The Sabbath is for You Too!
Scripture — Isaiah 56:6-7 (NRSV)
And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
and hold fast my covenant—
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.
Focus
God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, does not envision the Sabbath as a drudgery. On the contrary, when the nations keep the Sabbath, the Lord promises to “make them joyful in my house of prayer” (56:7). Thinking about the Sabbath as a burden misses the point. God has given us the Sabbath for our good. When we set aside time for rest, our souls are refreshed. Indeed, we are made joyful.
Devotion
Throughout Isaiah, we see God’s vision not only for the people of Israel but also for all peoples. Though salvation is focused upon Israel, it is not for Israel alone. Isaiah 56 reiterates the Lord’s concern for the nations. They too can be numbered among God’s holy people if they “join themselves to the LORD” and “love the name of the LORD” (56:6).
All of this fits comfortably into our understanding of how we relate to God as Christians. But then Isaiah adds that Gentiles who keep God’s covenant must “keep the Sabbath” without profaning it (56:6). How are we to make sense of this as Christians? Isn’t the Sabbath something distinctive for the Jewish people? Is the Sabbath also for us too? Didn’t Jesus free us from having to keep the Sabbath?
As I have worked on these questions for many years, I have become convinced that the Sabbath is a gift from God given to all people, not just to the Jews. It’s also for those of us who are, to use the biblical term, Gentiles. We see this most clearly in the creation account in Genesis. There, after creating for six days, God “blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3). God not only rested on the seventh day but also made it holy, that is, set it apart to be a special day, and day for rest (see, for example, Exodus 20:9-11).
Scripture reveals that God created us with a need for weekly rest. We live most fully when we imitate God by setting aside a day each week for rest and refreshment. But a legalistic approach to the Sabbath is inconsistent with the grace of God in Christ. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, invites us into the joy of his rest. Sabbath is not so much a requirement as it is a gift. Through rest, we are renewed in our relationship with the Lord and are strengthened to serve God in every part of life.
Notice that God, speaking through Isaiah, does not envision the Sabbath as a drudgery. On the contrary, when the nations keep the Sabbath, the Lord promises to “make them joyful in my house of prayer” (56:7). Thinking about the Sabbath as a burden misses the point. God has given us the Sabbath for our good. When we set aside time for rest, our souls are refreshed. Indeed, we are made joyful.
Don’t you need more rest in your life? Don’t you need more joy?
Reflect
What do you think of the Sabbath?
Do you set aside time each week for rest and renewal?
If so, why do you do this? If not, why not?
How do you feel about devoting a regular time each week to rest?
Act
Perhaps you already keep the Sabbath regularly. If so, wonderful. Keep it up! But if you do not set apart a day a week for rest from work, let me encourage you to try it. See what happens when you accept God’s gift of rest.
Pray
Gracious God, first of all, I thank you for including the Gentiles among your people. How blessed I am to be numbered among your sons and daughters, even though I am not a literal descendant of Abraham and Sarah.
You know, Lord, how the idea of Sabbath can be a perplexing one to those of us who belong to you through Christ. We want to be faithful to you in all things. We want to receive the fullness of your goodness. Sabbath intrigues us. The thought of resting with you beckons to us. Yet we fear the legalism that so often attaches itself to the Sabbath, even among Christians. We wonder if we can really get all of our work done in six days. Help us, Lord, to have a right understanding of the Sabbath and its role in our lives. Teach us how to rest in a way that honors you and your grace. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Is a Weekly Sabbath Observance Expected of Christians?.
Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...