I am simply wondering what the answer to the poll question is. No hard feelings to Sabbath worshippers intended, I am simply curious.
If you do keep the Sabbath, how do you observe it? How you do believe Christians should observe it?
Hi Linux,
I answered this question on another thread and since it was long I'll post most of it here.
Many think the 4th commandment is just how to keep the Sabbath, but it actually tells us how to keep all days. Also, many think its just about rest, but its actually telling us to rest from our work and labors so we can keep the Sabbath day holy. In the Sabbath commandment there is a provision for it to be kept for everyone.
Exo 20:8 “
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10
but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle,
nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For
in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Isa 58:13 “If you turn away your foot from
the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on
My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Sabbath is about putting away all secular things, resting from works and labors and focusing on God for one full day, on the Sabbath- God's holy day, The only one God claimed in the entire Bible. The Sabbath is a delight, not meant to be a burden as many teach. How can spending time with God on the day He set aside from Creation that comes with His power of blessings Isa56:2 and sanctification Eze20:12 and know He is our God Eze20:20 ever be a burden.
God said the Sabbath is for a holy convocation or church
Lev 23:3 ‘Six days shall work be done,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work
on it; it
is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.
God does not want His people being on an island. The Sabbath is meant for God's people to come together as a church family to worship Him and we see this in the life of Jesus and the apostles and continuing on in the New Heaven and New Earth,
We can learn how to keep the Sabbath through the life of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath
Luke4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.
And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. What He read from is the Book of Isaiah if you keep reading in this passage
Jesus healed on the Sabbath which the Jews in their legalism said it was breaking their sabbath (not God's)
Can you imagine if Jesus could cure someone from suffering why would that not be a blessing to do on the Sabbath or any day. Why Jesus said
Mat 12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Mark3:4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent.
The apostles kept the Sabbath with these same basic principles
As a holy convocation, reading and preaching the word of God, keeping the Sabbath holy by focusing on God through His word, prayer, and church gathering
Acts 13:14
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
Acts 13:27
For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled
them in condemning
Him.
Acts 13:42
So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Acts 13:44
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
Acts 15:21
For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Acts 16:13
And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met
there.
Acts 17:2
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:4
And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
In summary, I like to model how we are told in Scriptures and how Jesus and the apostles kept the Sabbath, I like to prepare for the Sabbath as much I can on Friday which is the preparation day, so house cleaning, grocery shopping, prep meals when I can etc.
On the Sabbath I like to start out with quiet devotion of prayer and reading the Bible. Then I go to church with my church family. Sometimes we have potluck which is nice. Our church organizes a lot of outreaches either help bring food to the needy or clothes or will provide Bible studies etc. After church I go back home and will usually spend the rest of the day reading the Bible, prayer or reasoning with others on the Scriptures or visiting family. I will also watch sermons. I also like to get out it nature and appreciate everything God made for us in nature. I was not a Sabbath-keeper for most of my life and went back about 5 years ago and it changed my life. There is nothing in this world that can take the place of resting with God Heb4:4 Heb4:10 on His holy Sabbath day. Nothing can replace God's Sabbath, no shopping trip, house project etc. will ever be more valuable than this sacred time with God.
His holy Sabbath convocation continues on in the New Heaven and New Earth but instead of worshipping Him in spirit, it will be before Him!
Isa66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord,
“So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall
come to worship before Me,” says the Lord.
