Shabbat is the original Hebrew word for our English word sabbath. It comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav and means “to cease, to finish, to rest”. The word is invariably linked to the seventh day after the six days of creation, and this is how we see it used in the Old Testament.
Shabbat is the most important holy day in the Jewish calendar, although observant Jews and some others observe it every week, and not just once a year. God placed great emphasis on the Sabbath day, as it is mentioned in the Scriptures on numerous occasions, such as in Exodus 20:8–9: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (see also Exodus 23:12 and Leviticus 26:2). Shabbat was so important that God imposed the death penalty on those who refused to observe it (Exodus 31:15).
Two themes govern Shabbat: remembering and observing. It is a commemoration of God’s creation of the universe in six days ( Exodus 20:8–11 ) and being brought out of Egyptian captivity ( Deuteronomy 5:15 ). So the Jewish observer also remembers that freedom comes with following God.
Many people who do not observe Shabbat associate it only with the cessation of work. But, for the observant Jew, it has more meaning than that. Shabbat is a time to stop working, but work ceases so that the devotee can concentrate solely on the spiritual aspects of life.
Jewish law prohibits doing any form of melakhah (“work” or “deliberate activity”) on Shabbat, with a few exceptions. All activities that contribute to personal profit or gain are prohibited. Jewish rabbinic tradition lists 39 categories of acts prohibited on Shabbat: plowing the land, sowing, reaping, tying sheaves, threshing, winnowing, sorting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking, shearing wool, washing wool, beating wool, dyeing wool, spin, weave, make two loops, weave two threads, separate two threads, tie, untie, sew stitches, rip, catch, slaughter, skin, tan, scrape hides, mark hides, cut hides, write two or more letters, erase two or more cards, build, demolish, extinguish a fire, light a fire, finish an item, and transport an item (between private and public domains,
Shabbat, like all Jewish days, begins and ends at sundown (in this case, sundown Friday to sundown Saturday), although there are some variations in its observance that can alter the timing of its transition to the first day of the week. With work out of the way, Shabbat observance is not hampered. First, the women of the house light two Shabbat candles, which represent zakhor (“to remember”) and shamor (“to observe”). A blessing is then recited no later than eighteen minutes before sunset. This ritual signifies the beginning of Shabbat.
The family attends a short evening service. They then return home to enjoy a quiet, festive dinner. The father recites the Kiddush, a prayer that sanctifies the Shabbat. The family then typically eats a slow-cooked stew that is kept warm without the use of a heat source, since it is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat. After dinner, the father recites a birkat ha-mazon (“grace after meals”).
Saturday brings another service, food, and personal Torah study. Shabbat ends at nightfall for most, when three stars are seen. The family then recites the Havdalah, a series of blessings that separate Shabbat from the rest of the days of the week.
Many wonder why Christians don’t observe the Sabbath in a similar way, since God placed so much emphasis on it in the Old Testament. Good Christians have debated this issue for many years, but the Scriptures settle the matter for us quite simply and effectively: “One man considers one day superior to another, another considers all days equal. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5).
Now this verse does not forbid keeping the Sabbath. However, it relegates its observance to the conscience of the individual. Whether or not a Christian feels compelled to observe the Sabbath, he must do so in faith and “as to the Lord” (Romans 14:8). Sabbath observance should not cause division among believers.
Colossians 2:16 says, “Therefore let no one judge you in regard to eating or drinking, or regarding a festival, or a new moon, or a Sabbath day.” Here “sabbath” refers to any Jewish holiday, including the seventh day of the week. The main point for the Christian is that we are no longer under the requirements of the Hebrew Law. We are under the law of grace. God’s law is now written on our hearts, and we are now a new creation.
Romans 3:21–25 says, “But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the law and the prophets bear witness. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that was in Christ Jesus.”
The freedom we now have through faith in Jesus Christ allows us to rest or worship the Lord on any day we want, as long as we are not judging our brethren in the matter or using our observance of a particular day as a means to gain justice or secure salvation. To be sure, Shabbat observance can honor God and benefit his children, but it is not a requirement for those who are in Christ.