God's basic Sabbath commandment is found in the 20th chapter of Exodus, where we read: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:8-11).

This key verse gives us the basic, underlying principle we must keep in mind concerning observation of God's Sabbath day. It is a day of rest, not work. On this day, therefore, we must not do our normal, routine, daily "work" or toil or labor which we normally do in earning a living, or any "work" for any other purpose, such as labor for a personal activity, hobby, or donated labor for some other person or enterprise. The Sabbath is to be a day of REST, as opposed to any kind of work or labor.

There are, however, some exceptions which the Word of God provides, to this overall decree of the Almighty. There are some kinds of work, and some kinds of activities, which God does permit on the Sabbath.

For example, one day Jesus and His disciples were going through the grainfields, and as His disciples walked they picked some heads of grain to eat. The self-righteous Pharisees noticed this, and exclaimed to Jesus, "Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" Jesus Christ said in response to their question,

God never intended for the Sabbath to be a day of bondage or rigor, but a day of rest and refreshment -- a day of worship and praise. Thus it is all right to take walks on the Sabbath, to pluck fruit or grain to eat if you happen to go through a field where such is available (and the owner doesn't mind), to take a gentle hike through the woods or hills, to pluck wild berries to eat, and so forth. One should not engage in employment for wages in his usual occupation or job, however, on the Sabbath. He has six days of the week in which to perform his regular labor or work; the Sabbath, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, he must rest (Exodus 20:8-11) -- and his children, his animals, and servants under his authority or in his household, must obey the Sabbath commandment, too (verse 10).

Jesus explained further:

Clearly, Jesus said there are exceptions to the Sabbath commandment. It is not a "hard and fast rule" which must NEVER be broken, under any circumstances -- as the Pharisees, in their misguided zeal, taught the people. Jesus plainly taught that it is all right to DO GOOD on the Sabbath -- including healing the sick! We read,

Pulling a helpless sheep out of a ravine, crevasse, or pit, is no small undertaking. It could involve hard work and labor, till the sheep is rescued and free! The point Jesus was making, then, is twofold: First, it is all right to do EMERGENCY WORK on the Sabbath, the kind necessary to preserve life. Nursing an infirm patient needing care 24 hours a day, for example. Or, if a fire breaks out, or a flood occurs, on the Sabbath, it is all right to fight the fire, or the flood, and rescue any lives which may be endangered. Such activities would be "good," in the sense Jesus mentioned -- showing love for one's neighbor, or his own family or household. Secondly, it is all right to do those kinds of activities which are helpful and beneficial to others on the Sabbath -- healing, visiting the sick or infirm, taking food or clothing to the needy, being examples. Such good activities do not break the spiritual principle of the Sabbath but rather confirm it.

Another basic principle of the Sabbath day is revealed in Isaiah. God admonishes His people,

It is wrong to treat the Sabbath day like any other day, with disregard. It is holy. It is holy time. It must be treated with deep respect, reverence, and awe. It is GOD's day -- it belongs to Him! We must not take His time, and treat is as worthless, or abuse it for our own personal pleasures and "fun." Therefore, using the Sabbath to go to ball games, sports activities, or to play games, such as baseball, basketball, volleyball, would constitute an abuse of the Sabbath.

This does not mean that all physical activities are forbidden on the Sabbath day. It would not be wrong to take a walk, for a short distance, to help keep in good physical condition, and to enjoy the out-of-doors, and to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. A short hike or walk would not violate the principle of the Sabbath commandment. Of course, taking a long strenuous hike up a high mountain, exerting great effort, would clearly be a breaking of the rest commandment!

Similarly, a person would not be breaking the Sabbath if they took a bath or shower on that day, or -- if they have a jacuzzi or swimming pool at their home, it would not be wrong for them to relax in the jacuzzi or pool, or even take a "quiet" swim on the Sabbath, so long as they did not overdo it. The principle to remember is that the Sabbath is a day of rest, a day to spend glorifying God. We used to have a swimming pool at our home in Altadena, which was shaped somewhat like a lake or lagoon, nestled in a beautiful setting with the San Gabriel mountains in the background, a beautiful pine tree nearby, a fir tree, and lush, beautiful vegetation. It was a lovely garden setting. Sometimes, during the summer, I would go out to the pool on the Sabbath day, and float, watching the clouds drift by in the sky, and enjoy the pastoral setting. To me, it was a wonderful blessing from God that we had a pool, at that point in our lives, and that I could relax and rest on the Sabbath by lying around the pool, or cooling off in it. It was a wonderful time for meditation, communion with God, and prayer.

Please note, however, that this was a private affair. I'm not talking about a "swimming party," or having guests over for recreational swimming, games, or racing. That would be a violation of the principle of the Sabbath. God wants us to get our balance on these matters, and not go to any extremes.

What about going to movies, or shopping at the Mall, on the Sabbath day? Going to a movie would hardly seem the thing to do on God's Sabbath. Movies are generally for personal entertainment, pleasure, and not for the purpose of glorifying God. Very few movies should be seen at any time, as they are generally wicked, godless, filled with sex and violence, and cursing and swearing. But of course, there are rare exceptions, such as some of the Disney nature movies, such as "Olympic Elk," and others which glorify the beauties and wildlife of nature. Although I would not pay money to see a movie on the Sabbath, no matter how good it was, it would not necessarily be wrong to watch an inspiring, educational film on television on the Sabbath, from time to time. One should certainly not make a "habit" of such viewing, however.

What about shopping on the Sabbath? Unless there is a real emergency, shopping -- even for food -- should not be done on the Sabbath day. Buying and selling should be avoided on God's holy day. The Jews in the days of Nehemiah faced this problem, when Gentile neighbors brought wares to the walls of Jerusalem to sell them on the Sabbath. But the people of God, under the leadership of Nehemiah, declared, "When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day" (Neh.10:31).

Some of the people, however, soon began to break this agreement not to buy and sell merchandise on the Sabbath. Nehemiah records: "In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. I rebuked the nobes of Judah and said to them, 'What is this wicked thing you are doing -desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath' " (Nem.13:15-18).

Nehemiah took action to solve this serious problem. As governor, he relates: "When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. But I warned them and said, 'Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.' From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy" (Nem.13:19-22).

Obviously, buying and selling should be avoided on the Sabbath day -- it was not created to be a "shopping day." It is not a day to visit the grocery store or Mall. Grocery shopping should be done on the other six days of the week.

What about driving a car or taking a ride on the Sabbath? When I was a teenager, I thought that unless there was a Church of God near me, there was not way I would be able to attend Church on the Sabbath day with people of like understanding. I read in Acts, "Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city" (Acts 1:12). The Mount of Olives lies about a quarter mile to a half mile from Jerusalem, depending from where you begin walking. If the measure is made from the east gate of Jerusalem, the Jewish method of reckoning, to the crown of the Mount of Olives from where Bethany is visible, the distance, as the crow flies, would be about 2,250 feet; but in actual travel it would be much more. Josephus says the mountain was five or six stadia from the city. A stadia was one eighth of a Roman or English mile. Thus, a "Sabbath day's journey" was about five or six eighths of a mile (in one direction).

The origin of the regulation of the Sabbath day's journey came from the injunction not to leave the camp on the Sabbath. We read in Exodus, "Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out. So the people rested on the seventh day" (Exodus 16:29). Yet, in Numbers we read of what belonged to each town: "Outside the town measure three thousand feet on the east side, three thousand on the south side, three thousand on the west and three thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns" (Num.35:5). Thus the Sabbath day's journey was this distance, one way. You could walk out to the edge of the pasturelands, from the town, and back, and still be regarded as "within the camp." Three thousand feet going out, and three thousand feet coming back, adds up to a little over a mile of walking altogether. However, a person mighty travel within a city as far as he wished, so far as its limits allowed.

The "Sabbath day's journey" is not a plain "thus saith the Lord," but is derived from the principles of the verses mentioned. It is more or less an "estimate," but not a hard and fast rule or law of God. Again, the basic principle to remember is that the Sabbath is a day of REST, and not work, labor or toil.

In our day with automobiles, it is far less "work" to drive a car 20 or 30 miles than to walk one or two miles. Another principle we need to keep in mind is God's command, "These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are to proclaim as SACRED ASSEMBLIES. There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of SACRED ASSEMBLY. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD" (Lev.23:2-3). The apostle Paul wrote, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Heb.10:24-25).

It is not wrong, therefore, to travel further than a "Sabbath day's journey," today, if necessary in order to meet with God's people, to assemble together. This may involve a little "labor" of driving, but the priests worked on the Sabbath and were considered innocent and guiltless, when they offer sacrifices, and performed their ritualistic duties at the temple. How much more innocent and worthwhile is it to attend Sabbath with other true believers, and to worship God together-- even if it may entail a drive of some considerable distance! Such a willingness and whole hearted attitude of worship and faithfulness is very pleasing to God, who will judge all our works and "excusees" according to the spirit of His Law.

In this modern day and age of the automobile, telephone, television, and credit card, many things are possible which would have been impossible 2,000 years ago to do on the Sabbath. For example, the Word of God does not prohibit a "ride" through the country in an automobile on the Sabbath, or prohibit driving a car to Sabbath services if they are available in your area. Technically, it would be "work" -- but it would also be "doing GOOD," so it would fall within the framework of Jesus' explanation of an activity permissible on the Sabbath.

What about lighting a fire, cooking, and eating on the Sabbath? In Exodus 35 we read, "For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day" (Exodus 35:2-3).

In the book of Numbers, we read: "While the Israelites were in the desert, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, 'The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.' So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD commanded Moses" (Num.15:32-36).

These Scriptures show us several things. First, the penalty for deliberate, premeditated Sabbath breaking was DEATH. God looks upon it as a capital offense -- not something to be taken lightly, or treated with mild disdain. The Sabbath is HOLY, and breaking it is SIN, and the wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23). Those who deliberately trample on the Sabbath command will burn up in the lake of fire which will consume the wicked at the end of the age. God says of the New World coming, "From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me, says the LORD. And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who REBELLED against me; their worm will not die (maggots will consume their dead bodies, until they pupate and turn into flies, thus not "dying"), nor will their fire be quenched (this is Gehenna fire, which will burn in the valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem, as an ever-burning garbage pit, until the garbage is all consumed), and they will be loathsome to all mankind" (Isa.66:23-24).

Is it a sin, then, to "light a fire" on the Sabbath day? What about turning on a furnace, or an electrical light? What about building a "fire" for warmth on a cold evening in a fireplace? Or what about if you are camping out in the mountains? Would it be wrong to build a fire to keep warm on the Sabbath? Or to cook your food?

Adam Clarke in his Commentary points out concerning this verse, "The Jews understand this precept as forbidding the kindling of fire only for the purpose of doing work or dressing victuals; but to give them light and heat, they judge it lawful to light a fire on the Sabbath day . . ." In other words, if the purpose of the fire is to accomplish WORK or LABOR -- such as a blacksmith's fire to melt metal, and to make bronze or silver implements -- that would be a direct violation of the Sabbath commandment! But ordinary heating fires for warmth, or light cooking, is regarded as all right.

The Critical Experimental Commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explains even further. This authority states: "The Sabbath was not a fast day. The Israelites cooked their victuals on that day, for which, of course, a fire would be necessary; and this view of the institution is supported by the conduct of our Lord (Luke 14:1). But in early times the Israelites, while sojourning in the wilderness and subsisting on manna, received a double supply on the sixth day, which they cooked also on that day, so that a fire for culinary purposes was entirely unnecessary on the Sabbath day. As the kindling of a fire, therefore, could only be for SECULAR PURPOSES, the insertion of the prohibition in connection with the work of the tabernacle makes it highly probable that it was intended chiefly for the mechanics who were to be employed in that erection; and as some of them might have supposed it was allowable to ply their trade in the furtherance of a structure to be dedicated to religious worship, it was calculated to prevent all such ideas, by absolutely forbidding any fire for the sharpening of tools, for the melting of metals, or any other material purpose bearing on the sanctuary" (emphasis mine).

Unfortunately, Herbert Armstrong did not properly follow these Sabbath commandments when he contracted to have the "House for God" built in Pasadena, California. He allowed workers and contractors to work feverishly on the weekly Sabbath days, with blow torches going, concrete being poured, large cranes lifting heavy beams into place, and hammering, nailing, and riveting all taking place on God's Holy Day! Because these laws of God were imperiously violated, the "House for God" in Pasadena stands under a curse from Almighty God. If it was to be built, it should never have been build with intensive labor on the Sabbath days -- no contract to that purpose, permitting such, should ever have been signed. This Scriptural prohibition against "fires" on the Sabbath day, even fires used to forge metals in the construction of God's own tabernacle, is proof positive that such activities are wrong and constitute sin!

However, when we understand the background to these commandments, we see that it is NOT a sin to light a fire in your home on the Sabbath day, for light, heating, or light cooking purposes. Of course, any heavy duty cooking should be avoided on the Sabbath. Such heavy cooking should be done on Friday, the "preparation day."

What about Construction Work for God's Church?

Would it be all right for Christians, who follow Christ and who obey the laws of God, to work on the Sabbath day to build buildings, pour concrete, nail walls, roofs, do electrical work, plumbing, and pave driveways on the Sabbath -- if it is for "God's College," or "God's Work"?

Herbert Armstrong wrote in the August 1979 Good News,

It has begun to happen, on a landslide scale! After the death of Moses, God commanded Joshua, "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to ALL THE LAW, which Moses my servant commanded thee: TURN NOT FROM IT to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the LAW shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt MEDITATE therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for THEN thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Josh.1:7-8).

God commands that all His people, from priests to ministers, from elders to lay members, to observe the seventh day Sabbath and to keep it holy, and refrain from any work on it (Exo.20:8-11). This commandment was so holy that God commanded His people NOT to work on His Tabernacle -- not to light any fires on the Sabbath day to make silver or brass tools or implements, even for the Tabernacle itself (Exodus 35:3) -- on the Sabbath day! Notice how this command is sandwiched in a chapter devoted to Tabernacle instructions (Exo.35:3-35; 36:1-4). Yet, despite this plain commandment of God, the Worldwide Church of God leaders in 1990 gave the "okay" for Church members, and hired contractors, to work on building additional classrooms and dormitories at Ambassador College, at Big Sandy, Texas! They called this work "an ox in the ditch," because construction had fallen behind schedule, and they wanted to finish the buildings before the fall semester opened. A report was sent to me which stated:

In Leviticus God told Moses and all Israel, "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).

Ancient Israel greatly polluted God's Sabbaths, and incurred His fury and wrath (Ezek.20:13, 16, 21), so God hurled them into frightful captivity and slavery to cruel, brutal, ruthless oppressors (such as Saddam Hussein, today!). God is no respector of persons (Rom.2:11). He changes not (Mal.3:8). He will hurl modern Sabbath-breakers into horrible captivity and slavery just as He did 2,500 years ago! Joe Tkach and his associates have a frightening lesson to learn -- one which will cost them dearly. It is too bad that there is no fear of God before their eyes, and they think they can disengage and trample on eternal absolutes and everlasting verities of God.

Will Almighty God BLESS those who clearly and violently transgress and forsake and trample upon His eternal divine LAW? Or will He CURSE any who so flagrantly and cavalierly flout and disrespect and despise His divine commandment?

These things are very serious matters! The apostle Paul foretold that in the end times there would be "a FALLING AWAY FIRST" (II Thess.2:3). He wrote, "Evil is already insidiously at work" (v.7, Phillips Translation). He spoke of a great deceiver arising, even in God's Church, a "lawless man" who sets himself up, and who "will come with evil's undiluted power to deceive, for they have REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH which could have saved them" (v.10). Do YOU have the "love of the Truth"? If not, you are in grave peril. Paul writes, "God sends upon THEM, therefore, the FULL FORCE of evil's delusion, so that they put their faith in an UTTER FRAUD and meet the inevitable judgment of all who have REFUSED to believe the TRUTH and who have made evil their playfellow" (vs.11-12, Phillips).

Sabbath-breaking is a very serious SIN in the sight of God Almighty! He ordained the Sabbath as a day of rest, and His WRATH will be revealed against those who ought to know better, but who justify in their own minds DISOBEDIENCE to God's Law! Such people are the "children of wrath," (Eph.2:3) and "children of disobedience" (Col.3:6; Eph.2:2, 5:6). The apostle Paul wrote in unmistakeable terms, "The WRATH OF GOD is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who SUPPRESS THE TRUTH by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God made it plain to them" (Rom.1:18-19).

Some of God's people have faced the loss of a good job because of refusal to work on the weekly Sabbath day, as God commands. One person was told by his boss that he had to work from 9 till 5:30 PM, on Friday, and that there were no exceptions. The employee told him that he couldn't work after sunset on Friday, but the boss wouldn't listen to him, and the union gave him no backing whatsoever.

We know that the Sabbath is from sunset to sunset (Lev.23:32). The day, according to God's Word, begins at sunset (Gen.1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). We know also that God says that we are not to do our regular work or labor of earning a living on the Sabbath day. What should a person do about this question, if his "boss" appears to be hard-nosed and difficult to reason with?

The apostle Paul wrote, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (II Tim.3:12). God allows these trials to help us develop sterling godly character. Therefore, Paul writes, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love" (I Cor.16:13-14). James wrote: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4).

Peter wrote, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (I Pet.4:12-17).

Peter also wrote that our inheritance is being preserved in heaven for us, unfading and imperishable, till the coming of Christ. He declared, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (I Pet.1:6-9).

Sabbath work problems are going to increase in the years ahead. Persecution is bound to increase as we near the end of this age, and Satan stirs up his world against God's people, and all Sabbath-keepers.

Certainly, a person facing a problem with being demanded to work on the Sabbath, or being "fired," has ever right to seek the advice and help of an attorney familiar with work laws and regulations, as they affect religious beliefs. Seventh day Adventists, Jews, and others have faced these critical issues at the workplace. In some cases, there are laws against discrimination against employees on religious grounds or for religious beliefs, including belief in the holy Sabbath. Therefore, if there are such laws which could apply, a person should consult a legal attorney in his area who is familiar with the Sabbath work laws and problems. This, however, is no guarantee that a person won't lose his job due to the Sabbath.

Sometimes, no matter what we do to try to solve a problem, it still won't go away, and becomes a serious "trial." We may have to face the loss of a job in order to obey God. We may have to choose between serving "Mammon" (money) or the Messiah -- choose between obeying God's Law, and compromising -- choose between life and death.

God says, "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you . . .

"But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed . . .

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOOSE LIFE, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life . . ." (Deut.30:15-20).

What about "fasting" on the Sabbath? Again, the Sabbath is a FEAST day of God. In Leviticus 23 we read, "The LORD said to Moses, 'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: "These are my appointed FEASTS, the APPOINTED FEASTS OF THE LORD, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You ares not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD" (Lev.23:1-3).

A "feast" day is the opposite of a "fast" day. Feasting means eating, rejoicing, having a spiritual "good time" serving God, praising Him, and thrilling in His love and goodness. It includes the concept of banqueting, having a lavish, festive table set for the family and guests. Therefore, it is generally not recommended that people "fast" on the Sabbath, except for extreme emergencies or dire necessity. Fasting is generally better done on other days of the week, but not on God's Sabbath day. In the days of Emperor Constantine and thereafter, the Catholic Church tried to force people to observe the Sabbath as a FAST day, a day of mourning, grief, and sorrow, thus perverting entirely the purpose and meaning of God's Sabbath institution! God wants people to REJOICE in His holy day -- not be sorrowful and full of remorse in it!

The weekly Sabbath is ordained as a day of rest from our regular work or occupation, earning a living (Exo.20:9). In it we are commanded not to engage in our regular work. Isaiah the prophet tells us we are also not to seek our own personal "pleasure" on the Sabbath, or seek our own entertainment (Isa.58:13-14). We are to honor Him on that day, not doing our own routine "ways" (verse 14). Nor should we engage in mundane, earthly conversation, but keep our thoughts and conversation on uplifting, inspiring, spirtual things (same verse).

On the other hand, Jesus told us the Sabbath was never intended to be a day of bondage. He said, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28). He healed the sick on the Sabbath, although the Pharisees condemned Him for it. He also permitted His disciples to pluck wheat from the fields, and eat it, even though the Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath by such "harvesting" (see Luke 6:1-5). Again, Jesus rebuked them for their self-righteousness, and pointed out that even David ate the shewbread when hungry, although only the priests were normally permitted to eat it. Jesus again told them, "That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath" (v.6).

Jesus showed by both example and teaching that it is all right to do "good" on the Sabbath (see Luke 6:9). If one is taking a trip to see nature, to glory in God's creation, and the trip requires purchasing gasoline, paying bridge tolls, or eating in a restaurant, such activities would not necessarily be wrong on the Sabbath. Nor it is wrong to take the family to a restaurant on the Sabbath, to bring the family closer together (as there may not be any opportunity for such during the busy work week). Nor is it wrong to "watch" what is happening in the world, as Jesus commanded us to do (Mark 13:35-37), on the Sabbath, by watching the television news, or a particularly uplifting, educational, or inspiring television special, or a suitable television movie, upon occasion. The same principle would apply to buying a newspaper to keep up with the news. These conveniences are available, today, so it would not necessarily be wrong to make use of them.

We should not have the self-righteous attitude of so many who say in their attitude, "Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou" (Isa.65:5). Solomon wrote under inspiration, "Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?" (Eccl.7:16-17). The principle being underlined here is balance and moderation -- not to go to extremes, either extremes of strictness, and self-righteousness, or extremes of laxity and permissiveness. As Paul wrote, "Let your moderation be known unto all men" (Phil.4:5). That is God's way.