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Seventh Day In Christianity Research Paper

Decent Essays

Throughout the history of Christianity, Sabbath teachings have always been a fundamental characteristic of the religion. The Sabbath was created by God to allow the people of Earth to strive under His influence and truly appreciate the delight and the magnificence of the world surrounding them. Additionally, the teachings of the Sabbath have shaped the framework for how Christians should morally and ethically live in a world crowded by distraction, financial greed, and overlabor. The origin of the Sabbath ultimately derives from the story of creation in Genesis. In the beginning of time, God worked over the span of six days to create the world, ensuring that everything was good for the benefit of humankind. On the seventh day, after all …show more content…

Additionally, the Sabbath forces Christians to break their independence and preserve their dependence to God. For example, this is seen clearly in the Sabbatical year. Furthermore, the Sabbath established a decree of economic justice, most notably seen in the passages surrounding the year of Jubilee. Much like the seventh day, God professed of the Sabbatical year, occurring every seven years as a time for the farmers and their land to rest. In this time, the farmer must let the land rest and place his trust entirely in God to provide for him. God declared to his followers, “You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard… it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. You may eat what the land yields during the Sabbath” (Leviticus 25:4-6) This Sabbatical principle requires a wholehearted trust and dependence on God, as well as allows God’s followers to appreciate the immense power and magnificence God has to offer. In Isaiah, God declares, “ If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1: …show more content…

The neglect of the Sabbath today and the ramifications associated with such neglect emphasize the overwhelming importance of practicing the Sabbath. Wirzba discusses “the decline of delight” that modern humanity has experienced over the last few centuries. As people have departed rural lands and transitioned into new urban settings, society has developed a feeling of “boredom.” The creation of boredom is the opposite of delight for God’s creations. People have lost their appreciation for the gifts in which they receive. Additionally, as the industrial revolution grew, the workweek has become increasingly longer, resulting in whole societies of people who have become so enormously overworked, they have lost their sense of appreciation for the beauty that surrounds them. There is simply no time in the modern world to take rest. In a world in which time is money, people cannot afford to take for the delight of God. The Sabbath has become immeasurably important for a society like modern America. People have lost their way in a sea of business and distraction. They are overwhelmed, overworked, and they are bored. Wirzba writes, “We find the world boring because we don’t see very clearly why it is valuable and good or how and why we practically and beneficially belong to it” (Wirzba 66). Only will an increased participation in the Sabbath fulfill humanity’s craving for

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