Is Sunday the true Sabbath?

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By Charles Okecha

The New Vision of Monday, June 1, 2015, contained an article, “Christians do not keep Sunday holy, as a day of rest”. Whereas the writer‘s intention was to elucidate on importance of the day to Christians, he instead opened a Pandora’s box, which is a process that once begun generates many complicated problems.

It is just like postponing the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday thereby creating church goers, yet scriptures in the Old Testament vis-à-vis the New Testament are misconstrued.

In today’s world, it is impossible to observe the Sabbath after the manner of the Israelites where no work was done and movement was limited. In 1973, Israel was taken by surprise by hostile nations on the Yom Kippur day and almost annihilated because the all security operatives rested. Imagine what would happen if the hospitals, police, transport, restaurants came to a standstill on the Sabbath? God foresaw all this before instituting the New Covenant which now unites the Jews and the gentiles as one people through Jesus Christ. There is now no Jew or gentile (Galatians 3:28).

It is imperative to comprehend the spiritual relevance of God’s commandments or covenants before applying them. Sometimes they are specific directions given to particular individuals for a particular time which cannot be repeated by letter. For example when God said to Isaac, “Do not go to Egypt”, did he mean no Isrealite should go there?

Why did his descendants settle there to escape famine?

Why did he afterward command Joseph and Mary to seek refuge in Egypt to save the Child Jesus?

The Sabbath was a symbol of the covenant (binding agreement between two parties) namely God and Israelites. A covenant is sealed by a symbol, for example. marital rings. God promised to give them Canaan, fulfilling his promise to their forefathers and installed a tabernacle and covenant box for symbol of His presence. He gave them the tablets of 10 commandments (summary of all the commandments written in the five Books of Moses) and the Sabbath day of rest as a symbol of reminder for the Israelites to keep. This was a specific symbol of covenant between God and Israel which did not include the gentiles.

“My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you.

Whoever defiles or does any work on it shall be put to death” (Exodus 31:12-18) Why a death penalty for just violating a day? It was a sign of a covenant!

Although Moses taught them the benefits such as rest from labour, it was also a prophecy about the coming Redeemer. Who would give Israel and all human kind rest from offering sacrifices to God, and save them from bondages of sins, sicknesses and suffering. It also symbolized the end of the age (one day is a as thousand years Psalms 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). When God would completely destroy Satan and all human suffering on earth.

When Jesus was born, the angel announced the good news to all people.

(Luke 2:10-14). This very Jesus said, “the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”. (Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:1-5). He said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).

This is the true rest experienced by anyone who believes and submits to Jesus. It includes good health and freedom from burdens of healthcare, sinful pleasures, strife, violence, crime, debts, shame and ultimately peaceful rest after death.

Although Sunday/Saturday should be honoured as day of assembly, we must worship, obey and serve God every day.

The writer works with St. Paul’s College, Mbale