The Decalogic Theology of the Sabbath¹

AMAR PANDEY

INTRODUCTION

The Sabbath is the most reiterated command in the Bible.² Moreover, this command is part of the Decalogue that Christians generally take as normative even though they consider many other Old Testament commandments obsolete, e.g., animal sacrifices, dietary laws, etc. The Sabbath commandment is also the longest in the Decalogue. In addition, its central position in the Decalogue has been widely accepted.³ However, for Christians, this commandment is probably the most obscure among the ten. J. A. Thompson states that the fourth commandment⁴ has "posed many problems for the Christian."⁵ Jochen Douma writes, "No commandment has occasioned as much controversy surrounding its interpretation as this fourth commandment."⁶ Dorothy Bass says that the commandment is "in some ways the most puzzling."⁷ Keeping the Sabbath is often interpreted by Christians today in terms of church attendance.

The primary question in this essay is: What is the purpose of the Sabbath commandment? In answering this question, we will also respond to a couple of related questions: What is the rationale behind the Sabbath law? How can we apply this law to our day? We will contend that the Sabbath law was given primarily for the welfare of human beings in order to allow them periodic rest. The command realizes—rather YHWH knows—that human beings need periodic rest from their endless toil "under the sun." Hence, we need to take the command to rest more seriously in today's workaholic culture, though not in a Pharisaic kind of legalistic manner. The Sabbath speaks against the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable. Recovering the essence of the Sabbath is crucial, especially in the South Asian context where exploitation of the labor class among others is a widespread phenomenon and common knowledge—no weekly day off, long working hours, meagre wages, substandard living conditions, etc. The essay will briefly look at the state of Nepali churches with respect to the Sabbath and the situation of laborers in Nepal.

The focus of the essay is on the seventh day of the week and not on the broader sabbatical law such as slave redemption, sabbatical year, etc. We will study the issue at hand from the fourth commandment in the two Decalogue passages of the Torah. The importance of the Sabbath can be deduced from Dennis Olson's words, "Without the Sabbath, work can become an idol or an oppressor."⁸

1. RATIONALE FOR THE SABBATH LAW

The command to observe the Sabbath comes directly from YHWH and the two versions of the Decalogue (Exod 20 and Deut 5) provide us with the rationale for Sabbath observance. These two, as Robert Sherman holds, are theologically complementary although some

The command to observe the Sabbath comes directly from YHWH and the two versions of the Decalogue (Exod 20 and Deut 5) provide us with the rationale for Sabbath observance. These two, as Robert Sherman holds, are theologically complementary although some historians might see two different sources behind them.⁹ Pinchas Kahn agrees that the Deuteronomic version is not a "correction or parallel to Exodus, but … an enriching explanation, an expansion and a development."¹⁰ Moreover, the two versions of the Decalogue also provide us a clear explanation of the purpose of the Sabbath. What, then, is the rationale for the observation of the Sabbath?

1.1. RATIONALE 1: YHWH RESTED; IMITATE HIM

The book of Exodus looks back to the creation in Genesis in providing the rationale for the Sabbath law (Exod 20:8–11). The Israelites are to keep the Sabbath because God rested on the seventh day after completing his creation in six days (Gen 2:1–3). By keeping the Sabbath, God's people acknowledge him as the Creator.

Why did God rest? Does God need rest? Was he tired after creating such a magnificent and complex universe? "YHWH neither sleeps nor slumbers," says the Psalmist (Ps 121:3–4). He does not need rest. As Jürgen Moltmann says, "God does not 'rest' in the sense of taking a break now and then, in order to gather strength for further tasks."¹¹ But this anthropomorphism must have some meaning! The most logical answer is that God was modeling in order to communicate to humans that they need periodic rest.¹² "If God needed rest, how much more we mortal human beings?" is not a correct interpretation of the biblical text. Harold Dressler rightly articulates that anthropomorphism is used here not to inform about God's action "but to inform us what man is to do."¹³ Thus, keeping the Sabbath is also following God's example in rejoicing at the beautiful creation he has brought into existence.¹⁴ Imitatio Dei, then, is the first basis for keeping the Sabbath. In short, the first rationale is: God rested; imitate him, the Sabbath.

1.2. RATIONALE 2: EGYPTIANS OPPRESSED YOU; DO NOT IMITATE THEM

The book of Deuteronomy looks back to the exodus from Egypt as the rationale for the Sabbath (Deut 5:15). The Israelites are to keep the Sabbath because they were slaves in Egypt and are now redeemed. The Sabbath, then, provided rest for everyone including the slaves and even the cattle. Slaves do not have a day off. They need to work seven days a week. With the Sabbath law, God tells the Israelites to treat the slaves fairly and give them rest. They are not to follow their experience in Egypt of not having rest when they were slaves. In short, the second rationale is: Egyptians oppressed you and did not give you rest when you were their slaves; do not imitate them. The weak and vulnerable of the society, e.g., the slaves, need to be given periodic rest and not to be oppressed or exploited.

When something is added, omitted, or altered from the earlier version in a repeated material, it is significant. Moses repeats the Decalogue in Deuteronomy to a new generation forty years after its original giving to the previous generation at Sinai. In repeating the fourth commandment — the Sabbath — he gives a different rationale for its observance than was given in the Exodus version. The difference is more substantial because Moses is the man behind both versions. He receives the commandments from YHWH at Sinai in the Exodus account and he is the one who recites it in the Deuteronomic account. In light of the fact that the Israelites are finally going to live a settled life in the Promised Land, Moses gives an additional basis for keeping the law that would guarantee rest not only for the well-to-do such as the slave owners but also for the slaves (poor and vulnerable).

This is especially repeated and reemphasized by the latter part of 5:14 (more below). In keeping the Sabbath, then, God's people also acknowledge him as the Redeemer. The basis for Sabbath-keeping is YHWH's deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptian bondage.

2. PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH

The primary purpose for giving the Sabbath law was to provide humans rest from labor. In the two versions of the Decalogue, even though the rationales are different, the purpose is the same, i.e., to refrain from work and thus rest (Exod 20:9–10; Deut 5:13–14). Moreover, in the Exodus version, even the basis for keeping the Sabbath is God's resting (Exod 20:11). A comparison of the two versions elucidates the issue:

An almost verbatim repetition of the purpose of the Sabbath in Deuteronomy from Exodus is clear from the table. The additions in the Deuteronomic account are given in boldface. Deuteronomy does not add any extra material per se but the final phrase reemphasizes the necessity of the slaves to rest just as the slave owners do. The emphasis is in line with the Deuteronomic rationale that they are to observe the Sabbath by remembering that they were slaves in Egypt who had been delivered by YHWH. They are not to treat their slaves as their overlords in Egypt did.

The Sabbath law has a major humanitarian dimension with a concern for the welfare of the slaves. The primary emphasis is on allowing slaves to rest one day per week. Kahn rightly calls it a "sociological scheme protecting slaves and workers."¹⁵ But the slave owners' need to rest is not excluded either. Karl Budde's statement that Deuteronomy 5 requires only slaves and cattle to rest but the masters are not obligated to do so is invalid.¹⁶ The last phrase of Deuteronomy 5:14 reads "so that your male slave and your female slave may rest just like you," emphasis added. Moreover, the list of those restricted from work begins with "you" (Deut 5:14; Exod 20:10). That the well-to-do (e.g., slave owners) do rest was taken for granted at the time the commandment was given.¹⁷ However, today we live in a world where many of the well-to-do also lack rest. They impose a lack of rest upon themselves. Workaholics abound. Work is overvalued. Rest is often taken as idleness or wasting of time. Thus, the Sabbath law speaks to the well-to-do and the employers to not only give rest to their helpers and employees but they themselves also cultivate the habit of resting.

The Sabbath command in the Decalogue has one concern, i.e., rest from labor. Taken at face value, the texts say nothing about worship, only that it should be kept holy (more below). The centrality of rest or cessation from work is also clear from the structure of the Sabbath command in the two Decalogue passages. The chiastic structure of both these texts highlights the central purpose of the Sabbath day as rest from labor. The following is the Exodus version (Exod 20:8–11):¹⁸

A The Sabbath is holy (8)
   B  Work six days but the seventh is the Sabbath (9–10a)
     C  Do no work on the seventh day (10b)
   B' God worked for six days and rested the seventh (11a)
A' The Sabbath is holy (11b)

The structure clearly shows that the core of the Sabbath commandment is abstention from work on the seventh day for everyone. Moreover, in keeping with the sabbatical nature, seven entries are listed as the subject of Sabbath observance, viz., you, son, daughter, male slave, female slave, cattle, and sojourner (v. 10b). In the Deuteronomic version, "cattle" has been expanded to "ox, donkey, or any cattle" (v. 14b). The Deuteronomic version (Deut 5:12–15) similarly shows the centrality of abstinence from work:¹⁹

A Observe the Sabbath (12)
   B  Labor/slave (six days) but the seventh is the Sabbath (13–14a)
     C  Do no work on the seventh day (14b)
   B' Remember you were a slave in Egypt (15a)
A' Observe the Sabbath (15b)

At first glance, there seems to be no relation between B and B'. However, B' in essence says that when you were slaves in Egypt, you had no rest but had to work seven days a week; now that you have been delivered from slavery, work only six days and rest on the seventh (B). Note the Hebrew root for "labor" in both: you shall labor only six days (B) and remember you were a slave in Egypt (B'). Just as it is the case with the Exodus version, here also the center is abstention from work on the seventh day.

Our study of the fourth commandment in the two versions of the Decalogue thus far shows that rest is central to the Sabbath; worship is not prescribed. If there is any worship element, it is indirect in the rationale. As people observe the Sabbath and ask themselves the reason for doing so, the answer will be twofold. First, YHWH rested at creation, which recalls that he is the Creator (Exodus version). Second, YHWH delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, i.e., he is the Redeemer (Deuteronomic version). As the Creator and Redeemer, YHWH deserves worship but the Sabbath command lacks such an injunction. Many think otherwise. For instance, Miller, while conceding that the Decalogue only mentions the "not-doing" part of the Sabbath and lacks the "doing" part, still holds that it is to be a day of service to the Lord; this makes the day holy. And this, he says, is to be drawn out from "some clues and ideas" from other portions of the Bible on the Sabbath.²⁰ Moreover, he states, "From the beginning, the point of the commandment is to make sure that time for the worship of God is provided in the midst of human activities."²¹ However, the text does not say anything in this regard. Walter Brueggemann correctly comments on this commandment: "There is no mention of worship."²² Rest is the requirement.

What does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy (Exod 20:8; Deut 5:12)? Holiness has to do with separation and dedication to the Lord. Dressler notes that it means "to keep it as a very special day separate from every other day and dedicated 'to God' (thus 'holy')."²³ Jeffrey Tigay comments, "'Holy' in biblical Hebrew means withdrawn from common use and reserved for a special purpose associated with God."²⁴ So, how can the Sabbath be kept holy? From both Decalogue passages, Tigay's assertion is attested: "The Sabbath day is withdrawn from common use by desisting from labor."²⁵ Richard Nelson comments that "Israel … marks the Sabbath off as holy by non-normal human behavior, that is, by not working."²⁶ For the Sabbath to be holy, cultic activity is not indispensable. The priests did work on the Sabbath day which required sacrifices in addition to those offered on other days (Num 28–29), but there is no indication of the general populace being involved in any cultic activity. This assertion is also strengthened by the fact that the animals too are listed among those to be allowed rest. By extension, in the Sabbatical year, even the land is to rest (Lev 25). By extension, in the Sabbatical year, even the land is to rest (Lev 25).

3. KEEPING THE SABBATH TODAY

In the twenty-first century when people are involved in the "rat race" of achieving more and more, and accumulating more and more, the call to rest is essential. This call is biblical. I am not advocating a Pharisaic and legalistic adherence, which even Jesus denounced (Mark 2:23–28; 3:1–6). Moreover, as Olson has shown, although the early Jewish Christians continued to observe the Sabbath in addition to the Sunday fellowship, Paul's writings suggest that the Gentile Christians were not obligated to keep the Sabbath law.³⁰ However, the basic principle of the Sabbath, that humans need periodic rest from their labors, is always valid not just theologically but practically and psychologically as well.³¹ If so, how can we keep the Sabbath law according to its spirit, and not necessarily according to its letter?³² In other words, what will Sabbath observance look like today? There are two major aspects of Sabbath observation, namely, periodic rest and the welfare of the vulnerable.

3.1. PERIODIC REST

The Sabbath calls for a weekly day off. It involves abstaining from one's daily activities. Non-routine activities that a person enjoys and which rejuvenate him or her are appropriate. This can be understood in terms of work and play.³³ For example, to a professor, reading is normally work but swimming can be play; whereas, for a professional swimmer, the reverse may be true. Thus, the idea is not idleness but breaking out of one's normal work rhythm and engaging in something that rejuvenates, which in turn will give vigor to continue with the normal rhythm of life in the following six days.³⁴ Marva Dawn, I believe, is correct: "Activity that is enjoyable and freeing and not undertaken for the purpose of accomplishment … qualifies as acceptable for Sabbath time."³⁵ Nonetheless, Sabbath activities should not be so physically and/or mentally demanding that they take the life and energy out of a person—physical or mental—hindering their desire or ability to continue with work in the days following the Sabbath. If this happens, then the whole purpose of Sabbath observance—rest and refreshment or rejuvenation (Exod 23:12)—is lost. Therefore, Sabbath activities should be mild, enjoyable, and minimally demanding (probably there is no activity or "play" that is absolutely non-demanding). Moreover, we should be careful not to turn our time of rest into a "new type of work" or "industry" with activities that soon enslave us.³⁶

For parishioners, the worship day is the best day for observing the Sabbath.³⁷ The application of the Sabbath principle, then, also means that the churches do not clutter the weekly public holiday with so many meetings and programs for the parishioners that the latter are equally or even more weary at the end of the day than they are in their work-days. Time beyond corporate worship should be given to parishioners for rest and refreshment. The importance of gathering together for communal worship has already been acknowledged above. However, it is problematic to admonish parishioners who attend corporate worship to not be anxious when the worship service is very long because it is the Sabbath, a day set apart for the Lord, while not talking about rest. This phenomenon is quite common in Nepali churches. Pastors should encourage their parishioners to take the time outside corporate worship for rest and rejuvenation. They should be encouraged not to continue their business of the other six days.

Because church leaders do not emphasize rest in relation to "Sabbath observance" but rather attendance at the worship service, many parishioners are in a haste to finish their "Sabbath duty" by attending church and then to catch up with their usual business. This results in the parishioners being more tired at the end of the "Sabbath day" than on the other six days that are work-days. Moreover, it is quite a common scenario in Nepali churches that not even half of the total church attendees arrive when it is time to start the weekly service and many vacate the church premise before the closing prayer. Most make their way out once the sermon is over. Such a practice deprives these parishioners of a fuller experience of worshipping the Lord together and fellowshipping with each other, which in turn can have negative effects on their spiritual growth. What is more, some are multitasking even in church as Brueggemann has shown.³⁸ Quite ironically in Nepal, Christians commonly call Saturday—the weekly public holiday—bishramko din (lit. the day of rest) but I cannot recall hearing any pastor/preacher speak about rest in relation to the day; it is always about church attendance.

Church ministers, on the other hand, are the busiest on the worship day. Burnout (and stress) in ministry is quite common today and one of the reasons for this is lack of rest.³⁹ Ministers are not "supermen and superwomen." Hence, a day off on one of the weekdays is advisable. Many churches around the world are practicing it by taking the day after the worship day, on which they are the busiest, as the day off. Kevin Drudge does not approve of this idea of taking another day off for rest because he sees Sabbath as a communal exercise. He thus says pastors should also take the worship day to be the Sabbath day by minimizing their activities on the day—avoiding committee meetings, counseling parishioners, house visits, etc.⁴⁰ Drudge's suggestions of not making the worship day the busiest day for pastors is commendable but that is not always practical. Pastors need to be available for parishioners on the day of worship because other days are work-days for them. Most parishioners cannot afford to have another day off. Moreover, in places like South Asia—where many parishioners are of "labor class," and I am speaking from experience—having a day off on weekdays is next to impossible. Granted that church ministers avoid activities such as meetings and counseling on that day, it still is quite demanding for many. For instance, many churches have multiple worship services on the worship day, which also means long ministry hours. Hence, even if the remainder of the day is given for rest, that is not sufficient. Thus, one of the weekdays as the day of rest is appropriate.⁴²

Douglas Stuart writes, "if one were physically active in pursuit of service to God and/or godly service to others, it would be entirely consistent with the Sabbath law to work hard at such sorts of activities and be reasonably worn out by them at the end of the day."⁴³ His statement, however, demands scrutiny: First, how much wearing out is "reasonable" is not clear. Secondly, in light of our discussion of the purpose of the Sabbath, Stuart's assertion is problematic. As we have discussed, it is all right for, say, a church minister, to be busy on the worship day, but the lack of rest should be compensated by another day off. The practice of clergy taking one of the weekdays off is rare in Nepali churches. Even in the case of those churches that have declared a day as the official holiday for their full-time workers, the policy often remains on paper. The actual reality shows that the implementation part is weak. This leads to harmful consequences such as fatigue and stress, which is detrimental to the ministers, their families, and the churches they serve.

3.2. WELFARE OF THE VULNERABLE

The Sabbath law is humanitarian, in that it highlights the need for rest, especially for slaves. Exploitation of the labor class is a widespread phenomenon in South Asia and some other parts of Asia.⁴⁴ Nepal is at the forefront of labor exploitation. Human rights lawyer, Anurag Devkota, explains the plight of more than 45,000 tea estate workers in Nepal, particularly in the Ilam district, where even the government has exploited them by setting a different minimum wage, i.e., Rs. 231 per day as opposed to Rs. 517 per day for other workers. Moreover, housing facilities provided for these workers are often without electricity and running water. In addition, due to the lack of funds and a place to go after retirement, their children are forced to work in the same tea estate in order to retain housing, leading to generational labor bondage.⁴⁵ Similarly, the plight of the laborers in Nepal's brick factories is apparent. Labor exploitation is high in multiple aspects; factories is apparent. Labor exploitation is high in multiple aspects: long working hours, pathetic living conditions, unacceptably low wages, health hazards due to poor sanitation, harmful dust, extreme heat and emission from the kilns, lack of safety measures, back-breaking hard labor, poor nutrition, child labor in large numbers and bonded slavery, etc.⁴⁶ These are but two examples. Labor exploitation prevails in every arena.

A study suggests that in about 1,300 brick factories in Nepal, around 600,000 children are laboring.⁴⁷ According to Kidasha Nepal, over two million child laborers are active in Nepal in different sectors.⁴⁸ For instance, Rajesh, an eleven-year-old boy, works for 15 hours a day at a motorcycle workshop.⁴⁹ The last labor force survey (2008) shows that "the incidence of child labor was quite high in Nepal. 11 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls aged 5–9 were already in the labor force, and the comparable ratios were 47.2 per cent of boys and 58.7 per cent of girls aged 10–14."⁵⁰ The situation in Nepal is quite alarming.

The Sabbath law invites the Church to stand on behalf of these exploited and vulnerable people, to fight for justice and their rights, and to work towards the uplifting of their situation. God is concerned about the poor and the marginalized—e.g., the labor class (cf. the slaves)—all having been created in his image. Olson too sees the "concern for active justice for the sake of the other" in both the Exodus and the Deuteronomic versions with the latter being clearer on the issue than the former.⁵¹ The Nepali Church, even though small and itself marginalized, needs to take steps, albeit very small ones, for the welfare of the poor and vulnerable in the society.

CONCLUSION

We have argued from the Decalogue passages that the primary emphasis of the fourth commandment—the Sabbath law—is rest. The element of worship on the Sabbath day for the general populace is absent. This does not mean that God was out of the scene. The Sabbath was to be holy unto the Lord by following his lead of resting, and by reflecting upon his creation and redemption. However, the indisputable focus of the law was the acknowledgment that all human beings need periodic rest. Although Christians are not obliged to keep the Sabbath law, its principle applies to them. Thus, the habit of periodic rest—most logically a day per week—is essential. For parishioners, the worship day is the best because that is generally the only day off in a week. The time outside of gathering together for communal worship can be used to simply rest or be involved in mild activities that one enjoys and that cause them to be renewed and refreshed. For church ministers, taking a day off on one of the weekdays is advisable, preferably the day after the worship day. One should be careful not to turn the supposed reinvigorating activities of the "rest" day into another "work" resulting in fatigue.

The Sabbath law is primarily humanitarian, commanding employers and "masters" to test themselves and allow their employees rest a day per week. The law also invites the Church to uphold the cause of the labor class who are forced to work seven days a week with daily long working hours coupled with exploitation in wages, living conditions, etc., and thus, by extension, to stand for any poor, marginalized and oppressed.

BIBLIOGRAPHY