Chapter Review – The Sabbath in the Old Testament – From Sabbath to Lord’s Day by D. A. Carson

From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation
by D. A. Carson

The second chapter is The Sabbath in the Old Testament. After quickly dismissing alternative theories of the origin of the Sabbath – Babylonian Origin, Lunar Origin, Socioeconomic Origin, etc. – the author, Professor Harold H.P. Dressler, puts forth his argument supporting the Biblical view of the origin of the Sabbath. As he puts it,

“The Sabbath concept was introduced some time before the Sinai event. The first formulation of the commandment is found in Exodus 20 within the Decalogue.”

Dressler than proceeds through each Sabbath command in the Old Testament, briefly providing the context and importance of each passage. Then in the remainder of the sections of this chapter he makes a number of points; Here I will cover the ones which I have found most fascinating.

The first note of importance is the one and only prohibition mentioned with the Sabbath law during the wilderness journeys – “you shall not do any work.” When most people think of the Sabbath and the various interpretations and difficulties this is usually at the forefront. What does it mean to not do work? Do you have to just stay in bed all day? Sometimes just getting out of bed in the morning can be hard work. Dressler argues that “regular, occupational activity is meant by the word for ‘work’” I find his arguments sound and this theory palatable. This does, of course, have significant consequences for the rest of the study of the Sabbath.

Next the idea of Sabbath as a “creation ordinance” is considered. Is Sabbath part of God’s natural order, existing in the very same shape as in the beginning of all things that we know now, built in to the very fabric of our existence? Makes sense, since it is suggested that the very creation week is the model for the Sabbath. Dressler makes a convincing argument against the very idea of a “creation ordinance” by quoting Helmut Thielicke –

“This world (including man who inhabits it) has not thus, namely as it is, come forth from the hand of God, but it is alienated from these hands. Hence, it is not, in the strict sense, “creation.” Consequently, it does not possess the character of finality but it will pass away.”

This is another highly significant point. Indeed our world is creation as originally intended by the Creator. Sabbath, as with the rest of the Law, is not part of the original intention of creation, but was necessary because of the broken state of the world. Thus Sabbath should be viewed as created by God for man for a purpose.

Finally the Sabbath as a Sign of the Covenant is considered. The author states –

“As a sign of the covenant the Sabbath can only be meant for Israel, with whom the covenant was made. It has a “perpetual” function, i.e., for the duration of the covenant.”

The usage of signs of the covenant is explored in more detail in a note at the end of the chapter, where three signs for the three Old Testament covenants are compared, and an important distinction is made between the signs of the covenant and the institutions of the covenant. All the institutions, but not the signs, were fulfilled in Christ. This will be an interesting area to explore more fully in the future.

In conclusion Dressler states –

“The Biblical evidence is that the Sabbath was inaugurated for the people of Israel to be celebrated as a weekly sign of the covenant. The Sabbath is not viewed as a universal ordinance for all mankind but as a specific institution for Israel. As a sign of the covenant it was to last as long as the covenant.”

Next Post: Chapter Review – A Summary of Sabbath Observance in Judaism at the Beginning of the Christian Era – From Sabbath to Lord’s Day by D. A. Carson

This is the third post in a series of posts reviewing this book chapter by chapter. For the entire series see From Sabbath to Lord’s Day. For more information on this series see Book Reviews – New Format, Chapter Reviews

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