Bible Study with the Cincottis – Sabbath Rest – 08/04/2026
Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti.
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Sabbath Rest
“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’” Mk. 2:27,28
The above passage of Scripture is surrounding a confrontation that Jesus had with the religious leader, in this case the Pharisees, regarding His disciples breaking the Sabbath. They were hungry, and as they passed through a grainfield they plucked some heads of grain to eat, I suspect. I’ve never done that, and I’ve never been that hungry either. Technically, they were working by gleaning grain.
In the Torah, which is well translated, “best practices,” the law of the Sabbath receives great detail.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” Ex. 20:8-10
“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies (sets apart) you.” Ex. 31:13
“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Ex.20:11
“You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Ex. 31:14
“Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” Ex. 31:15-18
Finally, in Ex. 16 we read about the giving of Manna:
“Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none”… “See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.’” Ex. 16:26-30 selective.
No wonder the Pharisees were serious about the Sabbath; “put to death,” “perpetual covenant,” “cut off from among his people.” Imagine if we really followed that today. And some Christians likewise take the Sabbath very seriously today. How can we make sense of these Scriptures and reconcile the Old and New Covenants? Well, I’m not going to try because better theologians than I have already done that over the past two thousand years. But, as we sit on this and listen to the Holy Spirit, I believe that the Lord will draw out the essence of what He is conveying to His children. So, before we go executing people for working on Sunday, let’s consider some truths.
Sabbath means “stop.” Our coach, Tom Griffith, used to emphasize that to us. It has to do with our rhythm of life. Everyone has a certain rhythm of life, even the atheist; it’s not a religious thing, it’s just a reality. Isn’t it interesting, though, that the seven day week is universal. There is no secular or scientific reason for that which I am aware of.
In Exodus we witness the powerful hand of God rescuing His people from a life of bondage in which there was no Sabbath. So, immediately we recognize that the Sabbath was a gift and not a burden. I’m personally grateful for it, even to the extent that we keep it in this culture. God said that He “sanctified” it. It was an expression of His character and ways, for we read, “on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” He also called it, “a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever…”
We can make an empty religious practice around just about anything. People often tell me, “I’m not very religious,” to which I say, “Do you brush your teeth every morning?” The Sabbath was never intended to be a religious practice devoid of meaning, but He had to start somewhere with these newly liberated slaves. One would think that, after enjoying the Sabbath for a time, people would see the value in it. One of my favorite movie lines is from Fiddler on the Roof, when Tevye sings, “Anatevka, Anatevka, tumble down, work a day Anatevka. Where else would Sabbath be so sweet.”
Jesus’ confrontation with the religious leaders was always on the subject of empty religious practices. In Mt. 23, He really takes them to task, calling them “hypocrites” and “blind guides”, and saying, “you cleanse outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” Mt. 23:25; and “you have neglected the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faith. These you out to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Mt. 23:23
Jesus didn’t erase the Sabbath by plucking heads of grain, or healing people on a particular holy day of the week, but He put it under the microscope for us. What is its purpose? What is its value? We frequently talk, on the podcast, about change, and God’s determination to change us into the image of His Son. Most people, self included, resist change. We get comfortable in our religious practices and routines. Some of this is good because, as time-oriented beings, we should have some order and disciplines. This is part of what I mentioned earlier about our rhythm of life. Rob Reimer, in his book Soul Care and River Dwellers, says that, if your rhythms aren’t working or bearing fruit as you hoped, it may be time to change things up. In his new book, Authentic, he talks about religion that emphasizes stoic practices instead of engaging experiences. (my paraphrase). For example, he says, “religion is rooted in fear, religion is characterized by pride and control, religion emphasizes our performance and focuses on head knowledge over heart experience.” It’s easy to govern our rules and regulations, but only God looks upon the heart to know our sincerity versus our rebellion. This is where He intends to change us; to take our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh which is pliable to give and receive love.
Jesus points out that, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” “God so loved the world that He gave.” This very essential practice is intended to break us from our routines and change things up a bit. Instead of working, wherein we become so focused and obsessed, we are invited to rest, refresh, contemplate our ways and God’s ways and compare the two. We are invited to meditate on His word and fellowship with one another, and to recalibrate our hearts. These are all good things. If we did it all week, we wouldn’t have food, shelter, clothing, etc, so Paul wrote, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.” II Ths. 3:10. We must have balance. I have often told young people, and people who are starting out in business, “If you can’t make it working six days, you won’t make it working seven.” The Sabbath is instituted by God for our health and benefit; physical, spiritual, and mental.
It’s important not to get hung up on form and mandates. The early church chose to make what we call Sunday, the first day of the week, a day of celebration because that is the day that the Lord rose from the dead. This is the centerpiece of our faith. Let’s accept that and flow with it. If some churches worship on Saturday, then you are welcome to join them, or do both, but please don’t condemn. Paul sort of levels the Sabbath argument by saying, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord, he does not observe it…” Rm. 14:5,6. He goes on, elsewhere to say similar things about food practices, festivals, washings and other religious practices; but he also says, “pray without ceasing.” I Th. 5:17; and “whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” Col. 3:23
“Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” II Cor. 3:17
This is the essence and value of Sabbath. You should take a Sabbath rest, certainly one day a week, but perhaps two, and moreover even several times during your day. Recognize that God desires our undivided attention. He is the lover of our souls. He gives us His undivided attention. Love is a mutual experience.
“…we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…” Heb. 2:1-3
Enjoy God’s Sabbath!
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