It is my theory that the concept of not bearing burdens on the sabbath still holds, even though we’re living in the New Testament (NT) ‘post-law’ era. The NT burden, however, is not a physical weight or work done, but rather is the heaviness we take to God from Monday to Saturday – the millions of requests for Him to do something, requesting that He works on those days.
In Genesis 1 God worked six days (for whatever length of time constituted a day – an anomaly since time did not yet exist!) and then kicked His feet up for the seventh day. So why can’t He expect the same today?
The NT sabbath is that day we go to church, not to ask Him for something, but rather to give Him something.
Modern day Christianity seems to teach that it’s ok to bombard Him with things all week, but on Sundays we get to meet together so we can corporately bombard Him for yet more things. The expectation appears to be that He is always at our command, only more so because there is now a gang of us asking together.
Since He made everything, and there is nothing that doesn’t come from Him, the only gift we could ever give Him is our appreciation for what He has done during the week. It would be our freewill offering, something that is special because it is the one thing He cannot have without our choosing to give it.
So come on, church, how about we play fair and give Him His day, one day of the week, where we don’t ask for anything, be it healing or blessing, or whatever? One day in seven where we can spend the day thankful for what He has done, thankful for the meal, thankful for the people we can share it with, thankful and hopeful for the week ahead, confident that He will be able to do what He has promised because He’s shown himself capable in the past.
One day in which we meet together as a body to give thanks, to give praise, to worship, to tell Him, and each other, how amazed we are that He managed to get this or that done, and how wonderful He is to still be loving despite all that we have done.
A day to worship our God. His day. All day.
6 responses so far ↓
Debra // December 9, 2008 at 6:30 pm |
Quote: “A day to worship our God. His day. All day.”
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His “day” is the same as it was at Creation and that’s the 7th Day Sabbath (a.k.a. Saturday) and it begins Friday at sunset until Saturday at sunset then and NOW! This has not changed!
Debra // December 10, 2008 at 12:37 am |
What happened to my comment about the Sabbath? I am a born again believer who keeps the 7th day Sabbath and God proclaimed? Show me in Scripture where this has changed? Show me? On the other hand I can show you where it has not!
Debra // December 10, 2008 at 12:38 am |
Okay, never mind now I see it….thanks anyway…gave me another opportunity to say something…eh!
Debra // December 10, 2008 at 4:56 pm |
Thanks for your reply and I agree with much of what you said but I see that you appear to miss the point of what the Sabbath is because it’s much more than just a “day of rest”. The Sabbath is God’s sign (Ex. 31:13, Eze. 20:12, 20) and seal. He calls this day and this day alone holy (Ex. 20:8 & 31:14). Men can choose a day of “rest” but this does not equate to the only day God commands us to rest on. If we profess to follow His Word then we should obey by keeping the day He set aside from the beginning of time. In doing this we also acknowledge His as our Creator.
Quote: “He tests minds and hearts : having the day just because it is a rule, yet having no heart desire to do it, is pointless, a waste of time. If a person has a job that forces them to work on a Friday night, yet that person has passion for God that drives them to set aside a day in which they thank God, God is honoured by that. It’s all about how one approaches, and not so much about the event – He prefers loyalty over sacrifice.”
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Actually the Word says that He prefers “obedience” over sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). You are right in that it is pointless to do something if your heart is not in it. Yet all true born again believers who have the “law” written on their heart (Jeremiah 31:33) should love all that His law says to do. If His Word says keep the Sabbath then this should be a joy to do not a burden. The Pharisees made it a burden not God! Jesus came to remove the man-made burdens NOT the Sabbath day!
Quote: “Be careful about what you choose as rules to bind your life to. We are indeed free of all “obedience by law”, set free to obey from love.”
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I am that’s why I “choose life” (Deut. 29:15-20) by seeking to obey His Word. His Word isn’t binding – it’s our guide for living our lives and I do obey out of love for my Messiah and my Creator!
What we as believers need to “be careful” about is if we are walking in obedience to His Word or not. Even Jesus said “if you love me you will obey me” (John 14:15, 21, & 23)….this means the Word including the Sabbath day – the “test” day for all mankind (Ex. 16:27-30 & Deut. 8:15-17)!
dennis bartlett // December 11, 2008 at 6:51 pm |
Loyalty over sacrifice…
Quote: Actually the Word says that He prefers “obedience” over sacrifice
Actually it doesn’t.. well, maybe it did in reference to Samuel and the issues of that day, but the scripture I was referring to is in Hosea…
Hosea 6:6
For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
The bible I used is a Holman Christian Standard Bible. I like this version because it retains much of the meaning of the KJV but in an easier language set.
I also use an NKJV and a NLT, so bible choice I leave up to God to choose on a particular day. Sometimes I get to open two (or three!) separate bibles at the same time, all opened at random spots, and all relevant to the lesson of the day, and quite astoundingly all fitting into the theme of that period…
sabbath revisited: God is so much more than a day « trambellings // December 11, 2008 at 7:15 pm |
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