Thou Shalt Not Cancel
I used to read the Ten Commandments like a checklist of what not to do, like a divine rulebook where breaking even one meant I’d already failed. It felt legalistic, oppressive, and impossible. But something shifted the more I studied, prayed, and talked through my doubts with others who were walking back toward God just like I was.
The Ten Commandments aren’t about control.
They’re about invitation.
God didn’t deliver these etched laws to Moses just to see if we could keep up. He gave them because He knew exactly what kind of life leads to human flourishing and what kind of compromises quietly destroy it. The commandments are a love letter wrapped in warning signs: “I made this beautiful life for you. But in order to live in its fullness, you can’t entertain sin.”
And of all the commandments, one continues to stir up controversy, confusion, and conviction in equal measure:
Remember the Sabbath.
I’ve had so many conversations over the years about what it means to “observe the Sabbath.” Some argue it’s been replaced, others say it’s symbolic, and still others cling to the tradition of rest but debate the day. One conversation in particular has stuck with me: a deeply personal and eye-opening exchange with my close friend Joanne a long time ago.
Joanne is not just a friend; she’s a spiritual sister, someone who, like me, stumbled back into Christ’s embrace after a long absence. We had both justified our sins for years, wrapped them in excuses and intellectual defenses, until the weight of living without peace became too much to carry. When we returned to Jesus, we didn’t just come back to belief.
We came back with eyes open, hearts broken, and a hunger for truth we couldn’t ignore.
It was in one of those conversations that we discussed something simple, yet profound: in many world languages, the word for Saturday is literally derived from “Sabbath.”
Spanish: sábado
Portuguese: sábado
Italian: sabato
Russian: subbota (суббота)
Arabic: as-sabt (ٱلسَّبْت)
Greek: savvato (Σάββατο)
Hebrew: Shabbat (שַׁבָּת)
These aren’t isolated cases. They’re global remnants, like little linguistic footprints, of a truth that modern culture has tried to rebrand. The seventh day is still Saturday in most of the world. And the Sabbath, from the very beginning, was meant to be a day of rest, reflection, and sacred pause.
Yes, calendars have changed. Yes, traditions have shifted. But when God etched these words into stone to “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy,” He wasn’t handing us a cultural suggestion. He was offering us rhythm. A chance to stop striving and start trusting. To rest as an act of worship, not laziness.
So why do we treat this one commandment like it’s optional?
Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not commit adultery.
And yet, remembering the Sabbath? Nah, that one doesn’t count.
Why not?
Some point to Jesus healing on the Sabbath as evidence that the commandment no longer applies. But Jesus didn’t abolish the Sabbath. He corrected the misuse of it. He rebuked the Pharisees for turning it into a rigid burden instead of a gift. His healing on that day didn’t violate the command but it did fulfill the heart of it: restoration, mercy, wholeness.
This commandment has context. They have all nuance. But that doesn’t make them disposable.
We are not asked to obey blindly.
We are invited to obey intimately.
God didn’t give us a static list. He gave us living words. And those words still speak.
Ancient Commands, Present Tension
Religious traditions vary widely when it comes to Sabbath observance:
Judaism maintains a strict observance of the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, refraining from work, commerce, and even technology.
Seventh-day Adventists also observe Saturday as the Sabbath, aligning with the biblical creation week.
Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions generally observe Sunday as the “Lord’s Day,” focusing on the resurrection of Christ.
Most Protestant churches have softened their approach, often seeing the Sabbath as a principle rather than a command.
And yet, the question remains: If this command was important enough to make the top ten, literally engraved in stone by the hand of God, who are we to erase it?
We live in a culture that resists authority. We don’t want to be told what to do. But perhaps that rebellion isn’t liberation but more like subtle bondage. Maybe we’re so allergic to the idea of submission that we’re willing to throw away one of the clearest, kindest instructions God ever gave us: Rest.
Not just nap. Not just scroll mindlessly.
But true, soul-deep rest. A setting apart of time to be still before the Lord. To acknowledge His authority over our schedules, our hustle, our everything.
Reclaiming Holy Rhythm
Jesus Himself said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)
It was made for us.
Not as a burden. But as a blessing.
And when we neglect it wholly, not just the day, but the spirit of it, we aren’t just disobeying a rule.
We’re refusing a gift.
So maybe it’s time to stop asking, “Do we have to keep the Sabbath?”
And start asking, “Why would we want to ignore something so beautiful?”
-Candice - Tired, Inquisitive, Ready
