Why is sabbath important

But the truth is that almost no one does. There will almost always be some reason not to take that day off — an important work project, housework, shopping, etc. Sixth, the Sabbath commandment granted animals dignity. It is, to the best of our knowledge, the first national law in history on behalf of animals. And its benefits to animals surely went beyond a mandatory day of rest for them. People who felt divinely obligated to give their animals a day of rest were much less likely to treat their animals cruelly any day of the week.

All six of these life-changing and society-changing benefits regarding the Sabbath are available to anyone. The God factor plays another role in the Sabbath. Just as faith in God brings people to the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath brings people to faith in God.

In our secularized modern societies, very few activities bring people to a relationship with God as effectively as does devoting a day each week to the spiritual, not just the material. No wonder that those who have it in their lives are often happier, with richer family lives, more serenity, a community of friends, and, yes, even better health. You can see my five-minute video on the Fourth Commandment here.

He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager. It dignifies and elevates us all. Yet, just as we must depend on Christ alone to shape our minds for the Sabbath, so we must surrender to Him in order for this reconciliation to occur.

A happy side effect of healing relationships is that we are participating in active ministry. To allow the sabbath to be a day of healing, not just for self but for relationships, is an invitation for others to see the full dimension of Sabbath and act as a form of exaltation to God. In looking at the Sabbath as more than just a structured day of activities, we learn that it is a complex and unique gift that is meant to be shared.

We serve a diverse God who created us to be individuals, therefore, we must each learn for ourselves the ways in which to engage in worship. Embrace the separate dimensions of worship as long as we linger in the goodness and majesty of God.

God sets up shabbat and nuakh right around the same time. After six days of bringing order to chaos, now it is time to shabbat from this work. It seems like the ideas of shabbat and nuakh are meant to work together. God leads by example as he rests from work shabbat and then dwells together nuakh with his people. How will the rest of the story go? God rests, or nuakhs, his presence with them anyway through the tabernacle and later the temple Exodus , 2 Chronicles This is the intention of the first, original Sabbath.

It was so God and his people could rest in their relationship. Will Sabbath rest ever be restored? The Gospel tells us that Jesus had a lot to say about the Sabbath and the true rest that God intends for his people. Jesus responds with an argument that redefines the Sabbath, asserts his role as the promised Messiah, and points to his divinity Matthew The Pharisees are understandably upset by this. But to Jesus, Sabbath observance pointed to something greater.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. All this talk of rest right before a passage that deals with Sabbath? This is no mistake. What is Matthew trying to communicate here?

The people were in need of rest, both in ceasing from hard work shabbat and being present together with God nuakh. So it stands to reason we should also honor the 4th commandment to remember the Sabbath. Inside this commandment itself we find two compelling reasons:. For physical health and spiritual well-being, we need rest. Rest refuels and re-energizes us to work more effectively later. Just getting the kids dressed to corral them into the car, in order to then chase them around church and sit in the cry room during the sermon was hard enough.

God set a healthy rhythm of work and rest for us at creation, yet maybe we sabotage the Sabbath rest God intended by trying to cram too many things into our weekends. What if we simplified Sunday by making church our first priority and letting go of the rest? Sometimes a few simple changes to how we approach our tasks during the week can free up more time on Sunday to rest or enjoy our families.

Consider these ideas:. When we set aside Sundays for rest and worship, we follow the healthy rhythm God established for us, and we can start a new week on Monday refreshed instead of exhausted.

If your job requires you to work on Sunday, ask the Lord for creativity and discipline to set aside another Sabbath time during your week.