Keeping Sabbath

Dear Victorious,

I know you blogged not long ago about the sabbath and how Christians should regard it. I don't understand what the big deal is. It seems that if we usually go to church, and don't go to work on Sunday that should meet the criteria (for Biblically observing the sabbath). But you're saying that it's more complicated than that. Where can I find a list of things not to do and things to do?

Alvin P. - Andrews, TX

Dear Alvin,

It's not about what we can or cannot do. It's about treating the day as holy. God didn't create the Sabbath with a list of things to do or not do. But ... He put guidelines in place that would prevent His people from doing anything that would distract us from the holiness of that day.

Read Exodus 20:8-11, and notice that God blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. He instructs us to observe or practice the Sabbath day and keep it holy. So the reason we're not to work or engage in any of our regular activities is that God wants us to be still and focus on Him.

I think most Christians in America are probably failing to keep God's command to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. Aside from church attendance for an hour or two, most of us go about or regular activities on the Sabbath. We think nothing of doing laundry, house work, yard work, shopping, etc.

For a contrast, consider God's intent. Look at Exodus 16:29-30. This is the story of where the Israelites had escaped from Egypt and were first in the desert. They had no food, so God put in place a plan that would last for 40 years ... of His providing daily manna (bread) that would cover the ground in the mornings like dew. The Israelites were to go and gather that they needed each day, and only what they needed each day. But on the sixth day, they were to gather twice as much. God did not want the Israelites to even pick up bread off the ground on the Sabbath day that He declared holy.

To make an analogy in our modern day lives, if there were free food sitting on your lawn on the Sabbath day of rest, God would not want you to pick it up. Similarly, you wouldn't be doing any grocery shopping, house work, yard work, etc. In fact some theologians would even consider sports to be "off limits" on the Sabbath.

Why would God take such a position with His people? It's not because these things are so bad; but rather it is because they take away from the holiness of this special day. Remember, His command for us is to keep it holy.