In Mk. 2:27 Christ tells us, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." I saw this not too long ago quoted by a man I highly respect, Dr. Bud Powell, in refutation of the Sabbatarians that would put undue legalistic restrictions on the Sabbath. Since I read that I have really been mulling it over in my mind as to what it really means and what its application is to our lives. It simply wasn't something that I had really noticed before, in spite of the many times I have read the Gospels.
In Heb. 4:1-10 the author of Hebrews spends some time discussing this matter. The Sabbath is a day that we were told by God was for rest and to be kept holy (Ex. 23:12; 20:8). So then, upon reading this passage, we see that the Sabbath is a shadow of what will be when we enter our rest in heaven. It gives us rest from our labor and time to focus on God and worship Him. Which is what we will eternally have when we reach heaven. "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His." (Heb. 4:10)
The Sabbath, then, gives us a glimpse of what we will have when we finally come home to the Lord. It forces us to stop what we are doing, to turn our eyes to God and to cherish, worship, commune, and draw near to Him. For truly, when we reach heaven, we will finally rest from our labors. Then we will spend eternity worshipping Him in all righteousness; the curse of sin and death no more able to reach its wicked hand into our hearts. The Sabbath may only give us the barest of tastes; but, that one morsel on our tongue is savored throughout our lives and it never lets us forget where we are going to be.
With that in mind let us "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Php. 3:14) And may the Sabbath fix your eyes ever more intently on heaven until you are called home forever.
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