Sabbath
 
 (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest.
 It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man
 was in innocence Ge 2:2 "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of
 rest and refreshment for the body and of blessing to the soul. It is
 next referred to in connection with the gift of manna to the children
 of Israel in the wilderness Ex 16:23 and afterwards, when the law
 was given from Sinai Ex 20:11 the people were solemnly charged to
 "remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Thus it is spoken of as
 an institution already existing. In the Mosaic law strict regulations
 were laid down regarding its observance Ex 35:2,3 Le 23:3 26:34
 These were peculiar to that dispensation. In the subsequent history
 of the Jews frequent references are made to the sanctity of the
 Sabbath Isa 56:2,4,6,7 58:13,14 Jer 17:20-22 Ne 13:19 In later
 times they perverted the Sabbath by their traditions. Our Lord
 rescued it from their perversions, and recalled to them its true
 nature and intent Mt 12:10-13 Mr 2:27 Lu 13:10-17 The Sabbath,
 originally instituted for man at his creation, is of permanent and
 universal obligation. The physical necessities of man require a
 Sabbath of rest. He is so constituted that his bodily welfare needs
 at least one day in seven for rest from ordinary labour. Experience
 also proves that the moral and spiritual necessities of men also
 demand a Sabbath of rest. "I am more and more sure by experience that
 the reason for the observance of the Sabbath lies deep in the
 everlasting necessities of human nature, and that as long as man is
 man the blessedness of keeping it, not as a day of rest only, but as
 a day of spiritual rest, will never be annulled. I certainly do feel
 by experience the eternal obligation, because of the eternal
 necessity, of the Sabbath. The soul withers without it. It thrives in
 proportion to its observance. The Sabbath was made for man. God made
 it for men in a certain spiritual state because they needed it. The
 need, therefore, is deeply hidden in human nature. He who can
 dispense with it must be holy and spiritual indeed. And he who, still
 unholy and unspiritual, would yet dispense with it is a man that
 would fain be wiser than his Maker" (F. W. Robertson). The ancient
 Babylonian calendar, as seen from recently recovered inscriptions on
 the bricks among the ruins of the royal palace, was based on the
 division of time into weeks of seven days. The Sabbath is in these
 inscriptions designated Sabattu, and defined as "a day of rest for
 the heart" and "a day of completion of labour." The change of the
 day. Originally at creation the seventh day of the week was set apart
 and consecrated as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is now
 observed as the Sabbath. Has God authorized this change? There is an
 obvious distinction between the Sabbath as an institution and the
 particular day set apart for its observance. The question, therefore,
 as to the change of the day in no way affects the perpetual
 obligation of the Sabbath as an institution. Change of the day or no
 change, the Sabbath remains as a sacred institution the same. It
 cannot be abrogated. If any change of the day has been made, it must
 have been by Christ or by his authority. Christ has a right to make
 such a change Mr 2:23-28 As Creator, Christ was the original Lord of
 the Sabbath Joh 1:3 Heb 1:10 It was originally a memorial of
 creation. A work vastly greater than that of creation has now been
 accomplished by him, the work of redemption. We would naturally
 expect just such a change as would make the Sabbath a memorial of
 that greater work. True, we can give no text authorizing the change
 in so many words. We have no express law declaring the change. But
 there are evidences of another kind. We know for a fact that the
 first day of the week has been observed from apostolic times, and the
 necessary conclusion is, that it was observed by the apostles and
 their immediate disciples. This, we may be sure, they never would
 have done without the permission or the authority of their Lord.
 After his resurrection, which took place on the first day of the week
 Mt 28:1 Mr 16:2 Lu 24:1 Joh 20:1 we never find Christ meeting with
 his disciples on the seventh day. But he specially honoured the first
 day by manifesting himself to them on four separate occasions
 Mt 28:9 Lu 24:34,18-33 Joh 20:19-23 Again, on the next first day
 of the week, Jesus appeared to his disciples Joh 20:26 Some have
 calculated that Christ's ascension took place on the first day of the
 week. And there can be no doubt that the descent of the Holy Ghost at
 Pentecost was on that day Ac 2:1 Thus Christ appears as
 instituting a new day to be observed by his people as the Sabbath, a
 day to be henceforth known amongst them as the "Lord's day." The
 observance of this "Lord's day" as the Sabbath was the general custom
 of the primitive churches, and must have had apostolic sanction
 (comp.) Ac 20:3-7 1Co 16:1,2 and authority, and so the sanction
 and authority of Jesus Christ. The words "at her sabbaths" La 1:7
 A.V. ought probably to be, as in the Revised Version, "at her
 desolations."