The Sabbath Day

Psalm23 said:

What do you do on a sabbath day?

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Join in prayers and songs with my synagogue via zoom, study the Torah portion, converse with my Jewish Zoom group about it, read commentaries. Sleep a lot LOL. Eat special foods (but I don't cook).

Deeje said:

Just out of curiosity, on what day of the week does your Sabbath occur?

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Friday sundown until Saturday twilight.

Christians don't actually keep the Sabbath, they keep the Lord's Day.

InChrist said:

Jesus as a Jew, perfectly fulfilled all the law, including the Sabbath. Therefore, according to the scriptures those who place their faith in Him are at continual Sabbath rest everyday, all the time, forever in Him and through Him.

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Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

6 Since therefore it remains that some mustenter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God didfrom His.

Hebrews 4:1-10

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Torah says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” This was an eternal command that Jews obey. Jesus is a Jew. That means that all of his male servants and female servants must also observe it. If you don’t then both he and you are culpable.

Even if he fulfilled this at some time, if he doesn’t obey it now he is sinning.

Shaul said:

Torah says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” This was an eternal command that Jews obey. Jesus is a Jew. That means that all of his male servants and female servants must also observe it. If you don’t then both he and you are culpable.

Even if he fulfilled this at some time, if he doesn’t obey it now he is sinning.

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Who is “he” you are referring to? If Jesus, He is in heaven so He is certainly not sinning. if you mean a non- Jewish person, then no because the Sabbath command was specifically for Israel as a Sign of the covenant between Israel and God. If you mean an unsaved Jewish person outside of Christ, then yes they must keep the Sabbath, stay home, follow all the requirements and rest on the 7th day.

Psalm23 said:

What do you do on a sabbath day?

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Chill out! Stop whatever constitutes as work and no buying or selling.

It's a blessing to be told to stop working by the Creator, otherwise we would end up working 7 days a week. The Sabbath forces me to stop for a day. I say "forces" but it really is a pleasure.

Still, it is a acceptable to do good on the Sabbath if it is within your power to help another in need. This kind of work seems to be acceptable to Him.

What do you do?

Love & Shalom

Tzephanyahu said:

Chill out! Stop whatever constitutes as work and no buying or selling.

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I'm just genuinely curious. You say, "Whatever constitutes as work." But who decides that? If harvesting your fields is work, what about picking just enough fruits for a dinner get together? What about just one ear of corn? Obviously running a marathon is work. What about running from your home to the car? How far can you walk before it becomes work? It says do not kindle a flame. Can you turn on a stove? What about the combustive engine of a car? Can you cater a meal for 100 people? How about cook for six people? If you own a business, can you have other people work for you on the Sabbath? Can you open mail, considering that some of the mail may be business or bills? I guess what I'm asking is where are your dividing lines?

For Jews, we don't have the option of everyone doing what is right in our own minds, because historically the laws of Shabbat have had to be enforced. We depend on halakha (Jewish law) to tell us what is and is not work.

Hi @IndigoChild5559

I think an element of common sense needs to be applied to the matter. Yahweh understands things in context - our actions and our heart. So I see the matter as this...

IndigoChild5559 said:

what about picking just enough fruits for a dinner get together?

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If you could gather the fruit before the Sabbath and didn't, then this would be unnecessary work. However, if you were in dire need of food, I'm sure the Most High would permit this. Conversely, I think it would be more acceptable if you were doing this to feed a brother or sister who arrived unexpected and was hungry.

IndigoChild5559 said:

What about running from your home to the car?

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It depends on the motive I think. If you are doing it to get their quicker, this would be wrong - as you are in essence "hurrying along your day" or keeping to a schedule, hence work. However, if it was pouring rain then walking from your home to your car would be foolish.

IndigoChild5559 said:

How far can you walk before it becomes work?

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I don't really go by the Sabbath's day walk rule, as sometimes a good walk on the Sabbath to spend time in prayer to the Father is a blessing. However, as a general rule I would say to walk no more than when it becomes hard work or tiresome. For a 20 year old, it may be a couple of miles, for a 80 year old, 500 meters.

IndigoChild5559 said:

It says do not kindle a flame. Can you turn on a stove?

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Kindling a fire in the wilderness or even the first century would have been much different than today. Gathering (maybe even cutting) wood, kindling and tinder and then trying to ignite it IS work - whoever you are and however skilled you are. But flipping a switch on a stove doesn't really get a sweat going and the pulse up

IndigoChild5559 said:

an you cater a meal for 100 people? How about cook for six people?

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It depends on context. If it's for jollies or a random get together, I would say that isn't acceptable. However if it was because of a state of emergency (a hurricane etc) I think it would be acceptable. I might even go as far as to say it would be acceptable for a large Sabbath gathering where praise, worship and prayer are the goal. After all, the Levites worked on the Sabbath for the greater good of Israel.

IndigoChild5559 said:

If you own a business, can you have other people work for you on the Sabbath?

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No. Trying to find a way "around the system" will not go unmissed by Yahweh. Such a ploy wouldn't fool me and I'm a simpleton. So what about El Elyon who sees and knows all the motives of the heart?

IndigoChild5559 said:

Can you open mail, considering that some of the mail may be business or bills?

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Interesting point. I don't personally. I leave for nonsense for Sunday (or Monday!)

IndigoChild5559 said:

For Jews, we don't have the option of everyone doing what is right in our own minds, because historically the laws of Shabbat have had to be enforced. We depend on halakha (Jewish law) to tell us what is and is not work.

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I understand that all too well. I don't subscribe to that myself but follow the Word alone. The water gets very muddy when Rabbinical interpretations are added which, though they sought to help, end up causing confusing and building burdens - in my personal opinion.

In fact, all of the above is my opinion and not a matter I would fall out with anyone over. However, I do know that Yahweh looks to the heart and gave us the Shabbat as a blessing, not as curse. All our lives in the diaspora are very different, but He knows this (and knew this) and surely expects us to act wisely and according to His Torah, in context - following the heart of Torah. Again, this is my opinion though.

Thanks for responding.

Love & Shalom