Chapter Twelve – How to Make the Sabbath a Delight

Like many of the Bible’s teachings, proper, correct Sabbath-keeping has become a controversial issue. Is the Sabbath governed by a strict list of “do’s and don’ts”? Christ said that the Sabbath was made for man. In theory, if men made the Sabbath, they would have the right to tell you how to keep it. But since it was made for man, not by man, man does not determine how it should be kept. God does! What does this mean? You can know how to properly keep and enjoy the Sabbath—as God intended!

God gave man His laws so that we can enjoy life to the fullest. Contrary to what many believe, those laws are not a burden (1 John 5:3). They were given so that we can have a proper relationship with God and our fellowman. Jesus also taught, “The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Again, most professing Christians “agree” with nine of the Ten Commandments. They still at least vaguely understand that it is wrong to worship other gods and practice idolatry, although they unwittingly do so. Most would say that it is wrong to take God’s name in vain. Some feel that it is at least a good idea to show some degree of respect to parents. Some are of the opinion that it is morally wrong to kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, and covet the things of others.

Very few people actively attempt to practice these nine commandments as a way of life, however. After all, they just know that the law “was nailed to the cross.” Nevertheless, they still basically accept them as “nice principles.”

But when it comes to God’s command to “Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8;Lev. 23:3; Deut. 5:12), even those who desire to keep it simply do not know how. We have seen that assembling together in spirit and in truth to learn is part of God’s requirement, but what else does God require one to do in order to properly observe His day?

Established at Creation

After creating the earth and all its physical wonders in six days, God created the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day (Gen. 2:2-3). He did not rest because He was tired (see Psalm 121:3-4). By resting, He established the pattern He expects us to follow. We are to do all of our work, take care of all of our business transactions, and enjoy our recreational pursuits during the first six days of the week. That is our time. The Sabbath is God’s time.

God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). He does things decently and in order (I Cor 14:40). He did not create Adam first, before everything else, and then say, “Okay, now let’s find something for you to do.” He created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, with the instructions to “dress and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Gen 2:19 shows that God sent all the animals to Adam so he could name them. If the Sabbath would have been made first, before Adam, Christ could not have stated, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

The Bible shows that seven is God’s number for completion and perfection. Aside from the seven days of creation, God states, through King David, that His Word is purified “seven times” (Ps. 12:6). We are to forgive those who sin against us “seventy times seven” (Matt. 18:22). God commands us to keep seven annual Holy Days (Lev. 23:1-44; Deut. 16:1-22), depicting His 7,000-year plan of salvation. Seven seals and seven trumpets usher in the Day of the Lord, the time of the pouring out of God’s wrath upon a sinful, rebellious mankind (Rev. 6:1-21, 9:1-21).

The Sabbath is holy time, something we cannot detect with our five senses. We do not have the right to determine what is holy. God reveals to us that this day is different.

Since God’s way is love (2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Thess. 4:9), He would not say, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” then not tell you what day it is. This said, it is HOLY TIME, different from all other!

Sabbath Not a Burden

The apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). This verse is one of God’s descriptions of His law, which He also calls “holy, and just, and good” (Rom. 7:12). It is not up to us to decide what God means by that statement. It is not up to us to determine what is “not grievous” and then say, “I know this is how God wants me to live, because this is what feels good to me.”

People usually take the easy route. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 state, “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

God has promised not to put more on us than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). Men customarily do this, with their customs and traditions (Luke 11:46). Christ stated, “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). God did not create the Sabbath to be a burden, but rather a delight (Isa. 58:13). It is time that He has given us, at the end of each week, to slow down from the hectic pace of our daily lives, and to reflect on His Way. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder that we are God’s people, and that He is our God.

Those who seek to truly please God will find that, just as they work for the first six days of the week, the Sabbath works for them.

Let’s now consider some principles that answer basic questions concerning Sabbath observance. The reader must understand there is a limit to how much that can be said about the questions that follow in a book.

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