Towards Sabbath Sanctity

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

Sabbath attendance of academic professional meetings should be avoided

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 2 - Final” Elders’ Digest (July/September 2009): 20-23

b. Attendance of Faculty at Professional Meetings. In some

countries, Seventh-day Adventists are privileged to attend professional

meetings in order to keep abreast of current developments

in their given field of specialization. It may be tempting

to justify attendance at these meetings on the Sabbath. However,

it is recommended that academic personnel join fellow

members in worship rather than fellow professionals at work.

Comments

1. An academic that attend his profession’s meetings are involved in the same activities that he is used to during the six days of work. It is thus breaking the Sabbath.

2. There is the case of the reading of a paper by a Theologian on Sabbath. This is also not correct since the aspect of lecturing is basic for the rest of the week. The audience are not willing listeners but forced listeners. They are varied between secular, atheistic, to faithful and Christ-like but in all aspect one does not have a willing listener like when a professor is lecturing Sabbath afternoon about an aspect of pertinent Adventist doctrine. An Editing Adventist is one that watered down his message to get acceptance by the non-Adventist audience. This is not the case on a Sabbath afternoon lecture to Adventists.

It is not keeping Sabbath to eye weekend emergency schedules to increase the family budget

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 2 - Final” Elders’ Digest (July/September 2009): 20-23

. Arranging for regular weekend work requiring the use of the Sabbath hours for

gainful emergency employment or accepting work only on

weekends in emergency occupations to augment the family

budget is out of harmony with Sabbathkeeping principles

given by Christ.

Comments

1. The fireman or doctor that prompt that he be placed on a weekend schedule to increase his income is not keeping the Sabbath.

2. Any emergency work that the Adventist is hoping to be on standby is contrary to the spirit of Sabbath.

3. There is the issue of smoking or drinking practices of people in close range.  

    

Do not purchase Goods or Services on Sabbath like eating out at Restaurants

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 2 - Final” Elders’ Digest (July/September 2009): 20-23

Purchase of Goods and Services on the Sabbath

.

1. The Sabbath is designed to provide spiritual freedom

and joy for every person (Ex. 20:8-11). As Christians we must

be supportive of this basic human right granted to each individual

by the Creator. As a general rule, the purchasing

of goods, eating out in restaurants, and paying for services

to be provided by others ought to be avoided because they

are out of harmony with the principle and practice of Sabbathkeeping.

2. Furthermore, the above-mentioned commercial activities

will turn the mind away from the sacredness of the

Sabbath (see Neh. 10:31; 13:15ff.). With proper planning,

adequate provisions can be made in advance for foreseeable

Sabbath needs.

Comments

1. There are a number of problems eating out in restaurants besides the issue of buying services.

2. There is the issue of the menu that are complicated to control in the light of the proper Adventist lifestyle for avoiding eating biblical taboo items.

Sabbath purchasing of gasoline for the car to travel are breaking the sanctity of Sabbath

George W. Reid, “Sabbath Observance Guidelines – Part 2 - Final” Elders’ Digest (July/September 2009): 20-23

Sabbath Travel. While Sabbath travel may be necessary

for engaging in Sabbath activities, one should not allow

Sabbath travel to become a secular function; therefore,

preparation should be made in advance. Automobile fuel

and other needs should be cared for before the Sabbath

begins. Travel on commercial carriers for personal or business

reasons should be avoided.

Comments

1. The purchase of gasoline for the car on Sabbath is not in keeping with the sacredness of the Sabbath.

2. The travel on commercial carriers for personal and business reasons is not in keeping with the sacredness of the Sabbath.

    

Our plans, appointments and transactions should be on other days than Sabbath.

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 309, July-September, 1972

Pacific Press Publishing Association

Remembering the Sabbath projects its spirit into the other

days of the week. The Sabbath must be remembered in our

plans, appointments, and transactions, so that nothing will

conflict with the proper keeping of God's holy day when it

comes to us. Thus it is designed to keep the will of .the Creator

and Redeemer prominent in our life. It helps us to set the

Lord always before us as did the psalmist. Psalm 16:8.

Comments

1. In our plans, appointments and transactions one should postpone those things for days other than the Sabbath.

Sabbath must not be a day for travel or flying

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 309 (July-September, 1972), 56.

Pacific Press Publishing Association

" 'Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on

the Sabbath day,' Christ said. He who made the Sabbath did

not abolish it, nailing it to His cross. The Sabbath was not

rendered null and void by His death. Forty years after His

crucifixion it was still to be held sacred. For forty years the

disciples were to pray that their flight might not be on the

Sabbath day."—The Desire of Ages, page 630.

Do not bargain with God to expect Him to compromise with you to secure your own petty, temporal interests

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 309 (July-September, 1972), 52.

Pacific Press Publishing Association

"It is the grossest presumption for

mortal man to venture upon a compromise

with the Almighty in order to

secure his own petty, temporal interests.

It is as ruthless a violation of the law

to occasionally use the Sabbath for

secular business as to entirely reject

it; for it is making the Lord's commandments

a matter of convenience."—Testimonies, Vol. 4, p. 249.

Comments

1. It is not right to do now and then secular business on Sabbath.

2. What about a church building committee or church remodeling committee to meet on Sabbath? These actions involve secular decisions regarding pricing and gaining and competitive options through virtual shopping coming to an acceptable agreement. This business or economic research is not fit for the Sabbath. It should be done during the six days.

Sabbath must reflect God and His character otherwise something is wrong with the meeting

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 309 (July-September, 1972), 64.

Pacific Press Publishing Association

"Christ, during His earthly ministry, emphasized the binding claims of the Sabbath; in all His teaching He showed reverence for the institution He Himself had given. In His days the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men rather than the character of God. Christ set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented Him."—Prophets and Kings, page  183.

Sabbath observance starts earlier than Sabbath so tuning in spiritually should also be before the Sabbath

Sabbath School Lesson Quarterly (regular edition), No. 309 (July-September, 1972), 71.

What did Nehemiah, as governor of Jerusalem, do

to protect the edges of the Sabbath? Neh. 13:19.

THINK IT THROUGH

Those who wait until Saturday morning to begin their observance of the Sabbath have only a partial Sabbath, which really is not right. No one can keep the Sabbath unless he begins its observance when it commences at sunset. If he begins its observance one or two hours after sunset, he is lagging behind the Lord's schedule. Those who go through the gates into the New Jerusalem at the end will not lag behind His schedule.

“God is very particular, and all who think that they are saving a little time, or advantaging themselves by infringing a little on the Lord’s time will meet with loss sooner or later. He cannot bless them as it would be His pleasure to do, for His name is dishonored by them, His precepts lightly esteemed.” Testimonies Vol. 1, page 532.

(to be continued)