The Sabbath is more than rest: it renews people, honours creation, and is even tracked from space as NASA’s Sabbath effect.
The Sabbath Principle: “Take a Break!”
There is an evening ritual which occurs in every Italian town. Young and old slowly walk along the main street or square, greeting friends, sharing gossip, and conversing about the day’s affairs. With its gentle rhythm of unhurried interaction, la passeggiata is a tender wind-down to the day. By extension, God has ordained a similar period of time in each weekly cycle, namely the Sabbath day, which has been called ‘the brake that remakes.’
The Sabbath principle is essentially defined by three words: ‘Take a break!’ The Hebrew word “Sabbath” literally means ‘to stop or cease’. The idea is for both people and nature to have ‘time off’. Rest and recuperation were sanctioned for human activity and for the earth itself – specific periods in which to refresh, recover, rejuvenate and remember. As such, this principle became the foundation for the Sabbath day, the Sabbath year, and the Jubilee year.
The Sabbath in Creation
The idea of one day of rest in every seven is rooted in the creation week. Genesis 2:2-3 (NLT) says, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.”
Following the six days of creative activity, God took repose, not because he was tired but to prefigure a healthy pause in the weekly cycle for the benefit of humans and animals. He didn’t just stop creating things. He created something new, namely “the indispensable inaction of a day of rest” (1). The Sabbath rest gets a day all its own. It is also significant that whereas each individual creature is deemed “good” and everything together is pronounced “very good”, the whole of creation at rest on Shabbat is called “blessed” and “holy”, signifying a profound and necessary respite.
The Fourth Commandment
Humanity’s first day on earth after their creation was God’s rest day, the Sabbath day. In a sense, then, the practice of the Sabbath was established prior to the law and comes to us from the nature of God. This occurred thousands of years before the Israelites emerged as a nation. Once they did, however, the Sabbath principle was soon reinforced as the fourth commandment. Israel was specifically instructed by God to observe the Sabbath as a holy day — to set her apart from the other nations:
“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
(Exodus 20:9-11 NLT)
Rest for Everyone — Including Animals
Grounded already in creation, the Sabbath principle thus became a key part of the Mosaic covenant. Notice that the Sabbath was a day of rest for Israelites as well as foreigners residing with them. It is also interesting that God included domestic animals. Perhaps it is not so much a matter of oxen, donkeys, sheep, goats, cows and camels having one day a week off, but rather that by mentioning them God goes one step further to ensure that people will also take the day off!
Consequences and Blessings
God issued a warning through Moses that if the people did not obey the Sabbath law, there would be dire consequences, even death (e.g. Exodus 31:12-17; Numbers 15:32-37). The equal gravity with which subsequent biblical writers viewed the Sabbath is seen in their frequent admonitions for faithful observance (e.g. Isaiah 56:2-7,58:13-14; Jeremiah 17:21-27; Nehemiah 13:15-22). Such passages contain harsh words, but these are balanced by equally powerful promises of blessing for those who keep the Sabbath. The repeated Sabbath controversies in the life of Jesus (e.g. Luke 6:1-11, 14:1-6), and the typological use of Sabbath rest by the author of Hebrews (Hebrews 4:1-13) strengthen the case.
Neither Lazy Nor a Workaholic
This Sabbath day command forbids being ‘lazy’ (you must work if you are able) or becoming a ‘workaholic’ (someone who never stops or slows down). Both work and rest are ordained and blessed by God. We might simply say that God designed creation with a certain rhythm. One day of rest from normal labour was a conscious pause. By following this creation principle we become more productive, not less productive, since our minds and bodies get the rest they need. In a sense, the Sabbath was given as an ‘employment protection measure’!
A Spiritual Dimension
Observing the Sabbath reminds the Church and the world that life has a spiritual dimension as well as a material one. By observing the Sabbath, worshippers are encouraged to view life as a means to God’s purpose and God’s end, rather than the earth as a means to an end in life. It was a joyous holy day, a day of spiritual refreshment, prayer, contemplation, and community worship. It points to the need to set aside production and consumption for a period and to reflect, give thanks, and render praise.
Writing from a Jewish perspective, Ellen Bernstein says:
On Shabbat we, along with all the other creatures, are called to recognize our creatureliness, our earthliness; we are to refrain from our use of nature and simply rest in creation, content in the deep peace of an interdependent universe (that does not rely on people). The workweek encourages an active stance in the world, but Shabbat is reserved for simply “being” and celebrating the delight of creation. (2)
The Sabbath as an Eco-Friendly Discipline
Today we face a growing ecological crisis. The idea of ‘one day off a week’ (not necessarily Friday sunset to Saturday sunset!) has long been promoted by environmentalists as a way of cultivating a deeper respect for, and care of, creation. They are aware that such an action will help us to live more environmentally-sustainable lives. Many, however, are unaware that this convention has been around for more than 2500 years! The Sabbath reveals itself as possibly the first eco-friendly biblical precept. It resonates well with God’s everlasting covenant with the earth (Genesis 9) and the biblical promise of ultimate healing and shalom.
NASA and the “Sabbath Effect”
I recently became aware of something very interesting that underscores practicing the Sabbath as an eco-friendly discipline (3). Apparently NASA can tell where and when people are observing the Sabbath day (or equiavalent) all around the world. Levels of nitrous oxides (by-products of fossil fuel consumption) detected from space fluctuate during the week. They go down on Fridays in Islamic countries, on Saturday in Israel, and on Sunday in the United States, Europe and Japan. The less people drive and the less industry produces, the cleaner the air. This lowering is called the ‘Sabbath effect’ or ‘the weekend effect’. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the intended outcome of Sabbath observance, namely being refreshed, can be translated as ‘paused for breath.’ Sabbath rest literally clears the air and gives us breathing room.
The Sabbath Is for People
The point Jesus emphasises is that the Sabbath “was made to meet the needs of people” (those who are served by it), not the other way around (Mark 2:27 NLT). The Sabbath was specially intended to promote the well-being of humans, regardless of their religious convictions or cultural background. God’s intention in instituting a day of rest was our benefit and, through us, the remainder of creation as well. This was God’s design.
Conclusion
Anyone who espouses and practices this God-ordained principle will undoubtedly find their lives are all the better for it. However, it’s not just good for people. It is good for the earth. The Sabbath principle is, in fact, an invaluable guide for the care of ourselves and the planet we live on. It is evidence that faith grounded in the Bible is ‘green’ and that sustainability is built into the very fabric of the entire created order.
Notes
- Matthew Sleeth, Hope for Humanity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010): 5.
- Ellen Bernstein, “Creation Theology: A Jewish Perspective,” in The Green Bible (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2008): I-56.
- Rebekah Simon-Peter, 23 May 2013: “The Sabbath Effect”: https://www.rebekahsimonpeter.com/the-sabbath-effect-2. Accessed 25 August 2021.
Related reading:
- Agents of Liberation: Embracing Our Romans 8 Mandate Today Discover our Romans 8 mandate to become agents of liberation, breaking creation’s bondage to decay through holistic eco-justice.
- A Manifesto for Local Conservation Reject the myth of a disposable planet. Discover actionable, localized ways to steward and restore the physical creation God loves.
- Core Theological Tenets of the Creation Care MovementCreation Care theology’s biblical case for stewardship, dominion reinterpreted, cosmic redemption, and loving neighbour through justice.
