Keeping the Sabbath Holy

The purpose of this message is not to prove the Sabbath should be kept but rather to focus on what to do on the Sabbath… and how do we approach it as a day that is holy.

The Sabbath is one of the ten commandments of God our creator. The placement of the Sabbath in the middle of God’s essential instructions for humanity indicates to us that it is very significant.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 keep it holy, do no work… reason: a remembrance of God’s deliverance AND a remembrance of what they
were delivered from… hard unrelenting toil.

Exodus 20:8-11 keep it holy, do no work… reason: because God set it apart for special use (hallowed/sanctified/etc). He did this as one of His acts of creation (another way of announcing the significance of the Sabbath day).

Deuteronomy emphasizes the release from toil which is a straight forward concept most people understand quickly… don’t work. However, Exodus emphasizes the holiness of the Sabbath which is not as straight forward an idea. It requires judgment… How them do we make such judgments?

What is Holiness?

To be holy – is to be set apart for special service (purpose) to God. For example: a holy nation, a holy person, a holy place, a holy utensil, holy event etc.. A cup or plate that is set apart for special use in the tabernacles is holy… its not intended for common use. Exodus 30:34-38

Quality – people tend to think of holiness in terms of a quality. That a holy thing is better constructed, made of better materials, that a holy person is morally superior etc. However, a person, place, thing, event is not holy because it is superior.

Decree – a person, place, thing, event becomes holy because it is set apart for God’s special purpose. It’s holiness comes from its relationship to the supreme God and creator of the universe. Holiness is by decree.

Note: for a thing to be declared holy and set apart for God’s special use, usually involves high grade materials… but the gold used to make a woman’s earring is the same gold as used to make the utensils of the tabernacle.

Leviticus 10:10 There are other considerations such as cleanness and defilement that come into play as but that is another subject. Distinguishing between holiness and commonness (KJV unholy) is the point to consider with regard to the Sabbath day.

This brief review of holiness provides some guidance in judging what is appropriate behavior on a day that is holy by God’s decree… set apart by Him for special use to accomplish His purposes. The other days of the week would fall into the category of common. (expand on common)

Another Principle of Judgment: The Letter of The Law & The Spirit of The Law

You might this would be a good time for a listing of behavior that is holy (and appropriate for the Sabbath) and behavior that is common (not appropriate for the Sabbath). But our goal here is to give you the understanding you need to judge for yourself between what is holy and what is common.

Any list drawn up is going to be obsolete as soon as it’s written… because new and unique situations are constantly coming up… what about this, what about that, what about movies, what about games, sports and a variety of activities that were not around when the command was given… some were not around when the UCG Sabbath booklet was written… what about Facebook, what about smart phones?

1.      The Letter of the Law – doing only what is specifically demanded, or not doing only what is specifically prohibited. The most common abuse of this appraoch is to say “if its not specifically prohibited then its permitted”.

2.      The Spirit of the Law – to assess the obvious intent of the rule/law and seek to regulate your behavior to conform to the purpose and goals of the rule or law… this requires judgment.

The Sabbath is a Test Command

Ezekiel 20:12-20 The Sabbath is a sign between you, Your Father and Jesus Christ your elder brother that you are with them and they are with you. Just as God did with the nation of Israel, He will measure the church and measure you by what you do with His law, His Sabbath… and His holy things.

1 Peter 4:17 this is a part of the covenant you have made with God. He is judging you / evaluating you… right now.

4 Principles of Sabbath Keeping

1.      Not to work – to make increase, receive payment etc. (you and your dependants/employees). I would also include activities like shopping (part of the work of maintaining your household or family).

2.      To rest – change of approach from the hustle and bustle of the rest of week. Not a day for extreme sports for example, surfing the web, window shopping etc.

3.      Assemble for worship – Leviticus 23:3 holy convocation, special gathering for God’s purpose, a meeting that is set apart (strong’s definition on convocation includes “reading”)

4.      Fellowship – Hebrews 10:25 to encourage one another, to receive prayer requests, updates etc.

Mark 2:27 the Sabbath is designed to serve the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of human beings… It is more than merely an arbitrary test of your willingness to obey. It is a time set aside by God, for God, to learn about life’s purpose, to consider where we are headed, to be instructed in how to live.

Proper Sabbath observance builds and maintains our personal relationship with our Father and Jesus Christ our elder brother.

Attitude

Leviticus 19:30 Reverence – a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe. Sanctuary – if people are going to gather together they will be in a place, even today we have places set aside for conducting services, and while God’s people are gathered there and present… the place is special, and set apart for God’s purpose.

How does that play out in actions? Here are 2 examples: Be on time, dress in your best clothes. These are standard ways that we show respect in our culture.

Another way to show respect would be to plan for the coming Sabbath. Try to arrange your work so you don’t come crashing into God’s holy day. If you are bringing stuff to services, like food, or equipment, make every effort to have them ready in advance so you are not in a mad rush moments before leaving. Note: these are also standard ways to show respect in our culture.

Pursuing Our Own Pleasures

Now we get into the areas of keeping the Sabbath holy that require you to put your thinking cap on!  

Isaiah 58:13-14 – the Sabbath is more than a weekly ritual of abstaining from work and going to church for a couple of hours. It is a holy event, a day, 24 hours, from sundown to sun down, set apart for God’s purpose…  not your own purpose. To delight in the Sabbath is to delight in what God intends for the day…  a day of rest, a day for extra instruction and focus on His word, a day for interaction with other members of God’s family, a day for interaction with God our Father.

Not working gives us extra time to do accomplish all these lofty goals… God’s goals.

Sadly, some of us see the weekly Sabbath as a trial to be endured. We find ourselves looking longingly at the clock waiting for the sun to go down so we can get our ME TIME… my ways (habits, customs), my pleasures (goals/personal projects), my words (thoughts, dreams, plans).

God has not given us the gift of the Sabbath so we can have more ME TIME.

Entertainment

Here is where the my words, my pleasures, my ways starts to require judgment. What about books, magazines… TVs, computers, smartphones. For the most part these are avenues through which the world (with all its glitter and false promises) makes its way into your home and your mind. If you are using any of these on the Sabbath ask yourself, are you using them in a way that honors God? In a way that furthers His purpose for you? Does what you are doing strike you as activity set apart from the rest of your week, from the common part of your week?

The Sabbath is a time to focus on God… not yourself. To focus on the eternal not the trivial.

·        Exchange your own pleasures for the pleasures of God…

·        a time for families to talk… to talk with your kids, or your wife

·        perhaps to reflect on the spiritual lessons they are learning during the rest of the week

·        a time to practice the Godly virtue of hospitality, to visit the sick or shut in

·        a time to enjoy nature and the world God has created

·        extra uncluttered time to study His word, to meditate, to pray  

You could end up quite busy with the things of God… His habits and customs, His goals and projects, His thoughts dreams and plans. And if you do: 

·        He will cause you to ride upon the High hills of the earth

·        He will feed you and care for you.

·        It will be a sign between you and God that you are with Him, and He is with you.