There Remains a Sabbath Rest for the People of God: A Biblical, Theological, & Historical Defense of Sabbath Rest as a Creation Ordinance

This book contains a defense of the idea that God’s rest on Day 7 of the creation week is instructive for people today. More technically, this book argues for the propriety of weekly Sabbath rest. This means that the normal pattern to be followed by humanity is a week, consisting of seven 24-hour days, six of which are spent in work while the other day is devoted to rest. Theologians would use the language of God’s rest being a “creation ordinance,” which is a term that many theologians use, but none have defined.

To aid the discussion, this book defines a creation ordinance as a normative, but not uniformly observed, general pattern the exceptions to which must fulfill and contribute to the pattern’s fulfillment; moreover, the pattern must be confirmed, not negated or abrogated, by later biblical revelation.

After discussing methodological and hermeneutical presuppositions, the heart of the book begins in chapter 3 with biblical-theological analysis of Genesis 2, noting that God’s rest is the consummation of God’s creative work, God’s enthronement in his cosmic temple, and his consecration of the creation unto him. God’s rest ought to be imitated by mankind for several reasons: God’s intention behind the pattern, Mosaic authorship of Genesis, and the fourth commandment in the decalogue explicitly cites God’s rest in Genesis 2. Later, a detailed analysis is provided of the sabbath commandment in the old covenant. The sabbath ordinance takes on supplemental ceremonial importance under the Mosaic law.

Then, the book moves into the New Testament analysis, where Jesus is shown to be the giver of rest. Being the fulfillment to which all the Old Testament types were pointing, Jesus brings salvific rest through his perfect atonement. However, the fullness of Christ’s redemptive work will not be tasted until the eschaton, so the weekly sabbath pattern retains its typological value for new covenant believers.

The book concludes with a survey of significant historical events/theologians who contributed to the sabbath debate, followed by ecclesiological and personal implications of sabbath rest being seen as a creation ordinance.

314 pages.

In this thorough defense of Sabbatarianism, Jon English Lee captures insights from the entire theological encyclopedia—from exegetical and biblical theology to systematic and historical theology. Lee anticipates and responds to thorny questions like these: Does the fourth commandment bind believers today? Why do we now celebrate the Sabbath on the first day of the week? And what did Paul mean in Colossians 2:16–17? May the Lord use this helpful treatise to renew your delight in the Sabbath as well as your enjoyment of the God who graciously gave it to us (Isa. 58:13–14).

Joel R. Beeke
Chancellor and Professor, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

Jon English Lee illuminates the question of the creation/moral law status of the Sabbath command and gives a masterful synthesis of biblical hermeneutics, historical theology, covenantal development, law/gospel interaction, typology, and the culmination of all this in the work of Christ. The book is highly recommended because it is a clear, fraternal discussion of an issue vital to biblical worship and knowledge of how Christ’s first and second coming consummate our freedom from the curse and fulfill Christ’s promise, “I will give you rest.”

Tom J. Nettles
Retired Professor of Historical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary