Topical Bible: The Sabbath: God: Blessed

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The concept of the Sabbath is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative, serving as a significant element of God's creation and covenant with His people. The Sabbath is first introduced in the creation account, where God establishes a pattern of work and rest. In Genesis 2:2-3 , it is written, "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished."

The blessing of the Sabbath by God signifies its importance and sets it apart as a holy day. The act of blessing the seventh day underscores its sanctity and the divine intention for it to be a day of rest and spiritual reflection. This divine blessing is not merely a cessation of labor but a consecration of time, inviting humanity to enter into God's rest and to reflect on His creative power and provision.

The Sabbath is further enshrined in the Ten Commandments, where it is given as a command to the Israelites. In Exodus 20:8-11 , the commandment states, "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 or maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but on the seventh day He rested. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy."

This commandment highlights the Sabbath as a day of rest not only for individuals but for the entire community, including servants and even animals. It is a day dedicated to the Lord, emphasizing the relationship between God and His people. The Sabbath serves as a reminder of God's creative work and His deliverance, as seen in Deuteronomy 5:15 , where the Israelites are reminded of their liberation from Egypt: "Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."

Throughout the Old Testament, the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, a perpetual reminder of His faithfulness and provision. In Ezekiel 20:12 , God declares, "I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between us, so that they would know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them."

In the New Testament, Jesus' teachings and actions regarding the Sabbath further illuminate its purpose. Jesus emphasizes the Sabbath's intent as a blessing for humanity, rather than a burden. In Mark 2:27 , Jesus states, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." This underscores the principle that the Sabbath is meant to serve humanity's need for rest and spiritual renewal, aligning with God's original blessing of the day.

The Sabbath remains a topic of theological reflection and practice within the Christian tradition, symbolizing rest, worship, and the anticipation of eternal rest in God's presence. The blessing of the Sabbath by God continues to invite believers to pause, reflect, and engage in worship, acknowledging God's sovereignty and grace.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 2:3
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: why the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Third Day. Holiness and Creation.
... 'And God blessed the Sabbath day, and sanctified it, because that in it He had rested
from all the work which God created and made.'"Genesis 2:3. ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/third day holiness and creation.htm

The Sabbath
... Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified
it,""set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 29 the sabbath.htm

The Tests of Love to God
... of the great King, on the sabbath God shows Himself ... if ever, heaven gate stands open,
and God comes down ... This blessed day the Sun of righteousness rises upon ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the tests of love to.htm

The Limitations of Earth's Great Week.
... days' work of Genesis one foreshadowed six thousand years of human toil and labor,
and that the seventh day, the Sabbath, which God "blessed" and "sanctified ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/9 the limitations of earths.htm

"In the Spirit and Power of Elias"
... will empower my followers to set aside God's memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath.
Thus I will show the world that the day sanctified and blessed by God has been ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 14 in the spirit.htm

The Decalogue: I --Man and God
... The week was meant to be given to work, which is blessed and right if done after
the pattern of God's. The Sabbath was meant to lift to a share in His rest, to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the decalogue iman and god.htm

A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath-Day.
... O Lord most high, O God eternal, all whose worka are glorious, and whose ... and to declare
thy loving-kindness in the morning, on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/a morning prayer for the.htm

What is the Law of God?
... do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it ... them
is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath ...
/.../various/the heidelberg catechism /question 92 what is the.htm

Ten Reasons Demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be ...
... of admirable things, so oft by sevens, calls upon us to a continual meditation of
the blessed seventh day Sabbath, in knowing and worshipping God in this life ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/ten reasons demonstrating the commandment.htm

The vision of Creation
... And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because ... His creative work, and
the very sabbath rest with ... God ceases from His works because 'the works were ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the vision of creation.htm