Why Do We Keep Saturday Holy Instead of Sunday?
Does the idea of a weekly holiday sound appealing to you? A day when you don’t go to work – but spend special time with God, family, and friends instead? Doesn’t a guilt-free day of physical and spiritual rest sound wonderful? Would it surprise you to know that the God who created you and loves you, made a special, holy day, to spend with you?
God Made Sabbath and It Is a Blessing
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:2 & 3 NIV).
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11 NIV).
God blessed the seventh-day Sabbath as a sign of His authority as our Creator and as a sign of His love for us as our Savior. “Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.” (Ezekiel 20:12 NIV).
Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath is not legalism. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV). Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath shows Jesus that we truly love Him; in the same way that a child’s obedience to his father’s rules shows love for his parent.
In the time shortly before Jesus returns to earth at the Second Advent, a special message is given to those who truly love God. Revelation 14:6 & 7 says, “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people — saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’”
From the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis, to the end of the Bible, in Revelation, we see the importance that God places on worshipping Him as Creator and Savior in the way and at the time that He chooses. We have seen that God has set aside the seventh-day Sabbath as the holy day on which we are to rest and worship Him. He has given us this time with Him as a special blessing. Won’t you join us in celebrating this Sabbath with our loving God?
For more information about Sabbath visit Sabbathtruth.com and Adventist.org.