Holy day or holiday?

Scriptures: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant, nor maidservant, nor your animals, nor the aliens within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 8:11)

This is a reflection on a message I heard yesterday from Rev. Alistair Begg in his Truth for Life ministry. Rev. Begg explained how the Lord’s Day is to be kept, not by mindless observation of tradition, nor by legalistic externalism, but by the conviction that the observance of the distinction between this day and the other six days in the week is relevant to our walk with the Lord.

God Himself gave us the reason for observing the Sabbath Day. The reason given was that God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh day. But the focus was really not on the work done, nor on the work not done. The focus really was on the Lord who created all things and the Lord who rested. The purpose for this commandment was two-fold: 1) by remembering the Sabbath that we may remember the Creator of Sabbath and, thereby, enhancing our relationship with our Creator and, 2) by resting on the Sabbath that we may be refreshed and rejuvenated.

This is fine. But, what does the observance of the Sabbath have to do with the Lord’s Day? I think the key lies in the work of God that we ought to remember. It was the work of the creation that was given as the reason for observing Sabbath. In the book of Genesis, in chapter one, it was recorded that God saw everything He created was good.

This wonderful created order was turned into chaos as a result of one man’s sins, as Paul indicated in book of Romans, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Romans 8:19-20)

As a result, to remember the work of creation by God, in a decaying world, is to place our focus on the original intended order of God and, thereby, to bring our hearts closer to the heart of our Creator for we shall see how things in life should be, instead of how things are.

The Lord’s Day, on the other hand, is actually the first day of the week and has been observed by Christians per Apostles’ teachings. So, what does it have to do with the Sabbath? I think Paul answered this question in the book of Colossians, “For God was pleased to have all fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

As such, the atoning sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross was meant to bring all things back to the original created order, including the relationship of the creation to its Creator, the one God saw as good. You see, the original intended blessings through the observance of Sabbath have become possible because of the work of Christ on the cross. As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus on the first day of the week, we are actually celebrating the reconciliatory work He has completed on the cross. That is why Jesus said, “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8)

But, there’s more. Just as the Sabbath was made for man, as Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) so is the Lord’s Day. In the institution of the Sabbath as well as the Lord’s Day, we see the sensitivity and understanding of God to our needs and weaknesses. The Lord knows that we can be easily distracted and lose focus in life. Therefore, a day has been set aside, which was the original meaning of “made holy”, so we can keep our focus on remembering His intended goodness for us all. He does not desire that any of us should be so engulfed in our mundane responsibilities that we lose sight of His role and work in our lives. He knows we need earthly materials to support our physical needs and He gave six days just for that purpose. But, for this one day, we should stay focused on Him and Him alone, remembering Him, His intended order through creation, and His love through His salvation.

So, let us ask ourselves this question, “Is the Lord’s Day a holy day to me? Or, is it a holiday to me?” What occupies our minds and hearts, even on this day our Lord set apart? I am convinced that if we can have the conviction that the observance of the distinction between this day and the other six days in the week is relevant to our walk with the Lord, we will do well, in every deed and word we share with others, when we come before our Lord each day, especially on the Lord’s Day, to worship and praise Him!

(I thank God for His faithful servants like Rev. Begg and am grateful to Rev. Begg for his faithful sharing of inspiring messages like this one.)

Prayer Requests:
For those working hard to support our lives, families and work purposelessly

Prayer:
Almighty Creator, thank You for instituting the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day so we may refrain from mind wandering and from purposeless living. Help us to observe this day You have set apart, not just to comply with Your commandments, but to enjoy the closeness we receive from such enhanced relationship with You. Thank You for Jesus! Thank You for reconciling us to You in Your grace. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!