The Sabbath - Entering the Stillness of Divine Completion

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The Sabbath - Entering the Stillness of Divine Completion

Introduction: More Than Just a Day

The concept of the Sabbath resonates deeply within Judeo-Christian tradition, often understood simply as the seventh day of the week, a mandated day of rest from labor. Its Hebrew roots, as noted in the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary (mbd), reveal a richer tapestry of meaning: "the seventh," signifying not just a number but completion, perfection, wholeness, restoration, restitution, return, at-one-ment, and repose. While the literal observance involved strict cessation from work under Mosaic law (Exod. 20:8-11), the metaphysical understanding transcends the calendar, inviting us into a profound state of consciousness.

Section 1: The True Sabbath Consciousness - The Father's Works

  • Scripture: John 14:10 - "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
  • Discussion: This declaration by Jesus points directly to the essence of the true metaphysical Sabbath. As the Revealing Word (rw) explains, "The true Sabbath is that state of spiritual attainment where man ceases from all personal effort and all belief in his own works, and rests in the consciousness that 'the Father abiding in me doeth his works'." It represents a pivotal shift from reliance on the outer, ego-driven self, believing we must do it all, to a trusting surrender to the Divine Principle within as the true Actor. This inner Sabbath is entered whenever we consciously cease from the strain of personal striving, acknowledge God as the source of all true power and action, turn inward through meditation or spiritual focus, and allow the inherent peace of the Divine to permeate our awareness, stilling the anxieties of the temporal world. Therefore, "the Sabbath is kept any time we enter into spiritual consciousness and rest from thoughts of temporal things."

Section 2: The Seventh Day - Divine Completion and Rest

  • Scripture: Genesis 2:2-3 - "And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
  • Literal Interpretation: This passage describes God ceasing His creative activity after six days, taking rest on the seventh, and designating that day as holy.
  • Metaphysical Interpretation: The significance of "seven" points to completion, fullness, and perfection. The "seventh day" symbolizes the attainment of a perfected state of consciousness, the culmination of a cycle of spiritual unfoldment or divine expression. "God finished his work" signifies the perfection and completeness of the divine pattern held in Mind. The "rest" is not a cessation of divine activity (as Divine Mind is eternally active) but represents the effortless abiding in the state of completion, the peace that comes with the realization of perfection. Blessing and hallowing this "day" means recognizing this state of consciousness – one of wholeness, peace, and realized potential – as sacred and the goal of our inner work. It is the seventh, or perfect, stage of unfoldment where the soul finds "true rest and peace" (rw), having fulfilled the divine law in thought and act, achieving at-one-ment.

Section 3: The Commandment - From Outer Law to Inner Realization

  • Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11 - "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
  • Literal Interpretation: This is the Fourth Commandment given to the Israelites, mandating strict abstention from all labor on the seventh day of the week, dedicating it to God as a memorial of creation and His rest.
  • Metaphysical Interpretation: This serves as an inner directive. "Remember" means to bring into conscious awareness the state of spiritual completion and rest ("Sabbath"). "Keep it holy" means to recognize its sacred, set-apart nature within consciousness. The "six days" of labor represent the necessary work done in the realm of sense consciousness – learning, growing, developing faculties, navigating the outer world. The "seventh day" command, "thou shalt not do any work," is a call to consciously cease from the internal "work" of anxious striving, mental turmoil, worry, fear, and identification with limitation and personal effort. This applies to all aspects of our consciousness ("son," "daughter," "manservant," etc. – our thoughts, emotions, body consciousness, habitual patterns). We are to consciously enter the realization that the Divine ("LORD thy God") is the only true power and presence, the source of all effortless, harmonious activity. It is a command to rest in God-activity, not merely from outer activity.

Section 4: Mastery and Freedom - Lord of the Sabbath

  • Scripture: Mark 2:27-28 - "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (Parallel: Matthew 12:8, Luke 6:5)
  • Literal Interpretation: Jesus defends His disciples' actions (plucking grain) and His own healing activities on the Sabbath by stating the principle behind the law: it's meant for human well-being, not as an inflexible rule that supersedes human need or divine compassion. He asserts His authority over its interpretation and application.
  • Metaphysical Interpretation: This passage powerfully illustrates the purpose of spiritual principles. The "Sabbath" (representing spiritual states, laws, and observances) exists for our benefit, upliftment, and liberation ("made for man"). We are not meant to be enslaved by the letter of the law, forgetting its spirit ("not man for the sabbath"). The "Son of man" signifies the awakened spiritual self, the Christ consciousness within each individual. When we awaken to this true identity, we become "Lord also of the sabbath." This denotes spiritual mastery. We understand the principle of divine rest and completion, and we are no longer bound by rigid, external interpretations or the "multitude of ridiculous prohibitions and formalities" (rw) that had encumbered the literal observance. We live from the spirit, not just the letter. This mastery understands that Divine Mind rests in a perpetual Sabbath of peace from which flows constant, effortless, harmonious activity – as seen in nature ("trees, flowers, suns, and stars are active the first day and the seventh day," rw). Therefore, the awakened one knows it is always "lawful to do good on the Sabbath" – acts of healing, compassion, and life-affirmation are expressions of the Divine, not violations of true rest. As Luther (quoted in "rw") asserted, Christian liberty transcends rigid adherence for the day's sake alone. This freedom comes from conscious, loving obedience to the inner divine impulse.

Section 5: The Perpetual Invitation and Practical Observance

  • Discussion: (Flowing from the understanding of being "Lord of the Sabbath") While the preceding scriptures illuminate specific facets, the overarching metaphysical truth is that the Sabbath is not bound by the clock or calendar. It is a perpetual invitation to enter an inner sanctuary. "The true church is the heaven within one, where one meets the Father face to face" (rw). It's the ongoing potential to withdraw from the clamor of the external and the striving of the personal will into the silence of communion with Spirit. Here, we find true rest, restoration, and the peace of divine completion.
  • While the metaphysical understanding is paramount, "rw" also acknowledges the practical wisdom and historical persistence of a weekly rest day, suggesting it meets a genuine human need for rhythm and recuperation. There is value in setting aside time for rest and spiritual focus. The key is balance. We can honor communal observances ("If he insists that the Lord should be worshiped on the seventh day, let us joyfully join him... if he holds that the first day is the holy day, let us again acquiesce," rw) without losing sight of the deeper truth: the true Sabbath is an inner state accessible every moment.

Conclusion: Living the Sabbath

The metaphysical Sabbath invites us to live from a consciousness of completion, peace, and divine sufficiency. It is the realization of at-one-ment – our inherent unity with God. It represents the seventh stage of unfoldment, where we cease from anxious personal labor and allow the effortless power of the indwelling Father to accomplish its perfect work through us. This Sabbath is not a future attainment or a weekly obligation but an eternal potential residing within, waiting for us to consciously enter its sacred stillness and become Lords of this inner kingdom of peace, today and every day.

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