The Sabbath - beyond "should I or shouldn't I?"

When we Christians discuss the Sabbath, the conversations usually follow predictable paths. Does it apply to Gentiles? Does it apply to Christians? Does it apply under the New Covenant? Does our observance (or non-observance) come from faith and from honest conviction? Are we fully persuaded in our own minds, with a clean conscience? Those are all good and useful questions. They are also share a certain focus: Are we doing what God requires? Again, no objection to the question whether we're doing what God requires. There's just more to the picture that tends not to be considered in the conversation. 

A good command is not arbitrary. It is part of a bigger picture. There is a spirit of the law in addition to the letter of the law. This post is not written with the intent to persuade anyone to change their mind on whether or not to keep the letter of the law. It is to expand the focus, to re-introduce the spirit of the law. 

For instance, there are laws such as "You shall not steal" and "You shall not murder" and "You shall not commit adultery" and "You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." The spirit of these laws can be summed up as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," or "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The spirit of the law is higher and deeper and more resonant than the letter of the law, and is the motivating force that shapes the letter of the law. The spirit of the law of course includes the specific ways we do not take advantage of our neighbor; rightly done it also moves us to love our neighbor. 

The Sabbath holds a unique place among the commandments given at Sinai. It is the only one of the ten commandments given about how we use our time. It is the only one of the ten commandments given about ensuring that workers and even working animals are not over-worked. Jesus taught that "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." The book of Exodus refers to the time of creation, that on the seventh day God rested: it is the day in which God is said to have delighted in the world, remarking that all of creation is very good in every way. It is made for us as a blessing and a gift. 

Consider too how often the Old Testament uses numbers symbolically. In that symbolism the number 7 is associated with an appointed time for blessing, rest, and celebration. Each week the seventh day is blessed with rest and holiness. Each year, the seventh month is blessed with the Day of Atonement,. As time continues, the seventh year is a sabbath rest for the land which is not cultivated during the year. Further, after the 7 x 7th year, the next year is a Jubilee year associated with forgiveness of debts and with restoration of property that has been lost to the larger family over the years: whether the family loss was through misfortune or mismanagement, the loss is restored in God's appointed time. In the book of Daniel, 70 x 7 years is the designated time of waiting for the Messiah, with days of restoration. 

When we remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy, we often think in terms of refraining from mundane work. And sometimes I'll see a bumper sticker that tells us, if we like weekends, to thank labor unions. If we like weekends, I'd rather thank organized religion. Yet the non-work that generally fills weekends isn't necessarily remembering the Sabbath or keeping it holy. Holiness, in Scripture, is more than mere separation. It has to do with what is designated for the beauty and holiness of God, for the presence of God which is accompanied by blessing and restoration and renewal.