Lesson 4: KEEPING THE SABBATH HOLY!

If I asked you to describe a specific man or woman, would you do it by saying what that person is not? "She is not short, not fat, not blond, not beautiful, not dark and not big boned." Would that description help? Wouldn't you rather have a positive description? One of the problems with describing how to keep the Sabbath holy is that the Bible contains several statements (that we often repeat and expand upon)about what we should NOT be doing on that day. This week we will attempt to positively describe the Sabbath.
Let's jump in.

Sunday: Physical Preparation For The Sabbath!

I. Work

A. Read Exodus 20:8-11. This text tells us what we should not do on the Sabbath - work. But it also directly and indirectly tells us some positive things. What are they?

Let's list them.

1. "Remember the Sabbath." What does that suggest we do?
It tells us that we should mentally set the Sabbath time apart from other time.

2. "Keep the Sabbath holy." What does that mean?
It is not described here except in the context of not working (or having any of our family or household work) because God rested from His work of creation.

a. What positive message can you find about Sabbath holiness in this idea of resting because God rested from His work of creation?
This suggests that we should do things that remind us of God as the Creator.

b. What positive idea comes from the fact that no one in your household should be working -- even your animals?
This seems to be a complete shut down of normal household activities. The tone of the day is obviously much different than other days.

As the Lesson Guide teaches us, list a few things that we can do that will enable us to be better prepared for Sabbath rest.

c. Read Leviticus 25:4-7. In addition to your animals, what else gets a Sabbath rest?
Your land!

(1) How does this make any sense?
In fact, the idea of rotating crops giving the land a rest from a certain crop is an established agricultural practice.

(2) If the ground can be shown to grow better crops if it gets a Sabbath rest, what about you? Do you work more efficiently if you have a Sabbath rest each week?

(3) Notice that the owner of the land could not "reap" the land, but could eat whatever grew on it and give it to the members of his household. Is there a Sabbath practice lesson in this?
This infers that commercial activities are inconsistent with the Sabbath, but activities to benefit the family are consistent with the Sabbath. (Note, however, they would not be picking what grew on the weekly Sabbath - see Exodus 16:26.

B. Read Exodus 34:21. Are there practical exceptions to keeping the Sabbath?
We will discuss later how Jesus kept the Sabbath and look at what the Pharisees thought were "exceptions" to Sabbath keeping. This text suggests that even if we have a lot of work which needs to be done, we are not authorized to work on Sabbath. The positive aspects of refraining from work continue even when we have lots to do!

C. Do these texts in Exodus mean that all work is prohibited on the Sabbath?

1. Read Matthew 12:5. What does Jesus mean when He says, "the priests in the temple desecrate the [Sabbath] yet are innocent?"
The worship service was work, yet it was a permitted (required) work on the Sabbath.

Laurie will be back tomorrow

The reason for stating the commandments in "Nots" is to give more options. I will illustrate. If there are ten exits from a building and I tell you, you cannot use one specific one that still gives you nine other options.

As I read the lesson through for the week I thought about the above point in relationship to the relative silence of the Bible on Sabbath keeping. (When you think of the details of the Sanctuary service or of some Bible prophecies then in comparison with the subject of Sabbath keeping there is, I think, a relative silence.) However, if God had specified in exact detail how to keep the Sabbath He would have left us with no other options. Sabbath keeping would have become an exact rote activity ("same old, same old" as the expression goes). However, God created us as free moral agents (God loves freedom, Satan hates it). He gave us the ability to think and choose and He leaves us with that element of freedom of choice in regards to Sabbath keeping. This leaves us with the freedom of expressing our love and adoration for Him in our own particular way and from our own personal relationship with Him (leading us possibly to doing good for others on the Sabbath). Not only that, we can express that personal love in many ways and be involved in a gazillion Sabbath activities (Don't forget to rest though). The Sabbath never needs to be boring. However, I think it would have become so if God had given us, for example, the exact thirty activities that are permissible for Sabbath keeping (How can you restrict the expression of love to God and love to your fellow man in thirty activities?). By the way you will find part of this list in Hezakiah 9:5-8.

Yours in the Blessed Hope,
MHS

Sunday's study is actually about physical preparation for the Sabbath.

What does it mean to physically prepare for the Sabbath?
Does it mean to frantically run to and fro a half an hour before sunset on Friday to get the last minute grocery items, to put gas in your car so you can drive to church, to do a last minute wash, to clean the floor, to wash the car, etc??? In other words, are we to leave everything until Friday so we can have a frantic Preparation Day???

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

[This message has been edited by Daryl Fawcett (edited July 23, 2001).]

Hi Folks...
I was thinking about "the Sabbath's Physical , Spiritual Preparation and Fellowship!

Is it possible to have only 1 of the 3 as stated above, without really having TOTAL "spiritual, physical or fellowship"?

I'm reminded of Psalms 118:24 "This [is] the {day} [which] the {LORD} hath {made}; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

And if we use Psalms 100:1-4" 1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.
5 For the LORD [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations."

Then we DO have something to really praise the Lord about.

As the hymn goes:
"What a fellowship,what a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms."

Keep "the" faith but pass it around!
Laurie

[This message has been edited by Laurie Mosher (edited July 24, 2001).]

Helping Karen out abit!

Attending Church

Is attending church on Sabbath an important, positive activity? (Remember the last two weeks we have learned the Sabbath is a memorial to God as our Creator and our
Redeemer. What more appropriate activity could we engage in than worshiping Him on His "memorial day?" If there is any doubt, the following texts show that both Jesus and His
disciples attended "church" on the Sabbath. Acts 13:14, Mark 6:2, Luke 4:16&31, Luke 6:6)

Good relationshipsare important, aren't they? And I believe it is our duty to try and work together with fellow Christians as much as possible (without compromising our beliefs).

So let's utilize the Sabbath day, the day God gave us, so that it won't be just like any other day.

Keep "the" faith, but pass it around!
Laurie

[This message has been edited by Laurie Mosher (edited July 24, 2001).]

Good Morning all!
Wed: The sabbath - A DELIGHT-Pt I
Isaiah 58:13..one of my favorite texts. A most interesing characteristic, is that this verse is the only one in the whole Bible, where God calls the sabbath "My holy day". Yes, there are others where the sabbath is made for man, Jesus is Lord of the sabbath...Matt.12:8;Mark 2:28; Luke 6;5.

As the lesson explains, if the Sabbath is "a delight", shouldn't we agree with that, and honor God?

What are your thoughts, and how is the Sabbath a delight to you?

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Isaiah 8:16 "Bind up the testimony: Seal the law among My disciples!"
Sealed

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight" (Isa. 58:13).

How about somebody answering the following question first:
What is the difference between pleasure and delight in the above reference?

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

quote:

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Originally posted by Karen:
b. What positive idea comes from the fact that no one in your household should be working -- even your animals?

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Thanks, Karen. You've given me an idea of how to address a problem in my church when I teach the lesson this Sabbath. We have a family whose daughters show horses. They weren't in church last Sabbath, because they were at the fair showing them, just as they did last year. Isn't that making the animals work (to say nothing to the humans)?

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For I know that my redeemer liveth,
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
_________________________

Linda

[This message has been edited by Linda Sutton (edited July 25, 2001).]

Hi Daryl;
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary!
re:Isaiah 58:13
#13,14 The sabbath is a sign between God and his professing people; his appointing it is a sign of his favour to them; and their observing it is a sign of their obedience to him. We must turn from travelling on that day; from doing our pleasure on that holy day, without the control and restraint of conscience; or from indulging in the pleasures of sense. On sabbath days we must not follow our callings, or our pleasures. In all we say and do, we must put a difference between this day and other days. Even in Old Testament times the sabbath was called the Lord's day, and is fitly called so still; and for a further reason, it is the Lord Christ's day, #Re 1:10|. If we thus remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, we shall have the comfort and profit of it, and have reason to say, It is good to draw near to God.

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"He who fails to learn from history is doomed to repeat it!"
Bro. Laurie

I think Daryl's question is quite valid. What is the difference between pleasure and delight? Apparently we should not be involved in "your own pleasure" however, our Sabbath experience should be a "delight". If we can't do those things that give us pleasure would that leave us with what is non-pleasurable and that is to be a delight? Is that what the text is saying?

Mogens

I've been reading a little pamphlet called " Remember the Sabbath Day To keep It Holy"...guidelines to True Sabbath Observance.
Perhaps I can show some of its contents here.Isa.58:13-14 NEB
"If you cease to tread the sabbath underfoot, and keep my holy day free from your own affairs, if you call the sabbath a day of joy and the Lord's day a day to be honoured, if you honour it by not plying your trade, nor seeking your own interests or attending to your own affairs, THEN YOU SHALL FIND JOY IN THE LORD."

And from SOP:
2T704 "None should feel at liberty to spend sanctified time in an unprofitable manner. It is displeasing to God for Sabbathkeepers to sleep during much of the Sabbath. They dishonor their Creator, and by their example, say that the six days are too precious for them to spend in resting. They must make money, although it be by robbing themselves of needed sleep, which they make up by sleeping away holy time."

Isaiah 58:13-14 lists lists 3 things we are NOT to do if we are to be blessed.
"If thou...shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thy own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord."

"You should not rob God of one hour of holy time. Great blessings are promised to those who keep a high estimate upon the Sabbath and realize the obligations resting upon them in regard to its observance....

"Those who sanctified the Lord God in their hearts by a strictly devotional framee of mind, and who sought to improve the sacred hours in keeping the Sabbath to the best of their ability , and to honour God by calling the Sabbath a delight- these the angels were specially blessing with light and health, AND special strength was given them." 2T 702,705

"The sabbath and the family were alike instituted in Eden, and in God's purpose they are indissolubly linked together. On this day more than any other , it is possible for us to live the life of Eden.
It was God's plan for the members of the family to be associated in work and study, inworship and recreation, the father as a priest of his household, and both father and mother as teachers and companions of their children. But the results of sin, having changed the conditions of life, to a grat degree prevent this association. Oftent eh father hardly sees the children throughout the week. He is almost wholly deprived of opportunity for companionship or instruction. But God's love has set a limit tot he demands of toll. Over the Sabbath He places His merciful hand. IN HIS OWN DAY HE PRESERVES FOR THE FAMILY OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNING WITH HIM, WITH NATURE, AND WITH ONE ANOTHER."Ed.250-1 (My EMPHASIS-LM)

I like that...The Sabbath brings us back to God and each other...kinda goes along with the 10 commandments, doesn't it? Love God, and love our neighbour!

As Christians we should be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to turn from the world and its care to the sanctuary of the 24 hours surrounded especially by God's blessings and enveloping love."

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The Sabbath was made for mankind!
Laurie

[This message has been edited by Laurie Mosher (edited July 26, 2001).]

Linda,

I appreciate your kind words; however, I must confess those are Laurie's words that he asked me to post in here... I wish I could take credit for them, but I can't. I'm not near the scholar that he is.

But, I am delighted that you can use them for this situation you have, and I'm praying that they will touch those involved who need them, and that they will be there to hear them.

Karen and Linda! "Confession is good for the soul". They're not my words either...I copied them from another wise scholar!
Laurie

Happy Sabbath everyone!
Sorry I didn't get here online yesterday. Our IPS was down until late last night, so was unable to get past my password to log on.

I like the note at the bottom of Thurs. lesson. "As Seventh-day Adventists, we should delight in the Sabbath or MORE IMPORTANTLY, in the Lord of the Sabbath."

And the Summary Friday:
...Not only will be able to call the Sabbath "a delight", but we will enjoy the other blessings that God promises for those who "turn thy foot away from the sabbath."

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Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy!
Laurie

[This message has been edited by Laurie Mosher (edited July 28, 2001).]

the Sabbath is not a day for us to glory in competitions like horse shows, soccer games, etc. It's great that we associate with all kinds of people, but people who go to these activities are denying God of the very opportunity he has given them to be different, testify for Him and His commandments and in this way glorify Him with their life.

Out here on the West Coast (I wouldn't like to take a poll on it) the number of people who go to restaurants after church is high. The lady of the house is resting this way, they say. I guess that would be a delight for her, but is it keeping the Sabbath holy? I see a correlation between desdain for EGW's writings and slack Sabbath observance.

I know just what you mean. The Sabbath is one of the blessings that we have on this earth in which we can fellowship and share our faith with others, but even more important it is a day to witness each time we enter our church.

If we do nothing in our lifetimes, the very fact we open our doors and walk into the Sanctuary is a testimony of Jesus for others to see.

Liane, the Zoo Mama