Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[Beekissed]

I don't think anyone was being "judgemental"...just pondering a situation that has many interpretations and wondering what is considered "rest" and "holy" in a Biblical sense and if there are any specific scriptures about it.

The scripture mentioned was pertaining to Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath...obviously He could have done it the next day if He had so wished. I think He was making a point of showing them that His Father's work is perfectly okay on the Sabbath~Matt. 12: 12 "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

After reading the context to the verse quoted of Matthew 12:11, it seems to be explaining why it was good to do some things(apparently GOOD things for others) on the Sabbath, such as saving a sheep(Christ often used this metaphor to describe the children of His Church, His body of followers) but it also applies to an actual sheep. I don't think anyone would let a sheep suffer all day only to be able to rescue it on a day that wasn't the Sabbath.

But...how many of our Sabbath activities are of that nature? Rescuing creatures in need or doing good to others? I will confess I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to engaging in activities that aren't necessarily of a godly nature or in the line of providing succor to another creature or human on the Sabbath.

I guess it all comes down to answering to God for the choices we made in those situations...will He be pleased or will He feel it wasn't holy or even necessary, let alone in the definition of "rest" on His day?

 

[Wannabefree]

I wasn't saying anyone was being judgemental. I was simply making a statement that folks shouldn't be, and some tend to be on this very topic IME. People are judgmental across denominational lines on WHICH day is actually the Sabbath. I disagree with that as well. There is no way to be sure which day...coulda been Monday I think as long as WE(as in all Christians) observe A Sabbath, then God will honor that. Every day should be treated as a Holy day if you have salvation anyway

 

[BarredBuff]

I agree some things must be done on the Sabbath its just how our existence works. Especially homesteaders like us, we have chickens to feed, cows to milk, and things that have to be done daily. We have no choice. I do try to do as less as possible on Sunday, when we observe a Sabbath. But I have never heard of people not prepping food on Sunday, around here we have BIG dinners on Sundays.

 

[BarredBuff]

Sermon report. I really liked ours today, one of the metaphors he used today was a vegetable garden. How someone can't pray that it be good without a hoe in hand and dirt under your naills. You have to do your part when serving God or anything. You can't neglect it you have to try too. I liked it and just wanted to share.

 

[Wannabefree]

That's prety cool Buff! What I caught of the Sunday School class was pretty neat too.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

Sorry I was late to the discussion, I had stayed in town after meeting today for a baby shower, for a young friend, lots of fun and fellowship.

I can shed some light on the sabbath question, I looked up some info and it is very interesting, that many people love God and want to follow some sort of personal "Sabbath" and that is a good thing. It shows a spiritual longing to please God, but consider this:

Rom. 10:4: Christ is the end of the Law, so that everyone exercising faith may have righteousness. (Sabbath keeping was a part of that Law. God used Christ to bring that Law to its end. Our having a righteous standing with God depends on faith in Christ, not on keeping a weekly sabbath.) (Also Galatians 4:9-11; Ephesians 2:13-16)

Col. 2:13-16: [God] kindly forgave us all our trespasses and blotted out the handwritten document against us, which consisted of decrees and which was in opposition to us . . . Therefore let no man judge you in eating and drinking or in respect of a festival or of an observance of the new moon or of a sabbath. (If a person was under the Mosaic Law and was judged guilty of profaning the Sabbath, he was to be stoned to death by the whole congregation, according to Exodus 31:14 and Numbers 15:32-35. Many who argue for sabbath keeping have reason to be glad that we are not under that Law. As shown in the scripture here quoted, an approved standing with God no longer requires observance of the sabbath requirement given to Israel.)

Sabbath is taken from the Hebrew sha‧vath′, meaning rest, cease, desist. The sabbatical system prescribed in the Mosaic Law included a weekly Sabbath day, a number of additional specified days throughout each year, the seventh year , and the fiftieth year *. The weekly Sabbath of the Jews, the seventh day of their calendar week, is from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. Many professed Christians have traditionally kept Sunday as their day of rest and of worship; others have adhered to the day set aside on the Jewish calendar.

(* Every seventh year they had to let the land rest, no gardens or fields of grain, I have never done this, I don't even know which year this falls on? The Israelites were exiled from their own land, for 70 yrs. for not following the seventh year Sabbath. They were taken into captivity to Babylon. On the 50th year all of the land had to be given back to it's original owner, and all debts were forgiven, and all slaves, went free etc.) Could anyone actually keep all of these requirements?

So how do Christians actually have a part in the "Sabbath"? From what are Christians here urged to rest? From their own works. What works? Works by means of which they formerly sought to prove themselves righteous. No longer do they believe that they can earn Gods approval and gain eternal life by complying with certain rules and observances. That was the error of faithless Jews who, by seeking to establish their own righteousness, did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. (Rom. 10:3) True Christians recognize that all of us were born sinners and that it is only by faith in the sacrifice of Christ that anyone can have a righteous standing with God.

I am certain as a sinner I could never keep the Sabbath perfectly as prescribed in the Mosaic Law, so I am comforted that Jesus has got it covered for me, what Joy!

 

[Denim Deb]

While I agree that we don't need to keep the Sabbath in the way the Jews did, we need to remember why the Sabbath was giving in the first place. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was God's provision for rest. If we work 7 days w/no break, then we'll eventually break down.

Not only that, but putting a day aside for God can be a testimony to the world around you. If I have a choice between going horseback riding and/or canoeing on Sunday or going to church, 99 times out of 100, I'm going to choose church. The only time I would choose the activity over church would be if there was going to be a devotional, and I've been asked to help w/it. Even when I've gone away for the weekend-like when I went to Harrisburg, I still look for a place to go and worship God. When the kids were little, and we went camping, I always chose a campground where there was a Sunday service.

Here's a question for y'all. How many carry a Bible w/you when you go out so if the opportunity arises for you to witness, you can show the scripture if asked?

 

[BarredBuff]

I usually do DD.

 

[Wannabefree]

I carry the Word in my heart and sometimes in my hand I think it's more important to have it in your heart, and show folks through your actions. It's nice to also have it in your hand though, because scripture is often misquoted, and you can physically show people where and how. Seems everyone is from Missouri(the SHOW ME state) when it comes to bible matters these days

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

While I agree that we don't need to keep the Sabbath in the way the Jews did, we need to remember why the Sabbath was giving in the first place. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was God's provision for rest. If we work 7 days w/no break, then we'll eventually break down.

Not only that, but putting a day aside for God can be a testimony to the world around you. If I have a choice between going horseback riding and/or canoeing on Sunday or going to church, 99 times out of 100, I'm going to choose church. The only time I would choose the activity over church would be if there was going to be a devotional, and I've been asked to help w/it. Even when I've gone away for the weekend-like when I went to Harrisburg, I still look for a place to go and worship God. When the kids were little, and we went camping, I always chose a campground where there was a Sunday service.

Here's a question for y'all. How many carry a Bible w/you when you go out so if the opportunity arises for you to witness, you can show the scripture if asked?


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Proverbs 31:10-31.

Agreed, but in that it is a sabbath in a spiritual sense, resting from our "own works" and doing God's work . I set aside one day a week to do this, but its not always on Sunday, and it does involve physical work like packing lunches and getting up early to feed animals, and cleaning up, and after finishing for the day sometimes I pop into the store to get some grocery shopping done because gas is precious and I don't want to make another trip. Indeed, Jesus was all about work, Luke 10:1,2 After these things the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. Then he began to say to them: The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Yes I carry Bible and other liturature at all times and at all occasions!
Never get caught without the "sword of the spirit" to ward off the blows of the wicked one, and my toothbrush just in case I get arrested for preaching.

John 5:14-19 After these things Jesus found him in the temple and said to him: See, you have become sound in health. Do not sin anymore, in order that something worse does not happen to you. The man went away and told the Jews it was Jesus that made him sound in health. So on this account the Jews went persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things during Sabbath. But he answered them: My Father has kept working until now, and I keep working. On this account, indeed, the Jews began seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.
Therefore, in answer, Jesus went on to say to them: Most truly I say to YOU, The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing.