Sabbath School Lesson for August 28-September 3, 2021
Teresa’s YouTube channel about the lesson: http://www.youtube.com/teresathompson
Overview of Lesson 10
There are many reasons the Sabbath was given to us:
- It points to the creation of our beautiful earth and our role in caring for the environment. (Sunday)
- It reminds us of our new life in Christ–we were born again when He redeemed us. (Monday)
- It challenges us to be kind to others. (Tuesday)
- It allows us to serve others. (Wednesday)
- It provides a sign that we belong to God. (Thursday)
Although many reasons have been given for not keeping the Sabbath, the peaceful rest God made for us on the seventh day of every week cannot be ignored. Some will say it doesn’t matter which day, or that now we only need Jesus and the day doesn’t matter at all.
But the fact remains that God created a special day and told us to refrain from labor and draw strength from it for the remaining six days of the week. Anyone who has worked more than seven days repeatedly without rest in their chosen field of labor appreciates the relief and strength a weekly day of rest can bring.
Keeping the Sabbath is like pushing a reset button or having our physical and spiritual batteries charged. It can only lead to more rest in God as we stumble through life’s many upsetting events. In these final, tumultuous days, it’s needed more than ever (Hebrews 10:25).
Memory Text: “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.” Leviticus 23:3 NKJV
A convocation is a group of people assembled together for a special purpose. God intended for us to draw close to Him on the seventh day, but also to draw close to each other. We benefit so much by gathering together to worship and praise our Creator and Redeemer on the day made holy for that purpose.
Fortunately, in this day of technology, there are many ways we can connect with fellow believers on His holy day. Phone, television, and the internet allow us to feel part of the Christian movement, when in-person fellowship is not possible, such as during the current health pandemic.
Sunday: Sabbath and Creation
No one denies how being close to the natural world brings us health and vitality. It offers us a sense of peaceful tranquility when we pause and appreciate the beauty of God’s creative handiwork. Sabbath would not be complete without some kind of connection with the natural world around us. Even if our only opportunity is to see and hear the birds, flowers, and insects that occupy our own tiny living space, whatever that might be.
As part of God’s creation, our role is to tend and care for the environment. The weekly Sabbath is a reminder of our given duties as stewards of the earth. We humans have no right to exploit God’s creation. Our job description is quite clear (Genesis 1:26). We are to tend and keep our world alive and beautiful (Genesis 2:15). The Sabbath helps ensure our awareness of this very important responsibility.
We are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). This, too, is recognized and appreciated more as we observe and absorb what our natural world has to offer. Even the effects of sin can’t totally mar the beauty and complexity of God’s creation, including our own bodies. The Sabbath is a unique opportunity to praise God for His love and care for our planet. Being made in His image, we see ourselves as caretakers as well, and foster a love for our beautiful world.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Genesis 1:26 and 2:15
- What did God mean by us having dominion over the earth?
- What exactly does God expect from us, in relation to the rest of creation?
Genesis 1:27 and Psalm 139:14
- What does it mean to be made in God’s image?
Monday: Celebrating Freedom
Moses repeatedly reminded the Hebrews of their freedom from bondage in Egypt. He pointed it out when he repeated the commandments of God, when they were about to enter Canaan after many years in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 5:15).
The fourth commandment was not only a celebration of God’s creating the world. It was also a celebration of their freedom from slavery. They had experienced a re-birth, becoming new creatures, and it was only fitting to celebrate their new status as free men and women of God.
We, too, can look with joy at our re-creation every Sabbath. We are free from the bondage of sin. It makes the day all the sweeter as we contemplate belonging to the King of the universe. We must never forget our blessings of a new birth. The Sabbath is designed to include both creation and redemption.
Every Sabbath we pause from our own labors. We are reminded that it is not our work that accomplishes anything. God is the One who gives us the strength to work and the command to rest. He frees us from having to do it all alone. We need His abiding presence throughout the week, but can stop and appreciate it even more on the day He blessed and made holy.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Deuteronomy 5:15 and John 8:34-36
- What kind of freedom does the Sabbath help us remember?
- Why is it important to remember our freedom?
Tuesday: The Stranger in Your Gates
Built into the Sabbath commandment is the duty to our fellow man, and even animals. They were included in the need to rest as a reminder to be kind to all of God’s creatures, both man and beast. The idea that the Sabbath was only for the Jews is not a valid one, when even the “stranger who is within your gates” was invited to observe the day of rest (Exodus 20:10).
As a “royal priesthood, a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9), we are told to extend kindness to all people and animals we come in contact with. If Israel had remained faithful to that part of the commandment, they would have continued to be God’s vessels for spreading the gospel to the whole world through loving acts of kindness and love.
The Sabbath causes us to look at those around us with new eyes. We see them as tenderly loved by God, the same God who loves us. Human beings everywhere, and even animals and our pets, should never be neglected, mistreated, or taken advantage of. We are all part of God’s family and therefore should be treated with kindness and respect. The Sabbath accentuates that kind of thinking.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Exodus 20:10 and 23:12
- Why did God remind them to include others in their Sabbath observance?
- What benefits would there be for others outside the family in resting on the day with them?
Exodus 19:6 and 1 Peter 2:9, 10
- What significance is there that Christians were also called “a royal priesthood, a holy nation”?
Wednesday: Serving Others Honors God’s Sabbath
Jesus did not refrain from healing people on the Sabbath. As a matter of fact, He often got Himself into trouble for it. The priests had devised 39 regulations for what was acceptable work on the Sabbath. Their meaningless requirements made the Sabbath a burden to the people. But, Jesus did not let them interfere with His healing and serving others, even if it was on the Sabbath.
Being kind to others is one thing, but tangibly giving them assistance goes even further in expressing the deep, heartfelt love God has for all His children. Both worship and service are therefore appropriate ways to keep God’s day holy.
We are merely preaching a sermon with actions rather than words, when we help someone have an easier and better life. Our acts of kindness are a way to become holy, just as the seventh day is holy. Serving others, even on the Sabbath, brings us closer to each other and closer to God.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
John 5:5-10, 16
- What was Jesus’ sole purpose and motive when He saw the man by the pool of Bethesda?
- How did Jesus show that their human regulations were not important?
Matthew 12:9-12
- How did Jesus justify His healing on the Sabbath?
Thursday: The Sign That We Belong to God
There is something that marks us at the end of time as belonging to Satan, God’s adversary. A “mark of the beast” as it’s called in the book of Revelation. It makes sense that there is also a sign that we belong to God. Exodus 31:16, 17 calls Sabbath observance a sign of God’s perpetual covenant. It is part of what identifies God’s followers.
Revelation 14:12 says His saints are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. The one commandment that seems to have been forgotten the most is the one we’re told to remember. No wonder God considered the Sabbath a perpetual sign of the covenant He has with His people, even in the last days. The Sabbath is not just for the Jews. We too are recognized as Abraham’s seed when we belong to Christ (Galatians 3:29).
More than ever, we need the Sabbath to help us draw near to God. We must not only spend time with Him, but it must include quality time. We can do that best when we worship the God of the Sabbath and observe the day He made for that purpose.
Bible Verses to Read and Discuss:
Exodus 31:13, 16-18 and Galatians 3:29
- Who was the Sabbath made for?
- What makes the Sabbath so special to God and to us?
Revelation 14:12 and Hebrews 12:2
- What is the connection between Jesus and faith? Why are the two mentioned together?
Friday: Final Thoughts
The Sabbath is a blessing and joy and perhaps God’s greatest gift to us. It benefits us to reflect on the many reasons God expects the day to be observed. Rightly kept, the Sabbath accentuates our need to…
- care for the environment and appreciate God’s creative handiwork in nature
- treat everyone with kindness and respect–we are all equally loved by God
- use every opportunity to serve those around us, through prayer and deeds of kindness
- worship and praise God corporately, drawing strength from fellow believers in whatever way you can
As you can see, the Sabbath isn’t a day of useless activity. It provides an opportunity to act on the things that draw us closer to God. Deliberately choosing to include those things that uplift our souls in the greatest way, will result in the seventh day of rest becoming our greatest source of rest in Christ.
Next Week: Longing for More
To read the Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly or see more resources for its study, go to
https://www.absg.adventist.org/
