What is the Sabbath Day?
In Hebrew, Sabbath means “to cease” or “to rest.” In Genesis, the Sabbath day commemorated God’s “day” of rest after the Creation. That was the point at which he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. In studying the Old Testament I think that we tend to misunderstand the Israelites in their ineptitude and lack of ability to follow commandments. But Elder Faust reminds us that these people had been slaves for generations. They had been denied individual freedom of choice for so long, that like the “slothful and unwise servant”, they DID need to be instructed in all things. So when it came to the Sabbath, they were told how far they could walk, what kind of knots they could tie, etc.
In our time, Heavenly Father has recognized our intelligence by not requiring endless restrictions. Perhaps this was done with a hope that we would catch more of the spirit of Sabbath worship rather than the letter of it. In our day, however, this pendulum of Sabbath day desecration has swung very far indeed. We stand in jeopardy of losing great blessings promised. After all, it is a test by which the Lord seeks to “prove you in all things” (D&C 98:14) to see if your devotion is complete.
When Christ came, he reaffirmed the importance of Sabbath day worship, but gave a new spirit into this part of it. He said, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. The Son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath Day,” and he affirmed that “it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath.” Sabbath day observance in our day is now more of a manifestation of our individual devotion and commitment rather than a requirement of civil law.
Until his resurrection, Jesus Christ and his disciples honored the 7th day as the Sabbath, as the Jews still do today (Shabbat). However, after his resurrection, Sunday was held sacred as the Lord’s Day.
As with most commandments, the Lord gives us a promise if we obey the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. He says “that inasmuch as ye do this, the fullness of the earth is yours, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees and walketh upon the earth, yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, yea all things which come of the earth.”
What SHOULD we do on the Sabbath?
“The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day to which he is expected. To fail to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission side.” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969, pp. 96–97.)
In choosing Sabbath day activities, we should ask ourselves 3 questions:
Will it uplift and inspire me?
Does it show respect for the Lord?
Does it direct my thoughts to him?
President James E. Faust gives us three reasons why the Lord has asked us to honor the Sabbath day.
First has to do with the physical need for rest and renewing. Obviously God, who created us, would know more than we do of the limits of our physical and nervous energy and strength.
Second has to do with the regeneration and strengthening of our spiritual being. God knows that, left completely to our own devices without regular reminders of our spiritual needs, many would degenerate into the preoccupation of satisfying earthly desires and appetites. This need for physical, mental and spiritual regeneration is met in large measure by faithful observance of the Sabbath Day.
Third is the most important of the three. It has to do with obedience to commandments as an expression of our love for God. Blessed are those who need no reasons other than their love for the Savior to keep his commandments. The prophet Samuel reminds us, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”
He goes on to remind us that the most important promise God gives us for obedience to this commandment is protection. “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world.” If sincere Sabbath observance will help keep us unspotted from the world, don’t we want that? Don’t we want that for our children as they go out the door every day? The injunction to keep the Sabbath Day holy is a continuing covenant between God and his elect people.
Exodus 31:14, 16-17
“Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations…for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever.”
Ultimately, what is worthy or unworthy on the Sabbath day will have to be judged by each of us trying to be honest with the Lord. I know that in my own life, when I observe the Sabbath, the spirit is in my home, my week is better, my soul is better, my work is better – my life is better. I’m grateful for every covenant the Lord has made with us, including the sacredness of this one. I hope we can all either continue doing well, or try to improve on what we know is right.
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