After the Lord had completed the works of creation, He rested on the seventh day. He then blessed it and sanctified it for the benefit of humanity, to keep it holy and to cease from all their secular labor. Thus, the Sabbath was instituted as a memorial of the works of the Creator. This is the Lord’s day (Genesis 2:1–3; Mark 2:28; Exodus 20:8–11; 16:23; Isaiah 56:2; 58:13). The Sabbath is also a sign of God’s spiritual rest in which He wanted Adam and his descendants to take part. To us the Sabbath is a sign of the rest that we find in Christ (Hebrews 3:18, 19; 4:1–4, 9–11 ( cf.Matthew 11:28, 29).

“The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law.’ So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. ‘From one Sabbath to another’ the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up ‘to worship before Me, saith the Lord. (Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 66:23).”—The Desire of Ages, p. 283.

“The Sabbath of the fourth commandment was instituted in Eden. The principles embodied in the decalogue existed before the fall, and were suited to the condition of holy beings. After the fall, these principles were not changed, nothing was taken from the law of God, but additional precepts were given to meet man in his fallen state.”—The Signs of the Times, June 10, 1880.

The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship between God and His people. It designates them as His special, peculiar people who keep His commandments, who are free from idolatry and who worship the true God (Exodus 31:16, 17; Ezekiel 20:20).

“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth” (Psalm 119:142). The law of God is the expression of His righteousness and since the Sabbath is the seal of God’s law. The Lord explains: “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:17). True Sabbathkeeping is also a sign of Christ’s righteousness in the creation of a new heart in the believer.

“The Sabbath is a sign of creative and redeeming power; it points to God as the source of life and knowledge; it recalls man’s primeval glory, and thus witnesses to God’s purpose to re-create us in His own image.

The Sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden, and in God’s purpose they are indissolubly linked together. On this day more than on any other, it is possible for us to live the life of Eden.”—Education, p. 250.

The early Christians kept the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, and held religious meetings consistently on that day (Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 16:13; 17:1–3). For one year and six months Paul preached in Corinth every Sabbath, persuading Jews and Greeks, and there is no indication that he ever tried to introduce a Sabbath-Sunday change (Acts 18:4, 11). Ananias, a church leader, would not have maintained a good reputation among all the Jews if he had not been a strict Sabbathkeeper (Acts 22:12).

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11). True Sabbathkeeping, in conformity with God’s holy law, can only take place when God’s original purpose in His establishment of the seventh-day Sabbath is clearly understood and when love for God in the heart is supreme. By keeping the Sabbath holy according to God’s instructions in His Word, we confirm our relation and allegiance to Him as our God, Creator, Redeemer, and heavenly Father.

Attendance at spiritually enriching gatherings is in line with true Sabbathkeeping, Christ attended church meetings on the Sabbath: “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read” (Luke 4:16), and taught us by example that it is lawful to do good on this day (Matthew 12:9–13; Mark 3:1–5). Christ was a true Medical Missionary. He healed many people on the Sabbath. In connection with the healing and welfare ministry He stated: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

“Physicians need to cultivate a spirit of self-denial and self-sacrifice. It may be necessary to devote even the hours of the holy Sabbath to the relief of suffering humanity. But the fee for such labor should be put into the treasury of the Lord, to be used for the worthy poor, who need medical skill but cannot afford to pay for it.”—Medical Ministry, p. 216.

“Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 307.

When God blessed, sanctified, and set apart the seventh day of the week as His holy Sabbath day, He also promised to bless and sanctify all who would observe it according to His instructions (Ezekiel 20:12). “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:14).

The fourth commandment prohibits all manner of secular work on the Sabbath that can be done on any other day of the week. This prohibition extends to all the members of the household, visitors staying in our homes, and even our domestic working animals. In this regard, personally, the Sabbath has indeed proved to be a blessing. Being a student often involves much pressure due to always wanting to be on top of things and do well in classes. Exam and research preparations under this pressure can lead to high anxiety. From living alone to trying to balance between doing your chores and studying among other activities, university life can be one of those phases in life when you might wish for a day with more than 24 hours. The things you are required to accomplish within a single day can be too many to the extent that you develop irregular sleep patterns and foster a habit of doing everything at the last minute just before the deadlines. Yet there is that sense of relief which is felt when the Sabbath comes, because all the pressure brought about by the cares of this world are put away and only spiritually elevating things are focused upon.

“On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness and that all the cooking is done. Let the boots be blacked and the baths be taken. It is possible to do this. If you make it a rule you can do it. The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, pp. 355.

Sabbathkeeping has also proved to strengthen familial bonds and to bring about unity between family members as well as church members. This is because of the instructions given, “There is another work that should receive attention on the preparation day. On this day all differences between brethren, whether in the family or in the church, should be put away. Let all bitterness and wrath and malice be expelled from the soul. In a humble spirit, ‘confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed’ (James 5:16).”—Ibid., p. 356.

May the Lord help each of us understand the significance of the Sabbath and its observance, to be free to rest on the true Sabbath!