Sabbath Keeping

[Jaycee]

Firstly, i'd like someone to put up all the known rulings of the sabbath day from the Bible only. As far as i know it's quite clearly outlined in the 10 Commandments. In a nutshell - Remember the Sabbat day and keep it Holy.

Just wondering what everyones beliefs are on the following activities being done on the sabbath day.

A lot of people have told me to leave it up my own judgement and yo will know what is right. Is this true?

1) Playing video games.

2) Watching TV.

3) Playing competitive sport.

4) Playing social sport/games.

5) Buying Petrol for a car.

6) Pre-Paying for a meal at a restraunt before-hand and eating there on the sabbath.

7) Swimming in a pool.

8) Swimming in Gods creation ie. Beach, lake

[John317]

Among the most important verses on the Sabbath and Sabbath-keeping are the following:

Gen. 2: 1-3; Exodus 16; 20: 8-11; Isaiah 56: 1-8; 58: 9-14; Jer. 17: 19-27; Neh. 13: 22; Amos 8: 5; 2 Chron. 36: 19; 7: 19, 20; Ezekiel 20: 12; Is. 66: 22-23; Mark 2: 27-28; Luke 4: 16; 23: 56; Hebrew 4.

The Sabbath is made for us to get to know God and let him occupy [sanctify] our hearts and lives more and more. It is like a love-date with God, devoting the whole day to him. It is a bit like a date you might have with your wife or husband, or with a girl or boy friend. Occupying your mind with TV or playing competitive sports while your wife or girl friend sits alone is probably not the best way to get to know them. On the other hand, if we are watching the Sabbath school or church on TV, those activities would be in line with the purpose of the Sabbath.

There are two extremes it seems to me we want to avoid. One is to keep the Sabbath legalistically, that is, with the rules in the forefront of our minds instead of love for God and joy in the Sabbath; and the the other is to ignore the necessity of keeping the Sabbath holy. The main principle to keep in mind is that we want to make the Sabbath a special day for deepening our relationship with God and not make it like an ordinary day of the week. The best thing we could do is learn from how Jesus kept the Sabbath. He wasn't out to satisfy His own pleasure on the Sabbath but rather He devoted His time on the Sabbath to worshipping the Father and to bringing the knowledge of God and His salvation to those in need.

About whether it is best to leave Sabbath-keeping up to your own individual judgment, I would say that this is not particularly good advice for young Christians or for those who are just beginning their walk with Christ. They need to study closely what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath and spend Sabbath with Christians who have had long experience keeping and enjoying the Sabbath.

At the risk of being accused of legalism and of being legalistic, I will make suggestions about the activities you asked about:

1) Playing video games. (NO.)

2) Watching TV. (ONLY PROGRAMS THAT KEEP YOUR MIND FOCUSSED ON GOD OR SPIRITUAL CONCERNS.)

3) Playing competitive sport. (NO.)

4) Playing social sport/games. (GENERALLY NOT)

5) Buying Petrol for a car. (TRY TO PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME FOR THE SABBATH, GETTING GAS BEFORE THE SUN SETS ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THIS IS PART OF SETTING THE SABBATH ASIDE AS A SPECIAL DAY.)

6) Pre-Paying for a meal at a restraunt before-hand and eating there on the sabbath. (I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH THIS.)

7) Swimming in a pool. (THIS IS SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE COMMONLY DO ON OTHER DAYS, SO I WOULD NOT DO THIS.)

8) Swimming in Gods creation ie. Beach, lake (I GO FOR WALKS AND SIT AND READ THE BIBLE, SING HYMS, PRAY, HAND OUT CHRISTIAN LITERATURE, OR MEET PEOPLE AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT JESUS OR THE BIBLE, AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF MOUNTAINS, NATURE, BUT I PERSONALLY WOULDN'T FEEL RIGHT GOING SWIMMING AT THE BEACH OR AT A LAKE ON THE SABBATH.)

[Dr. Shane]

I think John317 has stated it well. Here is my take on those activities.

1) Playing video games. (If they are Christian games, many available for computers, I have no problem with this)

2) Watching TV. (Christian TV, like Adventist channels, are normally on in our home)

3) Playing competitive sport. (I certainly would not do this or allow my minor children to do so)

4) Playing social sport/games. (Depends on the activity. I have seen some of this done at AY which I have no objection to.)_

5) Buying Petrol for a car. (If one can buy this on Friday it is better. If one is traveling a significantly on the Sabbath, it will not be avoidable)

6) Pre-Paying for a meal at a restraunt before-hand and eating there on the sabbath. (I think we should avoid paying others to work for us when possible. It isn't an issue to me when we pay them as much as when they are working for us.)

7) Swimming in a pool. (This falls into the same category as #4)

8) Swimming in Gods creation ie. Beach, lake (This falls into the same category #4)

[Woody]

I am in agreement with most of what has been said. Personally I would disagree with going to a restaurant on Sabbath on the basis that it is a secular environment. I am not able to commune with God in a busy secular environment.

But that is personal. I do not condemn those who feel they can go to restaurants on Sabbath. Our church is pretty much split on the issue. And I find no fault on that.

This is why all rules have to be up to the individual.

[John317]

I agree with you and Shane about those things. Much of Sabbath-keeping, what is right or wrong, is an individual matter because it depends on where we are on our spiritual walk and on a number of other influences. That's why God gave us principles on Sabbath keeping under the gospel and didn't legislate lots of rules, such as the Jews made up. The main thing is, it has to be kept from the heart, and for the right reasons, and not because it's something we feel forced to do.

[fccool]

I agree that Sabbath keeping is a personal decision and you should decide the limits you would like to set, as many of these will depend on the environment and situation.

I don't see any problem with swimming as many Adventists do. People take relaxing walks on the Sabbath, and swimming does not fall into a category of competitive sports . It's just like walking... only in water. I think it was thought up by people who believe that if you enjoy yourself, then it's probably a sin . God wants us to enjoy life. Swimming is a great way to do it, because it not only gives you a break, but gives you time to contemplate on spiritual things... unless you are training for Olympics.

Many people think of Sabbath as a shut in day when we just go to Church and back and pray all day and read Bible. Holly means "set apart". Set apart from what? Set apart from the regular weekly routine. So, if your Sabbath is not different than your Sunday in that respect, then can you really call it set apart?

On the other hand we have people in church who are trying to cram in so much "spiritual" activities on Sabbath, that there's no room for rest or for meditating on God's word. All of it is taken by church activities, such as evangelism planning and etc. These are important, but I don't think they should take place of our spiritual and bodily rest and fellowship. I've seen many people get caught up in these and "burn out" during their day of "rest". There should be a healthy balance.

[John317]

Many people think of Sabbath as a shut in day when we just go to Church and back and pray all day and read Bible.

That may be OK sometimes, but if we go by what Jesus did on the Sabbath, I don't think we'll just pray all day and read the Bible. That is making the Sabbath all about "me" instead of including others, and we can see that for Jesus the Sabbath was mostly about helping others learn about God and the truth of God's word. When I was at PUC, Carl Coffman, a wonderful teacher, told us how he would often go from door to door asking people if they wanted to study the Bible. He said he almost always found someone who said they wanted to study. Some people might want to use the Sabbath as a time to pass out Christian literature, or witness in some other way.

Again, when at PUC, quite a few of us students would go down to Berkeley on Sabbath and make contacts with students, inviting them to an afternoon activity at the church. We often had 10 to 15 people from the city or the University in attendance for a short presentation of an interesting topic and then a fellowship dinner. Those were wonderful, well-spent Sabbaths.

Quote:

... There should be a healthy balance.

I totally agree.

[Neil D]

Quote:

... There should be a healthy balance.

I totally agree.

Ooh, I dunno...Seems to me that a healthy unbalanced life is necessary....I remember someone saying that HMS Richards was told the definition of "Jesus Freaks" and he said that it was a good idea to him....

[aldona]

Quote:

1) Playing video games.

2) Watching TV.

3) Playing competitive sport.

4) Playing social sport/games.

5) Buying Petrol for a car.

6) Pre-Paying for a meal at a restraunt before-hand and eating there on the sabbath.

7) Swimming in a pool.

8) Swimming in Gods creation ie. Beach, lake

I think the whole idea is for the Sabbath to be a delight, a day of rest and refreshment, and an opportunity to spend time with God and with our loved ones.

Can you imagine sitting down and having this debate about "what sort of activities are right/wrong for a date with your spouse?" Of course you are going to be guided by what pleases that person and helps you bond with him/her, rather than being a distraction. Imagine you are on a date with Jesus and think about whether you would be comfortable if He joined in.

I grew up in a fairly conservative family, but over time I have become far less "rule"-orientated. Here's my 2 cents' worth about the above list. Nobody has to follow my list, as you have your own conscience and your own "gut feeling" about what is appropriate for Sabbath.

1. I'm not into video games any day of the week, so it goes without saying that they wouldn't happen on Sabbath either. But when I was in high school and did enjoy the occasional computer game, they were always put away on Sabbath.

2. I watch Christian satellite TV on Sabbath, but not secular TV.

3. (for those who know me - can you seriously imagine ME anywhere near competitive sport?) I would feel wrong pursuing any competitive activities on Sabbath. My fellow classical music geeks tried to persuade me to enter a Schubert-Lieder contest on a Sabbath, and I declined, even though I am more passionate about this genre of music than just about any other.

I have a cousin who used to play elite-level soccer, and he used to refuse to play on Sabbath too. He was a very highly regarded player, and I remember it making the newspapers at the time.

4. Social sport/games - depends on the activity. Does it build social bonds, provide healthy exercise, avoid the tendency to become competitive and nasty, promote good values?

Examples: Monopoly - no. Kicking or throwing a ball around a park, or riding bicycles along a nature trail - definitely.

5. Buying petrol - something I try to avoid whenever possible, except in an emergency. Usually I can get organized enough to fill the car before Sabbath.

6. Pre-paying at restaurants - This is one of those quirky things that my American friends and I will just have to agree to disagree about. I just don't understand the whole "eating out at restaurants on Sabbath" thing.

Would you go to the shopping mall on Sabbath and pick up goods from the shops, because you had paid for them on the Friday? It would just feel weird. A restaurant just doesn't feel like an environment conducive to Sabbath rest. Unless I was travelling and had no other possibility. Even when my husband and I were travelling in the US, we could not bring ourselves to go out to restaurants on the Sabbath. We would go back to our hotel room after a walk and eat our stash of granola bars and fruit and whatever else we had in the mini-fridge.

7. Swimming in a public pool - probably not, for the same reason as no. 6. It is just an environment full of distractions and people doing their own thing with no thought for God. It would feel just like hanging out at the shopping mall or a sporting event.

Plus, I swim laps for exercise on other days, so I wouldn't do laps, because it would be too much like hard work. I have a pre-paid gym pass so I can go swim laps any day, but I have never felt right doing it on Sabbath.

Swimming in a private (e.g. back yard) pool - I don't see why not, depends where and whom you are with. I remember camp meetings as a child in Melbourne's scorching summer heat, when we would come home from the meeting on Sabbath and jump straight into the back yard pool while waiting for Mom to prepare lunch.

7. - as above. Depends where and whom with. e.g. if we were out hiking with the church youth group, and we came upon a beautiful lake, and everybody decided to put their swimming gear on and jump in the water, I can't think of a better way to spend a Sabbath afternoon. (And the whole "you can wade, but you can't swim" thing just makes no sense. My body doesn't have a tide mark drawn on it by God, above which water is not allowed between Friday sunset and Satuday sunset.)

I'm writing this on an unseasonably hot Friday afternoon - 40+C (110+F) temperature outside, total fire ban, and more of the same expected tomorrow. I'm sitting here at work thinking about how it would make the Sabbath a delight if I went home from church via Lysterfield Lake and went for a dip...

Well, we have baptisms there, often on Sabbath afternoons. Why not?

Just my random thoughts. You don't have to agree with any of the above.

But when in doubt, I try to remind myself of the relevant Biblical quotes...

"Blessed is he who makes the Sabbath a delight",

and

"The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."

aldona

[nuff sed]

Reminds me of the fellow who was chastised for snorkeling on the Sabbath. He said. "If it's O.K. for you to watch birds on the Sabbath it is O.K. for me to watch fish. I never did understand what the rational of "pre-paying" for something that you wish to do on the Sabbath. Is is the exchange of money that is "sinful"?Or..on Sabbath putting the money in a tithe envelope to pay for something or other. Restaurants: What happened to the idea that "your servants should rest on the Sabbath"? Make sure you prepay the tip for the waiter in the restaurant as well. I know that many Adventists choose the Sabbath as the day to go to restaurants with their friends. If they can rationalize it I have no quarrel with them. I just don't. To be perfectly honest, I have even eaten food "offered to idols"...so who am I to talk?

[Woody]

Quote:

I have even eaten food "offered to idols"...so who am I to talk?

I always knew there was something different about you. Have you been to a good doctor for a check up since then ... Glad?

[nuff sed]

Yeah, but he turned out to be a "witch doctor">>><g>

[nuff sed]

Speaking of "Witch doctors" reminds me of an experience I had with one. I have a very neat trick of making a handkerchief disappear before your very eyes. I was sitting on a dirt airstrip in a village in Borneo on a Sabbath morning waiting for the mission pilot to pick me up after services, handing out medicines, pulling teeth etc. There was a little Dyak boy playing around. I asked him."Do you have a witch doctor in this village?" He said, "Yes"... I asked him, "Can he do this?" and made the handkerchief disappear.. His eyes got big and wide and he took off like a shot. Ten minutes later he came back dragging the witch doctor... He said, "Boy says you do magic, show me". I did my little trick. His eyes got big and he asked, "How you do that?" I said, "Magic, my friend"... and then the plane was landing so I missed the opportunity of a Bible Study on the "Art of Magic"..

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Good one, G.

[Woody]

You are full of it Glad. Do you still feast on food offered to idols? You must be. I need to warn you. That stuff is just to potent for us mere mortals.

[Woody]

Quote:

I never did understand what the rational of "pre-paying" for something that you wish to do on the Sabbath. Is is the exchange of money that is "sinful"?Or..on Sabbath putting the money in a tithe envelope to pay for something or other.

Glad ... This is a good point. I haven't really thought of this before. But why is it okay to pay your pastor for a good sermon by paying tithe on Sabbath ... but it is wrong to sign a slip of paper to pay for a meal?

This brings me to this "pre-paying" idea. If you went to a restaurant that you have pre-payed for ... would they not require you to sign something to indicate that you had received the meal. IS that any different than signing the receipt for the credit card?

It all seems silly to me.

[Woody]

What bothers me the most about our 'lack' of Sabbath Keeping?

I consider what is in our minds .... as being the most important on the Sabbath. So, when I am with other Christians on Sabbath ... I want to talk about spiritual things.

Just check out the conversations at the Church potluck. OR ... When you invite some folks home for Sabbath lunch ... How hard is it to keep the conversations on the sermon that you just heard

or the discussions at Sabbath School?

What happens to Sabbath discussions? I will tell you ... they go down the tubes. They turn to the latest movie or topic of politics. I have struggled to try to keep the discussion on ANY spiritual topic in this situation.

To me ... THIS IS SERIOUS. What is our priority? What do we dwell on? If we can't devote Sabbath to Christian discussions ... then it is a sad state of affairs. I know ... worldly affairs are much more exciting to talk about. But that can be done on any other day of the week.

If we can't talk about God on Sabbath ... then I give up.

Okay ... I will get off my soap box.

[Jaycee]

Thanks guys-

Really provided some insight.

[Taylor]

Reminds me of the fellow who was chastised for snorkeling on the Sabbath. He said. "If it's O.K. for you to watch birds on the Sabbath it is O.K. for me to watch fish. I never did understand what the rational of "pre-paying" for something that you wish to do on the Sabbath. Is is the exchange of money that is "sinful"?Or..on Sabbath putting the money in a tithe envelope to pay for something or other. Restaurants: What happened to the idea that "your servants should rest on the Sabbath"? Make sure you prepay the tip for the waiter in the restaurant as well. I know that many Adventists choose the Sabbath as the day to go to restaurants with their friends. If they can rationalize it I have no quarrel with them. I just don't. To be perfectly honest, I have even eaten food "offered to idols"...so who am I to talk?

What I don't get is why does anyone need to go eat out at a restaurant on Sabbath ever? When I was growing up, my parents made sure they had food ready so we could invite people home, or often we were invited to some other church member's house. If we were traveling we had picnic supplies purchased before Sabbath and had a wonderful time having a picnic whether that was indoors or outdoors. We never suffered.

To me, eating in a restaurant on the Sabbath is, to me, not conducive to Sabbath "rest". It is a place of business.

However, I do believe that a much bigger problem is what Redwood pointed out a few posts later and that is about keeping our conversations on Sabbath about God and spiritual matters instead of discussing business or entertainment.

As our kids have been growing up, we have had them tell us "does this activitiy remind us of Jesus? Does it help us to draw closer to Jesus". If they can't answere "yes" then it probably isn't an appropriate activity for Sabbath. This has really helped us not having to define every activitiy as a "do or don't" on the Sabbath and has taught them to think for themselves.