Why is it important?

What, you ask?

Why is important that we keep a specific day holy - the seventh day?  Other than the fact that God made ONLY THIS day holy, what difference does it make? It seems arbitrary - and perhaps it IS.  That might be one key to understanding why it's important, actually.

By whose authority was the Sabbath made holy?  Answer: God's. (Genesis 2:3)

When did He make the Sabbath holy? At the end of the creation week - the beginning of us and our world. (Gen. 2:1-3).  Many people mistakenly believe it was first given in the 10 commandments at Sinai to the Jews - no - that is why God had to say "remember", and referred them BACK to creation in the very 4th commandment ("for in 6 days God created...")

If the Sabbath, as a memorial of creation, had been kept SINCE then until now, I doubt we'd be having the same issues with evolution....but that's a side note.

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, keeping the seventh day holy because God set aside that time FOR us - to rest, to worship, to fellowship, to enjoy His creation, to visit the poor, sick and needy, to be free from the cares of work and gainful labour, to bask in His special blessing and redemption - is NOT legalistic.  We choose to keep the 7th day (Sabbath) holy because that's the day HE chose.  We accept God's authority to do that!

The Sabbath, which means "rest", also has a fuller meaning of rest in Christ's work FOR us - another reason to cease from our own work and accept His re-creative work in our lives.

So we have, so far,  2 meanings.

1) it is kept as a sign/remembrance of God's creation of our world and us - our origins - which gives us purpose and meaning in life.  God had a direct part in creating us. So the weekly Sabbath brings our minds back to God's active involvement in our lives.

2) It is kept as a sign of God's re-creation in our hearts - His redemptive power to re-create something "supernatural" - a snow-white pureness from something scarlet. "Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them as white as snow...." Isaiah 1:18

Going back to one of the original questions - by whose authority should we worship on the 7th day, the next question could be, Well, who chose the first day and what authority did that person/being have, to change the day from the day (written in stone with the very finger of God) that God Himself chose, and decide that the new day should be Sunday, the first day?

Well, that answer is a very long one....I'll have to address it in a following blog.  But let me just say briefly, that God did not change it!  It was "someone"  who usurped that authority and took it upon himself to "change times and laws".  By this act, he thus claimed to have authority OVER God Himself.

Should we give this usurper authority over us, or is God our supreme and sovereign Ruler? 

I'll leave you with that ponderous thought until next time!