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The Sabbath law was binding on everyone till the day Jesus died on the cross setting the Levitical priesthood aside because its laws could not save the adherents from sin. While ministering on earth, Jesus performed miracles on the Sabbath several times and that caused problems for him as the Jewish leaders felt scandalized by such actions. The fact was that the Jews took the Sabbath law and others like it overboard. Their zeal without knowledge defeated the reasons for having the law, and in their hard-heartedness, they also broke these same laws they wanted to keep at all cost.
Law of Sabbath
The foremost purpose of the law of Sabbath was to make the children of Israel know that the Lord is God who created them and sanctified them. God told Ezekiel that; "I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy." (Eze 20:12) Spending that day to rest is a way of reminding them always about God, His attributes and His demands for a Sabbath rest as He also rested on the seventh day of creation. They were being taught to also give rest to their family, workers and animals. Keeping Sabbath also mirrors the faith rest, the grace that was to come through Christ. Through His grace, there is freedom from the dead work of trying to please God by keeping religious rules.
Is Sunday replacing Sabbath?
Sunday is first day of the week and not Sabbath. God was specific when he gave the law of the Sabbath. It was not to be celebrated on any other day except the seventh day. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work, you nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger within your house. (Ex 20:8-10)
Why Christians worship on Sunday
Jesus resurrected on the first day of the week, a Sunday and in commemoration of this event, his followers began to gather for prayers, ministration of the word and holy communion on Sundays, just as Jesus commanded them to do. This is the practice most Christians follow today with the exception of a few denominations like the Seventh Day Adventist among others who still meet for worship on Saturdays.
The Christian era commenced with the Pentecost when Jesus poured His Spirit upon believers according to His promise. Many things changed because of that event. The old temple arrangement changed and believers became the temple of God. By obeying the laws of the Spirit, believers can fulfill the requirements of the law. Believers are to worship God in Spirit and truth every day of their lives and in all endeavors just as Paul wrote in Romans 12:1. The Message translation renders the verse this way So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary lifeyour sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lifeand place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.
Work is worship
Paul counsels further And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father (Col3:17) It then means that work is worship. Wherever a Christian may find herself is a holy ground and if they be two or three, the place is Church and what must be happening there is worship, inclusive of the work that puts food on their tables. The workplaces are the mission grounds for believers where they go to shine as light and give taste as salt. The gracious attitudes, speech that build up and merciful actions make followers of Christ to shine and give taste to the world. Working on Sundays should not be seen as a sin because God did not give a commandment that restrains believers from working on Sundays.
Changes in cultural settings
The cultural settings of today is a far cry from what the Jews had. Technology has permeated man's thoughts today such that many things that were not possible then are now possible. Commerce and healthcare among others know no bounds now, cutting across timezones and religious inclinations unlike what obtained among the Jews who had only one religion and a relatively smaller land mass. There are now duties regarded as essential and which must go on 24 hours a day and 7days a week because the pillars of the technology-driven society rests on them. Christians cannot be isolated from this, rather the system affords them more opportunities to let their light shine in the world.
Not forsaking the assembly of the saints
However, this is not to be taken as a liberty to work without rest or to shun the worship places. The writer of Hebrews warns against forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as is the manner of some (Heb 10:25) There is one form of assembly or the other every day in Churches including Sunday morning worship, Sunday evening service, Bible Study, Mid week Service, prayer meetings and fellowship group meetings among others. People who must work on essential services on Sundays can attend other programmes and take their rest on their official days off. What matters most is their heart devotion to God and how they represent Christ everywhere they may be.
Learn more about this author, Adelani Aderemi.
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No
All reference to whether Sunday is the true Sabbath of the Christian faith or not aside. As well as the debate to whether it was God or man who ordained Sunday to be the Christian day of worship. Let us look simply at the subjects of work and worship.
Each religion has a day on which they worship God. For example the Jewish faith, from the Orthodox to the Hassidic, observe Friday evening at Saturday evening as their religious day of worship. They do no work nor do they conduct business during this time. The women do not even prepare a meal for their family during this time. All meals are prepared prior to sunset on Friday evening. The Jewish have not compromised their religious beliefs. Society at large respects this observance. Case in point, businesses that cater to the Jewish population respect and observe this time of worship as well.
Most other religions choose to gather and worship God on Sunday. Historical review or no, the day for worship for the Christian faith has been Sunday, for generations. Oddly, the Christian faith has the most difficulties being permitted to fellowship and worship on Sunday. This being largely due to today's business and retail economic advancements.
The business' today remain open seven days and evenings a week, in the guise of consumer demand. The blue laws; laws that, at least in the state of New Jersey, required businesses to close for the observance of the Sabbath. These blue laws, at the very least left one day, Sunday, for the family to gather and observe the common day of worship as the family saw fit. Unfortunately these laws were done away with. Now most retail businesses, even liquor stores, are open on Sunday until 10 pm. Just twenty years ago retail businesses observed a 5 pm closing time, at least allowing the family one day of gathering together for a dinner. Now that too has been abandoned.
Having this knowledge, we should address the Christian's right to observe their biblical requirement to abstain from work on their Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5: 12-15 explains the reason that this subject is an issue for all Christian religions and their followers. At this time the explanation of these texts is pertinent. The book of Deuteronomy is contained within the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. This is the Torah, the book that contains the Jewish observed scriptures. It is, as well, the first five books of the Christian Bible. Therefore these are both Jewish and Christian observed guidelines for the observance of the Sabbath. The only difference between the two, for this article, is the day of the observance. The reason for the observance remains that which is within the scriptures. The requirement that the people of God respect the Sabbath and keep it holy.
These particular scriptures in Deuteronomy state simply that the people of God are to observe and keep holy a day set aside for the worship of the LORD. In the old testament of the bible, when read correctly in study, the reference of LORD (in all capitals) is reference to God, himself. The reference is that God spent six days creating our world and rested on the seventh day. He did not say if that day was Wednesday or Sunday, at all. He did however state that the seventh day is the Sabbath. The seventh day goes according to the calendar followed by any respective religion. The scriptures further direct, in biblical terms, that this is commanded. Stating that no one, not father, child nor slave shall work on this observed Holy day. The scriptures even declare that working animals were not to be worked on this Holy day. It calls people, specifically the bosses, to remember the days when they were slaves to a boss and how God brought them to this higher standing in life. These scriptures remind us once again, at the end, that this is a command from God.
It remains a fact that the Jewish Sabbath is observed and respected by most other religions and society itself. Mainly because they do not compromise their beliefs. It can be documented, also, that most of the beliefs and days of worship of other religions are typically honored within present day society. Hinduism, Muslim and Buddhism being just a few of these religions. Again, the followers of these religions like the Jews, do not compromise their doctrine.
Now it is true that the observed day of worship for most religions is Sunday, and each religion has its own rule or doctrine which is followed on that day. Its seems though, that it is specifically the Christian faith that society has no respect for. Catholicism, a Christian faith, seems to be the only Christian denomination that most people seem to know and respect. The other denominations appear not to have as much credence given to them, particularly those churches that consider themselves non-denominational.
I n today's world of supply and demand it seems that faith, worship and family are the casualties. Businesses are open seven days a week, in most areas. The American society appears to have entered into the bondage of work and finance, just to survive. It reminds one of the scriptures about the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). People do not even seem to have the time for their own families any longer in this days economical requirements.
The tragedy is this, for most Americans the one day off that they have is Sunday. Out of fatigue and need to be with their family they have pushed off the Sabbath traditions of worship and fellowship, and made it family day. This day is no longer spent observing God or fellowshipping with like minded people. It is spent in isolation, away from those outside the home and hearth. This puts one in mind of the scripture urging the believer not to forsake the fellowship of other Christians.
The necessity of work to survive being the case, there should be ample give in the seven day scheduling of these businesses, allowing people to observe their particular days of worship. Due to the climate in America's politically correct society if the Jew and the Muslim's days of worship are to be respected by the Christian, should society not, then, observe and respect the Sabbath of the Christian follower, as well?
It is often shouted from the mountain tops that Christians do not respect the beliefs of other religions. This is not true. Somehow though, that has become a reason to leave the Christian believer without the same rights and religious benefits that other religions enjoy in present day society. It gives the appearance of punishment at best, persecution at worst.
The contention is this, Christians do not disrespect the beliefs and traditions of other religions or their people. Most Christians guard their faith as fiercely as the Jew or the Hindu guard their faith. Those Christians living a lifestyle that is guided by their faith, do not and will not compromise the truth of their faith. Therefore they will not work on their Sabbath, Sunday.
Again it bears pointing out, that in America and many European countries Sunday has been the chosen day of Sabbath for all Christian faiths. Yet, society has opened and allowed the flood gates of the economy to invade this observed Holy day to commerce. No one should be forced to work on the day on which their faith observes the Sabbath. Yet, these same individuals should refuse to work or do business on that day, as well. The Christian should guard Sunday as fiercely as the Jew guards Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. With no compromise.
To change society's view on this particular practice, the Christian must refuse to compromise their faith and beliefs. This writer does not work, nor does she shop on Sunday. The day is spent in the house of God and then around a table with friends and family in fellowship, often ending in a time of bible study or testimony. This particular group of believers have had times of hardship in this choice. However with diligence they have found that they no longer must give in to the supply and demand of today's society through a constant good stewardship to the faith and their finances. They do not work nor do they conduct business on Sunday, yet they survive and function within their finances just fine.
If someone of any religion decides to live a lifestyle dedicated to God there comes change. Change in one's lifestyle, business dealings and relationships. Steadfastly standing by the observances of one's Sabbath traditions will shape a society that once again respects all religious observances and family values. Until people dedicated to their faith and beliefs live in the fashion they require others to respect the blue laws will remain abandoned.
There will be reward, too, for ones who truly observe the command of our God to keep the Sabbath holy. By not working or conducting business, they will find that God, Himself will honor their obedience with favor and prosperity. This writer can attest that God's promise here has been honored. There is only one area the Christian is invited to test God in, that is finances. This writer's family tested that system and has proven God's promise to be attainable. The book of Malachi 3:10-12 states the invitation and the promise:
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,"
Says the LORD of hosts,
" If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
" And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,"
Says the LORD of hosts;
And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,"
Says the LORD of hosts.
Learn more about this author, Andrea D. Hutchinson.
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