Keeping the Sabbath day holy

[HazelWings]

I'm just curious what the Sabbath means to you, and how do you keep it holy?

ETA: I don't want a debate or poo-flinging... I just want your thoughts.

 

[Sketcher]

I'm not a Jew, therefore that command was not given to me. Not my problem.

 

[Edwards1984]

To me the Lord's Day (or Sabbath) is the day of remembrance and worship of what our Lord, not just for what He did for the church but what He is still doing for the churches, and what He shall do for the churches.

How do I keep it holy? Well, admittedly, the Lord is still working on me regarding this. I attend worship obviously, and I try to treat it as a day of rest - not lazy rest, mind you, but to forget about the troubles of the world and focus on God. I don't know if grocery shopping on the way home from church counts as breaking that, but I doubt it - plus it's just more convenient for me because it's on the way and I tend to run out of food/drinks by then.

 

[GQ Chris]

What if my donkey falls in a ditch, am I not to get it out?

 

[Edwards1984]

What if my donkey falls in a ditch, am I not to get it out?

No, you let it die.

Then you invite all your friends to watch it die.

And laugh.

 

[Jake255]

Our Sabbath is Jesus, not a day.

 

[crishmael]

The Sabbath to me is a part of the OT law that was designed to teach us that our life should not be one of constant labor and that time should be devoted to God and rest. I don't keep the Sabbath though I believe the concept is important and it is a shame we have nothing like it today. However, our modern economic system is antithetical to the idea of a Sabbath so the status quo is pleased that such a concept has been effectively eliminated and rejected by our society.

 

[exitstageright]

I'm just curious what the Sabbath means to you, and how do you keep it holy?

ETA: I don't want a debate or poo-flinging... I just want your thoughts.

When I was in Israel,the hotel that I was staying in had six elevators.Five of the elevators worked as normal elevators. There was a special elevator,on Saturdays, that stopped and opened on ALL floors,because pushing a button was considered "working" on the Sabbath. From sundown on Fridays until Sundown on Saturdays,the stores were closed at the hotel.. I had a cold and I had to wait until the sun went down before I could buy some cold medicine. Yes,Saturday IS the Sabbath and I am not a Seventh-Day Adventist. In Jerusalem,the stores in the Jewish section was closed on Saturdays. The stores in the christian section were closed on Sundays.In the Musilum section,the stores were closed on Fridays. When I worked at Stanford Hospital on Saturdays,I felt as if I was honoring the Sabbath. When Jesus walked the face of the earth,he took care of sick people. On Saturdays,I was doing the same type of work.

 

[ks777]

Unfortunately, I don't do a lot. I try to keep it set-apart or 'holy' from the other days, but I still have to work on it sometimes. It would be nice to get a job where I don't have to. I also try to do my schoolwork in advance so it doesn't turn into just another day of same old same old.

 

[trentlogain2]

well, for starters i begin my day by picking corn in the fields. then usually i eat dinner around evening time which i often forget to wash my hands for.

the other day was kind of unusual because i happened to come across an ox who was stuck in a ditch. i helped it get out too.

:sarcasm:

 

[Jake255]

well, for starters i begin my day by picking corn in the fields. then usually i eat dinner around evening time which i often forget to wash my hands for.

the other day was kind of unusual because i happened to come across an ox who was stuck in a ditch. i helped it get out too.

:sarcasm:

Please don't tell me you cooked on the Sabbath, too. Not good brother. j/k

 

[Stravinsk]

I'm just curious what the Sabbath means to you,

It is a period of time God set apart for those made in His image to commune with Him and rest from their labours. Note that this is above and beyond any time spent during any other part of the week - it is meant for communal worship - it is not a "choose for yourself your own Sabbath".

It is the day we call Saturday, and the night we call Friday.

It is a day that marks the true God - a sign between Him and Israel (note - this is physical Israel as well as Spiritual Israel) - that it is Him, and not some other "god" - that *sanctifies them*. Ex 31:13-17

It was never to be rescinded: Ex 31:17

It is the day Jesus kept and told His followers to keep - even those who He could forsee after His death and Resurrection: Matt 24:20

In the new heaven and new earth, "when all things are restored" - it will be kept again by *all mankind*(that is, those who have survived Judgement): Isaiah 66:22-23

It is a day, not to stop *all labour - but that labour which can be easily dealt with on another day. This is a point most people confuse and which Jesus clarified. You don't ignore your pet if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath - you save it. But - normal type of trade is prohibited on the Sabbath. Jesus "worked" on the Sabbath - but as carpenter by trade - He wasn't doing His normal carpentry trade on the Sabbath - His "work" - was to heal and teach people.

Every single prophet of the Bible was a Sabbath keeper.

Most Christians believe Jesus rose on Sunday. Unfortunately, most Christians haven't really looked into the issue of the Sabbath and just believe what they were brought up with. Any toddler could tell you that 3 days and 3 nights don't fit between Fri and Sun morning. And yet, all kinds of apologetics are written over this. Funny that - no one ever questions the 40 day/night fasting period of Christ - it doesn't need to be interepreted through the eye of a needle - because it presents no theological dilemnas.

The Sabbath (as Saturday) is a contentious issue in Christiandom. It ALWAYS has been. It not only is it not included in most Christian thought or relevance to worship - it is also inconvenient per modern society. This is why you have various people saying "Jesus is my Sabbath rest" and "the Sabbath is for the Jews" etc. These are "put it out of my mind" phrases (to forget it, not remember it as God commands) that attempt to sear conscience in the face of a clear command.

and how do you keep it holy?

I cannot boast here. I often do not. I will not attempt to justify myself (or pat myself on the back) by past observance or present laziness in regards to it. If someone is attempting to keep Sabbath as God intended, then they have, on some level, submitted to Him and He is working in them.

 

[Nilloc]

I'm just curious what the Sabbath means to you, and how do you keep it holy?

It means nothing to me, and I can not keep it any more than I can keep British law.

 

[dayhiker]

I treat all days the same. Jesus is with me every day and I love Him every day.

 

[Blueforest]

I'm tempted to give a snarky answer like, "Not gathering sticks on the sabbath" but then I realized that would be mean. So I'll say "Nothing" as my actual answer.

 

[Rhamiel]

I go to church (though last sunday was the first time I missed mass in years...)
I do not work, but I know I am very blessed to be able to rest on sunday
I normaly hang out with friends, between work and school and my friends work sunday is about the only day we can hang out

 

[Stravinsk]

I'm tempted to give a snarky answer like, "Not gathering sticks on the sabbath" but then I realized that would be mean. So I'll say "Nothing" as my actual answer.

How would it be mean?

This is perfect example of the mistake the Jews were making by singling out specific actions - the same thing they do today.

In terms of actual *work performed* - it might take more effort to haul a wounded animal out of a ditch(something Jesus condoned) that to pick up some sticks(something Jesus condemned- yes HE condemned it - if you believe Jesus is a perfect representation of God Almighty and not some "other god").

But the point is - either of those activities could potentially take away focus from God on the Sabbath. Perhaps that guy who was stoned for picking up sticks - it was part of his regular trade in the community (to provide firewood, wood for building etc). We don't know, of course - but there is good reason to beleive the Sabbath law has always been to do with TRADE - and that is:

Nehemiah 13:15-22

Also:

Of interesting note is that according to Revelation none can BUY OR SELL unless they have the mark of the beast. Buying and Selling has to do with trade. The mark of the beast allows men to buy and sell free from conscience. Now - what exactly would they have to have a free conscience to do that for? Think about it.

 

[ks777]

I want to add that the weekly day of rest re-enforces God's 6+1 timeline. It's all throughout scripture, such as plowing the land for 6 years then giving it a years rest to the 6+1 day creation account. Revelation says that Yahshua will come back and reign for 1000 years. If the pattern is anything to go by, then it should happen around 6000 years after the fall of man going by God's plan for salvation. Giving us a millennial Sabbath just like our weekly and yearly Sabbaths.

So by forgetting the Sabbath, we forget one of the many things it symbolises and what is yet to come.