isn't it better to just do good?

[DamianWarS]

Mat 12:11-12
“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Christ presents a scenario where the physical exertion of saving a sheep that would normally counter the instruction of the Sabbath is redeemed as lawful contrary to the work that is involved because it is good and it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He then takes this further and states that people are far more valuable.

saving sheep is a classic salvation metaphor and like most the surface meanings are about physical restoration but the deeper meanings are about spiritual restoration. the latter is always the more important of the two. It doesn't take a genius to pull out a biblical typology that physical lost sheep are not actually talking about sheep it's talking about spiritually lost people.

Jesus shifts the focus here and reveals the inherent rest giving aspect of the Sabbath, showing the act of saving those in need of saving in fact has a Sabbath focus. Salvation itself has a focus of rest where the lost or distressed are restored to a state where rest can happen since we all know in a distressed state rest cannot happen. in this focus it isn't rest we're taking but rest we are giving and Christ tells us this is a focus of the Sabbath.

This isn't a new focus and it is embedded in the law itself, Jesus just helps reveal this perhaps lost focus. The Sabbath states in Ex 20 "you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns". Who is "you" in the text? Well we know who it's not, it's not the sons and daughters, servants, animals, or foreigners but rather the "you" is directed to the one who is over these roles or the heads of the household which would be a consistent focus for the era as the instruction is passed down through the heads of the house.

All those under the head do what the master tells them and this works with all the cast groups it presents but is particularly clear in the lower casts such as the servants and animals. These groups are unable to rest unless they are given rest. oxen cannot stop in the middle of the field they are plowing and lay down when they choose. if they do they will be whipped and if they still refuse they will be slaughtered. Oxen cannot take the rest for themselves they instead need to be given the rest so they only have Sabbath rest because their master has given it to them not because they have taken it. This is a powerful Sabbath/Salvation metaphor as God is our master and like the oxen we cannot take rest ourselves and it must be given to us.

Jesus is showing us that the need for rest outweighs and trumps the command to rest. When a sheep is in need of rescue it's not a matter of hesitation, you do what must be done and how dare you to do nothing in name of the Sabbath. There are many around us in need of rescue and unable to take rest themselves but we would rather argue about the minutia of the law and hoard the rest in the name of the Sabbath.

I'm not interested in the minutia but let's agree it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath so this begs the question isn't it better to just do good?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Mat 12:11-12
“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Christ presents a scenario where the physical exertion of saving a sheep that would normally counter the instruction of the Sabbath is redeemed as lawful contrary to the work that is involved because it is good and it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He then takes this further and states that people are far more valuable.

saving sheep is a classic salvation metaphor and like most the surface meanings are about physical restoration but the deeper meanings are about spiritual restoration. the latter is always the more important of the two. It doesn't take a genius to pull out a biblical typology that physical lost sheep are not actually talking about sheep it's talking about spiritually lost people.

Jesus shifts the focus here and reveals the inherent rest giving aspect that the Sabbath is showing the act of saving those in need of saving in fact has a Sabbath focus. Salvation itself has a focus of rest where the lost or distressed are restored to a state where rest can happen since we all know in a distressed state rest cannot happen. in this focus it isn't rest we're taking but rest we are giving and Christ tells us this is a focus of the Sabbath.

This isn't a new focus and it is embedded in the law itself, Jesus just helps reveal this perhaps lost focus. The Sabbath states in Ex 20 "you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns". Who is "you" in the text? Well we know who it's not, it's not the sons and daughters, servants, animals, or foreigners but rather the "you" is directed to the one who is over these roles or the heads of the household which would be a consistent focus for the era as the instruction is passed down through the heads of the house.

All those under the head do what the master tells them and this works with all the cast groups it presents but is particularly clear in the lower casts such as the servants and animals. These groups are unable to rest unless they are given rest. oxen cannot stop in the middle of the field they are plowing and lay down when they choose. if they do they will be whipped and if they still refuse they will be slaughtered. Oxen cannot take the rest for themselves they instead need to be given the rest so they only have Sabbath rest because their master has given it to them not because they have taken it. This is a powerful Sabbath/Salvation metaphor as God is our master and like the oxen we cannot take rest ourselves and it must be given to us.

Jesus is showing us that the need for rest outweighs and trumps the command to rest. When a sheep is in need of rescue it's not a matter of hesitation, you do what must be done and how dare you to do nothing in name of the Sabbath. There are many around us in need of rescue and unable to take rest themselves but we would rather argue about the minutia of the law and hoard the rest in the name of the Sabbath.

I'm not interested in the minutia but let's agree it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath so this begs the question isn't it better to just do good?

God and Jesus are the example to follow.

God created the earth in six days. Genesis 1 On the seventh day God rested from His work, blessed and sanctified the seventh day. Genesis 2:1-3. God does not need rest this was the example for us to follow from the very beginning before sin.

God verbatim tells us to do the same thing, work six days Exodus 20:9 but the seventh day we are to rest from our work and keep the Sabbath day holy Exodus 20:8 We are to keep holy the same day that is the holy day of the Lord thy God Exodus 20:10. It makes sense that God wants us to keep holy the same day that is holy to Him. How do we do that?

What does holy mean?

ho·ly
/ˈhōlē/
adjective

1 dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.

It’s a day dedicated to God. What does the Bible say how we are to keep:
Taken from @BobRyan for convenience

A day for "holy convocation" Lev 23:3
A day for all mankind to come before God and worship - Is 66:23
A day to set aside all secular interests, ideas, goals - Is 58:13
A day of rest Ex 20:8-11 in memorial of 7 day creation week of Gen 1-2

The Sabbath is a special day because it is a day we can set aside everything else and dedicate the day to God for a full 24 hours of holy communion on His blessed, sanctified and holy day. In return He blesses Isaiah 58:13-14 and sanctifies us. Ezekiel 20:12

The day is meant to bless us and is not meant to be burdensome. While we are told it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, scriptures does not show us that is all we should do. Many could interpret that into doing our ways instead of the ways of Christ. Isaiah 58:13. The Sabbath is meant to give us Spiritual rest in Christ when we obey the Sabbath commandment. Hebrews 4:6, Hebrews 4:9-10. This is the day to build our relationship with Christ, doing His ways, speaking His Words and I do this by attending church, spending alone time just reading scriptures and praying. This is how God knows us, by spending time with Him on His holy day in spiritual communion.

But, if we are hungry its not a sin to eat on the Sabbath, or if we see someone in need, if someone breaks their leg etc on the Sabbath its not a sin to help them get the care they need or if a dog is lost and you can bring them back to their owner on the Sabbath, thats not a sin, or sharing God’s Word with others, but the most important part of the Sabbath is spending time with God on His holy day.

 

[SkyWriting]

.

 

[SkyWriting]

We need to look at what scripture shows as doing good on the Sabbath and not add our own ideas that can lead us to break the Sabbath and true meaning of God’s 4th commandment. I will be happy to write more here later when I have time.

In the meantime, Happy Sabbath all!

Mat 12:11-12
“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Christ presents a scenario where the physical exertion of saving a sheep that would normally counter the instruction of the Sabbath is redeemed as lawful contrary to the work that is involved because it is good and it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He then takes this further and states that people are far more valuable.

saving sheep is a classic salvation metaphor and like most the surface meanings are about physical restoration but the deeper meanings are about spiritual restoration. the latter is always the more important of the two. It doesn't take a genius to pull out a biblical typology that physical lost sheep are not actually talking about sheep it's talking about spiritually lost people.

Jesus shifts the focus here and reveals the inherent rest giving aspect that the Sabbath is showing the act of saving those in need of saving in fact has a Sabbath focus. Salvation itself has a focus of rest where the lost or distressed are restored to a state where rest can happen since we all know in a distressed state rest cannot happen. in this focus it isn't rest we're taking but rest we are giving and Christ tells us this is a focus of the Sabbath.

This isn't a new focus and it is embedded in the law itself, Jesus just helps reveal this perhaps lost focus. The Sabbath states in Ex 20 "you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns". Who is "you" in the text? Well we know who it's not, it's not the sons and daughters, servants, animals, or foreigners but rather the "you" is directed to the one who is over these roles or the heads of the household which would be a consistent focus for the era as the instruction is passed down through the heads of the house.

All those under the head do what the master tells them and this works with all the cast groups it presents but is particularly clear in the lower casts such as the servants and animals. These groups are unable to rest unless they are given rest. oxen cannot stop in the middle of the field they are plowing and lay down when they choose. if they do they will be whipped and if they still refuse they will be slaughtered. Oxen cannot take the rest for themselves they instead need to be given the rest so they only have Sabbath rest because their master has given it to them not because they have taken it. This is a powerful Sabbath/Salvation metaphor as God is our master and like the oxen we cannot take rest ourselves and it must be given to us.

Jesus is showing us that the need for rest outweighs and trumps the command to rest. When a sheep is in need of rescue it's not a matter of hesitation, you do what must be done and how dare you to do nothing in name of the Sabbath. There are many around us in need of rescue and unable to take rest themselves but we would rather argue about the minutia of the law and hoard the rest in the name of the Sabbath.

I'm not interested in the minutia but let's agree it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath so this begs the question isn't it better to just do good?

It is. The point being made was that "Doing good" is a full time mandate and nothing takes a priority over it, not a Sabbith, not anything.

Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

 

[DamianWarS]

We need to look at what scripture shows as doing good on the Sabbath and not add our own ideas that can lead us to break the Sabbath and true meaning of God’s 4th commandment. I will be happy to write more here later when I have time.

In the meantime, Happy Sabbath all!

Saving lost sheep is doing good. Do I need to unpack the well-established and beloved biblical metaphor of saving lost sheep?

I think you've missed the point. the true meaning of the Sabbath is not taking rest, it's giving rest which is shown as better.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

It is. The point being made was that "Doing good" is a full time mandate and nothing takes a priority over it, not a Sabbith, not anything.

Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

I prefer God’s clear Word for His children. Exodus 20:8-11


The scripture you posted is a great scripture quote, but has nothing to do with saying we are free to break one of God’s commandments.

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Saving lost sheep is doing good. Do I need to unpack the well-established and beloved biblical metaphor of saving lost sheep?

Who is arguing with that? You can’t quote me arguing with that. But there is a lot more to the Sabbath. I’m running out of time for now, but will write more later.

God bless

 

[SkyWriting]

I prefer God’s clear Word for His children. Exodus 20:8-11


The scripture you posted is a great scripture quote, but has nothing to do with saying we are free to break one of God’s commandments.

I donno why people keep bringing that up. Being free to sin is not the topic.

 

[enoob57]

The sabbath was simply putting out of thought and effort the created realities and focus upon Gon the uncreated reality... it was to be of s/Spirit letting go of that which began and worshipping God Whom 'IS' eternal...

 

[DamianWarS]

I prefer God’s clear Word for His children. Exodus 20:8-11

over Christ's clear words to save sheep?

 

[Greengardener]

For what it's worth, here's my humble take. I had an ox in the ditch on one Sabbath day. After a group of us got the ox home and the needs attended, we resumed the usual restful observation of Sabbath. I've been privileged to offer needed nursing care on the Sabbath many times, but I still try to stay out of the stores so I'm not making other people work and I still avoid work that could be rescheduled. From Exodus and Leviticus where I was reading this morning I am again reminded that the Sabbath was and is a gift from God to His people and an identification of Whose they were. I'm in no hurry to lose that. I don't see an issue with continued Sabbath observation while attending to emergencies or important opportunities that happen. Doing good should be natural. I do think we risk setting up our own ideas ahead of those promoted by the God of the Old Testament or by Jesus in the New Testament when we disregard what is clearly written, and I'm not sure that is a safe place. Likely part of this ongoing disagreement in view was brought in by the compromises of this wonderful message, this law of liberty, with the religions of the nations around in the post-apostolic age much like God's way was compromised through the whole old testament history.

 

[BobRyan]

Mat 12:11-12
“If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Christ presents a scenario where the physical exertion of saving a sheep that would normally counter the instruction of the Sabbath is redeemed as lawful contrary to the work that is involved because it is good and it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He then takes this further and states that people are far more valuable.

saving sheep is a classic salvation metaphor and like most the surface meanings are about physical restoration but the deeper meanings are about spiritual restoration. the latter is always the more important of the two. It doesn't take a genius to pull out a biblical typology that physical lost sheep are not actually talking about sheep it's talking about spiritually lost people.

Jesus shifts the focus here and reveals the inherent rest giving aspect that the Sabbath is showing the act of saving those in need of saving in fact has a Sabbath focus. Salvation itself has a focus of rest where the lost or distressed are restored to a state where rest can happen since we all know in a distressed state rest cannot happen. in this focus it isn't rest we're taking but rest we are giving and Christ tells us this is a focus of the Sabbath.

This isn't a new focus and it is embedded in the law itself, Jesus just helps reveal this perhaps lost focus. The Sabbath states in Ex 20 "you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns". Who is "you" in the text? Well we know who it's not, it's not the sons and daughters, servants, animals, or foreigners but rather the "you" is directed to the one who is over these roles or the heads of the household which would be a consistent focus for the era as the instruction is passed down through the heads of the house.

All those under the head do what the master tells them and this works with all the cast groups it presents but is particularly clear in the lower casts such as the servants and animals. These groups are unable to rest unless they are given rest. oxen cannot stop in the middle of the field they are plowing and lay down when they choose. if they do they will be whipped and if they still refuse they will be slaughtered. Oxen cannot take the rest for themselves they instead need to be given the rest so they only have Sabbath rest because their master has given it to them not because they have taken it. This is a powerful Sabbath/Salvation metaphor as God is our master and like the oxen we cannot take rest ourselves and it must be given to us.

Jesus is showing us that the need for rest outweighs and trumps the command to rest. When a sheep is in need of rescue it's not a matter of hesitation, you do what must be done and how dare you to do nothing in name of the Sabbath. There are many around us in need of rescue and unable to take rest themselves but we would rather argue about the minutia of the law and hoard the rest in the name of the Sabbath.

I'm not interested in the minutia but let's agree it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath so this begs the question isn't it better to just do good?

So it is a Day for "doing good"
A day for "holy convocation" Lev 23:3
A day for all mankind to come before God and worship - Is 66:23
A day to set aside all secular interests, ideas, goals - Is 58:13
A day of rest Ex 20:8-11 in memorial of 7 day creation week of Gen 1-2

all of the above.

 

[DamianWarS]

So it is a Day for "doing good"
A day for "holy convocation" Lev 23:3
A day for all mankind to come before God and worship - Is 66:23
A day to set aside all secular interests, ideas, goals - Is 58:13
A day of rest Ex 20:8-11 in memorial of 7 day creation week of Gen 1-2

all of the above.

yet the focus of good seems to fulfill it all. This begs the question why not just do good? and further to that instead of limiting good to one day a week why not just do good every day.

 

[DamianWarS]

I don't see an issue with continued Sabbath observation while attending to emergencies or important opportunities that happen

is there a greater need among people than their salvation? the ox has no authority to take rest, instead, rest is given to them. how many on the sabbath have authority to take rest? in their homes? in the shops? at their places of work? in the lower areas of life? they all need to be given rest, they cannot take it themselves, but who can show them the way? if not you then who? if not today, then when? Would it not be counter-sabbath to leave the ox in the ditch?

 

[DamianWarS]

Who is arguing with that? You can’t quote me arguing with that. But there is a lot more to the Sabbath. I’m running out of time for now, but will write more later.

Then do you agree that saving lost sheep on the sabbath is a good thing? (and that lost sheep is not really lost sheep) What more is there to say? if keeping the Sabbath means 1, 2, 3, etc.... and doing good fulfills those requirements then why not just do good?

 

[LeafByNiggle]

I prefer God’s clear Word for His children. Exodus 20:8-11

The scripture you posted is a great scripture quote, but has nothing to do with saying we are free to break one of God’s commandments.

But is pulling your sheep up from a pit really breaking the commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 ? The problem is the interpretation of the word "work." The commandment does not define it. So the interpretation is left up to common usage. Unfortunately, "common usage" of that word changes over time. The word "work" has a precise definition in physics. That act of raising any object (like a sheep) up some distance is work, the units being pound-feet or Newton-meters. In that sense, the very act of raising your own body out of bed in the morning, or raising a morsel of bread up to your mouth is also an act of "work." If we want to get really strict about what work is, we would not get out of bed in the morning and we would not eat all day. I'm not sure how restful that would be. I certainly wouldn't feel rested if I could do no work to feed myself or take a shower all day. All these things are work. Although I know some very orthodox Jews will not turn on a light switch at night on the Sabbath because they consider that to be work.

So what is a reasonable common usage of the word "work"? It means that thing you do every other ordinary day - the scheduled job you have - the job you get paid for. It is in setting aside these everyday forms of work that make the Sabbath special. Hopefully having your sheep fall into a pit is not an everyday occurrence. If it is, you should consider better fencing, or filling in that pit (but not on the Sabbath). Doing good like this is not work. It does not violate any commandments. The reason Jesus had to make a point of it is that in his day, the Jewish authorities had placed their own very human over-the-top interpretation on the commandment, making it not God's commandment any more, but mere human precepts.

 

[BobRyan]

BobRyan said: ↑
So it is a Day for "doing good"
A day for "holy convocation" Lev 23:3
A day for all mankind to come before God and worship - Is 66:23
A day to set aside all secular interests, ideas, goals - Is 58:13
A day of rest Ex 20:8-11 in memorial of 7 day creation week of Gen 1-2

all of the above.

yet the focus of good seems to fulfill it all. This begs the question why not just do good? and further to that instead of limiting good to one day a week why not just do good every day.

God is the one who wrote those texts. He says it is not right to engage in secular activity on His Sabbath day... not me. He is the one that makes doing so a "sin" - a "bad thing" if done on His Sabbath day.

What He does not say is
1. Every day is a day of holy convocation
2. Every day we must avoid secular activity

-- manna did not fall on Sabbath

your proposal would mean manna would never fall - they would simply starve

 

[SabbathBlessings]

But is pulling your sheep up from a pit really breaking the commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 ? The problem is the interpretation of the word "work." The commandment does not define it. So the interpretation is left up to common usage. Unfortunately, "common usage" of that word changes over time. The word "work" has a precise definition in physics. That act of raising any object (like a sheep) up some distance is work, the units being pound-feet or Newton-meters. In that sense, the very act of raising your own body out of bed in the morning, or raising a morsel of bread up to your mouth is also an act of "work." If we want to get really strict about what work is, we would not get out of bed in the morning and we would not eat all day. I'm not sure how restful that would be. I certainly wouldn't feel rested if I could do no work to feed myself or take a shower all day. All these things are work. Although I know some very orthodox Jews will not turn on a light switch at night on the Sabbath because they consider that to be work.

So what is a reasonable common usage of the word "work"? It means that thing you do every other ordinary day - the scheduled job you have - the job you get paid for. It is in setting aside these everyday forms of work that make the Sabbath special. Hopefully having your sheep fall into a pit is not an everyday occurrence. If it is, you should consider better fencing, or filling in that pit (but not on the Sabbath). Doing good like this is not work. It does not violate any commandments. The reason Jesus had to make a point of it is that in his day, the Jewish authorities had placed their own very human over-the-top interpretation on the commandment, making it not God's commandment any more, but mere human precepts.

Thanks for this response, but I am a little confused, I never stated that pulling a sheep, or an ox as Jesus referenced that falls into a pit or well, that we can’t help. Jesus deems it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, which would be making sure you pull the animal out so it does not suffer. I never stated that was breaking God’s Sabbath commandment. Jesus is our example to follow who kept the Sabbath and all of the commandments as our example. Jesus went to the temple on the Sabbath day reading God’s Word. Luke 4:16. It is also lawful to do good on the Sabbath which includes helping out a stranded animal if in need. God bless and Happy Sabbath!

 

[DamianWarS]

BobRyan said: ↑
So it is a Day for "doing good"
A day for "holy convocation" Lev 23:3
A day for all mankind to come before God and worship - Is 66:23
A day to set aside all secular interests, ideas, goals - Is 58:13
A day of rest Ex 20:8-11 in memorial of 7 day creation week of Gen 1-2

all of the above.



God is the one who wrote those texts. He says it is not right to engage in secular activity on His Sabbath day... not me. He is the one that makes doing so a "sin" - a "bad thing" if done on His Sabbath day.

What He does not say is
1. Every day is a day of holy convocation
2. Every day we must avoid secular activity

-- manna did not fall on Sabbath

your proposal would mean manna would never fall - they would simply starve

unless of course you're doing good, because contary to the exertion involved doing good is lawful on the Sabbath

 

[DamianWarS]

It is also lawful to do good on the Sabbath which includes helping out a stranded animal if in need.

Surely you must see Christ's comments goes beyond sheep stuck in pits. He himself only uses the example as a segue to show how much more valuable people are.