The Sabbath rest is so important to God that He established it on the seventh day of creation. It was actually a part of His creation. God made the Sabbath. It just didn’t happen by chance. By this creative act, the Great Sustainer of all that exists concluded the beginning of man’s extraordinary journey on this planet. He also indelibly stamped this day with a “mark” of spiritual perfection. The Bible reveals that this mark will have a profound effect on God’s people and their ultimate destiny.
    The Sabbath was designed to be a weekly memorial of God’s physical as well as His spiritual creation. In a very real sense, it is a continual reminder of the Creator and His plan for man. Because of this, God made the Sabbath holy. The book of Genesis reveals that when doing so, He integrated spiritual properties into this day – properties that would make this day unique. Notice what God’s word says about the creation of the very first holy day, the Sabbath.

On the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 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. (Gen. 2:2)

    The word “sanctified” in this verse is very interesting. Literally translated it means “to consecrate” or “to purify.” In other words, God set this day apart from all other days and when doing so He placed His blessing on it. He made it HOLY!
    The Bible declares the Sabbath is a sacred day – and not one to be taken lightly. God Himself “hallowed” it. Notice what He revealed about His Sabbath when introducing the fourth commandment to His servant Moses:

For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Ex. 20:11)

    When God created the Sabbath He elevated it to a special state – He made it HOLY. Only God has the power to make something HOLY, and when He does, it is SACRED and PURE. It reflects the qualities of God Himself. At this point, man can do one of two things: he can honor what God has set apart as HOLY, or he can PROFANE it.

Why Did God Sanctify the Sabbath?
    The Bible makes it absolutely clear that God set the Sabbath day apart from all other days – He “blessed” the Sabbath and “hallowed” it. But why would He do such a thing? What purpose could God possibly have for making one day of the week different from every other day? And why would He make this day holy? Why would the Great Creator place His blessing on it? God’s word answers these questions and in doing so reveals why His people should have such a profound respect for this day.
    When speaking to the children of Israel, God declared that His Sabbath was a sign between Him and His people. Notice what He says about this sign.

Verily my Sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations... (Ex. 31:13)

    The word “sign” in this verse is used several times throughout the Bible when describing the Sabbath. It  comes from the Hebrew word owth and can be translated as “signal,” “beacon,” “evidence,” or “mark.” It is a term of profound strength and significance. Here God is saying that His Sabbath is a link between His people and their God. Additionally, the Great Creator reveals that He made the Sabbath so that man would know Him. But there is more to this extraordinary day. Later in this same verse, God states that His Sabbath points to a remarkable hope regarding God’s plan for mankind. Notice what He says.

...that you might know that I am the God that doth sanctify you. (Ex. 31:13)

    Notice the power of these words. Here, God is revealing that He made the Sabbath holy because it is to stand as evidence that He intends to do the very same thing to His earthly family. God’s plan for mankind is that they will also be holy. God set apart the Sabbath so that man could know that He has also set apart His people.
    Ultimately, the fulfillment of this holy purpose will take place when God’s children are born into His Family as literal sons and daughters. When describing this birth, the apostle John proclaimed that God’s family would be just like Him.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1Jn. 3:2)

    Imagine being like the God who made the universe. Imagine possessing His love, His virtue, and His wisdom. But that is exactly what is going to happen to those who yield to His authority. The apostle Peter wrote that we are to be partakers of the very nature of God himself (2Pe. 1:4). This is the destiny that awaits all of God’s people. Furthermore, it is a destiny pictured by His Sabbath.

A Gateway to Holiness

    The Bible reveals that God wants His people to be holy even as He is holy (1Pe. 1:15-16). The Sabbath is a gateway into that holiness. It is a link between corruptible man and an incorruptible God. It stands as proof that God will deliver on His promise to bring a great Kingdom to this earth. God has also promised that His saints will rule with Jesus Christ in that Kingdom (Dan. 7:18).
    When God’s people honor His Sabbath, they are not simply obeying a command, they are declaring their desire to be the recipients of that promise. In other words, by keeping the Sabbath holy, every child of God is not only saying, “Thy kingdom come,” but also, “Your will be done in me.”
    This being the case, every true believer should show great deference to the day that points to their part in eternity itself. Their conduct on the Sabbath should reflect a dignity befitting a king or priest commissioned to serve in that Kingdom (Rev. 5:10). That behavior should not be common or profane, but rather filled with virtue and godliness. Every future leader in God’s Kingdom should reflect a great respect for the wisdom that imagined this day at the very beginning. Their conduct should make it clear that the Sabbath is different. It is not a worldly day. It is a Godly sign.

Remember the Sabbath
    The scriptures reveal that while the descendants of Israel were in the Sinai Desert, God commanded them to “remember the Sabbath” (Ex. 20:8). However, equally important to God is that His people know HOW to “remember the Sabbath.” God wants us to HONOR and RESPECT this day, not simply be aware of when it takes place. After all, most Bible scholars know that God’s Sabbath falls on the seventh day, they simply do not keep that day holy. They profane the day God “sanctified.”
    However, God’s people must be different and their conduct on the Sabbath must also be different. That conduct should reflect an understanding that the Sabbath is unique. It is a day with great purpose, a HOLY purpose.

The Sabbath Belongs to God
    The Bible makes it clear that the Sabbath is God’s day. It is called the Sabbath of the Eternal. God repeatedly refers to it as “My Sabbath” (Ezk. 20:12-24). The point here is that the seventh day belongs to God and as such it is not to be contaminated by man. Everything we do on this day should be directed toward our Father in heaven and His purpose for us.
    At this point, it is important to understand a profound truth about God’s Sabbath day. Contrary to popular belief, this day is not about relaxation and comfort. It is not about personal pleasure. The Sabbath is about connection and spiritual rejuvenation. It is about holiness. God’s word is clear and direct: His Sabbath is HOLY.
    Tragically, there are some who sincerely believe that they can engage in certain pleasures on this day. One such pleasure is dining out at a restaurant on a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon. Some leaders in God’s Church have even suggested that such a practice can actually picture God’s millennial Kingdom.
    However, this thinking is a grave mistake. In reality, going to a restaurant on the Sabbath does not honor this day, it actually profanes it. It embraces one of the most popular traditions of the secular world. If one truly desired to picture the millennium on the Sabbath, he would never dine out. WHY? Because it doesn’t picture the millennium at all. In the millennium there will be no restaurants operating on the Sabbath. At that time all people will honor this day as God commands.

A Millennial Government
    In this context, consider that Jesus Christ will soon return in all His glory to govern the earth as its God King. At that time, He will rule with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:15), and the saints will share rulership with Him (Rev. 20:3-4). This being the case, what will these resurrected saints teach the world about going to restaurants on the Sabbath? The answer is obvious. They will teach God’s truth regarding this wonderful day. Furthermore, they will correct anyone ever attempting to engage in such a practice.
    This being the case, how could God’s Family of kings and priests (Rev. 5:10) teach others not to go to restaurants on the Sabbath, if in their lifetime, they frequented such establishments – in the name of God’s Kingdom no less? It just doesn’t make sense. It is a total contradiction.
    To illustrate this point, consider the following. Imagine the time when God’s kingdom is established on earth. Its citizens will be comprised of those who survived the horrible devastation that took place during the last days. These citizens will know nothing of God’s law or His plan for man.
    However, it is now time for them to be taught these great truths by God’s resurrected saints. With this in mind, imagine that you are commissioned to teach these people about the Sabbath. As the lesson begins, one of them asks you the following question. “If it was wrong for me to work in a restaurant on the Sabbath, why did you permit me to work for you?” Now imagine that Jesus Christ is standing next to you as you prepare to respond. After all, He is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mk. 2:28). He should be very interested in what you have to say. This being the case, how would you answer this question? What would you tell this young millennial citizen?
    At this point, it is important to understand that God’s people today are ambassadors of His soon-coming Kingdom. They represent its ways and its laws. In a very real sense, their lives proclaim the gospel. By their example, God’s people act out His Kingdom every day, including the Sabbath. The truth is that if a representative of God’s Kingdom went to a restaurant on His Sabbath or holy day, that person would be engaging in a practice that contradicts the very Kingdom he or she represents. To do so would be nothing short of rank hypocrisy.
    However, it does not have to be that way. God’s people not only proclaim their faith by what they do, but also by what they do not do. Refraining from dining out on the Sabbath can make a powerful statement about the God we serve and the Kingdom we represent. To illustrate this point consider a different conversation with a citizen of the millennium. Imagine this citizen asking one of the saints the following. “When I worked at a restaurant I would often see you. I even waited on you occasionally. However, I never saw you on the Sabbath or holy days. Why?”
    Imagine the wonderful lesson that could be taught to this potential child of God. Perhaps you could begin by explaining why the Eternal instructed the ancient nation of Israel to make sure no one worked on their behalf on His Sabbath – including their servants and even the unbeliever. You might actually quote the very words of God himself when giving the fourth commandment. Notice what He said.

Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your cattle, nor the  stranger that is within your gates; that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. (Dt. 5:12-14)

    At this point, you might explain why God would insist that servants were to be released from working on the Sabbath. After all, God clearly commanded this to be done. The question is why? It is no small matter that God provided the answer.

And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out thence through a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm: therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath holy. (Dt. 5:15)

    Notice what God is revealing to Israel in this verse. Immediately after instructing them to not compel servants or strangers to work on His Sabbath, He tells them why. It is because they (the Israelites) were once enslaved. Imagine what is being conveyed by this Great Law-giver. Israel was enslaved by a nation that had no clue regarding the true God. Egypt worshiped idols. This pagan nation practiced a faith that was light years from that described in the pages of your Bible. Furthermore, it did so because it did not know better. Tragically, when the Israelites lived in Egypt, they eventually lost the faith that filled the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They, too, engaged in the same idiolatry as their masters.
    But now they were free – because God had made them free. He personally delivered them from the bondage inflicted on them by a godless society. But what does this have to do with God’s people today 

Deliverance from Egypt
    The scriptures reveal that just as the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt until God miraculously delivered them, those whom He has called in this present age were also once enslaved in spiritual Egypt. God’s people today were once in bondage. We once believed the things the world believed, taught the things the world taught, and practiced the things the world practiced. We even profaned God’s Sabbath and holy days. We did so because we did not know better.
    However, our calling reveals that a Great Deliverer has again rescued His people from a world that does not know Him or His way. For this reason, God’s people today should never compel the unbeliever to work on their behalf on the Sabbath. They must refrain from this practice because they were miraculously delivered from this very practice themselves.
    With this in mind, God’s people must understand that the Great Deliverer would no more permit His people today to return to this world and its sin than He would permit the Israelites of yesterday to return to Egypt and their sin. As much as some may want to go back to Egypt, God forbids it and warns of its consequences. Notice what He says.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. (Rev. 18:4)

    Consider these words in the context of dining out on the Sabbath. In order to engage in this practice, God’s people must return to a world that does not know Him. In the Old Testament that world was called Egypt. In the New Testament it is called Babylon. But make no mistake about it, these worlds are one and the same.

Come Out of Egypt
    When God commanded His people to cease from working on the Sabbath and to not compel others to work on their behalf, He was making a powerful statement. He was commanding His people to COME OUT OF EGYPT, to COME OUT OF BABYLON! In other words, God’s people are not to be a part of the very sin that once gripped their lives.
    This is the answer God’s resurrected saints will share with the countless millions who will learn about their Deliverer when His Kingdom is restored to this earth. Although the world today is truly in bondage, God’s people stand as proof that it will not always be that way. By refusing to allow the slave of this world to labor for them on God’s Sabbath, His people are proclaiming a great hope – a hope that one day all who are enslaved will be free. At that time they, too, will “remember the Sabbath and keep it HOLY.”

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