Towards clarity in Sabbath-Sacredness Part 1

Koot van Wyk (Dlitt et Phil; ThD) Visiting Professor, Kyungpook National University, Sangju Campus, South Korea, Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia

SookYoung Kim (Phd) Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College Australia

Newspapers should not be read on Sabbath

James H White, “Session of MARCH 28, 1868” Review and Sabbath Herald Vol. 31 no. 17 (1868): 260

Battle Creek Bible Class, March 21, 1868

“Session of MARCH 28, 1868”

QUESTIONS.

l. Is it right to read secular newspapers on the

Sabbath ?

Answered by unanimously passing the following :

Resolved, That we deem it contrary to the spirit of

the Sabbath law to indulge in secular reading or

worldly conversation on the Sabbath day.

Comments

1. Secular newspapers are not acceptable, what about religious newspapers? They are. But, if a theologian is reading six days religious newspapers, then it is not acceptable.

2. Religious newspapers, magazines, books are acceptable but secular newspapers, magazines and books are not. It is a case by case situation when the person is a professor in theology at a seminary or an ordinary member of the church.

    

   Farmers and laborers should not work until sundown to return home

    

   James H White, “Session of MARCH 28, 1868” Review and Sabbath Herald Vol. 31 no. 17 (1868): 260

   Battle Creek Bible Class, March 21, 1868

   “Session of MARCH 28, 1868”

   2. Is it a violation of the Sabbath commandment for

   a laborer to go to or return from his place of labor on

   the Sabbath, to save a portion of his time on the first

   or sixth day?

   This was amended so as to read, " a gross violation," and then affirmed unanimously.

   Comments

3. It is not acceptable to work until the edge or border of the sixth day and drive home on the Sabbath.

4. It is not correct to start driving to work while it is still Sabbath even when the work only starts after Sabbath.

5. It is not acceptable to travel in order to go and play, work, or do shopping while it is Sabbath even though the activities will take place after Sabbath.

    

Sabbath Principles are general in many cases and not specific

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23.

Principles Guiding Sabbath Observance. Although

the Bible does not deal directly with many of the specific

questions we may have regarding Sabbath observance

in our day, it does provide us with general principles that

are applicable today.

Sabbath Principles are sometimes pertinent and clear

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23.

(See Ex. 16:29; 20:8-11; 34:21; Isa.58:13; Neh. 13:15-22.)

“The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the

Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor

for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that

day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested

upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the

occupations of his daily life, and devote those sacred

hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds”

(The Desire of Ages, p. 207).

Comments

1. It is not acceptable to do secular work on Sabbath.

2. It is not right to earn a livelihood on Sabbath.

3. One should not plan, participate or work for pleasure on Sabbath.

4. Occupations of one’s daily life should be stopped.

Sabbath is not totally inactive

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23.

This concept, however, is not supportive of total inactivity.

Both the Old and New Testaments invite us to

care for the needs and alleviate the sufferings of others,

for the Sabbath is a good day for all, particularly the

lowly and the oppressed (Ex. 23:12; Matt. 12:10-13;

Mark 2:27; Luke 13:11-17; John 9:1-21).

Yet even good works on the Sabbath must not obscure

the chief biblical characteristic of Sabbath observance,

namely, rest (Gen. 2:1-3). This includes both

physical (Ex. 23:12) and spiritual rest in God (Matt.

11:28). The latter leads the Sabbath observer to seek

the presence of and communion with God in worship

(Isa. 48:14), both in quiet meditation (Matt. 12:1-8)

and in public worship (2 Kings 4:23; 11:4-12; 1 Chron.

23:30ff.; Isa. 56:1-8). Its object is to recognize God as

Creator and Redeemer (Gen. 2:1-3; Deut. 5:12-15), and

it is to be shared by the individual family and the larger

community (Isa. 56:1-8).

Comments

1. It is acceptable to care for other’s needs.

2. It is acceptable to alleviate the sufferings of others.

3. The poor and the oppressed need care.

4. Good works should not obscure the biblical characteristic of Sabbath, rest.

5.  Rest should be physical and spiritual.

6. Spiritual rest takes place in seeking the presence of and communion with God in worship in quiet meditation and public worship.

Prepare for Sabbath during six days

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

Preparation for the Sabbath. If the Sabbath is to

be observed properly, the entire week should be programmed

in such a way that every member will be ready

to welcome God’s holy day when it arrives. This means

that the adult family members will plan so that all household

tasks—the buying and preparing of food, the readying

of clothes, and all the other necessities of everyday

life—will be completed before sundown Friday. The day

of rest should become the pivot around which the wheel

of the entire week turns. When Friday night approaches

and sundown is near, adults and children will be able

to greet the Sabbath with tranquility of mind, with all

preparation finished, and with the home in readiness to

spend the next 24 hours with God and with one another.

Children can help achieve this by carrying Sabbath

preparation responsibilities commensurate with their

maturity. The way the family approaches the beginning

of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday night and the way

Friday night is spent will set the stage for receiving the

blessings that the Lord has in store for the entire day

that follows.

Comments

1. Program the whole week to prepare for Sabbath.

2. The entire week happen because of the Day of Rest.

3. Household tasks are completed Friday afternoon.

4. Shopping is completed before the afternoon on Friday.

5. Food is prepared before the afternoon on Friday.

6. Clothes are washed, dried and ironed before the afternoon on Friday.

7. Necessities of everyday life are completed before the afternoon on Friday.

Watch-out for alien factors that ruins the sacredness of Sabbath

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

Alien Factors to Sabbath Observance. The Sabbath

can be intruded upon easily by elements alien to its spirit.

In the experience of worship and fellowship the believer

must ever be alert to alien factors that are detrimental

to one’s realization of Sabbath sacredness. The sense of

Sabbath holiness is threatened particularly by the wrong

kinds of fellowship and activities. In contrast, the sacredness

of the Sabbath is upheld when the Creator remains

the center of that holy day.

Comments

1. Wrong kinds of fellowship like a church-board meeting to discuss building plans or painting of some rooms in the church or remodeling plans are alien to the true spirit of worship on Sabbath.

2. Some activities on the Sabbath can ruin the sacredness of the day like playing soccer in the church-yard. 

Cultural habits can ruin the sacredness of Sabbath

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

Culturally Conditioned Phenomena in Sabbath Observance.

It is important to understand that Christians

render obedience to God and thus observe the Sabbath

at the place in history and culture where they live. It is

possible that both history and culture may falsely condition

us and distort our values. By appealing to culture

we may be guilty of giving ourselves license or excuse

to indulge in sports and recreational activities that are

incompatible with Sabbath holiness.

Comments

1. The culture of some nationalities to play soccer on Sabbath is contrary to the sacredness of the Sabbath.

2. Any other sports on Sabbath, no matter how innocent it appears, or how long in that countries’ history it was played, or how popular it is, is no argument in favor of supplanting the sacredness of Sabbath.

Tourism and strenuous mountain climbing can ruin the sacredness of Sabbath

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

For example, intensive physical exertion and various forms of tourism are

out of harmony with true Sabbath observance.

To draw up lists of prohibitions that are beyond the biblical principles are also wrong

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

Any attempt to regulate Sabbath observance beyond

biblical principles by developing lists of Sabbath prohibitions

will be counterproductive to a sound spiritual experience.

The Christian will test his Sabbath experience

by principle. He knows that it is the main purpose of

the Sabbath to strengthen the bond of union between

himself and God. Thus one’s activities guided by biblical

principles and contributing toward such a strengthening

are acceptable.

Comments

1. The Christian has to test his own spiritual experience with the biblical principle.

2. There are people who honestly climb mountains on a Sabbath not for mountaineering purposes with full gear and dressed up but with a group of fellow believers, not fast pushing climbing but slow walking and talking with each other about church and faith matters. They do pray before they go and after they go. The conscience of the person, biblical knowledge and spiritual experience will be a guide.

3. If the activity builds up and unify people in the Spirit and does not lead to factionalism and fighting of personalities for power-play reasons, then that may be a guide that it is no problem for the sacredness of the Sabbath.

What is a conscience matter for one Sabbath-keeper may not be a problem for other Sabbath-keepers due to cultural differences

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

In as much as no one can evaluate rightly the personal

motives of others, a Christian must be very careful not

to criticize his brethren living in cultural contexts other

than his own and engaging in Sabbath recreational activities

they approve.

Comments

1. The Christian Sabbath-Keeper may have a conscientious objection against an activity of some people and the activity may seem on the face of it very wrong but unless there are evil results, like infighting, partiality, discrimination, gossiping, breaking other biblical principles or it is a degeneration of sanctification, one should guard against gossiping or criticizing unnecessarily, since it is another culture.

Travelling or sightseeing on Sabbath or secular activities is breaking the Sabbath

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

While traveling, Adventist tourists should make every

effort to observe the Sabbath with their fellow believers

in any given area. Respecting the sacredness of the seventh

day, it is recommended that Adventists avoid using

the day for a holiday set aside for sightseeing and secular

activity.

Comments

1. Travelling, the faithful tour-group organizers will guard against making the Sabbath just another holiday with similar sightseeing activities.

2. Incorporating a mission sightseeing activity or a church worship attendance that day may be just the solution against breaking the Sabbath.

Source:

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 1” Elders’ Digest (April/June 2009): 20-23

http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/ED/ED20090401-V15-02__D.pdf

Sabbath-keeping means to enjoy, study, experience, and basking with God in the world God made

Principle 9: Basking

Sabbath-keeping means enjoying,

studying, experiencing, and basking in

the world God made, rather than working

at maintaining it (see Psalms 92:4,

5; 111:2-4; compare Romans 1:20).

This excerpt was taken from “From Sundown to Sundown” ©

Copyright 2006 by May-Ellen Colón, Pacific Press Publishing

Assoc. Available at your local Adventist Book Center® or at

www.AdventistBookCenter.com and www.amazon.com.

[i] May-Ellen M. Colón, “Sabbath-keeping Practices and Factors

Related to These Practices Among Seventh-day Adventists in

51 Countries,” Ph.D. dissertation, Andrews University, 2003,

pp. 25, 26.

Comments

1. Basking means to enjoy the heat of admiration of one’s friends. But this does not mean a secular hang-out with one’s friends.

2. This activity is wrapped up with God and means that one is not working to maintain one’s weekly studies, one’s weekly joys, one’s weekly basking with friends.

3. It is not twitter-time or Kakao-time or similar i-phone actions.

Secular preparations for the reception of a wedding distracts from the sacredness of Sabbath

Reid II

Churches–Sabbath Weddings. The marriage service is sacred

and would not in itself be out of harmony with the spirit

of Sabbathkeeping. However, most weddings involve considerable

work and almost inevitably a secular atmosphere

develops in preparing for them and in holding receptions. In

order that the spirit of the Sabbath not be lost, the holding

of weddings on the Sabbath should be discouraged.

Comments

1. In Asian countries weddings is a business chance and more so it should be avoided since the guest come to pay their “wedding-tax” for a free meal in return and a token kick-back later.

Sabbath funerals should rather be avoided

Reid II

Churches–Sabbath Funerals. In general, Adventists

should try to avoid Sabbath funerals. In some climates and

under certain conditions, however, it may be necessary to

conduct funerals without delay, the Sabbath notwithstanding.

In such cases, arrangements should be made in advance

with morticians and cemetery employees to perform

their routine tasks for the deceased in advance of the Sabbath

day, thus reducing the labor and commotion on the

Sabbath. In some instances a memorial service could be

held on the Sabbath, and interment take place later.

Comments

1. In Asian countries funerals is a business event to make money to cover all the costs of the funeral. It should be avoided by faithful Adventists.

                              To be continued  in Part II . . . . .

Dear God

What is more important for us, than imitating Your explicit request to do so. In this we rest assure, that in Your rest there is peace that surpasses all understanding.

Amen