How to Keep the Sabbath

You’ve heard us talk for decades here on Tomorrow’s World about obeying the Ten Commandments, including keeping God's Sabbath day. But just how do you keep the Sabbath? As always, the answers we need are waiting for us in the divine word of God. Join us for this episode of Tomorrow's World where we will give you God's own instructions on How to Keep the Sabbath. ♪ Welcome, from all of us here at Tomorrow's World and from our sponsor, the Living Church of God.

All of us here work very hard to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible, and we're very glad you're here. Longtime viewers--and even most new ones--are aware that we here at Tomorrow's World are passionate about keeping the Ten Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment about keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. Jesus kept the seventh-day Sabbath.

His first-century followers, both Jew and Gentile, kept it, and a continuous line of faithful Christians throughout history have kept it, as well--just as God commands. And the free resource we're offering all our viewers today, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? has proven this truth over and over to the more than 100,000 people who have requested it. Be sure to keep your eye on the screen for the information you need to get your own free copy of this life-changing resource.

But exactly how do you keep the seventh-day Sabbath? Well today, we're going to give you God's own answer to that question. But first, I want to highlight two ditches to avoid. The first is believing we should look to Hebrew or Jewish practices and Judaism to understand how to keep the Sabbath. This is a mistake for a number of reasons.

First, over the centuries, Judaism added many additional man-made regulations, restrictions, and conditions that God never intended to be part of Sabbath-keeping. In fact, one of the themes of Jesus Christ's ministry in the first-century was His confrontations with the Jewish leadership about how they'd made God's Sabbath a burden. For instance, let's look at His example and instruction in Mark chapter 2, beginning in verse 23...

"Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" Now, you can search the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation and see no passage at all in which God says you can't feed yourself by plucking a few heads of grain on the Sabbath day.

Now you'll find instructions not to use busy times of the year, such as plowing and harvesting times, as an excuse not to keep the Sabbath-- that's in Exodus 34:21. But no one would rightly call what Jesus and His Apostles were doing "harvesting." They were violating the overly strict, unbiblical regulations of Judaism, but they were not guilty of breaking the Fourth Commandment. If they were, then Jesus was too--yet we know that He never broke even one of God's commands.

So after highlighting how the high priest in King David's day had done a better job of administering God's law according to its intent, Jesus concludes in verses 27 and 28... "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." There are multiple insights to be gained here, and we'll touch on some later. For now, note that Jesus pointed out that the Sabbath was created by God to benefit man, not the other way around.

And the unbiblical requirements that the Jewish authorities had added to the Sabbath command were turning it into a burden God never intended it to be. Such examples of Jesus' instruction to the supposed experts concerning proper Sabbath keeping abound in the gospels. The scribes, Pharisees, and priests may have been experts in Judaism, but that doesn't equate with being experts in how to keep God's laws as He intended. And that is still true today. Paul spoke of his fellow Jewish citizens as...

"hav[ing] a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." It is God's Spirit working through the ministry of His Church, the Body of Christ, that brings truth and understanding of the Scriptures--not an obsession with any one historical language, culture, or people. Keeping the Sabbath doesn't mean adopting practices rooted in Judaism or the teachings of various so-called "Hebrew roots" movements. God's commands are often far simpler than people give them credit for.

To keep the Sabbath, no one needs to adopt Judaism or any of the many movements that seek credibility by imitating it. The other ditch we need to identify at the beginning is the mistake of treating the Sabbath as if it were a generic principle of "one day in seven," and not the specifically designated seventh day of the week--the only day of the week God set aside as the Sabbath. Now we saw earlier in the book of Mark how Jesus said... "the Sabbath was made [or created] for man..."

This points to a profound truth about the Sabbath: That it was directly created by God. Let's read about that creation in Genesis 2. Now when we do, we'll see that the Sabbath was very unique-- something God made by not working... "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Now here we see that God did not set apart just any day of the week, but the seventh day, specifically. We see this reflected in the Fourth Commandment itself in Exodus 20, beginning in verse 8... "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."

We'll read the rest of the commandment later, but notice how plain it is that God, who alone has the authority to designate holy time, set apart the seventh day of the week, specifically, as the Sabbath. To observe any other day of the week is simply not Sabbath-keeping. Resting? Sure. Taking some "me time"? Perhaps. But not keeping the Sabbath.

In fact, this truth--that only the seventh day of the week has been set apart by God as His Sabbath--is recognized by major nominal Christian denominations throughout the world, as documented in today's free resource, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? In this easy-to-read and revealing booklet, you'll find a list of admissions from the major Christian denominations that Scripture acknowledges the seventh-day Sabbath and no other day, including the first day of the week.

If you're curious about what the Sabbath is and how to use it to walk more closely with Jesus Christ and His Father, then Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? is exactly the guide you need. Order your free copy right now, and I'll be right back to begin explaining the three simple keys you need to begin keeping the Sabbath as God intended. Don't go away. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to...

This clear and straight- forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.

Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Welcome back. Let's begin our look at three keys to keeping God's Sabbath by starting with the Sabbath command, itself. But this time, though, let's read it in full... "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 who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."

There are several things worth noting in that commandment, but for now, let's focus on the fact that: "We should cease from our work on the Sabbath." We saw earlier that God did this Himself at creation... "on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work..." So, too, He commands us to cease from our own work on the seventh-day. In today's busy world, it's easy to find ourselves working 24/7.

But God commands us to pause and cease from our labors when the seventh-day begins. By the way, when does that day begin? As Genesis 1 and other passages of the Bible reveal, God counts days from sunset to sunset. So, the seventh-day Sabbath begins from sundown on Friday and continues to sundown on Saturday. And when sundown arrives on Friday, God commands that we set aside our labor, cease from our regular pursuits, and take a rest--just as He did, 6,000 years ago. God doesn't get tired.

He didn't need to rest on the seventh day. He didn't think, "Wow, those six days of creating were really hard. I need a break." He did that as an example for us to follow. And "work" doesn't just mean "employment." How many people spend their Saturdays mowing the lawn, maintaining their home, or doing other laborious chores? The commandment is plain... "on the seventh day... you shall do no work"-- neither you, nor those over whom you have authority.

Now, some of you might say, "Well, my job has times that are just too busy to take a break." If you think this applies to you, I hear you. I used to be an actuarial mathematician for a large insurance company, and our department had its own seasons in the year when work was especially crazy, often involving important legal reporting. But are we to abandon the Sabbath rest during those busy seasons? What does God say? Consider Exodus 34:21, which we mentioned earlier.

And as we read it, remember that ancient Israel was an agricultural society... "Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest." Plowing time and harvest time were just about the busiest times of year in their society. Yet God told them not to make an exception in those days. They were to honor His command and to rest from labor on the seventh-day Sabbath.

Come sundown Friday evening, God commands us to focus on different things, as we'll discuss further later in the program. Part of making this work is properly preparing for the Sabbath. God taught ancient Israel this principle after freeing them from Egypt. Many people have heard of the miraculous "manna from heaven," but few realize that a major purpose of the miracle was to test God's people to see if they would take the Sabbath command seriously.

I recommend you read the entire account in Exodus 16. But for now, let me summarize it by saying that, for the first five days of the week, God rained down enough manna for one day, every day. But on the sixth day, what we'd call Friday, He rained down two days' worth, so they could prepare enough for that day and for the Sabbath day that followed. And on the Sabbath, they were not to go out looking for more-- since God had given them enough for two days the day before...

"Then Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none." Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?" God had warned them to prepare properly for the seventh day during the time leading up to it.

And that's what we should do, as well. God wants us to protect the blessing that His Sabbath represents by planning for it-- taking care of household chores and other mundane work on the other six days of the week, and preserving the seventh-day for the divine rest God intended. Yet the Sabbath is about far more than mere relaxation. As helpful as physical rest is, the real power and blessing of the Sabbath begins to be unlocked as we engage with the two keys that remain.

We'll explain the second vital key in our next segment. But first, let us take a very brief break to give you the opportunity to request today's free offer, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? In this easy-to-read booklet, Roderick C. Meredith answers many questions about Sabbath-keeping, including: If the Bible teaches the seventh-day Sabbath, why do so many keep Sunday instead? On what day was Jesus resurrected? What about verses some say "do away" with the Sabbath?

Will the Sabbath be kept after Christ's return? There is no charge or obligation whatsoever. Just call, write, or click to get your copy. And I'll be right back to dive into the second vital key to Sabbath-keeping. Don't miss it. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight- forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible.

If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now!

Or go to... ♪ In our last segment, we discussed one vital key to keeping the seventh-day Sabbath: "Ceasing from our work." A second vital key is that "We should keep the Sabbath holy." Far more than a mere day of rest, the Sabbath is a day that is holy and set apart by God. In fact, we see this mentioned in the Fourth Commandment even before we're told to rest. Look with me again at the commandment listed in Exodus chapter 20... "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."

There it is, right at the beginning. We saw this in Genesis chapter 2, as well. Let's read that again and note what God does... "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

Now notice, God didn't just rest on the seventh day. He blessed it and sanctified it--made it holy. Those who want to say that the sacredness of the Sabbath began at Mount Sinai or that it's only for Jewish people have no leg to stand on. The Sabbath was made holy from creation. As a day sanctified and set apart from the other days as holy time, the seventh-day Sabbath is not a day we spend like we spend other days.

After all, you might "rest" or "recharge" on a Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday all sorts of ways--go to the movies, watch some sports, play a little golf, go to a concert, or read a few chapters in your favorite book. But the Sabbath isn't just a "day off" or some restful "vacation" time. It is holy, sacred time, set apart by God for special purposes. God highlights this in the book of Isaiah.

In Isaiah 56 God makes plain that He's speaking to people of any origin or nationality, not just Jewish people, and He says in verse 2... "Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."