The Sabbath institution, which originated in Eden, is as old as the world itself. It was observed by all the patriarchs, from creation down. What does the Bible really teach about Sabbath?  You may have grown up observing the Sabbath or maybe you have just recently accepted the Sabbath or you need to know more about this biblical truth, “The Sabbath Day”.  Whatever your situation, this question is important to you: “Have you ever thought about what the Sabbath is? What it was really designed for, and what it means to us?”

In this light we will take this time to look at the Sabbath, what it was designed to be, right and wrong ways of observing the Sabbath, and the kind of people we must be in order to be able to keep the Sabbath Day holy.

Design of the Sabbath

In Isaiah 58:13 we read, “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.” This is the Lord’s instruction to us; but, how many have found the Sabbath a delight in the real sense of the word? Is it a delight to us not to be able to speak our own words and to do our own pleasure? In this article, we will look more directly at this aspect of what we really delight in. But, I would like to draw your attention to the design pointed out in this text, the design was for the delight. It was on this day, at the end of creation week, that “the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Job 38:7. For men and women this day was given. Jesus said unto the Pharisees: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27)—and to the human race this day was given for rest and enjoyment. Exodus 31:15 says, “Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD.” “While [the Sabbath] calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Matthew11:28.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 289

Right and wrong Sabbath observance

Make Friday the Preparation Day

“On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in readiness, and that all the cooking is done. Let the boots be blacked, and the baths be taken. It is possible to do this. If you make it a rule, you can do it. The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment. Before the setting of the sun, let all secular work be laid aside, and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.” –Child Guidance, p. 528

It is true that we can have a good gift but we can use it in a bad way and lose its original purpose. This is the reason why we need to know clearly what kind of things we can do upon the Sabbath, which makes it a delight. Through inspiration, God has given us many instructions on the design for the Sabbath, and what we are exhorted and privileged to do on this day, more than on any other. The following are some of the many things we can do on this day:

Thoughts and talks

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians4:8.

Yes, on the Sabbath day we can talk together. But, the Bible says, we are not to speak our own words. For this reason we can speak of things that especially relate to our spiritual life. Have you ever had questions on religious doctrine or Bible topics? Have you ever wanted to share things that God has done for you, such as testifying to others?  Then this is the day to ask these questions and talk about these things. “It is necessary that the people of God assemble to talk of Him, to interchange thoughts and ideas in regard to the truths contained in His word, and to devote a portion of time to appropriate prayer.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 583

Worshiping

In Revelation 14:7, the first angel’s message states: “worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” In order to accomplish this and recognize our Creator, the Sabbath is a day in which we devote a portion of time to worship and Bible study. These times are precious, and to worship God through prayer and praise is to really give honour to Him as our Creator. We are given instruction, though, this is not to fill the whole day. “Everyone should feel that he has a part to act in making the Sabbath meetings interesting.” –Counsels for the Church, p. 265

“Fathers and mothers should make it a rule that their children attend public worship on the Sabbath, and should enforce the rule by their own example. It is our duty to command our children and our household after us, as did Abraham. By example as well as precept we should impress upon them the importance of religious teaching. . . . But while we worship God, we are not to consider this a drudgery. The Sabbath of the Lord is to be made a blessing to us and to our children. They are to look upon the Sabbath as a day of delight, a day which God has sanctified; and they will so consider it if they are properly instructed. . . .

“Many need instruction as to how they should appear in the assembly for worship on the Sabbath. They are not to enter the presence of God in the common clothing worn during the week. All should have a special Sabbath suit, to be worn when attending service in God’s house. While we should not conform to worldly fashions, we are not to be indifferent in regard to our outward appearance. We are to be neat and trim, though without adornment. The children of God should be pure within and without.” –Child Guidance, p.  530–531

Praise in song

The Psalmist says: “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High.” Psalm 100:1–2; 92:1. Praise to God in song is one of the most beautiful gifts given to us from heaven, and when we make right use of these gifts heaven draws very near to the earth. “Let us all bear in mind that in every assembly of the saints below are angels of God, listening to the testimonies, songs, and prayers. Let us remember that our praises are supplemented by the choirs of the angelic host above. Then as you meet from Sabbath to Sabbath, sing praises to Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 367

Psalm 92 was written specifically for praise to God on the Sabbath day. Read this through and join with David in his exaltation of the Lord on this day. Do we play instruments? Then let us use them to give reverent and honourable praise to God.

Spending time in nature

God is our maker. “The sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.  O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Psalm 95:5–6. During the week we may not have time to go out and really enjoy some time in nearby parks, mountains, or by the ocean, sea or lake. This is a day where we can, with friends or family, enjoy the things that God has provided in nature for our enjoyment. “The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 281

In all of the above activities, “The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly return will be hailed with joy.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 585. This is the design that God had in mind for this one day of the week which He has reserved as holy. Good reading materials—the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and true experiences from the lives of missionaries—these provide wonderful food for thought and meditation during the sacred Sabbath hours. Because, “We should in no case allow burdens and business transactions to divert our minds upon the Sabbath of the Lord, which He has sanctified. We should not allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character even. But the mind cannot be refreshed, enlivened, and elevated by being confined nearly all the Sabbath hours within walls, listening to long sermons and tedious, formal prayers. The Sabbath of the Lord is put to a wrong use if thus celebrated.” –Ibid., vol. 2, p. 583

What should we avoid?

Speaking our own words

“The words and thoughts should be guarded. Those who discuss business matters and lay plans on the Sabbath, are regarded of God as though they engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character.” –Counsels for the Church, p. 269

“Talking upon anything or everything which may come into the mind is speaking our own words. . . .

“When the Sabbath commences, we should place a guard upon ourselves, upon our acts and our words, lest we rob God by appropriating to our own use that time which is strictly the Lord’s.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 702

Secular studies

“You have desecrated the Sabbath by bringing your studies into that holy time which was not yours to occupy for your own purposes. God has said: ‘In it thou shalt not do any work.’” –Ibid., vol. 4, p. 114. Here is a warning given against abusing Sabbath time. Even long trips and traveling should be avoided when not done specifically for necessary missionary purposes.

“Some of our people have sent their children to school on the Sabbath. . . . Some parents have tried to justify their course by quoting the words of Christ, that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. . . .  Our brethren cannot expect the approval of God while they place their children where it is impossible for them to obey the fourth commandment. They should endeavour to make some arrangement with the authorities whereby the children shall be excused from attendance at school upon the seventh day. If this fails, then their duty is plain, to obey God’s requirements at whatever cost. . . . Here is where we are to prove our loyalty. . . . If parents allow their children to receive an education with the world, and make the Sabbath a common day, then the seal of God cannot be placed upon them. They will be destroyed with the world; and will not their blood rest upon the parents?” –Counsels for the Church, p. 268–269

Labour—Secular works

“Every time you put your hands to labour [for a livelihood] on the Sabbath day, you virtually deny your faith.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 250

“Cooking on the Sabbath should be avoided; but it is not therefore necessary to eat cold food. In cold weather the food prepared the day before should be heated. And let the meals, however simple, be palatable and attractive. Especially in families where there are children, it is well, on the Sabbath, to provide something that will be regarded as a treat, something the family do not have every day.” –The Ministry of Healing, p. 307. To prepare on Friday, the cooking, cleaning, clearing up of differences between ourselves and others we may have hurt, as well as caring for duties which can be done during the week, we free ourselves for rest on the Sabbath, for contemplation of God, and for re-creation.

And what if we need money?

“Circumstances will not justify anyone in working upon the Sabbath for the sake of worldly profit. If God excuses one man, He may excuse all. . . . Those who disregard the Lord’s express injunction for their personal advantage are heaping future woe upon themselves.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 251–252

What did Nehemiah do and why? “In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?   Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath.” Nehemiah 13:15–21

What about doctors and nurses?

“Often physicians and nurses are called upon during the Sabbath to minister to the sick, and sometimes it is impossible for them to take time for rest and for attending devotional services. The needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected. The Saviour, by His example, has shown us that it is right to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. But unnecessary work, such as ordinary treatments and operations that can be postponed, should be deferred.” –Ibid., vol. 7, p. 106

What does God require of us?

Let us reflect for a moment on Isaiah 58:13. On the Sabbath we are not to do our own ways, find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words. Is this possible? Yes. Is this easy? No, not when we have been doing these things every day of the week and suddenly on one day we have to stop completely. The Spirit of Prophecy declares, “It is possible to do this. If you make it a rule, you can do it.” –Ibid., vol. 6, p. 355. What is God’s object here? “All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. . . . All who regard the Sabbath as a sign between them and God, showing that He is the God who sanctifies them, will represent the principles of His government. They will bring into daily practice the laws of His kingdom. Daily it will be their prayer that the sanctification of the Sabbath may rest upon them. Every day they will have the companionship of Christ and will exemplify the perfection of His character. Every day their light will shine forth to others in good works.” –Ibid., vol. 6, p. 353. In order to keep the Sabbath day holy we must ourselves be a holy people, a people set apart for a special purpose. We cannot be just set apart on one day of the week. “To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 289

It will be a delight to those who are truly keeping His commandments. Notice the following quote: “The moral law enjoined the observance of the Sabbath, which was not a burden except when that law was transgressed.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 3, p. 391. The delight in keeping the Sabbath is the result of keeping the whole law, a sign to all that we have sanctified our entire life to Jesus, and that He is the center of our life every day of the week. This is the sign that the angel of God will see when he comes to make the distinction between those who have the mark of the beast and those who have the seal of God. The seal will not be the fact that we go to church on Sabbath every week. We may do this and still be left out of heaven. Rather, the seal will be in our hearts. “The Sabbath is a sign of the relationship existing between God and His people, a sign that they are His obedient subjects, that they keep holy His law.”—Ibid., vol. 8, p. 198

In order to properly keep the Sabbath, taking delight in not speaking our own words or doing our own pleasure, we must have a relationship with Jesus. This relationship with Jesus is everything. The power of God is presented through the conversion of our own hearts—and then on the Sabbath that same power of re-creation rejuvenates our body and soul for the coming week. This is an experience each one of us must have individually.

The true observance of the Sabbath is an experience, an experience we cannot have for each other. We must each make it personally. It is an experience of a person set free from sin, living each moment in the presence of Jesus and by His power being victorious over sin. This experience leads us on the Sabbath day to come aside to rest, contemplate His works, and spend time with those who love Him. This experience can be yours. To see the Sabbath as a delight is a privilege you may have if you surrender your life completely to Jesus. In keeping the Sabbath we are sanctified.

Sabbath, a Delight

“All who love God should do what they can to make the Sabbath a delight, holy and honorable. They cannot do this by seeking their own pleasure in sinful, forbidden amusements. Yet they can do much to exalt the Sabbath in their families and make it the most interesting day of the week. We should devote time to interesting our children. A change will have a happy influence upon them. We can walk out with them in the open air; we can sit with them in the groves and in the bright sunshine, and give their restless minds something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the works of God, and can inspire them with love and reverence by calling their attention to the beautiful objects in nature.

“As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark the close of the sacred hours, and invite God’s presence through the cares of the week of labor.  Thus parents can make the Sabbath, as it should be, the most joyful day of the week. They can lead their children to regard it as a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honorable.” –Child Guidance, p. 536–537

May the Lord strengthen us to keep the Sabbath holy and to enjoy it as a day of delight until His appearance in the cloud, keeping in mind that “So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. ‘From one Sabbath to another’ the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up ‘to worship before Me, saith the Lord.’ Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 66:23.” –Counsels for the Church, p. 271. Amen.

Victor SHUMBUSHO, Congo Union Secretary