What is "work" on the Sabbath?
I’m a Sabbatarian. My wife is also a Sabbatarian. Before my friend, Jaime, gave a lesson on the Fourth Commandment to the Renewal Bible Study group (yes, we used to meet every Wednesday a few years back), we were not Sabbatarian. Even Jaime wasn’t a Sabbatarian. Most, if not all, of the group were not Sabbatarians. But after that lesson, many of us changed our minds, including Jaime. That is how my wife and I became Sabbatarians.
But by becoming Sabbatarians, we became the minority among our Christian friends and family. Many of them still don’t understand us. What they do understand, which we used to understand with them, is the "non-Sabbatarian day of rest." (I wrote an article questioning the validity of it here. Do read the comments since there is good information there as well.) For the most part, they respect our view…for the most part.
Just this evening, my wife was questioned about working on the Sabbath. She was met with "is blankity blank work?" several times in her conversation. Not knowing the nature of the conversation or tone of voice with such an inquiry, it is hard to know whether the questions were asked in sincerity or in mocking. Perhaps it is a little of both. In any case, what seems to be lost in the understanding of the Sabbath is why it is important that we not work on the Sabbath. Even those who advocate the “non-Sabbatarian day of rest” (NSDOR hereafter) know that no work ought to be done, but why? Why is it important that we ought not to work on the Sabbath (or NSDOR)?
I present 2 arguments: 1) We do not work because God has already provided for what we need on that one day from our 6 days of labor; and 2) we do not work because it profanes the day that God has set apart (made holy) for us to worship Him.
Paul tells that those who do not work, do not eat. Implied in that statement is that work provides for our necessities, like food. One could argue that clothing and shelter would fit under that. Today, we work in the richest nation the world has ever seen. We do not work only for the necessities, but we now work for luxuries. Like manna provided in double portion the day before the Sabbath, we are given much in abundance so that we do not have to work on that holy day.
And a holy day it is! God has decreed it to be holy, above and beyond any individual’s subjective designation. How can it be subjective when God has objective markers. First, in the Creation Week, and second, on the Lord’s Day when Christ rose from the grave. And since it is His decree, His Law, His Holy Day, we ought to take seriously what it means to not work on the Sabbath.
So why is it important that we should not work on the Sabbath? Because God says so and has left us no excuse due to his abundant provision.
Of course, we’re still left asking, "what is work?" Is cooking work? Is doing laundry work? Is cleaning the house work? To such questions, I have questions in turn:
- Can the activity you have to do be done any other time during the week?
- Is the activity you have to do necessary to life?
- How far are you willing to go to keep His Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy?
For those who respect the decision my wife and I have made considering the Sabbath, yet have no understanding of it, the questions above ought to help clarify our position concerning work on the Sabbath. Sure, ask your questions, but first consider mine. Meditate upon them. See where it leads you.
We would readily admit that it wasn’t easy adjusting to keeping the Sabbath holy. I had to question everything I was doing every Sabbath day and what my wife was doing, too. For a long while, it even seemed quite burdensome. But isn’t that how it is when one has been immersed in committing a sin for so long? It took a while, and it is still a very bumpy road in keeping the Fourth Commandment, but I am always reminded the promises of Scripture. I am reminded that my trust is in Jesus and that His Laws are not burdensome for His followers, so by His Grace are we empowered to be obedient. And so we do our due diligence and try to align ourselves with Scripture by His Grace. This doesn’t mean we get everything straight in our minds, but we’re making the effort to head towards the direction of obedience to God’s Law.
In closing, I have intentionally left a lot out concerning the Sabbath since my main focus was about working on the Sabbath. I hope to revisit the other aspects of the Sabbath in future articles, time permitting. Plus, I hope that some of the silence on my part would generate more discussion in the comments.
In Christ,
Victor
But by becoming Sabbatarians, we became the minority among our Christian friends and family. Many of them still don’t understand us. What they do understand, which we used to understand with them, is the "non-Sabbatarian day of rest." (I wrote an article questioning the validity of it here. Do read the comments since there is good information there as well.) For the most part, they respect our view…for the most part.
Just this evening, my wife was questioned about working on the Sabbath. She was met with "is blankity blank work?" several times in her conversation. Not knowing the nature of the conversation or tone of voice with such an inquiry, it is hard to know whether the questions were asked in sincerity or in mocking. Perhaps it is a little of both. In any case, what seems to be lost in the understanding of the Sabbath is why it is important that we not work on the Sabbath. Even those who advocate the “non-Sabbatarian day of rest” (NSDOR hereafter) know that no work ought to be done, but why? Why is it important that we ought not to work on the Sabbath (or NSDOR)?
I present 2 arguments: 1) We do not work because God has already provided for what we need on that one day from our 6 days of labor; and 2) we do not work because it profanes the day that God has set apart (made holy) for us to worship Him.
Paul tells that those who do not work, do not eat. Implied in that statement is that work provides for our necessities, like food. One could argue that clothing and shelter would fit under that. Today, we work in the richest nation the world has ever seen. We do not work only for the necessities, but we now work for luxuries. Like manna provided in double portion the day before the Sabbath, we are given much in abundance so that we do not have to work on that holy day.
And a holy day it is! God has decreed it to be holy, above and beyond any individual’s subjective designation. How can it be subjective when God has objective markers. First, in the Creation Week, and second, on the Lord’s Day when Christ rose from the grave. And since it is His decree, His Law, His Holy Day, we ought to take seriously what it means to not work on the Sabbath.
So why is it important that we should not work on the Sabbath? Because God says so and has left us no excuse due to his abundant provision.
Of course, we’re still left asking, "what is work?" Is cooking work? Is doing laundry work? Is cleaning the house work? To such questions, I have questions in turn:
- Can the activity you have to do be done any other time during the week?
- Is the activity you have to do necessary to life?
- How far are you willing to go to keep His Commandment to keep the Sabbath holy?
For those who respect the decision my wife and I have made considering the Sabbath, yet have no understanding of it, the questions above ought to help clarify our position concerning work on the Sabbath. Sure, ask your questions, but first consider mine. Meditate upon them. See where it leads you.
We would readily admit that it wasn’t easy adjusting to keeping the Sabbath holy. I had to question everything I was doing every Sabbath day and what my wife was doing, too. For a long while, it even seemed quite burdensome. But isn’t that how it is when one has been immersed in committing a sin for so long? It took a while, and it is still a very bumpy road in keeping the Fourth Commandment, but I am always reminded the promises of Scripture. I am reminded that my trust is in Jesus and that His Laws are not burdensome for His followers, so by His Grace are we empowered to be obedient. And so we do our due diligence and try to align ourselves with Scripture by His Grace. This doesn’t mean we get everything straight in our minds, but we’re making the effort to head towards the direction of obedience to God’s Law.
In closing, I have intentionally left a lot out concerning the Sabbath since my main focus was about working on the Sabbath. I hope to revisit the other aspects of the Sabbath in future articles, time permitting. Plus, I hope that some of the silence on my part would generate more discussion in the comments.
In Christ,
Victor
posted by Soli Deo Gloria | 7/13/2006 02:53:00 AM
4 Comments:
PP I agree with your notion of people who ask with alterior motives.. However what of those whose questions are sincere?
For instance, when I first started my job, I didn't know I could get Sundays off. So I worked Sundays when the job required it. Was I the offending party or was my employer (master) the offending party or are we both equally culpable. Or should I have not taken such a job. I'm currently in the job market (as my job is closing) and I've turned down good jobs because I might have to work Sunday. But when I started at this job, I hadn't taken that into consideration. I was ignorant and chose a non-christian master.
The pharisees took the sabbath and made it legalistic and then accused Jesus of breaking it. As an aspiring sabbatarian I often question the things I do. Going out to eat, buying gas, staying at an inn, ect. If your job is to heal, or to provide shelter, or food, are you an exception to the sabbath law? Are our firemen and policemen breaking the sabbath? What about the electric company? the gas company? I don't want it to be a legalistic burden, but sometimes I find it difficult determining if I am or am not breaking the sabbath. Usually in terms of, Am I causing my neighbor, or the stranger within my gates to work? And if I am, is it justified/necessary?
Even more so for my stay at home Wife/mother of my children. While I'm home relaxing from my job, how do I help her with her day of rest? She is a Wife and a Mother 24/7.
When people ask "what is work?", implied in that question is the impossibility of truly dialing in what is and is not acceptable. Interestingly enough, you can pose that question with other commandments as well.
I think there will always be difficulty with the commandments just because our fallen state wishes to rebel against it. The devil's in the details, so they say.
At times, I don't mind the questions. It makes me reflect upon what it is that I am doing, hoping not to offend my Maker. Other times, I'm annoyed, not so much because of the question, but because some will ask as if it is their apologetic against the Sabbath. Heck, if we can't keep the Sabbath in every little detail, we shouldn't keep it at all, right?
I think it was Ehud who had said to me a few years back that it tends to be the legalist who tends to call Law-keepers legalists. Not that they know that they are legalists, but their pursuit to nullify God's Law in the details makes them so.
But those who are sincere about knowing what can and cannot be done on the Sabbath, they are most certainly looking be holy just as Christ is holy by following God's continuing Laws. Sean poses legitimate questions because he is being sanctified and made holy, and who wants to please God with obedience.
I think, Sean, you can find some of the answers to your questions in sermon notes on the Fourth Commandment on the Branch of Hope website.
Although, to Pastor Paul, perhaps you can help me out with a difficulty I have with those jobs that are considered necessary. Should those who work those jobs on Sunday be paid? For example, doctors and nurses who care for patients are considered to be doing works of mercy, but is it really acts of mercy if they are getting paid?
As an elder board I would imagine it's hard dealing with members and the Sabbath. As head of my household, however, I have much more control over the details of the lives of my family. Sometimes I wonder if by imposing my personal convictions on my family, if I am in the wrong. I guess I just need to work out with my wife, what is and is not acceptable to us as a family on the sabbath. Lord willing we will come close to honoring his Holy Day.
Sometimes I wonder if by imposing my personal convictions on my family, if I am in the wrong.
Ah, the difficulties of being a head of the household, eh? :-)
Pastor Paul said there is a level of subjectivity in Sabbath keeping. So when it does get down to that subjective level, the realm of imposing rule basically stops at you. But then again, can you make a case that your subjective view is indeed objective?
I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can when it comes to the Sabbath. The 3 questions I put in the post help me with that. It isn't perfect, but it's helpful.
I would also add this thought: What is keeping me from being more like Mary at the feet of Jesus? In my opinion, the contrast between Mary and Martha serves as a good illustration between Sabbath and work. It isn't perfect, but it's helpful.
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