Hello and welcome to another episode of the Enter the Bible podcast, where you can get answers, or at least reflections on everything you wanted to know about the Bible but were afraid to ask. I'm Katie Langston, and.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Enter the Bible podcast, where you can get answers, or at least reflections on everything you wanted to know about the Bible but were afraid to ask. I'm Katie Langston, and.

I'm Kathryn Schifferdecker, and our special guest today is Professor Dennis Olson. Dennis is the Charles Haley Professor of Old Testament emeritus, just recently retired from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, new Jersey, and the author of a number of books, particularly in the Pentateuch. He has a book on numbers and one on Deuteronomy, and is writing another book on the theology of Exodus. So welcome, Dennis. Thank you so much for joining us.

I'm Kathryn Schifferdecker, and our special guest today is Professor Dennis Olson. Dennis is the Charles Haley Professor of Old Testament emeritus, just recently retired from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, new Jersey, and the author of a number of books, particularly in the Pentateuch. He has a book on numbers and one on Deuteronomy, and is writing another book on the theology of Exodus. So welcome, Dennis. Thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you. It's a joy to be with you. Good.

Thank you. It's a joy to be with you. Good.

And we should mention you're also a Lutheran. So you're a Lutheran pastor as well? Yes. So So proud of our clan. So thank you for being here.

And we should mention you're also a Lutheran. So you're a Lutheran pastor as well? Yes. So So proud of our clan. So thank you for being here.

I did my my MDiv at Lutheran Seminary.

I did my my MDiv at Lutheran Seminary.

So for this episode we have a question from a listener. And as usual, if you have a question for us that you'd like addressed on this podcast, feel free to go to enter the Bible.org and and send us that question. So the the question for today is what is the significance of the Sabbath commandment for believers, and how should it be observed today? And we're assuming from that that that this listener is talking specifically about Christian believers rather than Jewish believers. So we shortened the question to Do Christians have to keep the Sabbath? Uh, so, Dennis, how would you how would you begin to address that question?

So for this episode we have a question from a listener. And as usual, if you have a question for us that you'd like addressed on this podcast, feel free to go to enter the Bible.org and and send us that question. So the the question for today is what is the significance of the Sabbath commandment for believers, and how should it be observed today? And we're assuming from that that that this listener is talking specifically about Christian believers rather than Jewish believers. So we shortened the question to Do Christians have to keep the Sabbath? Uh, so, Dennis, how would you how would you begin to address that question?

Yeah. So I begin, I guess, by by thinking about what the Sabbath is, um, and it's sort of deeper meanings and then think about how this commandment that is in the book of Exodus and in Deuteronomy as part of the Jewish scriptures, which is also the Old Testament, part of the Christian scriptures, how that does or does not apply to Christians. And so it's a really good question. And I, uh, and in fact, there are different denominations and traditions within Christianity that look somewhat differently at the Sabbath. And that question. But, uh, it'd be interesting to explore the range of that. I guess a way to begin that is to recognize that, uh, the Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments, the Big Ten or the top ten commandments, right? And they're highlighted in, uh, uh, the early books of the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus and Exodus 20, when God makes a covenant with the people and lays out First on two tablets, written as a text says by the finger of God as a way of highlighting their importance. Um, and among those ten commandments is the commandment to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Um, and there are other commandments that go along with that, uh, that explicate that Sabbath commandment, explain it, expand upon it in various ways. Uh, in Exodus 20 and then in Deuteronomy five, those same ten commandments are repeated again by Moses, who's about to die and wants to pass on what is most crucial in the book of Deuteronomy to the next generation. So all of those ways highlight the importance of the Ten Commandments. And then the Sabbath commandment is part of those of those ten. So there's a significance to it that just by inclusion in those ten commandments. And I would also say that within the structure of the Ten Commandments itself, the Sabbath commandment plays a particularly important role. The first commandments begin with you shall. The obligations to God you shall have no other gods. Don't take the name Lord God in vain, no idols worshiping, and so forth. And then the Sabbath commandment comes, and then what follows? The Sabbath commandment are commandments having to do with our relationships to our neighbors. So honor your father and mother. Your family members do not steal. Do not commit adultery, do not covet, do not bear false witness, and so on. But the Sabbath commandment sits sort of right in between there, and is in many ways seems to me a kind of intersection point, because the notion of resting on the seventh day, the Sabbath day, um, and working the other six days, but resting on the seventh day Is a commandment that has to do with obligations to God. It's a time to gather and worship to God, but it also has to do with obligations to others, that is, to family members, to workers, to ensure that they rest, even animals. So the seventh commandment is the one of the ten that has sort of ecological dimension to it as well, um, with, to non-human creation. Um, and there's a expansion of that, even letting the land rest in Leviticus 25. And we'll talk a little bit more about that later. Um, so it's the relationships then to, um, God, but also to our neighbor, um, and to non-human creation, but also even to ourselves. I mean, it's for our own good, right? So all of that intersection of network relationships in which we live are in some way captured in the Sabbath commandment um, and the Sabbath commandment is the longest in terms of number of words of all. All the others are relatively quite short. But the Sabbath commandment is much more extensive. And so all of that as a way to sort of highlight the significance of the Sabbath commandment.

Yeah. So I begin, I guess, by by thinking about what the Sabbath is, um, and it's sort of deeper meanings and then think about how this commandment that is in the book of Exodus and in Deuteronomy as part of the Jewish scriptures, which is also the Old Testament, part of the Christian scriptures, how that does or does not apply to Christians. And so it's a really good question. And I, uh, and in fact, there are different denominations and traditions within Christianity that look somewhat differently at the Sabbath. And that question. But, uh, it'd be interesting to explore the range of that. I guess a way to begin that is to recognize that, uh, the Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments, the Big Ten or the top ten commandments, right? And they're highlighted in, uh, uh, the early books of the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus and Exodus 20, when God makes a covenant with the people and lays out First on two tablets, written as a text says by the finger of God as a way of highlighting their importance. Um, and among those ten commandments is the commandment to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Um, and there are other commandments that go along with that, uh, that explicate that Sabbath commandment, explain it, expand upon it in various ways. Uh, in Exodus 20 and then in Deuteronomy five, those same ten commandments are repeated again by Moses, who's about to die and wants to pass on what is most crucial in the book of Deuteronomy to the next generation. So all of those ways highlight the importance of the Ten Commandments. And then the Sabbath commandment is part of those of those ten. So there's a significance to it that just by inclusion in those ten commandments. And I would also say that within the structure of the Ten Commandments itself, the Sabbath commandment plays a particularly important role. The first commandments begin with you shall. The obligations to God you shall have no other gods. Don't take the name Lord God in vain, no idols worshiping, and so forth. And then the Sabbath commandment comes, and then what follows? The Sabbath commandment are commandments having to do with our relationships to our neighbors. So honor your father and mother. Your family members do not steal. Do not commit adultery, do not covet, do not bear false witness, and so on. But the Sabbath commandment sits sort of right in between there, and is in many ways seems to me a kind of intersection point, because the notion of resting on the seventh day, the Sabbath day, um, and working the other six days, but resting on the seventh day Is a commandment that has to do with obligations to God. It's a time to gather and worship to God, but it also has to do with obligations to others, that is, to family members, to workers, to ensure that they rest, even animals. So the seventh commandment is the one of the ten that has sort of ecological dimension to it as well, um, with, to non-human creation. Um, and there's a expansion of that, even letting the land rest in Leviticus 25. And we'll talk a little bit more about that later. Um, so it's the relationships then to, um, God, but also to our neighbor, um, and to non-human creation, but also even to ourselves. I mean, it's for our own good, right? So all of that intersection of network relationships in which we live are in some way captured in the Sabbath commandment um, and the Sabbath commandment is the longest in terms of number of words of all. All the others are relatively quite short. But the Sabbath commandment is much more extensive. And so all of that as a way to sort of highlight the significance of the Sabbath commandment.

Yeah, I like that way of thinking about it. It's when I when I teach the Ten Commandments, I talk about it as a kind of hinge commandment. Right. Just as you said. Right. It's about the vertical dimension of our relationship with God, but also about that horizontal dimension of relationship with the with the community. And even, as you say, the natural world as well.

Yeah, I like that way of thinking about it. It's when I when I teach the Ten Commandments, I talk about it as a kind of hinge commandment. Right. Just as you said. Right. It's about the vertical dimension of our relationship with God, but also about that horizontal dimension of relationship with the with the community. And even, as you say, the natural world as well.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But the there are two different reasons given for the Sabbath. Right, Dennis? One in Exodus and one in Deuteronomy. Yeah, exactly.

But the there are two different reasons given for the Sabbath. Right, Dennis? One in Exodus and one in Deuteronomy. Yeah, exactly.

And that's, um, in Exodus 20, the the reason that's given Is that God created the world in seven days and rested in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. Referring back to the creation story in Genesis one and in chapter two, verses 1 to 3, God rests on the seventh day. And so, in a sense, God sort of creates the framework of time, the sun and the moon and stars, uh, and uh, provides a framework of seven days. And interestingly, God enters into that framework of time and rests on the seventh day from all the work that God had done in creating the world. What's interesting about that is that, um, creation stories in the ancient world of surrounding Israel, great empires that had creation stories. The creation stories would often end with the building of a temple to the High God, who was the sort of patron god to the king, the ruler of the empire, and the creation stories functioned as a way of declaring who's in charge? And it's the high God, but it's the king, right? Who is the sort of representative of the God. Um, and in Genesis one, in many ways, it's a declaration that not only given territory or empire or nation or collection of nations belongs, uh, to the ruler who is God. But the whole creation Belongs to God. And there is a kind of what? Um, the Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as God Sabbath as a temple in time in, in that creation story. And so it's God's, uh, in some sense is created the whole creation as God's temple, but also, um, in space, but also in the temple of the Sabbath. And so God builds into all of creation, all of God's creatures, this, um, need for regular rest, um, and God sort of, um, becomes a kind of pedagogical model of how to do that. Yeah. After the end of six days of working, you you rest. Um, now, that raises a theological question. Does God need to rest? Really? Um. Uh.

And that's, um, in Exodus 20, the the reason that's given Is that God created the world in seven days and rested in six days, and then rested on the seventh day. Referring back to the creation story in Genesis one and in chapter two, verses 1 to 3, God rests on the seventh day. And so, in a sense, God sort of creates the framework of time, the sun and the moon and stars, uh, and uh, provides a framework of seven days. And interestingly, God enters into that framework of time and rests on the seventh day from all the work that God had done in creating the world. What's interesting about that is that, um, creation stories in the ancient world of surrounding Israel, great empires that had creation stories. The creation stories would often end with the building of a temple to the High God, who was the sort of patron god to the king, the ruler of the empire, and the creation stories functioned as a way of declaring who's in charge? And it's the high God, but it's the king, right? Who is the sort of representative of the God. Um, and in Genesis one, in many ways, it's a declaration that not only given territory or empire or nation or collection of nations belongs, uh, to the ruler who is God. But the whole creation Belongs to God. And there is a kind of what? Um, the Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel describes as God Sabbath as a temple in time in, in that creation story. And so it's God's, uh, in some sense is created the whole creation as God's temple, but also, um, in space, but also in the temple of the Sabbath. And so God builds into all of creation, all of God's creatures, this, um, need for regular rest, um, and God sort of, um, becomes a kind of pedagogical model of how to do that. Yeah. After the end of six days of working, you you rest. Um, now, that raises a theological question. Does God need to rest? Really? Um. Uh.

Rest. Is that when all the bad things happen, when God's taking his day off? Maybe. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. Takes the day off. That's right. Oh. That's right.

Rest. Is that when all the bad things happen, when God's taking his day off? Maybe. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. Takes the day off. That's right. Oh. That's right.

And what's interesting in Exodus 31, it says God rested on the Sabbath and God was refreshed. It says. So it's, um. So how do I understand that? I for me, the way to understand that thinking about the nature of God theologically is that, um, it's not that God needs to rest, but it is that, um, the resting on the seventh day of creation with God sort of first step of accommodating God's self to the structures of existence in the world, a kind of first step towards the incarnation. Um, and, and, you know, you read the stories of Jesus. He was fully human and fully divine. Jesus needs to rest, right? Sometimes the crowds are overwhelming us. Jesus had to sleep. He's on the boat with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. The storm comes and Jesus Jesus is sleeping. And then the disciples say, hey, wake up, wake up! Um, and Jesus wakes up, calms everything. Um, and Jesus says, don't be afraid. You know, and that in some ways reflects both the humanity of Jesus needing rest, but also the sort of creational sovereignty of God over all creation and embodied even in Jesus as well. Um, and that image of the boat, um, you know, the sort of inverted ship is often an image associated with church buildings, right? The big inside the hull of of an upside down ship that's been turned over And, um, there's a sense in which gathering on the Sabbath for worship as a community of God is a way by which we come together to sort of write ourselves in the midst of the storms and challenges and waves that knock us around during the other six days of the week of work and life, and all that hits us and gets gets us reoriented once again, helps us remember who we are and whose we are. Um, and the priorities and the values that we have.

And what's interesting in Exodus 31, it says God rested on the Sabbath and God was refreshed. It says. So it's, um. So how do I understand that? I for me, the way to understand that thinking about the nature of God theologically is that, um, it's not that God needs to rest, but it is that, um, the resting on the seventh day of creation with God sort of first step of accommodating God's self to the structures of existence in the world, a kind of first step towards the incarnation. Um, and, and, you know, you read the stories of Jesus. He was fully human and fully divine. Jesus needs to rest, right? Sometimes the crowds are overwhelming us. Jesus had to sleep. He's on the boat with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. The storm comes and Jesus Jesus is sleeping. And then the disciples say, hey, wake up, wake up! Um, and Jesus wakes up, calms everything. Um, and Jesus says, don't be afraid. You know, and that in some ways reflects both the humanity of Jesus needing rest, but also the sort of creational sovereignty of God over all creation and embodied even in Jesus as well. Um, and that image of the boat, um, you know, the sort of inverted ship is often an image associated with church buildings, right? The big inside the hull of of an upside down ship that's been turned over And, um, there's a sense in which gathering on the Sabbath for worship as a community of God is a way by which we come together to sort of write ourselves in the midst of the storms and challenges and waves that knock us around during the other six days of the week of work and life, and all that hits us and gets gets us reoriented once again, helps us remember who we are and whose we are. Um, and the priorities and the values that we have.

I love that, I think I learned that from you, actually, Dennis, when you came to Luther to give a lecture several years ago. That contrast between that sanctuary, you know, that physical sanctuary at the end of many ancient Near Eastern myths? Um, but here it's a sanctuary in time and that I just I that's really beautiful that, you know, a time set apart a consecrated. And I like your connection of it with the with Jesus in the boat sleeping as well, that it's, you know, in our 24 over seven news cycle world right where, where we make even even play work. Right when we when with kids, youth, you know, soccer leagues or hockey leagues or whatever, right. I mean, we're always, always, always going even when we're supposed to be, you know, even when we're having fun.

I love that, I think I learned that from you, actually, Dennis, when you came to Luther to give a lecture several years ago. That contrast between that sanctuary, you know, that physical sanctuary at the end of many ancient Near Eastern myths? Um, but here it's a sanctuary in time and that I just I that's really beautiful that, you know, a time set apart a consecrated. And I like your connection of it with the with Jesus in the boat sleeping as well, that it's, you know, in our 24 over seven news cycle world right where, where we make even even play work. Right when we when with kids, youth, you know, soccer leagues or hockey leagues or whatever, right. I mean, we're always, always, always going even when we're supposed to be, you know, even when we're having fun.

Yeah.

Yeah.

To to to think about to think about that kind of boundaried space. Right. That sanctuary and time, I think, is a really beautiful reminder to us of how of, as you say, who we are and whose we are.

To to to think about to think about that kind of boundaried space. Right. That sanctuary and time, I think, is a really beautiful reminder to us of how of, as you say, who we are and whose we are.

Well, and you raise a very important question about the culture of time that we live in. Um, there was a book called entitled The Geography of Time, uh, by Richard Levine, and in which he studied the cultures of time in across the world many different cultures. And and he noted, you know, that each culture had its own sort of unique temporal fingerprint, its unique understanding of time. And in in the West, industrialized nations sort of fast paced, fast food, instant messages. Right? Um, you know, trying to squeeze everything out of, uh, productive workers, um, and valuing 24 over seven availability. And, and then you put it on top of that technology and, um, the, you know, the sort of ways in which our we are tied to computers and to cell phones, all of which serve good purposes, but can also sort of draw us into an always on call kind of, uh, state where you and so the importance, even in that sense of of withdrawing for our own well-being. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and being in face to face community with one another. And sociologists have noted how we, uh, Americans tend to work more hours and sleep less. So we're more tired, and, um, and that's not a healthy thing. And the Sabbath, I think, reminds us we're not created for that 24 over seven kind of, um, work. And we need time for play creativity, for building relationships with God with one another, um, meditating ourselves. Prayer. Um, so and you know the Hebrew word Shabbat, which is from the root to, to stop, to interrupt the routine.

Well, and you raise a very important question about the culture of time that we live in. Um, there was a book called entitled The Geography of Time, uh, by Richard Levine, and in which he studied the cultures of time in across the world many different cultures. And and he noted, you know, that each culture had its own sort of unique temporal fingerprint, its unique understanding of time. And in in the West, industrialized nations sort of fast paced, fast food, instant messages. Right? Um, you know, trying to squeeze everything out of, uh, productive workers, um, and valuing 24 over seven availability. And, and then you put it on top of that technology and, um, the, you know, the sort of ways in which our we are tied to computers and to cell phones, all of which serve good purposes, but can also sort of draw us into an always on call kind of, uh, state where you and so the importance, even in that sense of of withdrawing for our own well-being. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and being in face to face community with one another. And sociologists have noted how we, uh, Americans tend to work more hours and sleep less. So we're more tired, and, um, and that's not a healthy thing. And the Sabbath, I think, reminds us we're not created for that 24 over seven kind of, um, work. And we need time for play creativity, for building relationships with God with one another, um, meditating ourselves. Prayer. Um, so and you know the Hebrew word Shabbat, which is from the root to, to stop, to interrupt the routine.

That's what's at the core. That's what that means of the Sabbath. Yes. Yes.

That's what's at the core. That's what that means of the Sabbath. Yes. Yes.

So.

So.

So, you know. Yeah.

So, you know. Yeah.

Shabbat means just stop. Yeah. Yeah. The connotation of rest. Yeah.

Shabbat means just stop. Yeah. Yeah. The connotation of rest. Yeah.

Right. Right. That's cool.

Right. Right. That's cool.

And and that. And that. The need for that regularly to stop and sort of reassess. What are our priorities? What are our values? Um, and what gives us true joy and fulfillment? And, um, all of that is very important. So my wife teaches, uh, computers and technology, um, at an elementary school. She's done that for, um, yeah, almost 40 years from the very beginning of the use of technology in education until now. And she's been throughout that time Cognizant of the need not to let that rule our lives, but to use it when it's useful, but to put it away when it's not.

And and that. And that. The need for that regularly to stop and sort of reassess. What are our priorities? What are our values? Um, and what gives us true joy and fulfillment? And, um, all of that is very important. So my wife teaches, uh, computers and technology, um, at an elementary school. She's done that for, um, yeah, almost 40 years from the very beginning of the use of technology in education until now. And she's been throughout that time Cognizant of the need not to let that rule our lives, but to use it when it's useful, but to put it away when it's not.

Let me ask you both a couple of questions I've always been curious about, actually. So, um. Oh, I.

Let me ask you both a couple of questions I've always been curious about, actually. So, um. Oh, I.

I'm going to bow to Dennis.

I'm going to bow to Dennis.

Yeah. Dennis knows. Dennis knows better. Okay. Dennis knows best. Um. But. So. Right. So one thing I appreciate in the kind of exactly question like I'm hearing all these wonderful things about the Sabbath and why we should keep Sabbath. Um, and yet, as Christians, a couple of things. One is, I mean, Shabbat literally means you said stop. But it also then became the literal day Saturday. Right? So it's like actually this, this day Saturday. So, um, you know, um, it in some ways it feels like the only one of the Ten Commandments that maybe we don't take as seriously. Or, you know, we moved it to Sunday, theoretically. So I'm curious about that. And then I'm curious about this text in, um, Colossians two. So it says, I'm reading out of the NIV. Colossians 216 therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. So is is the argument there? Sabbath doesn't matter anymore. Or if it does matter, why don't like I go to brunch after church on Sundays? A lot of times, like am I sinning? Should I literally observe Sabbath on Sunday? On Saturday instead of Sunday? Did it actually get transferred to Sunday? Is it still binding? Is it not help? Yeah. Yeah, maybe.

Yeah. Dennis knows. Dennis knows better. Okay. Dennis knows best. Um. But. So. Right. So one thing I appreciate in the kind of exactly question like I'm hearing all these wonderful things about the Sabbath and why we should keep Sabbath. Um, and yet, as Christians, a couple of things. One is, I mean, Shabbat literally means you said stop. But it also then became the literal day Saturday. Right? So it's like actually this, this day Saturday. So, um, you know, um, it in some ways it feels like the only one of the Ten Commandments that maybe we don't take as seriously. Or, you know, we moved it to Sunday, theoretically. So I'm curious about that. And then I'm curious about this text in, um, Colossians two. So it says, I'm reading out of the NIV. Colossians 216 therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a new moon celebration, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality, however, is found in Christ. So is is the argument there? Sabbath doesn't matter anymore. Or if it does matter, why don't like I go to brunch after church on Sundays? A lot of times, like am I sinning? Should I literally observe Sabbath on Sunday? On Saturday instead of Sunday? Did it actually get transferred to Sunday? Is it still binding? Is it not help? Yeah. Yeah, maybe.

Excellent. If I could add. Let me add one other thing, and then we'll. This is all you did? No. Okay. I think probably a more familiar stories from the New Testament about Sabbath. Are all the Sabbath controversies, right? Where Jesus heals on the Sabbath or allows his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath? I didn't remember that that text from Colossians, but that's a really interesting one to talk about, too. And Jesus basically says, well, he does say, you know, humankind has made the Sabbath is made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath. So. And so, yeah.

Excellent. If I could add. Let me add one other thing, and then we'll. This is all you did? No. Okay. I think probably a more familiar stories from the New Testament about Sabbath. Are all the Sabbath controversies, right? Where Jesus heals on the Sabbath or allows his disciples to pick grain on the Sabbath? I didn't remember that that text from Colossians, but that's a really interesting one to talk about, too. And Jesus basically says, well, he does say, you know, humankind has made the Sabbath is made for humankind and not humankind for the Sabbath. So. And so, yeah.

Out of the Sabbath.

Out of the Sabbath.

Right, right. Right, right.

Right, right. Right, right.

Okay. How do I be a good person and follow the commandments so I can go to heaven? Go ahead.

Okay. How do I be a good person and follow the commandments so I can go to heaven? Go ahead.

There you go. That's right, that's right. And just to complicate it further, there is a law in Exodus 31 that says that anyone who does not keep the Sabbath should be put to death.

There you go. That's right, that's right. And just to complicate it further, there is a law in Exodus 31 that says that anyone who does not keep the Sabbath should be put to death.

Oh, right. Which is.

Oh, right. Which is.

Serious. Okay. They take it. Okay.

Serious. Okay. They take it. Okay.

So that's very serious. Yeah.

So that's very serious. Yeah.

Yes, that's exactly right. Um, so let's start with Saturday to Sunday. Um, some of the, some of that is, um, can be helped to be understood, uh, remembering the context in which, uh, the early followers of Jesus were Jews. Jesus was a Jew. Disciples were Jewish. Um, so they would be observing Jewish laws and, um, in some of the early Jewish Christian communities. Um, but and they would go to synagogue. Uh, but then they also felt the need as believers in Jesus, different from other Jews, that they needed also to meet. And so they would meet on the first day of the week, which would be what we call Sunday and the first day of the week. Sunday was also associated with the day of Jesus resurrection. Easter Sunday. On Good Friday and Saturday. And then Sunday. The resurrection. So that became a sort of holy day. Um, and but then, as the community of believers in Jesus began to, through Paul's ministry and the like, began to expand in into non-Jewish, uh, communities and Gentiles. Um, then the issue became to Gentile. Gentile Christians have to follow all of the Jewish laws which involved, as Colossians says, the festivals, uh, what you eat and drink and purity laws. Uh, and then and also the Sabbaths. So those non-Jewish Gentile believers in Jesus could. Colossians is saying not go on the Sabbath day, right to Jewish synagogue. That's not their obligation. And you're free from that. Um, but presumably would wouldn't want to gather together with community of those who believed in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, as it became mixed together, uh, along the way. And then as over time, Jewish uh, communities began to separate from, um, those who followed Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles. And thus the Sunday, the first day of the week, became the primary time of gathering together. So that's some of this sort of historical background that helps us understand what happens. And then you get Constantinople and the Christian, uh, empire. And that sort of imposes that sort of framework of time. Seven days and Sunday becomes, uh, a Christian Sabbath for, uh, many, much of that of those people, uh, the populations at that time. Um, yeah. But so, uh, and then you have I mean, like in Galatians, um, Paul writes about being freed from the yoke. That's again addressing this question of Judaism, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians and Gentiles not having to feel obligated to that. So that that opened up the possibility of of being, uh, seeing the Sabbath as happening on Sunday, but also not having the same sort of strictness in keeping the Sabbath in all the ways in which Jews understood that. I mean, in the book of Exodus, you have there in other places in the Old Testament, uh, quite, uh, clear indications of things that count as work that you should not do on the Sabbath. So no commerce or trade, no animals should carry burdens. You shouldn't carry burdens. You shouldn't start a fire or cook. Um, as a matter of fact, you should.

Yes, that's exactly right. Um, so let's start with Saturday to Sunday. Um, some of the, some of that is, um, can be helped to be understood, uh, remembering the context in which, uh, the early followers of Jesus were Jews. Jesus was a Jew. Disciples were Jewish. Um, so they would be observing Jewish laws and, um, in some of the early Jewish Christian communities. Um, but and they would go to synagogue. Uh, but then they also felt the need as believers in Jesus, different from other Jews, that they needed also to meet. And so they would meet on the first day of the week, which would be what we call Sunday and the first day of the week. Sunday was also associated with the day of Jesus resurrection. Easter Sunday. On Good Friday and Saturday. And then Sunday. The resurrection. So that became a sort of holy day. Um, and but then, as the community of believers in Jesus began to, through Paul's ministry and the like, began to expand in into non-Jewish, uh, communities and Gentiles. Um, then the issue became to Gentile. Gentile Christians have to follow all of the Jewish laws which involved, as Colossians says, the festivals, uh, what you eat and drink and purity laws. Uh, and then and also the Sabbaths. So those non-Jewish Gentile believers in Jesus could. Colossians is saying not go on the Sabbath day, right to Jewish synagogue. That's not their obligation. And you're free from that. Um, but presumably would wouldn't want to gather together with community of those who believed in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles, as it became mixed together, uh, along the way. And then as over time, Jewish uh, communities began to separate from, um, those who followed Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles. And thus the Sunday, the first day of the week, became the primary time of gathering together. So that's some of this sort of historical background that helps us understand what happens. And then you get Constantinople and the Christian, uh, empire. And that sort of imposes that sort of framework of time. Seven days and Sunday becomes, uh, a Christian Sabbath for, uh, many, much of that of those people, uh, the populations at that time. Um, yeah. But so, uh, and then you have I mean, like in Galatians, um, Paul writes about being freed from the yoke. That's again addressing this question of Judaism, Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians and Gentiles not having to feel obligated to that. So that that opened up the possibility of of being, uh, seeing the Sabbath as happening on Sunday, but also not having the same sort of strictness in keeping the Sabbath in all the ways in which Jews understood that. I mean, in the book of Exodus, you have there in other places in the Old Testament, uh, quite, uh, clear indications of things that count as work that you should not do on the Sabbath. So no commerce or trade, no animals should carry burdens. You shouldn't carry burdens. You shouldn't start a fire or cook. Um, as a matter of fact, you should.

Or go.

Or go.

To brunch. Either. Or you.

To brunch. Either. Or you.

Should.

Should.

No mimosas? No.

No mimosas? No.

But you still have to. You still have to eat food, right? I mean, so I mean, so the Orthodox Jewish community, they have always of like they have Sabbath ovens that turn on by themselves. So you can not technically, you know, click a switch on which creates a spark, which is like lighting a fire, which is not supposed to do. But if it if it turns on by itself, it's fine. Or a Sabbath elevators where you on Sabbath day, it stops at every floor, so you don't have to punch a button to get up to your apartment on the 13th floor or whatever.

But you still have to. You still have to eat food, right? I mean, so I mean, so the Orthodox Jewish community, they have always of like they have Sabbath ovens that turn on by themselves. So you can not technically, you know, click a switch on which creates a spark, which is like lighting a fire, which is not supposed to do. But if it if it turns on by itself, it's fine. Or a Sabbath elevators where you on Sabbath day, it stops at every floor, so you don't have to punch a button to get up to your apartment on the 13th floor or whatever.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So there are ways in which and what's great about that is taking the Sabbath seriously. It's the discipline. Okay. We're committed to this and and it's good for us and it's important for us. And we can learn something from, um, from that, um, uh, sort of concern because the Sabbath is really a rich sort of concept. And the priority of it, um, particularly in the time of biblical Israel, became more and more important as Israel went into exile and people lived in diaspora in other communities. Um, it was the observance of the Sabbath that set them apart and, um, that, uh, in many ways defined their their temple of time. Right. Uh, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, but they in time had their own temple, the Sabbath gathering and worship the Torah. And um, and and prayer became central to the life that was there. And that's what gave them identity and gave them perspective and set their priorities about who they were as God's people. Um, even though they, they didn't feel totally at home. Um, where they may have been. So in that sense, well, for us as, as Christian people of Christian faith, to have that sense of the distinctiveness of the Sabbath as a time which, you know, setting aside a day, um, and, uh, a day that's oriented towards worship of God, gathering as God's community, caring for one another, um, and caring for God's creation and enjoying it. Uh, being more playful and free. Throughout the Old Testament, you have texts that talk about the digital delight in the Sabbath. Um, it makes us happy. So there's it's meant to be a joyous time. So it's a commandment, but it's a very friendly commandment.

So there are ways in which and what's great about that is taking the Sabbath seriously. It's the discipline. Okay. We're committed to this and and it's good for us and it's important for us. And we can learn something from, um, from that, um, uh, sort of concern because the Sabbath is really a rich sort of concept. And the priority of it, um, particularly in the time of biblical Israel, became more and more important as Israel went into exile and people lived in diaspora in other communities. Um, it was the observance of the Sabbath that set them apart and, um, that, uh, in many ways defined their their temple of time. Right. Uh, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, but they in time had their own temple, the Sabbath gathering and worship the Torah. And um, and and prayer became central to the life that was there. And that's what gave them identity and gave them perspective and set their priorities about who they were as God's people. Um, even though they, they didn't feel totally at home. Um, where they may have been. So in that sense, well, for us as, as Christian people of Christian faith, to have that sense of the distinctiveness of the Sabbath as a time which, you know, setting aside a day, um, and, uh, a day that's oriented towards worship of God, gathering as God's community, caring for one another, um, and caring for God's creation and enjoying it. Uh, being more playful and free. Throughout the Old Testament, you have texts that talk about the digital delight in the Sabbath. Um, it makes us happy. So there's it's meant to be a joyous time. So it's a commandment, but it's a very friendly commandment.

Yeah. You know, work.

Yeah. You know, work.

For six days and then take a day off.

For six days and then take a day off.

Take a break. Right.

Take a break. Right.

And you are commanded to take a day off.

And you are commanded to take a day off.

Um, yeah.

Um, yeah.

And. Oh, okay. Well, we could welcome that. And, um, that becomes an important sort of discipline, but I think it's it's broader than that, that I think in many ways, the rich festival life, the three annual pilgrimage festivals in ancient Israel, um, the new moons, um, and then the weekly Sabbaths. All of those were sort of interruptions in time throughout the year, throughout a given month, throughout a week. And I would say even within a day, we can take Sabbath times of just some quiet, uh, prayer, meditation, um, quiet time, visiting a good friend, having a meal together, um, and carving out those, whether in the day, in the week, month or year. All of those are Sabbath interruptions that help sort of reorient us again to what gives us real joy, what gives us meaning and purpose in our lives. And I think more globally, a book like the Book of Ecclesiastes, which you might not associate with the Sabbath, it doesn't talk much about worship, but it talks about what is ephemeral? What is vanity of vanities? Chasing after riches, after power? After fame? No, it's just little small joys in life of eating and drinking, with friends, with family, with the one you love. Um, and, um, those, uh, give us the sort of lasting joys that, uh, some of the, the endless chasing after that sometimes our culture encourages or it sort of imposes or expects of us to be, uh, always working, always moving forward, always, uh, trying to achieve, trying to compete, uh, all of that. Um, I think a Sabbath truth about human existence is that we begin our life with nothing, and we end our life with nothing. Um, and we end at the same sort of finish line. Um, and so all the striving in between the Sabbath says, remember who you are. You're a human being. You're a limited human being under God, the creator, and the importance of trusting God to care for us to take a day at a time. Um, and Jesus, uh, spoke of God's care for the sparrows, and, um, God has counted each of your hairs on your head. God knows what you need. So let the day's troubles be sufficient for the day. That's a kind of Sabbath attitude. Yeah.

And. Oh, okay. Well, we could welcome that. And, um, that becomes an important sort of discipline, but I think it's it's broader than that, that I think in many ways, the rich festival life, the three annual pilgrimage festivals in ancient Israel, um, the new moons, um, and then the weekly Sabbaths. All of those were sort of interruptions in time throughout the year, throughout a given month, throughout a week. And I would say even within a day, we can take Sabbath times of just some quiet, uh, prayer, meditation, um, quiet time, visiting a good friend, having a meal together, um, and carving out those, whether in the day, in the week, month or year. All of those are Sabbath interruptions that help sort of reorient us again to what gives us real joy, what gives us meaning and purpose in our lives. And I think more globally, a book like the Book of Ecclesiastes, which you might not associate with the Sabbath, it doesn't talk much about worship, but it talks about what is ephemeral? What is vanity of vanities? Chasing after riches, after power? After fame? No, it's just little small joys in life of eating and drinking, with friends, with family, with the one you love. Um, and, um, those, uh, give us the sort of lasting joys that, uh, some of the, the endless chasing after that sometimes our culture encourages or it sort of imposes or expects of us to be, uh, always working, always moving forward, always, uh, trying to achieve, trying to compete, uh, all of that. Um, I think a Sabbath truth about human existence is that we begin our life with nothing, and we end our life with nothing. Um, and we end at the same sort of finish line. Um, and so all the striving in between the Sabbath says, remember who you are. You're a human being. You're a limited human being under God, the creator, and the importance of trusting God to care for us to take a day at a time. Um, and Jesus, uh, spoke of God's care for the sparrows, and, um, God has counted each of your hairs on your head. God knows what you need. So let the day's troubles be sufficient for the day. That's a kind of Sabbath attitude. Yeah.

Yes. No. That's that. That's really lovely. Dennis, I think, uh, what I hear you saying, you know, we ask the question, do Christians have to keep the Sabbath? I think what you're saying is Christians get to keep the Sabbath, right? Yeah. Sabbath. Why wouldn't.

Yes. No. That's that. That's really lovely. Dennis, I think, uh, what I hear you saying, you know, we ask the question, do Christians have to keep the Sabbath? I think what you're saying is Christians get to keep the Sabbath, right? Yeah. Sabbath. Why wouldn't.

You?

You?

Right. Exactly. That Sabbath is is a gift. That the Sabbath commandment is actually a gift for life, for flourishing, for health, for rest. Yeah. I mean, it really is a beautiful concept that I think we ignore at our to our detriment.

Right. Exactly. That Sabbath is is a gift. That the Sabbath commandment is actually a gift for life, for flourishing, for health, for rest. Yeah. I mean, it really is a beautiful concept that I think we ignore at our to our detriment.

Maybe some of the precise like, you know, this day or this day or how many steps or, you know, can you turn your oven on? Those sorts of things might not be part of what we as Christians, as Gentile Christians, right, are obligated to keep. But the but the deeper commandment of not letting our work or our busyness or our obligation or, you know, whatever, um, rule our lives, but instead to take time to rest and to be sure to encourage others to rest if we are business owners or leaders, right. To make.

Maybe some of the precise like, you know, this day or this day or how many steps or, you know, can you turn your oven on? Those sorts of things might not be part of what we as Christians, as Gentile Christians, right, are obligated to keep. But the but the deeper commandment of not letting our work or our busyness or our obligation or, you know, whatever, um, rule our lives, but instead to take time to rest and to be sure to encourage others to rest if we are business owners or leaders, right. To make.

Sure you.

Sure you.

Know that we value for them rest and, um, like all of those kinds of things. That's that is keeping the Sabbath. Um, even though the, the precise, um, kind of guidelines may not apply to us.

Know that we value for them rest and, um, like all of those kinds of things. That's that is keeping the Sabbath. Um, even though the, the precise, um, kind of guidelines may not apply to us.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, it's living out of a relationship with God that is based in in God's faithfulness and grace and receiving the gift of life, which is a temporary gift or given for a time. And, um, and, you know, the Ten Commandments begin with a declaration. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And so these are commandments that invite us into freedom. Um, and and service, serving God. But finding, uh, the a vocation with meaning and purpose and joy, um, through all the struggles and the wilderness and the chaos that is also life as well.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. No, it's living out of a relationship with God that is based in in God's faithfulness and grace and receiving the gift of life, which is a temporary gift or given for a time. And, um, and, you know, the Ten Commandments begin with a declaration. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And so these are commandments that invite us into freedom. Um, and and service, serving God. But finding, uh, the a vocation with meaning and purpose and joy, um, through all the struggles and the wilderness and the chaos that is also life as well.

Yeah, it really is.

Yeah, it really is.

Thank you so much. I need to repent. I need to repent. I don't do great at keeping this commandment.

Thank you so much. I need to repent. I need to repent. I don't do great at keeping this commandment.

No, we all do. I mean, that's.

No, we all do. I mean, that's.

You know, you know.

You know, you know.

Yeah, absolutely. There is in, in the book of Exodus, a place where the Sabbath plays an important role in the story of manna in Exodus 16, where Israel comes out of Israel, comes out of Egypt having been and Egypt was the iron furnace of your army calls it of, you know, of working seven days, no days off every day and squeezing, um, you know, production of, of the bricks out of the Israelites relentlessly. And then God frees them from that, um, slavery, that bondage, that sort of enslaving work. And they come into the wilderness. They need water and they need food, God gives them water. And then for the food, God sends them manna, which they gather over the course of the six days of the week. Um, and the story is very interesting. Some of the of the people go out and gather and they, they work really hard and are very energetic and gathering as much manna as they can. And then some people are a little bit, you know, about gathering them, but at the end of the day, they all have the same amount, whether they, you know, worked really hard or were a little not as hard. And and then the sixth day they get however hard they work, they get twice as much God as sure as they get twice as much. So they have plenty for the Sabbath day. They don't have to work on the Sabbath. But then the text says, of course some of them went out on the seventh day anyway, and they gathered more manna. But that just all went bad, and that didn't work. And there's, I think, a sort of an economic structure of understanding of of how life can flourish. Um, best in the sense of, you know, we say the Lord's Prayer, give us this day our daily bread, our daily bread. That's one day at a time. What's sufficient?

Yeah, absolutely. There is in, in the book of Exodus, a place where the Sabbath plays an important role in the story of manna in Exodus 16, where Israel comes out of Israel, comes out of Egypt having been and Egypt was the iron furnace of your army calls it of, you know, of working seven days, no days off every day and squeezing, um, you know, production of, of the bricks out of the Israelites relentlessly. And then God frees them from that, um, slavery, that bondage, that sort of enslaving work. And they come into the wilderness. They need water and they need food, God gives them water. And then for the food, God sends them manna, which they gather over the course of the six days of the week. Um, and the story is very interesting. Some of the of the people go out and gather and they, they work really hard and are very energetic and gathering as much manna as they can. And then some people are a little bit, you know, about gathering them, but at the end of the day, they all have the same amount, whether they, you know, worked really hard or were a little not as hard. And and then the sixth day they get however hard they work, they get twice as much God as sure as they get twice as much. So they have plenty for the Sabbath day. They don't have to work on the Sabbath. But then the text says, of course some of them went out on the seventh day anyway, and they gathered more manna. But that just all went bad, and that didn't work. And there's, I think, a sort of an economic structure of understanding of of how life can flourish. Um, best in the sense of, you know, we say the Lord's Prayer, give us this day our daily bread, our daily bread. That's one day at a time. What's sufficient?

We're not hoarding it.

We're not hoarding it.

Yes. And we don't have to live out of fear that we don't have enough. God's not going to give us enough, but a sense of trust. And it's not easy to do. And so we, as you said, Katie, we keep repenting, right? Yeah. But it always calls us the sort of vision of what Sabbath is calls us to remember, um, and to live out of a life that receives life as a gift and receives the relationships that we have as gifts that can be shared, um, and that can be enjoyed. And that's the vision that's before us. So we don't have to keep the Sabbath. But it's good for us. Well.

Yes. And we don't have to live out of fear that we don't have enough. God's not going to give us enough, but a sense of trust. And it's not easy to do. And so we, as you said, Katie, we keep repenting, right? Yeah. But it always calls us the sort of vision of what Sabbath is calls us to remember, um, and to live out of a life that receives life as a gift and receives the relationships that we have as gifts that can be shared, um, and that can be enjoyed. And that's the vision that's before us. So we don't have to keep the Sabbath. But it's good for us. Well.

Thank you. Thank you so much. That was that was rich. And it answered my question, and I hope it answered the listener's question as well. I hope so too. Thank you so much to the person who submitted such a such a lovely question. And thank you to joining with us today on this episode of the Enter the Bible Podcast. Whether you're listening to us on your favorite podcast app or joining us on YouTube, please rate and review or like and subscribe. And of course, for additional awesome reflections and conversations like these. Had to enter the Bible.org. We've got courses, commentaries, articles, glossaries, maps, anything you could need to deepen your experience with the Bible. And of course, the very best compliment you can pay us is to share the podcast with a friend. Thanks for being with us today.

Thank you. Thank you so much. That was that was rich. And it answered my question, and I hope it answered the listener's question as well. I hope so too. Thank you so much to the person who submitted such a such a lovely question. And thank you to joining with us today on this episode of the Enter the Bible Podcast. Whether you're listening to us on your favorite podcast app or joining us on YouTube, please rate and review or like and subscribe. And of course, for additional awesome reflections and conversations like these. Had to enter the Bible.org. We've got courses, commentaries, articles, glossaries, maps, anything you could need to deepen your experience with the Bible. And of course, the very best compliment you can pay us is to share the podcast with a friend. Thanks for being with us today.