Vineyard Labourer Bible College

Study 27

MANNER OF OBSERVING THE SABBATH

"Oh, I am so very tired of the Sabbath." So said Billy, a playful little fellow, who was longing for the Sabbath to be over, that he might return to his play.

"Who wants to hear a story?" said a kind friend who was present.

"I, sir," "And I," "And I," said the children. Then he told them a parable.

"A kind man has some very nice apples hanging upon a tree. A poor man was passing by the house of the owner, and he stopped to admire this beautiful apple tree. He counted the golden apples. There were just seven of them. The rich owner could afford to give them away, and it gave him so much pleasure to make this poor man happy, that he called him, and said:

"My friend, I will give you a part of my fruit."

"So he held out his hands and received six of the apples. The owner kept only one for himself."

"Do you think the poor man was grateful for this kindness? No, indeed! He wanted the whole seven apples all for himself, and at last he made up his mind that he would watch his time, and go back and steal the other apple."

"Did he do that?" said Billy, very sorry. "He ought to have been ashamed of himself. I hope he got well punished for stealing that apple."

"How many days are there in the week, Billy?" said his friend.

"Seven," said Billy, blushing deeply for he now began to understand the parable, and he felt uneasy about his heart. Conscience began to whisper to him, "And should not a boy be ashamed of himself who is unwilling on the seventh day to lay aside his play? Ought he not to be punished if he will not remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy?"

WHAT SAITH THE LORD

1. What is first commanded in the Sabbath commandment? Exodus 20:8.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy." Exodus 20:8.

2. Which day is the Sabbath? Exodus 20:10.

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:" Exodus 20:10.

3. For what purpose are we to remember the Sabbath and who made it that way? Exodus 20:8, 11.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8, 11.

4. In the Bible, when does a day begin? Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. ... And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. ... And the evening and the morning were the third day. ... And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. ... And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. ... And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.

Note: The evening begins "at the going down of the sun." See Deuteronomy 16:6; 23:11; Mark 1:32. Therefore a day begins and ends at sunset. Also see Leviticus 23:32.

Also see:-

"But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt." Deuteronomy 16:6.

"But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water: and when the sun is down, he shall come into the camp again." Deuteronomy 23:11.

"And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils." Mark 1:32.

"It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." Leviticus 23:32.

5. What kind of labour is to be done through the week? Exodus 20:9.

"Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:" Exodus 20:9.

6. Is any of this work to be done on the Sabbath? Exodus 20:10.

"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:" Exodus 20:10.

7. How does the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, indicate what is true Sabbath keeping? Isaiah 58:13, 14.

"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: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 58:13, 14.

8. What is God, and how only can He be truly worshipped? John 4:24.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24.

9. What does the "psalm for the Sabbath day" suggest as proper acts and themes for thought and meditation on the Sabbath? Psalms 92:1-5.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep." Psalms 92:1-5.

10. What things did Nehemiah speak about that are not to be done on the Sabbath? Nehemiah 13:15-21.

"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.

11. What else were the children of Israel not to do no the Sabbath? Exodus 35:2, 3.

"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day." Exodus 35:2, 3.

Note: During the wilderness wanderings the children of Israel had no need of a fire for warmth, as God was with them as a pillar of cloud to cool them by day, and a pillar of fire to warm them by night (Exodus 13:21). This was not the case once they took possession of the land of Cannan, as the climate was more severe. This example tells us that if it is not necessary, don't do it!

12. Apart from being a day of rest, what else is the Sabbath supposed to be? Leviticus 23:3.

"Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." Leviticus 23:3.

13. How did Paul say the same thing? Hebrews 10:25.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:25.

14. What example did Christ set in Sabbath observance? Luke 4:16.

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16.

15. What else did Jesus do on the Sabbath? John 9:14.

"And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes." John 9:14.

16. With what words did He justify acts of mercy on the Sabbath day? Matthew 12:12.

"How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." Matthew 12:12.

17. What is the day before the Sabbath called? Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31.

"And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath," Mark 15:42.

"And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on." Luke 23:54.

"The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." John 19:31.

18. How did the Israelites in the wilderness on the sixth day prepare for the Sabbath? Exodus 16:22, 23.

"And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Exodus 16:22, 23.

19. What promise has God made to those who keep His Sabbath? Isaiah 56:1-7.

"Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:1-7.