How do you keep the Sabbath Holy?

[Landon Caeli]

So I pretty much did nothing except for lay around yesterday, and take naps. I felt like that was a good Saturday activity to keep Holy the Sabbath, after a long week of hard physical work. I wake up at 4AM, and work in 100° heat all day, so a day of rest is actually extremely helpful.

I've read online, that some people go as far as to not shower or even flush the toilet on Saturday, as those things are considered work? But if that's the case, why drive a car to church on the Sabbath, when one can pray at home, and not have to drive?

Just curious how we're supposed to do this.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

So I pretty much did nothing except for lay around yesterday, and take naps. I felt like that was a good Saturday activity to keep Holy the Sabbath, after a long week of hard physical work. I wake up at 4AM, and work in 100° heat all day, so a day of rest is actually extremely helpful.

I've read online, that some people go as far as to not shower or even flush the toilet on Saturday, as those things are considered work? But if that's the case, why drive a car to church on the Sabbath, when one can pray at home, and not have to drive?

Just curious how we're supposed to do this.

I keep the Sabbath holy by doing His ways and not my own. Isaiah 58:13 which means I spend it reading the Word of God, praying, going to church and appreciating nature and all that God has made for us.

The best example of how to keep the Sabbath is by Jesus who was in the church every week reading the Word of God Luke 4:16 and the apostles who was reasoning with the scriptures on the Sabbath, praying, preaching the Word of God every Sabbath to whole cities, Jews and Gentiles. The Sabbath is meant to be a day of communion with our Lord and Savior on His blessed and holy day.

 

[Leaf473]

So I pretty much did nothing except for lay around yesterday, and take naps. I felt like that was a good Saturday activity to keep Holy the Sabbath, after a long week of hard physical work. I wake up at 4AM, and work in 100° heat all day, so a day of rest is actually extremely helpful.

I've read online, that some people go as far as to not shower or even flush the toilet on Saturday, as those things are considered work? But if that's the case, why drive a car to church on the Sabbath, when one can pray at home, and not have to drive?

Just curious how we're supposed to do this.

Myself, I keep the Sabbath holy by giving thanks to God every day. But you'll hear all sorts of different views.

Very observant Jewish people don't drive on the Sabbath. They just live within walking distance of their synagogue. A big plus of this is that it leads to a tight-knit community. Everyone is clustered together.

I live near a large city that has a significant Jewish neighborhood. It's awesome to see large synagogues with just a few parking spaces.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Very observant Jewish people don't drive on the Sabbath. They just live within walking distance of their synagogue. A big plus of this is that it leads to a tight-knit community. Everyone is clustered together.

I noticed that when I used to work near Hollywood. Driving home, I would be forced off the freeway due to congestion, and when taking surface streets, I would drive through some neighborhoods, on Friday's, and see Jewish people dressed in traditional clothing walking down residential streets. It looked like many were going to a neighbor or friend's house... And you're right, they were all on foot. It seemed like everyone wanted to be outside just before sunset.

...Beautiful neighborhoods BTW.

 

[BobRyan]

So I pretty much did nothing except for lay around yesterday, and take naps. I felt like that was a good Saturday activity to keep Holy the Sabbath, after a long week of hard physical work. I wake up at 4AM, and work in 100° heat all day, so a day of rest is actually extremely helpful.

I've read online, that some people go as far as to not shower or even flush the toilet on Saturday, as those things are considered work? But if that's the case, why drive a car to church on the Sabbath, when one can pray at home, and not have to drive?

Just curious how we're supposed to do this.

No secular activity - Is 58:13.
A day of rest - Ex 20:8-11 - avoid unnecessary secular work/activity
A day for worship and holy convocation assembly - Lev 23:3
A day for worship and mediation can also include time in nature and devotionals shared with others about our Creator, our Savior, Christ as High Priest in Hebrew 8 etc.

Friday is called the "preparation day" and many people cook Sabbath meals and take evening showers on Friday so as to front-load as many activities away from the Sabbath hours as possible.

==================

I suspect that on this thread we will see a number of posts that ignore the direction in the OP regarding "how do you keep the Sabbath found in the Ten Commandments" - as in an actual day set aside , sanctified, devoted for worship -- switch instead to a topic of "no such thing any more" or "we have no day of rest because all our work days are also days when we can kneel down and pray".

Perhaps another thread titled "for those who have no one specific Sabbath day during the 7 day week -- how do you keep all those work days ? what is your practice? tradition?". I think that may be the "other topic" some folks here might prefer to talk about.

 

[BobRyan]

Myself, I keep the Sabbath holy by giving thanks to God every day. .

And by ignoring Is 58:13 and Lev 23:3 and the actual wording of Ex 20:8-11??

We all "drink water" every day.
We all "worship God" every day.

The title of the thread is not "which day of the week do you allow yourself to drink water"

The title of the thread is not "which day of the week do you allow yourself to worship God"

It is like someone posting a thread "how do you celebrate your child's birthday" and then a response is posted "I choose to be kind and loving to my child -- every day" -- as if somehow the thread title implied that on no other day can one be kind or living to their child.

Responses to such a post are not "well you choose to worship God daily but we do not" ... they are not of the form "you choose to drink water daily but we do not " as if these are just different choices people make. Rather the idea of not worshiping God everyday - is a different idea altogether... not even remotely what this topic is about.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Myself, I keep the Sabbath holy by giving thanks to God every day.

I respect the way you keep the Sabbath holy.

 

[Landon Caeli]

We can't really expect everyone to keep the Sabbath holy in the same way. That's why I created this thread - to learn about other people and their ways... Not for emulation purposes, but to explore the differences.

 

[BobRyan]

We can't really expect everyone to keep the Sabbath holy in the same way. That's why I created this thread - to learn about other people and their ways... .

I agree. It is interesting to find the various practices and Bible statements on the topic.

I just don't want this confused with "we never worship God except on Sabbath" or we never drink water except on Sabbath or any other such off-topic themes.

 

[Clare73]

So I pretty much did nothing except for lay around yesterday, and take naps. I felt like that was a good Saturday activity to keep Holy the Sabbath, after a long week of hard physical work. I wake up at 4AM, and work in 100° heat all day, so a day of rest is actually extremely helpful.

Precisely in agreement with the OT Sabbath. . .REST! (Exodus 20:10, Exodus 34:21; Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:14)

I've read online, that some people go as far as to not shower or even flush the toilet on Saturday, as those things are considered work? But if that's the case, why drive a car to church on the Sabbath, when one can pray at home, and not have to drive?

Just curious how we're supposed to do this.

In the NT, every day is a Sabbath, where we rest from our own work to save and in Jesus' finished work which saves.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

I chill, reflect, pray, contemplate.

 

[BobRyan]

In the NT, every day is a Sabbath,

A Bible text we have never found posted on CF.

 

[Clare73]

A Bible text we have never found posted on CF.

Because it's a passage (Hebrews 4:3-11), not a verse.

In Hebrews 4:7-11 where, as God rested from the work of creation, the believer ceases his efforts to gain salvation by his own works and rests in the finished work of Christ on the cross. (Hebrews 4:10)

Canaan was God's promised rest from their enemies (Joshua 1:13; Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 12:9-10, Deuteronomy 25:19) into which they refused to go (Numbers 14), and which God swore an oath in his anger, "They shall never enter my rest," (Hebrews 3:11, 3:18, 4:3), which is his full-time rest from his creation work (Hebrews 4:3-4).
But there still remains, apart from Canaan's promised rest, a Sabbath rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:6-9).
The NT believer enters "another" (Hebrews 4:8) Sabbath rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9-11); i.e., God's own ("my," Hebrews 3:11, 4:1, 3, 5, 10) full-time (Hebrews 4:3-4) rest, in the believer's full-time salvation rest by faith (Hebrews 4:10-11).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17), including the Sabbath, in whom we rest from our own work to save, and in his work which saves.

 

[Leaf473]

And by ignoring Is 58:13 and Lev 23:3 and the actual wording of Ex 20:8-11??

We all "drink water" every day.
We all "worship God" every day.

The title of the thread is not "which day of the week do you allow yourself to drink water"

The title of the thread is not "which day of the week do you allow yourself to worship God"

It is like someone posting a thread "how do you celebrate your child's birthday" and then a response is posted "I choose to be kind and loving to my child -- every day" -- as if somehow the thread title implied that on no other day can one be kind or living to their child.

Responses to such a post are not "well you choose to worship God daily but we do not" ... they are not of the form "you choose to drink water daily but we do not " as if these are just different choices people make. Rather the idea of not worshiping God everyday - is a different idea altogether... not even remotely what this topic is about.

I would love it if people celebrated my birthday by being kind to me everyday.

I wasn't accusing anyone of not worshiping God everyday, if that's what you're talking about in the last paragraph.

 

[BobRyan]

In the NT, every day is a Sabbath, where we rest from our own work to save .

A nice "Thought" of course. No question about that.

Moses and Elijah stand with Christ in glory in Matt 17 - before the cross event happens. They were known as those who keep the actual Sabbath in the Ten Commandments. So then being saved did not indicate to them that they needed to ignore one of God's commandments.

What is interesting is that this is also true of the majority of Bible scholars on both sides of the Sabbath debate. So it really does not matter which side one is one - to get to this one basic Bible fact that is held in common by both sides.

 

[BobRyan]

In Hebrews 4:7-11 where, as God rested from the work of creation, the believer ceases his efforts to gain salvation by his own works

No question about that. But what we do not find there is "every day is Sabbath if you are saved".

But there still remains, apart from Canaan's promised rest, a Sabbath rest for the people of God (Hebrews 4:6-9).

"some" in the OT did not enter due to unbelief - but Moses and Elijah standing in glory with Christ in Matt 17 - are examples of a few of the giants of faith listed in Heb 11 - who did believe and were saved and still found that rebellion against the commandments of God was not called for by their saving faith. As most Bible scholars on BOTH sides of the Sabbath debate freely admit.

Hence - threads like this one.

 

[BobRyan]

I would love it if people celebrated my birthday by being kind to me everyday.

I am with you on that one - but it is still obvious to all that being kind to someone does not require that you ignore their birthday. It is just a well known fact.

No one says "well I had a choice - I could either be kind to you every day or I could give you a birthday gift - but obviously I cannot do both". We don't say such things because most people find that kind of logic... illusive.

 

[Leaf473]

I am with you on that one - but it is still obvious to all that being kind to someone does not require that you ignore their birthday. It is just a well known fact.

No one says "well I had a choice - I could either be kind to you every day or I could give you a birthday gift - but obviously I cannot do both". We don't say such things because most people find that kind of logic... illusive.

Bob, my man, I really like to maintain the friendly tone of the OP on this thread.

If you'd like to have a hardcore, is the Sabbath for today discussion, I suggest we move over here
Did all the laws end at the cross- Part 2

That link will take you to post #595 which is awaiting a response from, well, anyone, really.

May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

 

[Clare73]

No question about that. But what we do not find there is "every day is Sabbath if you are saved".

"some" in the OT did not enter due to unbelief - but Moses and Elijah standing in glory with Christ in Matt 17 - are examples of a few of the giants of faith listed in Heb 11 - who did believe and were saved and still found that rebellion against the commandments of God was not called for by their saving faith. As most Bible scholars on BOTH sides of the Sabbath debate freely admit.

Hence - threads like this one.

We likewise do not find explicitly stated in Scripture, "God is sovereign," nor "God is Trinity."

Non-responsive to the Biblical demonstration of post #13.

 

[BobRyan]

Bob, my man, I really like to maintain the friendly tone of the OP on this thread.

You are of course free to believe as you wish ... you have free will.