Observing the Sabbath
The Apostle Paul wrote to the saints at Philippi, "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things" (3:17-19 ESV usedthroughout). And two principles become immediately apparent: first, imitate Paul; and second, do not set one's mind on earthly things.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matt chaps 5-7) can be identified as the spiritual equivalent to YHWH, Israel's Elohim, delivering the Decalogue from atop Mount Sinai [Horeb]. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not "magnify" the commandments, but showed how two of the commandments are applicable to disciples when the law of God is written on two tablets of flesh, the heart and mind. He said, "`You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment." But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire"' (Matt 5:21-22).
Jesus quoted from the Decalogue (Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17), which were the living words addressed to Moses but heard by all Israel, with these words inscribed on two tablets of stone by the finger of God and lugged off the mountain by Moses. Under the second covenant, the commandments of God are written on the hearts and minds of Israel, inscribed there by the soft Breath of God. Thus, under the new covenant what was inscribed on stone moves inward to become inscribed on tablets of flesh—this movement is from hand to heart, body to mind. Murder is committed with the hand, and is committed outside the person. Anger is an emotion of the heart and occurs fully within the flesh of the person. Likewise, adultery (Jesus' other example – Matt 5:27-28) is an action of the body, whereas lust occurs within the mind and can remain fully concealed within the flesh of the person.
The commandments written on stone are earthly things. The commandments written on hearts and minds are spiritual. Paul calls the law spiritual, holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12 et al). So the law isn't the problem. The weakness of the flesh is.
The Sabbath commandment is part of the law, and the Sabbath commandment pertains to no other day of the week but the seventh day. So when the law moves from regulating the outward activities of a person—the acts of the hands and of the body—to regulating the desires of the heart and the thoughts of the mind, a person's thoughts are not set on earthly things on the Sabbath, but are set on the things of God.
Now, how to apply this setting of thoughts on the things of God? What about feeding ducks? What are the person's thoughts and desires when feeding ducks in a park with his or her child? Are they on God? Or are they on making sure that the child doesn't wander off, or get too close to the edge of the pond or river? And it is here when discernment enters: whatever a person can do on the Sabbath and keep his or her thought and desires focused on God is an appropriate activity. Whatever distracts a person's thoughts and desires from God is an inappropriate activity. If a person can listen to music and still keep his or her thoughts on God, then listening to music is an appropriate activity. Otherwise, it is not.
Any list of do's and not to do's is necessarily a listing of earthly things—the list itself is an earthly thing, and the product of someone who no longer walks by faith but with a yardstick as a walking stick, measuring the perceived righteousness of everyone the person encounters. Therefore, as salvation is a personal matter, so too is what constitutes appropriate Sabbath activity. Paul said not to forsake assembling together, but finding those of like-mind to assemble with in this era of lawless Christianity is extremely difficult. In most places and for most disciples who have been truly born of Spirit, there is no one near with whom they can assemble. Certainly there is a church on almost every street corner, and in rural areas, in every township, but the person who, by faith, keeps the precepts of the law and has his or her uncircumcision counted as circumcision (Rom 2:26) has no fellowship with those who set a lawless table and eat the fruit of lawlessness (paraphrasing 1 Cor 10:20-22).
Perhaps the most appropriate Sabbath activity is to expound the reason for one's hope to whomever will listen—most are not interested in listening, though. But expounding the reason for one's hope will certainly keep the person's mind focused on the things of God.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matt chaps 5-7) can be identified as the spiritual equivalent to YHWH, Israel's Elohim, delivering the Decalogue from atop Mount Sinai [Horeb]. And in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not "magnify" the commandments, but showed how two of the commandments are applicable to disciples when the law of God is written on two tablets of flesh, the heart and mind. He said, "`You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment." But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, "You fool!" will be liable to the hell of fire"' (Matt 5:21-22).
Jesus quoted from the Decalogue (Ex 20:13; Deut 5:17), which were the living words addressed to Moses but heard by all Israel, with these words inscribed on two tablets of stone by the finger of God and lugged off the mountain by Moses. Under the second covenant, the commandments of God are written on the hearts and minds of Israel, inscribed there by the soft Breath of God. Thus, under the new covenant what was inscribed on stone moves inward to become inscribed on tablets of flesh—this movement is from hand to heart, body to mind. Murder is committed with the hand, and is committed outside the person. Anger is an emotion of the heart and occurs fully within the flesh of the person. Likewise, adultery (Jesus' other example – Matt 5:27-28) is an action of the body, whereas lust occurs within the mind and can remain fully concealed within the flesh of the person.
The commandments written on stone are earthly things. The commandments written on hearts and minds are spiritual. Paul calls the law spiritual, holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12 et al). So the law isn't the problem. The weakness of the flesh is.
The Sabbath commandment is part of the law, and the Sabbath commandment pertains to no other day of the week but the seventh day. So when the law moves from regulating the outward activities of a person—the acts of the hands and of the body—to regulating the desires of the heart and the thoughts of the mind, a person's thoughts are not set on earthly things on the Sabbath, but are set on the things of God.
Now, how to apply this setting of thoughts on the things of God? What about feeding ducks? What are the person's thoughts and desires when feeding ducks in a park with his or her child? Are they on God? Or are they on making sure that the child doesn't wander off, or get too close to the edge of the pond or river? And it is here when discernment enters: whatever a person can do on the Sabbath and keep his or her thought and desires focused on God is an appropriate activity. Whatever distracts a person's thoughts and desires from God is an inappropriate activity. If a person can listen to music and still keep his or her thoughts on God, then listening to music is an appropriate activity. Otherwise, it is not.
Any list of do's and not to do's is necessarily a listing of earthly things—the list itself is an earthly thing, and the product of someone who no longer walks by faith but with a yardstick as a walking stick, measuring the perceived righteousness of everyone the person encounters. Therefore, as salvation is a personal matter, so too is what constitutes appropriate Sabbath activity. Paul said not to forsake assembling together, but finding those of like-mind to assemble with in this era of lawless Christianity is extremely difficult. In most places and for most disciples who have been truly born of Spirit, there is no one near with whom they can assemble. Certainly there is a church on almost every street corner, and in rural areas, in every township, but the person who, by faith, keeps the precepts of the law and has his or her uncircumcision counted as circumcision (Rom 2:26) has no fellowship with those who set a lawless table and eat the fruit of lawlessness (paraphrasing 1 Cor 10:20-22).
Perhaps the most appropriate Sabbath activity is to expound the reason for one's hope to whomever will listen—most are not interested in listening, though. But expounding the reason for one's hope will certainly keep the person's mind focused on the things of God.
posted by T, L & F … at
1:29 PM
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