What are illustrative examples of how the Sabbath can be broken?

[Gary K]

I wasn’t suggesting questing your neighbors judgement, just offering alternatives, like saying something like today is God’s Sabbath and I would love to help you out with your lawn, how does tomorrow morning work for you?

Anyway, not looking to debate or question your judgement, just offering another opinion. God bless.

I know you didn't suggest questioning my neighbor's judgment, but in effect that is what your suggestion does as you suggest putting off mowing the lawn..

I wasn’t suggesting questing your neighbors judgement, just offering alternatives, like saying something like today is God’s Sabbath and I would love to help you out with your lawn, how does tomorrow morning work for you?

Anyway, not looking to debate or question your judgement, just offering another opinion. God bless.

It seems to me that the entire purpose of the Sabbath is bound up in helping others. God tells us that the Sabbath is a sign between He and those who desire to keep the Sabbath that He is the one who changes us. Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12 That He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

God created the Sabbath for us to help us. It's a reminder of Him. Because He needs us to remember Him? No. Because we need to remember Him. We need to remember who He is. Isaiah 58 tells us a lot of keeping the Sabbath. It's about doing for others rather than ourselves.

But look at every one of the "rules" for not breaking the Sabbath. Every one of them were focused on ourselves. That's the same mistake the Pharisees made. Every one of their rules were focused on themselves. God chose Israel to spread the knowledge of Himself, but they failed miserably in that. When Jesus came the Jews chose to kill Him because they hated Him. So how can we succeed by doing the same kind of rule making the Pharisees did? Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.

I think we ought to be looking at how we can keep the Sabbath, not how we can break it. We need to keep the Sabbath the same way God does. He keeps it by helping us, blessing us, and He keeps it perfectly. So, why not focus on helping others, being a blessing to others as that's what God does. Can we possibly fail by copying God's behavior? I don't think so. If we look at that way of keeping the Sabbath will we look at how we can get out of helping someone else on Sabbath?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

I know you didn't suggest questioning my neighbor's judgment, but in effect that is what your suggestion does as you suggest putting off mowing the lawn..

It seems to me that the entire purpose of the Sabbath is bound up in helping others. God tells us that the Sabbath is a sign between He and those who desire to keep the Sabbath that He is the one who changes us. Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12 That He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

God created the Sabbath for us to help us. It's a reminder of Him. Because He needs us to remember Him? No. Because we need to remember Him. We need to remember who He is. Isaiah 58 tells us a lot of keeping the Sabbath. It's about doing for others rather than ourselves.

But look at every one of the "rules" for not breaking the Sabbath. Every one of them were focused on ourselves. That's the same mistake the Pharisees made. Every one of their rules were focused on themselves. God chose Israel to spread the knowledge of Himself, but they failed miserably in that. When Jesus came the Jews chose to kill Him because they hated Him. So how can we succeed by doing the same kind of rule making the Pharisees did? Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.

I think we ought to be looking at how we can keep the Sabbath, not how we can break it. We need to keep the Sabbath the same way God does. He keeps it by helping us, blessing us, and He keeps it perfectly. So, why not focus on helping others, being a blessing to others as that's what God does. Can we possibly fail by copying God's behavior? I don't think so. If we look at that way of keeping the Sabbath will we look at how we can get out of helping someone else on Sabbath?

I think you misunderstood me completely. I look at the Sabbath differently and what we should be doing on it. Jesus taught us emergencies on Sabbath and doing good is permitted. Mowing lawns are not emergencies in my opinion, would love to help my neighbor on any day but Sabbath, but to me that would be a good sharing God's Word opportunity on why I can't help on Sabbath mowing his lawn because God wants us to keep His day holy. I don't want to focus on myself on God's holy day. It's a day of communion with our Savior. A day of going to church, fellowship with other Christians, reading the bible, praying. Witnessing on God's Sabbath is good too. I personally would not do anything that is considered work that is a non-emergency. If you feel differently that's between you and God. I am not judging just offering my opinion. God bless

 

[Gary K]

I think you misunderstood me completely. I look at the Sabbath differently and what we should be doing on it. Jesus taught us emergencies on Sabbath and doing good is permitted. Mowing lawns are not emergencies in my opinion, would love to help my neighbor on any day but Sabbath, but to me that would be a good sharing God's Word opportunity on why I can't help on Sabbath mowing his lawn because God wants us to keep His day holy. I don't want to focus on myself on God's holy day. It's a day of communion with our Savior. A day of going to church, fellowship with other Christians, reading the bible, praying. Witnessing on God's Sabbath is good too. I personally would not do anything that is considered work that is a non-emergency. If you feel differently that's between you and God. I am not judging just offering my opinion. God bless

So, helping your neighbor is not keeping God's day holy? How so? Is not rightly representing the character of God worshiping Him? How do you rightly represent God by NOT doing something for your neighbor?

Let's look at this from a different perspective. Paul worked at being a tent maker 6 days a week. That is how he supported himself monetarily. On the Sabbath Paul didn't stop working. He worked at the job God gave him. He went out and worked preaching and teaching others about God. But he worked just the same. He didn't stop working just because it was Sabbath. Ask any Sabbath keeping minister if he works harder on Sabbath than he does on the other six days a week.

What I hear from you is that only by NOT putting forth effort can you worship God. I completely disagree with that. We can worship God by putting forth effort, by working, for Him. I posit that by mowing my neighbor's yard when he cannot that I am worshiping God more by doing that--rightly representing His love and character--than I can be ever by NOT doing something for someone else because it's Sabbath.

Ellen White said there is more religion in a loaf of bread than in many sermons. What did she mean by that?

 

[SabbathBlessings]

So, helping your neighbor is not keeping God's day holy? How so? Is not rightly representing the character of God worshiping Him? How do you rightly represent God by NOT doing something for your neighbor?

Let's look at this from a different perspective. Paul worked at being a tent maker 6 days a week. That is how he supported himself monetarily. On the Sabbath Paul didn't stop working. He worked at the job God gave him. He went out and worked preaching and teaching others about God. But he worked just the same. He didn't stop working just because it was Sabbath. Ask any Sabbath keeping minister if he works harder on Sabbath than he does on the other six days a week.

What I hear from you is that only by NOT putting forth effort can you worship God. I completely disagree with that. We can worship God by putting forth effort, by working, for Him. I posit that by mowing my neighbor's yard when he cannot that I am worshiping God more by doing that--rightly representing His love and character--than I can be ever by NOT doing something for someone else because it's Sabbath.

Ellen White said there is more religion in a loaf of bread than in many sermons. What did she mean by that?

You placed a lot of words that I did not say. I offered my opinion and my reasons and I am sticking with that.

God bless and Happy Sabbath.

 

[Gary K]

You placed a lot of words that I did not say. I offered my opinion and my reasons and I am sticking with that.

God bless and Happy Sabbath.

Yes, I did say things you didn't. I said them to try to get you to open up your mind to new channels of thought.

I offer the following from Ellen White as you say you're an SDA. Non-SDAs are free to ignore this.

I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, all who are true missionaries, all who believe the third angel’s message, all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, to consider the message of the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter is the work that God requires His people to do at this time. It is a work of His own appointment. We are not left in doubt as to where the message applies, and the time of its marked fulfillment, for we read: “They that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Verse 12.

God’s memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath, the sign of His work in creating the world, has been displaced by the man of sin. God’s people have a special work to do in repairing the breach that has been made in His law; and the nearer we approach the end, the more urgent this work becomes. All who love God will show that they bear His sign by keeping His commandments. They are the restorers of paths to dwell in. The Lord says: “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, [266] ... then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth.” Verses 13, 14. Thus genuine medical missionary work is bound up inseparably with the keeping of God’s commandments, of which the Sabbath is especially mentioned, since it is the great memorial of God’s creative work. Its observance is bound up with the work of restoring the moral image of God in man. This is the ministry which God’s people are to carry forward at this time. This ministry, rightly performed, will bring rich blessings to the church. Testimonies to the Church vol 6 pp 255, 256

Notice that no where in this quote is given a list of things NOT to do. Instead we are pointed toward Isaiah 58 and it's list of positive commands of things we can do to rightly represent God. When we do this the "don'ts" become meaningless to us. Why? Because we are focused on our relationship with God and what He has said is both our duty and privilege to do for Him.

And what does God say to us if we focus on doing good, rather than focusing on not doing evil?

8 ¶Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.*n8
9 Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

God knows what He's talking about.

 

[Gary K]

Notice the following.

A list of dos and don'ts is a religion made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. We are rather to have a religion of the heart in which our hearts are purified by love, the love of and for God. A heart religion guarantees correct behavior, but a religion focused on rules and ceremonies can never produce a heart changed by the love of God for behavior modification can never change the human heart. Only God can do that. Exodus 31:13

Priests and rulers became fixed in a rut of ceremonialism. They were satisfied with a legal religion, and it was impossible for them to give to others the living truths of heaven. They thought their own righteousness all-sufficient, and did not desire that a new element should be brought into their religion. The good will of God to men they did not accept as something apart from themselves, but connected it with their own merit because of their good works. The faith that works by love and purifies the soul could find no place for union with the religion of the Pharisees, made up of ceremonies and the injunctions of men. {AA 15.1}

 

[SabbathBlessings]

Yes, I did say things you didn't. I said them to try to get you to open up your mind to new channels of thought.

I offer the following from Ellen White as you say you're an SDA. Non-SDAs are free to ignore this.



Notice that no where in this quote is given a list of things NOT to do. Instead we are pointed toward Isaiah 58 and it's list of positive commands of things we can do to rightly represent God. When we do this the "don'ts" become meaningless to us. Why? Because we are focused on our relationship with God and what He has said is both our duty and privilege to do for Him.

And what does God say to us if we focus on doing good, rather than focusing on not doing evil?

God knows what He's talking about.

I agree with the scriptures, I just disagree with the application you're presenting here. Things that are considered non-emergency that you start doing on Sabbath seems like a slippery slope. First it's mowing lawns, than it's shopping, than it's building things, than helping with taxes, all in the name of doing good, but not in the name of keeping God's Sabbath holy, not doing our pleasures, but those of our Savior. I'm sticking with my initial response, while I agree it's good to help our neighbor on Sabbath with emergencies, I think a better way to help our neighbor on Sabbath for non-emergencies is to witness why you are going to church instead of mowing the lawn, but would be glad to help out any other day. God bless and Happy Sabbath!

 

[Enilorac]

I found out today that breaking the Sabbath is NOT a good idea. I had a prescription I needed to pick up. So, I figured I'd just leave early for church and pick it up on my way. I gave myself an hour to go to the pharmacy, pick up the prescription and then drive to church. Well, picking up the prescription took FOREVER because they messed up my insurance. Ended up being late for church (slid in during the first song). Yeah, no...not gonna try that again.

So, breaking the Sabbath is not a good idea period. I got figuratively spanked this morning.

 

[BobRyan]

I've always heard examples of how the Sabbath is not broken, for instance, doing good to others, healing people, etc. However, I realized that I've never heard examples of how the Sabbath can be broken.

What are illustrative examples of how the Sabbath can be broken?

Here is a brainstorming of possible options. Can the Sabbath be broken by:

• doing homework?
• cleaning the house?
• cooking?
• driving a car?
• paying your taxes?
• shopping?
• going to work? (any job, or are there exceptions?)
• exercising / working out / going to the gym?
• playing video games?
• etc.

Secular activity and any other activity that destroys the aspect of worship on that day - such that "I am too busy playing this video game to have worship ... sorry". Or "I am paying my taxes - no time for worship... sorry".. All stuff that can be done 6 days of the week - that are not sanctified by God "set apart" specifically for worship - time "devoted to God" rather than "devoted to shopping and going to work".

That is not to say one cannot "be Christian" going to work and shopping - but that is certainly not an example of setting the day apart - set aside as an entire day of worship. One may devote his life to God and on Sabbath devote that entire day to God as a day of worship.

Thread title could just as easily be "give some examples of how to take God's name in vain" -- what is the point of that???