In six days, God created the physical world, and on the seventh day, He ceased His labor, rested, blessed, and sanctified it as holy, setting it apart from the other days. The seventh day, the Sabbath, marks a shift from physical creation to spiritual work, focusing on building faith and sanctifying humanity. It serves as a weekly reminder of God's ongoing creative process, a time for reflection, spiritual growth, and connection with Him. The Sabbath is God's day, a sign between Him and His people, uniting and distinguishing them. It is a memorial of creation, essential for well-being, and a special appointment for His presence and empowerment.

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The Day God Rested

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

God gave the Sabbath as a blessing for man, which, if kept correctly, gives rejuvenating rest, a relief from stress, and a defense against illness.

The Sabbath: Creation

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We know that in six days God created all that we see and enjoy in this natural environment of ours. On the seventh day, having ceased from all His labor, God rested. Because He rested, He blessed and sanctified the seventh day, setting it apart for holy use, making it separate and different from the other six days. God marked the seventh day as distinct, a day devoted to Him, showing us that it is supposed to be very different from the days of work. God does not need rest due to fatigue, as He never grows weary, but His resting on the seventh day was not merely about stopping physical work. It was a time to reflect upon what He had accomplished, to feel a sense of completion and well-being, satisfied with the step in His plan that was finished. The Sabbath, therefore, becomes a time for us to refocus on what is truly important, to contemplate and admire what has been created, following God's example of pausing after six days of labor. God's work did not end with physical creation; on the seventh day, He shifted to a different kind of labor. He moved from creating the physical world to engaging in spiritual work, focusing on building faith and preparing humanity for a deeper purpose. The Sabbath is a sign that reminds us weekly that God is continually working to sanctify us, to make us holy, and to create us in His spiritual image. It is a day carved out of the week for this special work, where we can join Him in this purpose, giving Him our full attention to facilitate growth in knowing Him and increasing our holiness.

It's Not Our Time

Article by David C. Grabbe

The seventh day, as God's Sabbath, is a profound reminder of His ownership over all creation. Genesis 2:1-3 establishes that God Himself set the seventh day apart, marking it as His time. Although it is God's day, we bear the responsibility to observe it properly, recognizing that it is not ours to claim. The context of the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:1-2 underscores why we must keep it holy: God redeemed us from spiritual bondage, and because of this act, the seventh day belongs to Him. As stewards of His creation, we are called to honor the Sabbath, distinguishing it from other days in our conduct, conversations, attitudes, and thoughts, ensuring that our relationship with Him remains paramount.

The Fourth Commandment (Part One) (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath, as established during creation, holds a vital place in God's purpose. The Bible reveals that God completed His physical creation by the end of the sixth day, yet He did not finish His work there. On the seventh day, He ended His work, rested, blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, creating a period of holy time essential for man's well-being. This act marked the Sabbath as the crown of the creation week, symbolizing that God is still creating, though in a spiritual form. Through the Sabbath, God continues His creative process, providing an environment for spiritual life that the physical creation alone cannot supply. It stands as a deliberate memorial of time, reminding us that God's work of reproducing Himself in us is ongoing. The Sabbath serves as a weekly appointment with God, a special time for His presence, where He blesses and empowers His people with His Spirit for spiritual growth and to witness for Him. It is a sign between God and His people, identifying and sanctifying them, uniting them in a visible bond distinct from the world. Thus, the Sabbath is integral to God's purpose, protecting His investment in us and preparing us for His Kingdom.

The Commandments (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a period of time God purposefully sanctified and set apart for the benefit of mankind, a time dedicated to God's spiritual creation.

My Parents Won't Let Me!

Article by Clyde Finklea

Here is the story of a young man's momentous choice regarding his keeping of the Sabbath, a decision he had to make all on his own.

The Fourth Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God, not man, created, sanctified and memorialized the seventh day Sabbath from the time of creation, intending that man use this holy time to worship God.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Focusing on material and temporal things undermines faith. The Sabbath is holy time, created for building faith, energizing our minds for fellowship with God.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a special creation, a very specific period of holy time given to all of mankind, reminding us that God created and is continuing to create.

Shabbat Shalom

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

The word shalom denotes 'making something whole' or returned to well-being or good health. True biblical shalom refers to inner completeness and wholeness.

The Fourth Commandment (Part Two): Christ's Attitude Toward the Sabbath

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

In the Gospels, questions about the Sabbath center on how to keep it, not whether it should be kept. The way Jesus approached the Sabbath gives us an example.

God's Rest and the Millennium

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Millennium or God's rest will be an exceedingly busy time, a time when all of humanity will be converted, a time everybody will be on the same trek.

The Fourth Commandment (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath reminds us that God is Creator and that we were once in slavery to sin. The Sabbath is a time of blessing, deliverance, liberty, and redemption.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Five)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Universal in scope, the Edenic Covenant introduces God to mankind as his Creator and establishes the way human beings are to relate to Him and the creation.

Strategies for Interfacing with Babylon without Becoming Assimilated (Part Four)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Over 77% of 'Christian' churches have chosen the day of the sun as their day of rest, rejecting the day God hallowed from creation, seen in the 4th Commandment.

Appointments

Sermon by Clyde Finklea

God established the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of Creation; He established His Holy Days (moedim) on the fourth day. These are His appointments.

God's Rest (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath rest depicts the miracle of conversion, in which the transformation of mankind into God's image brings about a rest in which God takes pleasure.