Success In Spite of Ourselves: Violation of Sabbath-Rest in Contemporary Culture

Abstract

In today’s culture, many people believe success is linked to good behavior. Likewise, the Pharisees viewed righteousness as the path to success, and they regarded rule-keeping, including rules of the Sabbath, as the outward manifestation of righteousness. We postulate their strict adherence to rules may have, in fact, precluded them from experiencing the true blessings God associated with keeping the Sabbath holy. We explore the intended meaning of Sabbath-keeping and its benefits while discussing opposing views of Sabbath violation in contemporary culture. We highlight the consequences of failing to uphold the Sabbath and suggest that any success encountered in doing so is likely temporary and in spite of our behavior rather than due to it.