Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:8
God demonstrated the need to preserve the Sabbath day, when He rested on the 7th day after six days of creation.
The preserved day is expected to be kept aside for things that are glorifying God’s Kingdom. Without any doubt, everyday for children of God is to advance things of heaven, but in His wisdom, man was asked to utilize six days to work so as to fulfil his desires.
Having acknowledged this, we need to critically evaluate what we ought to do on the day of the Lord (The Sabbath Day).
While some people would want to argue that it is a day meant to worship God and there should neither be cooking nor any other productive assignments, aside resting, some have opined that everyday is a day of the Lord for worship and to be obedient to Him. To the latter school of thought, since no man knows when Christ will come back to take away the saints, we should be prepared. Thus, they believe that Monday-Sunday are days of the Lord.
Let’s look at some bible passages to effectively juxtapose these.
Genesis 20:8-10 – Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou Labor, 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.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 – For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
John 5:1-18 – This is a passage about the healing of a man at Bethesda Pool on Sabbath day.
The first passage was an unambiguous commandment of taking away all kinds of work on that day but to rest and worship Him.
The second passage presupposes that, even if Sabbath day is said to be the day of the Lord, no man can determine when his own ‘day of the Lord’ will meet him. That day that all of our labour on earth will cease and we shall be called to the world beyond. Therefore, if we only try to maintain the Sabbath day principles on that day alone, are we not going to be complacent to ignore the Holiness required for every minute of our lives? Of what benefit is for a man to keep only the Sabbath day holy, and while ignoring other days, death comes knocking in any of the ignored days?
The last bible passage was a practical demonstration of Jesus Christ as to how law should not take precedence above the humanity in us.
There is, therefore, no justification and no spiritual wisdom in allowing a sick man to die unattended due to the feeble reason that his ailment came on a Sabbath day.
Whilst acknowledging the Sabbath day, God created all days, hence, everyday should be seen in that way. They should be days to utilize for good and not for evil. Our daily living should emulate the Sabbath day principles. Thus, Holiness, forgiveness, charity, humility, and other things that will sustain the covenant of God with us and our generations should be activated daily.
It is through this that we can rightly claim that we are keeping the Sabbath day holy.
May the Lord help our unbelief, through Christ our Lord.
Memory Verse: John 5:10
“The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, it is the Sabbath day: it is unlawful for thee to carry thy bed”.
Author:
Baba Aladura, Elder Israel Akinadewo – FCA, PhD
Prelate, Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide (MCCSW)/President, Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC)