Should wives keep the sabbath?

[GiveHimGlory]

I just came across a google book pointing out that the fourth commandment does not include wives and suggesting that wives were not required to keep the fourth commandment!

Has anyone ever heard of this before?

Here is the commandment again, Ex 20:8-10 as a reminder:

Quote:

8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

Here is the link to the Google Book

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ltZBUW_F9ogC&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134

Here is the quote from the book:

"Wives could not claim the sabbath rest (Ex 2:8ff, through cf. 2 Ki 4:22ff)"

[GreatLakesGramma]

Nowhere does this commandment imply that it is only directed at men. Therefore it is presumptuous to assume it doesn't apply to married women equally as to their husbands.

[phkrause]

It actually doesn't even say husbands. It is directed at all people. And what is this book you are talking about? If its not the Bible than it is something that is not pointing us in the right direction.

pk

[Outta Here]

*Sigh*

A woman's work is never done.

[olger]

You sound tired,

g

[Woody]

Some men 'only' work after the sun goes down.

[GreatLakesGramma]

It's actually a poem:

Man works from sun to sun;

But a woman's work is never done.

[Dr. Rich]

Wives should not preach or be heard in Church--they must keep quiet! Isn't this what Paul's inspired writing was all about?

[WayneV]

GiveHimGlory

Every wife is someone's daughter. Another perspective could be, since a man and his wife are "one", any commands given to the man would include the wife by virtue of their "oneness". These ideas are opinion. I am not sure that either one would survive historical/textual criticism. You did make me think, though. Thanks for the post.

[oldsailor29]

Jesus said a lot about Sabbath keeping, and actually redefined what it means to keep the Sabbath. I think His teachings need to be studied, read, reread, and taken to heart, so that when we think about Sabbath keeping, we think of what Jesus said instead of what Moses said.

[knockkneedchicke]

Jesus said the sabbath was made for man. Mark 2: Man means mankind, which includes everyone, male and female.

[Tom Wetmore]

And he taught by example which if followed would revolutionize Sabbath keeping.

Sadly I think most Adventist thinking is stuck in Mosaic concepts of Sabbath... and many other things for that matter.

[Neil D]

And he taught by example which if followed would revolutionize Sabbath keeping.

[Neil D]

Every wife is someone's daughter. Another perspective could be, since a man and his wife are "one", any commands given to the man would include the wife by virtue of their "oneness". These ideas are opinion. I am not sure that either one would survive historical/textual criticism. You did make me think, though. Thanks for the post.

Wayne...!

just where have you been? nice to see you again...don't be a stranger here...

[Gail]

I agree- Wayne should come visit more often!

Wives are also children's mothers. One would hope that if anyone should have time devoted to refreshing and communion with the Lord it would be the one who has the primary care of characters that are just forming.

We tend to underestimate the value of a mother!

[carolaa]

Jesus said a lot about Sabbath keeping, and actually redefined what it means to keep the Sabbath. I think His teachings need to be studied, read, reread, and taken to heart, so that when we think about Sabbath keeping, we think of what Jesus said instead of what Moses said.

I don't understand people who refer to the law as Moses' law. Moses only wrote down what God told him. It was God's law, not Moses' law.

The problem was with the Jewish leaders. The Jews had gotten into trouble many times in the past for not following God's commands, so they decided to get really strict in following the law. By the time Jesus came along, they had gotten extreme about it, and He had to show where the balance was.

But Jesus never came to change the law. According to His own words, He came to fulfill the law, as well as the prophets.

[GreatLakesGramma]

I agree with you carolaa. It was Jesus Himself who gave that law to Moses. It is HIS law. Some of the laws He gave to Israel were meant to be temporary, until He came to earth as a man, but the Commandments written on stone are eternal. Jesus showed us what they really mean, and how they are meant to be kept, and that they are to be kept out of love for God and our fellow man, not out of self-centered attempts to measure up to a standard. Because that's what legalism is - just another means of keeping self on the throne of our lives.

[True-believer]

I agree with you carolaa. It was Jesus Himself who gave that law to Moses. It is HIS law. Some of the laws He gave to Israel were meant to be temporary, until He came to earth as a man, but the Commandments written on stone are eternal. Jesus showed us what they really mean, and how they are meant to be kept, and that they are to be kept out of love for God and our fellow man, not out of self-centered attempts to measure up to a standard. Because that's what legalism is - just another means of keeping self on the throne of our lives.

it should never be self on the throne, but Jesus Christ Himself.

[Tom Wetmore]

Originally Posted By: oldsailor29

Jesus said a lot about Sabbath keeping, and actually redefined what it means to keep the Sabbath. I think His teachings need to be studied, read, reread, and taken to heart, so that when we think about Sabbath keeping, we think of what Jesus said instead of what Moses said.

I don't understand people who refer to the law as Moses' law. Moses only wrote down what God told him. It was God's law, not Moses' law...

Well, since it seems to have been oldsailor and yours truly that opened that door, allow me to explain from my perspective.

The distinction between the law of Moses and what Jesus said is really just picking up on Jesus' own words distinguishing his own teaching from the writings of Moses, sometimes disparagingly to Moses, and the people's misplaced reliance on Moses words. In the sermon on the mount Jesus would say, "You have heard that it was said" before quoting the law of Moses and then He would preface His teaching about it with "But I tell you..."

First consider John's introduction and distinction, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17.

And Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world... I am the bread of life." - John 6:32-35+.

And this - “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set." - John 5:45.

More to the point of this topic, it was the conflicts over the Sabbath between Jesus and the Jewish leaders' adherence to Mosaic law that provide the most stark contrast. Read the whole account of the Sabbath healing of the blind man in John 9. It is clear that the Jewish leaders considered Jesus' teaching and actions as something contrary to the law of Moses. Ultimately this conflict over His teachings "against" Moses, particularly about the Sabbath, hardened the hearts of the Jewish leaders to the point of creating false testimony to convict Jesus and murdering Jesus (breaking the law of Moses) in order to protect their view of the Sabbath. They even scrupulously made sure they protected the Sabbath by rushing the trial and execution to happen before Sabbath. It certainly wouldn't have mattered to the Romans to crucify Jesus on Sabbath. But the Sabbath was so important to the Jewish leaders that they would murder and lie to protect and keep it "holy".

And my point about many Adventists today is that they are on the very same path as the Jewish leaders, particularly with regard to the Sabbath. Most of the discussion and questions and Sabbath rules focus on what Moses (or EGW) said and end up being just like the multitude of Sabbath regulations of the Jews when Jesus confronted them about it. Very little effort is made to focus on what Jesus said about and did on the Sabbath. In fact my experience is that often when I inject anything into a Sabbath discussion on Adventist forums about Jesus' views of the Sabbath I am met with either silence at best, or at worst responses and arguments that hauntingly echo the very reactions Jesus got from the Jewish leaders, even verbatim at times. (Not only do Adventists now outnumber Jews in the world, Adventists at times seem to try to outdo them when it comes to certain Jewish distinctives, namely the Sabbath and diet...)

This is part of my growing conviction that the essence of the test in the end of time and our traditional Adventist view of the sign/seal of God is misplaced. Yes, it is about the Sabbath, but it is not the day that is kept that is necessarily the deciding factor. It is the way the Sabbath is kept that is important. Those who follow Jesus and have His testimony and do what He said (keep his commandments) will be safe in the end. And just as, in the very same way, the Sabbath was critical when Jesus walked this earth, it will likewise be critical at the end of time. Keeping the correct Sabbath day in good Jewish (or Adventist) tradition will not save us. But following Jesus words and example about the Sabbath will be first and foremost fruit, or outward evidence, that we really are Jesus' followers. "People will know you are my followers by your love for one another."

Sabbath is not our rest, but the rest we give others, just as God gave it to us. And that rest has the joy and good news of healing and forgiveness in it. Pay it forward!

Tom

[WayneV]

Neal and Gail,

Thanks! I visit when I can. However, time is at a premium and any discretionary time is taken up by B2B (bellybutton to bellybutton) witnessing and ministry.