment (vv. 8–11), God had established this day from the beginning of time. Now, Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath” (see Matt. 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28; Lk. 6:1–11). He made it clear that Shabbat is not a religious ritual.

Jesus also said, “ ‘Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or [the writings of] the Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill’ ” (Matt. 5:17, AMP). So, when the Lord spoke to me about joining Him on His special day of rest, I responded in faith by the Spirit. I wasn’t embracing the Law, as Paul corrected some believers for doing in the Book of Galatians.

How I Embraced Authentic Rest

The first time my husband and I experienced Shabbat together in our home, it was with close friends. We invited them over for dinner, and then we enjoyed the Lord and each other’s company for the rest of the night. After they left the next day, I couldn’t put into words just how rested I felt. In all my years of doing the Monday-Friday, church on Sunday, grab-a-few-gasps-of-air-thing, I had never felt so completely, authentically, rested.

Long story short, we have been enjoying Shabbat for quite some time. I love warming up to Shabbat rest during the day on Friday, and then kicking it off that evening—Erev Shabbat (the eve of the Sabbath), representing the beginning of God's first day after six of actively, masterfully creating the universe and this beautiful earth. It refreshes me to share in His “Divine downtime.” His day of joyfully looking upon all the GOOD THINGS that originally came into being at the sound of His voice.

The First Biblical Day of Rest

Recently, I watched a message about resting in God by Dr. David (Paul) Yonggi Cho, a general in the Kingdom and Pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, Korea. An estimated 830,000 members. Certainly, I mused, the lessons he has learned about rest must be significant.

One thing resonated deep in my spirit. In Genesis, God created and blessed man and woman on the sixth day. Then He rested on the seventh. So, God’s seventh day was the FIRST FULL DAY after man and woman came into being. What did He want them to do FIRST? REST. IN. HIM. Then kick off Day 1 of their weekly activities from enjoying His presence and the breathtakingly perfect work of His hands.

Resting Authentically as a Lifestyle

This spoke volumes to me. It speaks to our BEST LIFE. First, God comes first…always. Second, we should approach life from the standpoint of resting in God. In other words, instead of living according to our own plan, we should PAUSE, ask God for His wisdom, and then move forward with peace and purpose. We may need to look into something new; examine and/or take care of necessary details; or abandon an idea altogether. If we ask Him, God will answer us. He will lead us.

JESUS said, “ ’Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you’ ” (Matt. 7:7, AMP). This involves prayer, reading the Word, and following.

God Freely Gives Us His Authentic Rest

So, as we consider Shabbat—God’s day of rest—let us reflect on what Adam & Eve likely did on their first full day--SEEK GOD for Who He is. REST in what He has done. HEAR His voice. The unmistakable "sound" that births all good things. Selah.

Remember, God blessed and sanctified the seventh day above all others. I have found it to be a sacred time of authentic rest. We have a special opportunity every week to share in God’s “Divine downtime” and be refreshed—not just physically, but spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. So, if you hear the Lord calling you to join Him on this sacred day, I encourage you to respond. Trust. REST…Authentically.

#InspireGem
Photo 1: Sincerely Media/www.unsplash.com
Photo 2: Varvara Grabova/www.unsplash.com

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