23/10/2024
Why do we have Creation Sabbath?
God tells us in the 4th Commandment to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). But the Commandment doesn’t stop there, after specifying that the Sabbath rest is for all creation, God explains why we should rest,
“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11 NKJV).
The God that Christians worship is the Creator of all things. Just as we are saved by grace, we were created by grace, being Creator and Redeemer go hand-in-hand.
Yet it is easy for us to forget to “remember.” That is why we need Creation Sabbath, to remember to “remember.” Our Sabbaths can become consumed with other things, and these things can be genuinely important, but nothing is more important than remembering that God is our Creator and, unlike all false Gods, He does not expect us to earn His favor in some way, the unique God revealed in Scripture asks us to rest with Him, not to work to get His attention, or earn our own salvation (which would be impossible anyway).
Creation Sabbath is a special Sabbath set aside to refocus our attention on the central theme of the Bible; our Creator loves us, has earned salvation for us and offers us abundant life (John 10:10). This is why Creation Sabbath is a special time of celebration, a chance to rejoice at what God has done, to praise Him for the rich gifts He has provided and rest with Him as we enjoy the creation He made to sustain our lives and bring joy to those who know Him. We are invited to be like the sons of God who shouted for joy as the creation week unfolded (Job 38:7).
