Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. Acts 20:7
What does the Bible say about the Sabbath—which is the fourth of the Ten Commandments? We’ve considered Exodus 20:8-9. Verse 10 gives principles regarding what to do and not do on the Sabbath day.
Remember that we are never to add to or subtract from God’s Word. The religionists Jesus scolded had added a slew of man-made regulations that God never gave. We must not do that. When no particulars are given by God, we are to understand the principles God has set forth, and then walk according to wisdom and conscience to discern how we (as individuals and families) are to obey the principles. Consider the principles contained Exodus 20:10.
Exodus 20:10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
We are to refrain from “work,” but what work? The Sabbath is not a day for idleness, nor is it a day that we stop living. This is usually understood that we are to refrain from the regular tasks of “employment” whether we are employed at a job, school, or homemaking. The principle is: stop doing what you do during your six days of work. This includes refraining from commerce, including commerce that puts others to work.
Exceptions include addressing emergencies (as when one’s “donkey falls into a ditch” Luke 14:5). We are to care for those who are sick or in need. We are to engage in Christian and charitable ministry (“as unto the Lord”). And there are some sectors of employment that are necessary such as police, fire, and medical workers.
These are the principles set forth by God in His Word. It is up to us to wisely discern how He would have us put these into practice. And we must give others the grace to do the same, even when their convictions differ from ours.
Lastly, let us factor in the principle our Lord gave regarding the Sabbath, that “the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), lest we make keeping the Lord’s Day a burden instead of a blessing.
Who is to observe the Sabbath? Next time…