How Do I Keep The Sabbath? (Q & A)

By: John Spellman

What do the scriptures tell us about how to keep the Sabbath? When we examine the Bible texts, there is an abundance of information that we can glean. Aside from the specific information given by the texts, we can also look at the Israelite examples, the example of Jesus, and apostolic examples.



1. What does the Sabbath Commandment state?

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: 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. (Exo 20:8-11 )

The commandment itself states that the Sabbath is a holy day: the day itself was hallowed in creation. The Sabbath was not made holy by man’s worship, but the day itself is already holy whether people observe it or not.

As for observing the Sabbath, the very first thing the commandment states is NOT to do any work. The Sabbath is not a work day for anyone in one’s household, the commandment includes visitors and employees / servants. Not only are observers not to work, but no one is to work for them. Even animals are not to be put to work on the Sabbath.

Lets give examples of modern day things that would be forbidden and then look at the principles which explain why. Working at your job would be a breach of the Sabbath. Clearly, the commandment states not to work. At the same time, if you’re an employer, having your employees come to work would be a breach of the Sabbath. This is because the commandment points out that the “manservant” and “maidservant” are not to work. It would also extend to other areas where people would have to work for you: bellhops, maids, etc. One could not go to a restaurant on the Sabbath because the waiter / waitress, cook, and cashier would all need to work. Children can take joy in that they don’t have to do chores (“nor thy son, nor thy daughter“).



2. Are all types of work forbidden on the Sabbath?

And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof: This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. (Num 28:9-10)

In short, NO! In the text above, God clearly commanded individuals to work (particularly the priests). In the Old Testament, offerings were made on the Sabbath. The priests were in charge of conducting these services. Priests also ran the temple administrations and the synagogues (similar to our Churches today). But how can this be if no work is to be done on the Sabbath?

The commandment speaks against servile work: work that one does to obtain a living. However, it excludes ministerial work: work that one does for God. The Sabbath was not a day of physical rest, but a day of spiritual rest. Ministers had to work on the Sabbath: preaching, teaching, offering sacrifices, etc. Jesus worked the works of God on the Sabbath: healing, preaching, and teaching.

We must understand that there is a difference between servile work and work that one does for God. We are encouraged to work the works of God while we rest from our labors. The Sabbath is a day for ministry! In the New Testament, the sacrifices and offerings are no longer required; however, we minister in other ways. Aside from preaching and teaching people minister in different ways: Ushering (So people can find seats), collecting tithes and offering (for Church use), visiting the sick, visiting missing members, and evangelistic efforts.

By “rest” the Sabbath is not referring to sleep, but a cessation from servile work that one does to earn a living. When God rested from creating, He didn’t go to sleep: He took time to enjoy what He had done! The Sabbath is a day of spiritual rest not sleep!

Jesus worshipped on the Sabbath and read the scriptures in the synagogues every week. He also taught Bible classes. However, He did not work as a carpenter. Honesty and common sense will make it clear what types of work are appropriate for the Sabbath. It’s inappropriate to claim you’re doing ministry through servile work because you need to “minister” to your own needs and pay bills. That’s not what ministry is about.

(Acts 13:27; Acts 15:21; are other texts that give information about how the Sabbath was kept Biblically. They read and studied the scriptures, preachers preached.)



3. If I can’t work, can I rest by going to the movies and spending time with family?

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. (Isa 58:13-14)

Obviously going to the movies would be a breach because at the movies someone has to work. But suppose you rented a few movies a day in advance so that you and your friends could watch them on the Sabbath? Would that be a breach?

Yes! The above text explains why. The Sabbath is not a day in which we do our own pleasure, and our own thing. It’s not a time in which we can talk about and do anything we want (even if it doesn’t involve working). The Sabbath is about giving glory and honor to God.

This means that playing sports, games, movies, shopping, secular parties, secular music, school related activities, work related activities, etc. would all be inappropriate for the Sabbath because they are about our pleasure and not God’s pleasure. The Sabbath is to be a time of complete focus on God: other activities are not appropriate for such a time.

A great test to measure the appropriateness of an activity for the Sabbath is to ask: how will this activity glorify God? Pretty much, secular activities that you would normally do during the week are not appropriate for the Sabbath.

“Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;” (Jer 17:21)



4. Can I buy or sell things on the Sabbath?

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? (Neh 13:15-17)

Nehemiah points out that it was a sin to buy and sell on the Sabbath. In doing so, individuals had actually profaned the Sabbath. They were told not do work for their livelihood on this special occasion!



5. Can I just stay home by myself on the Sabbath?

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:23-26)

Hebrews is clear that we are not to forsake the “assembling” of ourselves together. We are to attend the holy assembling of God’s people (Lev 23:3). This will become clear in the next section. However, here we will make clear that the purpose of the Church is to “provoke” love and good works amongst the members of the body of Christ. There are blessings that can’t be obtained in small groups (or on an individual basis) that can be obtained through corporate worship.



6. What is supposed to be done on the Sabbath?

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. (Lev 23:3)

This text brings out that the Sabbath is a “holy convocation”. Here many force themselves to stumble, but the Word of God is clear. The Hebrew word used for “convocation” is “miqra”; it comes from a Hebrew root word which, like the Greek word for Church (“Ecclessia”), means “called out”. The word “Church” (in use today) is a reference to the “Ecclessia”: the “called out” ones. That’s why the body of Christ is called “the Church”. We are “called out” from the world to serve God.

“Miqra”, by definition, means: a public meeting or rehearsal. It can also be translated to “assembly”. In summary, a holy convocation is basically a holy public meeting, or a holy assembling of God’s people. This means that on the Sabbath, God’s people are to assemble publicly for worship!

Now, many think that any type of assembly will do. Some think that it can be an assembly of family members and friends. However, a true understanding of the words “holy convocation” will not leave any confused. The “holy convocation” is a public meeting. When individuals meet with friends and / or family, those are private meetings. The idea, given in scripture, is that its an assembling together of the people of God for public worship.

Consider the difference between a classroom meeting and a school assembly. When the principal calls for a school assembly, he/she is not calling for individual classrooms or small groups of students to meet. Rather, the whole school needs to show up in the assembly hall. When individuals meet in small groups or classrooms, they are indeed having a meeting-- but it’s not a school assembly.

Likewise, the Sabbath is to be a public meeting: a holy assembling together of God’s people. This implies going to Church. Some might make mention that its impossible for every Christian believer to meet in one particular spot globally; however, when we look at the example of scripture we find that this is not what the Jews did every Sabbath: they assembled in synagogues (aka Churches). We should do the same!

It should also be noted that staying inside the Church building for 24 hours is not a requirement of keeping the Sabbath. God’s people are required to meet, but there are other things that can be done on the Sabbath as well. In doing ministerial work (as mentioned earlier), we can visit the sick who (for health reasons wouldn’t be able to attend Church). We can take care of the poor and needy on the Sabbath as well.

The commandment itself (Exo 20:8-11) teaches that the Sabbath was made as a memorial of Creation. It is therefore appropriate to get out into nature and find ways to appreciate the creation on the Sabbath. God did not rest on the Sabbath because He was tired: He set aside a special time to enjoy His creation. We too can take that same time to appreciate God’s work! Nature appreciation is a reasonable Sabbath activity, although the convocation is a necessary part Sabbath observance as well.

This information is important because the convocation did not meet for an entire 24 hours. Therefore, although attending the assembling of God’s people is VERY important, after the worship service there are other activities one can perform on the Sabbath as well! These include: prayer, nature, many types of ministry, and religious programming / activities. One can choose to stay in the 4 walls of the church for the entire Sabbath if they choose to; however, that is only a portion of what Sabbath observance was designed to be (for the purpose of public worship).



7. How did Jesus keep the Sabbath?

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)

Jesus kept the Sabbath by going to Church! In addition to that he also healed on the Sabbath and ministered to the needs of others. (Matt 12:9-13) Even while doing these things and ministering to others, Jesus still attended Church.



8. How did the apostles keep the Sabbath?

And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:4)

There are several examples as well as historical evidence that show the apostles kept the Sabbath. However, this text tells that Paul not only kept the Sabbath, he kept it by going to the synagogues and doing Bible studies.

In addition, Jesus showed that He expected His followers to be keeping the Sabbath when He stated: “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:”(Matt 24:20) In context, Jesus was warning His followers of how the temple would be destroyed in 70AD. He warned them to pray that they wouldn’t have to escape on the Sabbath (when they and the Jews would be worshipping and it would be harder to escape).

The text shows that Jesus knew His followers would be assembled as they kept the Sabbath. It not only demonstrates that His followers kept the Sabbath, but that they kept it by assembling together for worship: not by small groups of friends and family.



9. How will the Sabbath be kept in Heaven?

And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. (Isa 66:23)

God said that in heaven “all flesh” would be assembled to worship Him. Revelation tells us that there will be no physical temple in New Jerusalem because “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it”. (Rev 21:22) Yet, we find that all people will be assembled to worship God in one place. In this way, Sabbath keeping will be different in heaven: we will get to worship God directly and all people will be gathered in one physical location.



10. What if there’s an emergency and I can’t make it to Church on Sabbath?

And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? (Luke 14:5)

If emergencies occur, and you can’t possibly make it to Church on Sabbath you may not be guilty of breaking the Sabbath. There are allowances for things like sickness, transportation problems, etc. However, there are things that are not considered reasonable emergencies.

In the above text, Jesus described an emergency situation in which one would seemingly step outside of regular Sabbath activities. Dealing with such an emergency would not compromise the solemnity of the Sabbath. Through this example, Jesus helps us to have a balanced view of what the Sabbath is all about.

We need not be worried in cases of emergency (car breaks down, you need medication, you’re a diabetic and you need food immediately, etc.) that you’re breaking the Sabbath by handling the emergency situation. However, emergencies don’t occur every week. Jesus was not condoning an “anything goes” on the Sabbath policy: He simply made allowances for emergencies. The ass and ox don’t fall into a pit every Sabbath!

It is also important for people to understand not to put the ass or the ox in the pit on the Sabbath to make an excuse for doing secular activities. If an emergency arises, it is not a breach of the Sabbath to deal with the circumstances. However, it is a breach when we manufacture emergencies to make excuses for breaking the Sabbath.

Let’s look at some circumstances to make the case clear. If you get sick and can’t get out of bed, it’s appropriate to stay home and get the necessary rest you need. However, it would not be appropriate to say that you feel tired and choose to stay home and watch sports! It would also not be appropriate if you knew all week that your car needed to get fixed and you purposely wait for the Sabbath to do it. Furthermore, the car can be fixed on Sunday or during the week and it is unnecessary to fix it on the Sabbath (thereby distracting from the true purpose of keeping the Sabbath).

Work on the Sabbath is to be avoided! In cases of sincere emergency there are allowances. It is important to understand that we must not manufacture reasons for these allowances: “I need the money”, “My family is putting pressure on me”, etc. We have to live by faith and trust that in keeping the Sabbath, God will take care of our needs. “…Thou shalt not do any work…” (Exo 20:10)



11. What type of activities are appropriate for the Sabbath?

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Php 4:8)

Any activities that can bring honor and glory to God are appropriate for the Sabbath. Preaching, teaching, Bible study, watching Bible movies, visiting the sick, taking care of the poor / needy, sharing Jesus with others, getting out into nature, playing Bible games, attending Church services / programs, getting involved in ministry, helping others, etc.: These are all excellent Sabbath activities, though by no means a comprehensive list.

While it seems that there are so many things you “can’t” do, there are actually so many things you CAN do that would normally never get done because of time spent on the things the God says not to do on the Sabbath. The main idea is to focus on our relationship with God. Nothing should take priority over that!

Although the Sabbath is not a day for sleeping, there’s nothing wrong with taking a healthful nap. However, this should not be the event of the day. The large portion of the Sabbath is to be spent on worship, contemplation, and reflection on God and what Jesus did for us on the cross! No Sabbath should go by without that taking place. That implies that we should read the Bible and let it reveal the will of our creator.

Although ministry is a worthy activity for the Sabbath, we must be careful not to become so caught up in ministry or doing something for God that we forget God. If ministry, or the things we have to do when we minister, distracts from spending time with (and giving glory to) God-- even ministry can break the Sabbath!

If you remember the story of Mary and Martha-- Martha was pre-occupied with ministry! She wanted to serve. While this was indeed honorable, she forgot that “one thing is needful”. That one thing was taking the time to sit at the feet of Jesus. This is also the number one priority of the Sabbath!

Too many programs, special events, and ministerial tasks can distract from the true meaning of the Sabbath. This we must keep in mind so as not to allow the Sabbath to become a burden. Sometimes in “ministering” it can be possible to place ourselves in situations or places that will not allow us to observe the Sabbath or even remember that the 7th day is the Sabbath.



12. What does God feel when His people do not honor His 4th commandment?

Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. (Jer 17:21-23)

God feels that we are not listening and we have stiffened our necks so as to refuse to listen to Him. There are special blessings when we keep the Sabbath (and all God’s commandments) properly. (Isa 58:13-14) God designed that He would write His law on our hearts so that keeping His commandments would be a natural part of our lives. He desires that the Sabbath be a joy and not a burden. A day in which we can praise and worship Him!

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. (Psa 150:6)