利二三2~3　你要对以色列人说，这些是我耶和华所定的节期，就是你们要宣告为圣会的节期。六日要作工，第七日是完全安息的安息日，当有圣会。你们什么工都不可作；这是在你们一切的住处向耶和华守的安息日。
　　按照利未记的次序，到了二十二章末了，我们已经从不洁净被带到祭司的职任及其享受里。下一个项目就是为着安息与享受的节期，这节期乃是作我们安息与享受之基督的预表。这指明在利未记这卷论到神的祭司体系，在与神的交通中事奉神的书里，我们事奉的结果，就是得着基督作我们与神之间，并我们彼此之间的安息与享受。换句话说，这事奉的结果就是节期。
　　这些节期不是偶尔在某时间举行的，而是神所指定、神所命定的。神命定了节期，使祂的子民可以与祂一同安息，一同喜乐，享受祂所供给的一切。他们要与神并彼此一同享受这一切（利未记生命读经，五四二页）。

　　Lev. 23:2-3 Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, As to the appointed feasts of Jehovah, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, these are My appointed feasts. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work; it is a Sabbath to Jehovah in all your dwelling places.

　　According to the sequence of Leviticus, by the end of chapter 22 we have been brought from our uncleanness to the priesthood with its enjoyment. The next item is the festivals, which are for rest and enjoyment, both of which are types of Christ as our rest and enjoyment. This indicates that in Leviticus, a book of God's priesthood for God's service in the fellowship of God, our service results, issues, in Christ as the rest and enjoyment we have with God and with one another. In other words, the issue of this service is the festivals.

　　These festivals did not take place occasionally at certain times. On the contrary, they were appointed by God, ordained by Him. God ordained the festivals that His people might rest with Him and be joyful with Him, that they might enjoy all that He has provided for His redeemed people. They were to enjoy all these things with God and with one another. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 465)

　　〔利未记二十三章二节〕的“会”，所指的比一般的聚会更壮大严肃。“会”是为着特别、专一目的而召聚的聚集。耶和华所定为圣会的节期，表征蒙神救赎的人聚集在一起，为着神的喜乐和享受，与祂一同过节，使赎民可以与神并彼此一同有分于其中。所以，节期不是为着别的，乃是为着安息与享受。这安息与享受不是个人的，乃是团体的（利未记生命读经，五四三页）。
　　这些圣会表征信徒聚集为召会（见弗一22注4），在神面前，与神并彼此团体地以基督为安息和享受（圣经恢复本，利二三2注2）。
　　每周的节期，安息日，表征蒙神救赎之人与神并彼此同享的安息。每七日就有一日〔参利二三3〕是为着安息与享受。那日有聚集，就是圣会。这指明在安息日，蒙神救赎的人要聚集在一起。他们若不聚在一起，虽能与神一同享受安息，却不能团体地与神并彼此一同享受安息（利未记生命读经，五四三页）。
　　安息日的原则不是要在哪一天守的问题。安息日的原则乃是：我们与主同工时必须学习如何与祂同得安息。……有些人也许以为安息日的意义不过是歇了工作。这不是圣经里安息日的真义。圣经强调神在第七日安息的事实。创世记二章二节说，“到第七日，神造作的工已经完毕，就在第七日歇了祂一切造作的工，安息了。”
　　按照创世记，安息日对神来说是第七日，但对人来说是第一日。神六日之内创造诸天、地以及人类生存所需的一切，为着完成神的定旨。万物都造齐以后，人才在第六日被造。这意思是，人一从神的手中被造出来，他的第一日，也就是神的第七日，即将开始。因此，神的第七日就是人的第一日。这件事的意义乃是：安息日对神而言是作工之后安息，对人而言却是先安息，后作工。神先作了六天工，然后在第七日安息了。但人是在他的第一日安息，然后才开始作工（出埃及记生命读经，二〇九〇至二〇九一页）。
　　参读：利未记生命读经，第五十二篇；出埃及记生命读经，第一百七十二篇。

　　The word convocation [in Leviticus 23:2] denotes something larger and more serious than a meeting. A convocation is a special assembly called for a special and particular purpose. The seasons appointed by Jehovah as holy convocations signify the gathering of God's redeemed people to have a festival with God for His joy and enjoyment that the redeemed may participate in it with Him and with one another. A festival, therefore, was for nothing except rest and enjoyment. This rest and enjoyment were not individual but corporate. (Life-study of Leviticus, pp. 465-466)

　　The feasts...signify the gathering of the believers as the church (see footnote 4 on Eph. 1:22) to have a corporate rest and enjoyment of Christ before God, with God, and with one another. (Lev. 23:2, footnote 2)

　　The weekly season—the Sabbath—signifies rest for God's redeemed people to enjoy with God and with one another. Every seven days [cf. Lev. 23:3] there was to be a day for rest and enjoyment. On that day there was to be an assembly, a holy convocation. This indicates that on the Sabbath God's redeemed people were to gather together. If they did not come together, they would have been able to enjoy rest with God, but they could not have enjoyed rest with God and with one another in a corporate way. (Life-study of Leviticus, p. 466)

　　The principle of the Sabbath is not a matter of the day on which it is observed. The principle of the Sabbath is that working with the Lord requires that we learn how to rest with Him.

　　Some may think that the significance of the Sabbath is merely to cease from work. This is not the real meaning of the Sabbath in the Bible. The Bible emphasizes the fact that God rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2 says, "And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done."

　　According to the book of Genesis, to God the Sabbath is the seventh day, but to man it is the first day. In six days God created the heavens, the earth, and everything necessary for man to exist for the fulfillment of God's purpose. After all things were made, man was created on the sixth day. This means that as soon as man came forth from the creating hand of God, his first day, which was God's seventh day, was about to begin. Thus, what was the seventh day to God was the first day to man. The significance of this is that to God the Sabbath was rest after work, but to man it was rest first and then work. God first worked for six days and then He rested on the seventh day. But man rested on his first day and then began to work. (Life-study of Exodus, p. 1822)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Leviticus, msg. 52; Life-study of Exodus, msg. 172