The Sabbath rest in Hebrews 4:1-11 and its implications to the contemporary society

Abstract

The keeping of the Sabbath is an essential component of the Decalogue. The Sabbath is God’s institution which he established in creation. It was formally given to the Israelites in the wilderness (Ex. 16:29) and was practiced by Jesus (Lk. 4:16) and his apostles including Paul (Acts 17:2). It may be hard to imagine a fulfilling human existence where murder, stealing and adultery are norms. So, if the compromise of God’s commandments would result to detrimental consequences, can there be a significant danger to man if God’s mandate to keep His Sabbath be compromised? The researcher desires to know the fundamental meaning of the keeping of the Sabbath and its implications to the contemporary society. The exegetical exposition of Hebrews 4:1-11 reveals that the Sabbath rest is a cessation from labor on the seventh day. It speaks of the Sabbath of the Decalogue but does not necessarily imply the adherence to the rabbinic rituals and ceremonies. A theological reflection on the nature of keeping the Sabbath attests a compelling reason for man to think about the wisdom regarding obedience to God’s desire for man to cease from labor in keeping of His Sabbath. The lack of Sabbath keeping has contributed to man’s existential estrangement that is engulfed within man’s state of illusory happiness. Thus, when it comes to the matter, the author of Hebrews exhorts his readers: "Let us therefore strive to enter God’s rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Heb. 4:11).