The Bible says God rested on the seventh day after creating our world. Does this make Saturday a special rest day for humanity, commanded by God? Pt. 1

Dear friend,

        Here is what God says about the Seventh day. First of all, on creating the seventh day the Bible says, Gen. 2:2 (KJV) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. This text tells us that when God made the seventh day He did the following actions: first, He rested from His work of creating; secondly, He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. What does it mean to sanctify something?

        The English word “sanctified” is used for the Hebrew term “Qadash.” This word means, “holy, consecrated, dedicated, set apart for holy use.” The word in Genesis 3:1 is used with the force of the Hebrew Piel tense, which portrays, a deliberate act of God in making the seventh day holy or consecrated. God performed a deliberate act on a specific day. While the creation on each preceding day was “good,” it was only the seventh day that was made “qadash.” When in the Bible something is presented as “qadash” it is always connected with God and His service. It is set aside as special, and for holy use. This applies to both objects and human beings. 

        Of all the days, God set aside the seventh as a memorial of his creative acts; and he made it a holy day on which to worship and praise the Creator for making all things. So above all the other days the seventh day is blessedand consecrated to God. In addition, the seventh day is the only day that God calls his holy day. Isa. 58:13 (KJS) If you turn away your foot from breaking the Sabbath, [from] doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shall honour Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking [your own] words: So the seventh day is not just the Lord’s day but his holy day.

        Whenever the Bible speaks of the Lord’s day it is usually referring to the seventh day, called also the Sabbath. In Revelation 1:10 John says that he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day when he received visions. That day was the seventh day or the Sabbath, for the only day that the Lord calls his day is the seventh. Further more, God says that this seventh day is to be set aside for worship. Exodus 20:8-11: Exod 20:8 (NASB) “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth,the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 

        So the seventh day is to be a special day, apart from all other days, of rest and worship for the people who love God and wish to obey him. This is the command of God to all mankind. Is it not good and wise to obey God? History and experience tell us it is. May God give us the wisdom and strength to obey Him Always. God bless.

        Pastor Ron is a retired Adventist pastor. Reach him at ron.hende@gmail.com. with your comments.