“and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done”
Genesis 2:2b
The command to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…” (Exodus 20:8) is one of the Ten Commandments—positioned not as an optional spiritual discipline, but as a central expression of faithfulness to the Creator. Yet among Christianity today, Sabbath-keeping is often considered “one of the least of these commandments” and is tossed aside as a Jewish requirement or “Old Covenant” theology. Christians fiercely defend the sanctity of life and marriage, but often neglect the command to rest.
Recently, though, the Sabbath has been brought back into focus. The posting of the Ten Commandments has become a popular rally cry; even state legislatures are in on the movement. When Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk began sharing that he started keeping the biblical Sabbath—setting aside the seventh day of the week to rest, and spend time with family and God—it caught the attention of many Christians. Known for his political commentary and fierce debates for the Christian right, Kirk’s public embrace of Sabbath rest stood out as a rare act of countercultural obedience, both of the evangelical culture and the consumerism one.
Regardless of what you think of Kirk’s politics, in a world that glorifies constant productivity and instant gratification, his decision to stop everything one day a week invites a deeper question: Why did God give the fourth commandment?
A basic purpose of the Sabbath is found in its name. Sabbath means rest, something we all need. Both our muscles and our minds need rest. The human body was not designed to operate 24/7. We need breaks from work, or we get burnt out. We need breaks from school, or we lose focus. We need breaks from exercise, or we get exhausted. The Sabbath gives us a break each week when we don’t have to worry about our homework, checking our work email, scrolling through our social media feed, or checking our current BMI. We unplug from the world and plug into God. This accomplishes two things: 1) it gives us a break from the cares of this life; and 2) it allows us to focus on the eternal. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).
When the Sabbath was first instituted, in the Garden of Eden, God was the first one to rest on the Sabbath. This wasn’t just a day for many to rest. It was God’s day to rest as well (Genesis 2:2). In fact, the Bible says that God not only rested but was refreshed (Exodus 31:17). God being refreshed shows that He enjoyed resting that day and spending it with Adam and Eve and all His new creation. In a society where most Americans are stressed, anxious, and discontent, a weekly rest and a refreshing could only benefit.
Beyond Physical & Mental Rest
But the Sabbath isn’t just for physical and mental rest. If that were true, then any day in seven would do. But God picked a specific day, rested on “the” seventh day, blessed “the” seventh day, and made Holy “the” seventh day. (See Genesis 2:2, Exodus 20:10, and Exodus 31:17.) God uses a definite article, showing that His Holy Sabbath is an actual day of His created week—“the” seventh day of the week. It is the only day of the week God named—the Sabbath. All the other days were just called the first day, second day, third day, etc. (Genesis 1:1-31). Moreover, it says that God blessed and hallowed the “day,” not the rest. God set aside the actual/literal seventh day of the week as the Sabbath.
A decade or so ago, in law school, a classmate and I got into a conversation about the Sabbath. She thought it was very arbitrary of God to pick a certain day to require mankind to rest. Now, if God is God, He does not need a reason to mandate something. But if His fourth commandment was merely about physical and mental rest one day a week, then requiring a certain day for that to occur may seem arbitrary. However, there was a greater purpose for enshrining this sacred day that would benefit all mankind—both the stranger within the gate as well as the pious priest.
The fact that God Himself rested shows that the Sabbath was something more than just physical and mental rest, because the Bible says, “The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary” (Isaiah 40:28). So, God didn’t need to rest. He could have just ceased His work of creation after six days. Instead, God was setting up a weekly memorial of who He is in relation to us. Initially, the Sabbath was to be a weekly reminder that He is our Creator and we are the works of His hands. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11; see also Genesis 2:3). The Sabbath points directly to God as man’s ruler and bids mankind to see His love, power, and wisdom written throughout His creation. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” (Psalm 19:1-2). And He is worthy of our worship “for [He] created all things, and by [His] will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).
After sin, the Sabbath was not just a reminder that our God is the Creator, but it also served as a reminder that God is our Savior. Exodus and Ezekiel tell us to keep the Sabbath as a reminder that God redeems us. “I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them” (Ezekiel 20:12; see also Exodus 31:13). There is nothing we can do to earn salvation. It is earned “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). So, the act of resting on the Sabbath is a sign that God did the work of salvation for us. Indeed, when Christ completed the purchase of our salvation on Calvary, He rested from His labors in the grave all Sabbath (Luke 23:52-56).
Call to Action
The recent spotlight on the Sabbath and God’s Ten Commandments serves as a timely reminder that this ancient command still speaks to modern hearts. When one looks into this holy institution, they find that the Sabbath is not merely about ceasing from labor one day a week, but about acknowledging that the Creator is our God and that He has purchased our salvation. I hope you commemorate your Creator and Savior each week on His Holy day.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
