Remember the Day
Adapted from Daniel Moss’s book work · Scripture readings: KJV ·
When the work can always follow us home, what does it mean to put it down before GOD? I believe the seventh-day Sabbath is worth keeping. To see why, begin where Scripture begins, and keep reading even when the next passage puts pressure on your conclusion.
Why the seventh day matters
Genesis says GOD rested on the seventh day, blessed it, and sanctified it. At Sinai, the command to remember the Sabbath points back to that creation week. Deuteronomy also points back to deliverance from Egypt and makes room for servants to rest. Read both commands and notice whose rest GOD tells the household to protect.
Jesus calls Himself Lord of the Sabbath. When challenged over His disciples plucking grain, He says the Sabbath was made for man. When challenged over healing, He teaches that it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath. What would it look like to keep a day holy under the authority of that Lord?
Genesis 2:1–3, Exodus 20:8–11, Deuteronomy 5:12–15, Mark 2:23–28, Matthew 12:9–13
Read the passages that press hardest
Some Christians understand the weekly Sabbath as part of the Mosaic covenant fulfilled in Christ. Paul names sabbath days when he tells the Colossians to let no one judge them about such things, calling them a shadow and pointing to Christ. That is a serious argument. Romans 14 speaks of believers esteeming days differently without naming the Sabbath. Acts 15 records a decision about what to require of Gentiles and contains no Sabbath requirement in its letter.
Other Christians see first-day gathering and the resurrection as grounds for setting Sunday apart. Acts 20 records a first-day gathering to break bread, and Paul tells the Corinthians to set something aside on the first day for a collection. Those passages deserve their full weight. Neither passage explicitly transfers the command to the first day. The question is whether the larger New Testament case requires that conclusion.
Colossians 2:13–17, Romans 14:1–12, Acts 15:5–29, John 20:1–18, Acts 20:7–12, 1 Corinthians 16:1–4
Rest under the lordship of Christ
I see the blessing of the seventh day at creation, the command's appeal to creation, and the way Jesus restores the day to its purpose as good reason to keep it. I also take Paul's warning against judging seriously. Hebrews 4 carries the question of rest farther, calling us to enter GOD's rest in faith. Christ is our righteousness, and we are saved by grace through faith. The day we keep cannot carry that weight.
Read these passages together before you decide what faithfulness asks of you. If you set aside the seventh day, think about the person who usually carries the work you leave behind. Make room for them to rest, for your household to worship, and for a neighbor to receive mercy.
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