What is the Sabbath in the Bible?

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew shabbat, connected with the idea "to cease" or "to rest." Its roots go back to creation: "on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day," and "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it" (Genesis 2:2-3). At Sinai it became the fourth commandment: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work" (Exodus 20:8-10). God called it "a sign between me and you throughout your generations" (Exodus 31:13), and in Jewish practice it runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. Jesus kept the Sabbath and taught in synagogues on that day, but he challenged rules that turned it into a burden, healing on the Sabbath and declaring, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28). Christians today hold several views. Seventh-day Adventists and Seventh Day Baptists keep Saturday as the Sabbath, since the commandment names the seventh day. Many other Christians gather on Sunday, the first day of the week, when Jesus rose and when the early church met (Acts 20:7), and they call it "the Lord’s day" (Revelation 1:10). Some of these regard Sunday as the Christian Sabbath, while others see the Sabbath as fulfilled in Christ, pointing to Colossians 2:16-17, which calls the sabbath days "a shadow of things to come," and to Hebrews 4:9, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." Most agree that the rhythm of work, rest, and worship reflects God's good design.

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