SDA Bible Studies
The Sabbath


What is the Sabbath?

The Sabbath is a day of rest that has been prescribed by the Creator, for our benefit and for us to remember the Him on that day. It is one of the ten commandments that were given out to Moses on Mount Sinai. 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Exodus 20: 8-11

Why is the Sabbath Important for Adventists?

As Adventists, this is one of the most important commandments that we grew up with. A violation of this law is considered among the worst crimes. 

The importance of this commandment is emphasised by Mrs Ellen White (probably the most important figure in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church) who is considered a prophetess. 

She says, while in a vision about the heavenly sanctuary, "My accompanying angel informed me that these represented all the heavenly host looking with reverential awe toward the holy law which had been written by the finger of God. Jesus raised the cover of the ark, and I beheld the tables of stone on which the Ten Commandments were written. I was amazed as I saw the fourth commandment in the very center of the ten precepts, with a soft halo of light encircling it. Said the angel: “It is the only one of the ten which defines the living God who created the heavens and the earth and all things that are therein. When the foundations of the earth were laid, then was laid the foundation of the Sabbath also.” (Ellen White, 1 Testimonies, 75,4). 

A halo over the 4th commandment! If that doesn't signify the importance of this commandment over the others, nothing else will. Based on this vision from Ellen White, the Adventist church places the 4th commandment above all others. It is also called the “Seal of God” which then plays a major part in the end times’ prophecies. Based on this, Adventists believe that there will be a “National Sunday Law”. The mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17) will be the “Sunday Law” and the people who observe the sabbath will receive the seal of God (Revelation 7:2). 

Are All Commandments Equally Important?

To the question – which is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus simply responded and said “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

In other words, although it does appear that Adventists hail the 4th commandment as the most important one, the Bible provides no evidence to support this line of thinking. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, God has made it clear that all the commandments are equally important. 

Importance of the Sabbath in the Old Testament

Let us go to the Old Testament and see how important the Sabbath commandment was at that time. It is interesting that there is no mention of the Sabbath observance in the Old Testament prior to the account of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. However, given that the 4th commandment starts with “remember” it can be safely assumed that the Sabbath observance was a teaching that was passed down from generation to generation although it was not formally stated as a commandment or requirement until that point. 

We might be able to assess the importance of a commandment based on the severity of the punishment(s). The Israelites were found guilty of idolatry (2 Kings 17:7-23) on several occasions and consequently, they were also guilty of breaking the Sabbaths (Ezekiel 20:21) (Forerunner Commentary). 

How many times were the Israelites punished for not observing the sabbath? Once? A few instances? There is one mention of a man who was stoned to death for picking up wood on the sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36) but there is no other mention of direct punishments that were handed out for breaking the sabbath. There is also the implication in Nehemiah 13:15-18 that the Israelites were punished for not observing the sabbath at some point (Jeremiah 17:20-22?).

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God fed them manna for 40 years. Manna miraculously fell in the night and the people collected as much as they needed, every morning. If they collected any more, it would rot the next day. The exception was that when they collected the manna on the Friday (6th day), they were to collect a double portion and this would not go bad on the 7th day. This way, God made the Israelites observe and practice the sabbath observance for 40 years in the wilderness (Seventh-Day Adventist Church). 

On the other hand, how many times were the Israelites punished for forgetting God and worshipping idols? Idolatry seems to have been one of Israel’s greatest sins (Taylor, 1891). There are numerous accounts of these transgressions and how God allowed the Israelites to be conquered by pagans to teach them a lesson. Almost every time that God allowed punishment on the Israelites was because they had forgotten the God of their ancestors and indulged in idolatry. 2 Kings Chapter 17:7-23 suggests that Israel was primarily punished because of their idolatry and participating in the evils that the others around them were doing. Other notable mentions are – the golden calf (Exodus 32), Ahab (1 Kings 16-19), Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1-9), and Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-8) (Olive Tree Blog). 

Sabbath Observance in the New Testament

Moving on to the New Testament, we see that there is a shift in the general observance of the sabbath. The change seems to be that Jesus now says that it is okay to do “good” on the sabbath. Let us look at some of the examples of keeping the Sabbath from the life of Jesus. 

  • Healing the lame man (John 5:12-1)
They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

  • The Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:1-5)
And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days? And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him; How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

  • Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (Luke 6:6-9)
And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it? 

  • Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (Matthew 12-9-14) 
    And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

  • Jesus Heals a Woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17)

And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

  • The Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2: 23-28) 
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

What Can We Do on the Sabbath?

Jesus was telling the pharisees that the way they were keeping the sabbath was wrong. Jesus also emphasised that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath. The definition of "good", keeping in line with the Bible, would mean to help people or even animals if such a situation should arise. 

We have now established that it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day, even if it appears as "work". Doing good is to do God's work. Does that mean that we can work on the Sabbath to support our livelihood? For that, we have to go back to the source - Exodus - which says that all labour (possibly referring to working in return for an income in modern day context) should cease on the Sabbath. Wasn't Sabbath made for man, though? Doesn't that mean that the Sabbath was just intended to give man rest and nothing more? Probably not. The fourth commandment reminds us of the Creator and the six days of creation indicating that we are not only to do good on the Sabbath but that we should spend time with the Creator. The apostles set an example for us that we ought to congregate with other fellow believers and meditate on the word of God. 

It still doesn't explain why Jesus' disciples plucked ears of corn and ate them on the Sabbath because they were hungry. Does this then mean that there are some things permitted, if it means that it could be linked to the survival of the person? I mean, after all, our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and we are not to defile the body or cause it harm in any way, deliberately. 

Some of them who find the sabbath too difficult to observe defect and use the verse - Colossians 2:16 - to prove that God no longer wants us to observe the Sabbath. However, if we look at the verse "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" we find that Paul says "sabbath days" - plural, not singular. The plural use suggests that this was a reference to the other holy days that the Jews observed under the ceremonial laws. A singular use of the word sabbath would have, without a doubt, referred to the seventh-day sabbath. They may also use verse 14 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" to suggest that the Law doesn't apply anymore. Again, Paul is only talking about the ordinances - the ceremonial laws - here. 

The answer to observing the sabbath lies in what Jesus told us about the sabbath. I believe that as long as we are dedicating the day to God and spending our time with God and doing good, we would be observing the Sabbath as He commanded us to. The trouble starts when we start defining “good”. In the context of religion, “good” may be defined differently by each person as it may mean different things to each person. For instance, some would view working in the medical industry as “doing good” while others may frown upon this. 

According to Adventist.org, these are the things that we are expected to do on the sabbath, as Adventists (Seventh-Day Adventist Church):

  • worshiping in church
  • rejuvenating our souls through quiet reflection
  • Finding refreshment through time spent in nature 
  • Deepening our relationship with Christ through Bible study
  • Strengthening our relationships through time spent with family and friends
  • Resting our weary bodies

“These are the major points of Sabbath observance: Do none of your normal work, rest, and meet with others to worship. Normal work includes the chores and home projects like housecleaning, yard maintenance and other projects. This does not mean we cannot do simple chores like some meal preparation and clean-up. This type of work is still necessary, and it helps us enjoy the Sabbath as a day of rest” (United Church of God, 2017). 

Personal Reflection

The Sabbath, to all Sabbath keepers, is a blessing. We get to rest from our daily labour and do no work on this day, every week. We get to leave all the worries of the world behind and focus on our Creator God. There are also benefits from resting from labour on the Sabbath – rejuvenation and mental rest. This is true for everyone who can easily afford to leave their work aside on a Friday evening and resume their labour on a Monday (or Sunday) morning. 

However, it isn’t always as simple as this. There may be people who have stopped their work physically but haven’t stopped thinking about their work. There may be people who have been forced to quit their jobs because their employer(s) cannot give them the Sabbaths off anymore. There may be people who are finding it difficult to make ends meet because they do not have a job as a consequence of refusing to work on the Sabbath. 

In the context of the working week people in the western world are blessed since the work week is usually only from Monday to Friday. It is not impossible to find jobs that allow you to work only from Monday to Friday. In some other countries, however; like India for instance, it is almost impossible to find a job that permits you not to work on the Sabbath. What do our brethren have to do in these cases? Starve (I have personally seen such cases) until they find a job that can provide them with the much-needed Sabbath off? Or will God understand if they accept a job where they may have to work on the Sabbath too? How do we understand what God's will is for us in this situation? There are hundreds of cases where students (including myself) have had to retake an important exam because it was scheduled for the sabbath and they weren't willing to take the exam on a sabbath. Again, the western world is fortunate not to have these hinderances. 

It may be easier to observe the Sabbath where the conditions are favourable for the believers. On the contrary, for believers in countries like India observing the Sabbath typically comes at a cost. In some cases, it may be unavoidable to engage in secular work on the Sabbath. 

As Adventists, do we find our minds wandering on the Sabbath and thinking about worldly things from time to time or are we completely focussed on the word of God for the entire day? Think about it: During our commute to church, are we letting our minds wander? Do we sleep longer in the morning on Sabbaths? Do we take an afternoon nap on the Sabbath when we do not do that on other days? When we are not at church, are we finding our own pleasure? If the answer to any of these questions is a “yes” or a “maybe”, then we may need to rethink our Sabbath observance. 

Yes, the Sabbath is a day of rest, but it is primarily a day of rest from “secular” labour. It is not a day of rest where we can sleep in and do nothing the whole day. This would perhaps be considered as “doing our own pleasure” on the Sabbath. 

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 58:13-14)

The Sabbath is a day that God has set apart for us to do His work, not to indulge in our own pleasures (Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1990). 

Matthew Henry’s commentary says: “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.”

This is a promise from God that anyone who keeps the sabbath holy will be blessed. Isaiah further goes on to say, in chapter 56:2, that, “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.”

Conclusion

The Sabbath is a day that God set apart for us to rest from our labour. It is a reminder that our God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. The Sabbath is also a command that shows our obedience to God. It demands our action – obedience. 

The sabbath commandment isn’t above any other commandment. It is a part of the ten commandments and has no higher value or importance as represented by Adventism. The Old Testament shows us that the Israelites were punished mainly because of their idolatry. They were also punished because of their desecration of the Sabbaths as a consequence of the idolatry. As such, there is no greater importance placed on the Sabbath commandment in the Old Testament. 

Moving forward to the New Testament, Jesus further showed us how to observe the Sabbath and enlightened the Jews that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Jesus also highlighted the fact that it is lawful to do “good” on the Sabbath. Jesus tells us that we should care for our neighbours. He further elaborates that engaging in activities and emergency actions where life and safety are at risk are permissible. In saying that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, Jesus essentially cleared any doubts that the Sabbath should not be a burdensome time. The Sabbath should not be cumbersome. It should be a delight! It is not a delight from doing one’s own pleasures but from doing God’s work and drawing closer to God. 

Yes, there are times when it may seem difficult to observe the Sabbath. However, there is a promise in the Bible for us that if we keep the Sabbath, we will be blessed. So, even though there may be a temporary difficulty, it may be in the best interest to try and observe the Sabbath nevertheless. Again, there may be extenuating circumstances that may require a person to do some secular work on the Sabbath. This is a personal matter and should be sorted out through prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit (Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1990). 

References

Forerunner Commentary. (n.d.). What the Bible says about Captivity, Penalty for Sabbath Breaking. Retrieved from Boble Tools: https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/9421/Captivity-Penalty-for-Sabbath-Breaking.htm

Olive Tree Blog. (n.d.). What does the Bible say about Idolatry? Retrieved from Olive Tree Blog: https://www.olivetree.com/blog/what-does-the-bible-say-about-idolatry/

Seventh-Day Adventist Church. (1990, July). Sabbath Observance. Retrieved from Adventist.org: https://www.adventist.org/documents/sabbath-observance/

Seventh-Day Adventist Church. (n.d.). The Sabbath Throughout the Bible. Retrieved from Adventist.org: https://www.adventist.org/the-sabbath/the-sabbath-throughout-the-bible-and-at-the-end-times/

Seventh-Day Adventist Church. (n.d.). What Adventists Believe about the Sabbath. Retrieved from Adventist.org: https://www.adventist.org/the-sabbath/

Taylor, B. C. (1891). Israel's Greatest Sin: Idolatry. The University of Chicago, 198-202.

United Church of God. (2017, April). What Should a Christian Do on the Sabbath? Retrieved from Beyond Today: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-should-a-christian-do-on-the-sabbath-how-should

White, E. (1855). Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association.