Sunday Fun-day!
So, what’s the deal with the Sabbath? Is it on Saturday or Sunday? What should I know about it?
First of all, God took the first Sabbath. After doing a lot of work, He rested. He knew it was good. Here is the Bible record:
1 The heavens, the earth, and all their vast array were finished. 2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had done; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work of creation which he had done. Genesis 2:1-3
So, God feels sad when people have to work too much. When Pharaoh made the Israelis work far too hard, God sent Moses to lead those Israelis out. God helped them get land. And God gave them (and us) a day off every week. Here it shows up in The Ten Commandments:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 You shall labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11
God even helped them be so productive in six days that they didn’t need to work seven for their food. The Bible records this:
21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone according to his eating. When the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 He said to them, “This is that which Yahweh has spoken, ‘Tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to Yahweh. Bake that which you want to bake, and boil that which you want to boil; and all that remains over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.’” 24 They laid it up until the morning, as Moses ordered, and it didn’t become foul, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to Yahweh. Today you shall not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. In it there shall be none.” 27 On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather, and they found none. 28 Yahweh said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 Behold, because Yahweh has given you the Sabbath, therefore he gives you on the sixth day the bread of two days. Everyone stay in his place. Let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 The house of Israel called its name “Manna”, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey. Exodus 16:21-31
See, you might not actually gain anything by trying to work that seventh day. Can you trust God to provide enough in six days, that you don’t have to work seven? And see, it is important to give people a day off every week, if possible.
Unfortunately, some have gotten far too legalistic about how this must be followed. Jesus ran into some who had taken things way too far. They even listed “healing” under “work”! Here is one account:
1 When he went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching him. 2 Behold, a certain man who had dropsy was in front of him. 3 Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” 4 But they were silent. He took him, and healed him, and let him go. 5 He answered them, “Which of you, if your son or an ox fell into a well, wouldn’t immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” 6 They couldn’t answer him regarding these things. Luke 14:1-6
So, compassion doesn’t necessarily take a break on the Sabbath. A friend of mine, who happened to be a farmer, once told me about an act of compassion done on the Sabbath. He told of a neighbor farmer who became unable to work his farm. He and several of the other farmers at church got together on a Sabbath to do his work. This friend reported that it was one of the most blessed Sabbaths he’d ever experienced!
You wouldn’t want to do this every Sabbath, because there is more to the Sabbath than that. Besides rest, the Sabbath gives us an opportunity to thank God for his provision, meet with other believers in God and Jesus, find out how they’re doing, enjoy their company, and perhaps learn a little more about God’s ways. God knows we need to help each other with that. Here’s some Bible on it:
24 Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
We don’t want to get too legalistic about which day of the week is the Sabbath. The Israelis and some Christians consider what we call “Saturday” to be the Sabbath because it is the seventh day in our calendar week. But many Christians in the US have adopted Sunday as the Sabbath because Jesus rose on the first day of the week. Even those who must minister or preach within either group often must take a different day off because they are busy working for their church on their Sabbath. I sometimes took Tuesdays off. Some essential workers must be available on the Sabbath, so they take other days off. And not all Christians see the need to make one day “it”. I would simply ask, “Are you trying to honor the Sabbath?” (God knows.)
Another glitch to legalism is that what some consider “work” others consider “fun!” Maybe the old farmer wants to help the old city gal plant a tiny garden, just for fun! I know a restaurant owner who gets a “kick” out of bringing a home-bound widow some of the food he serves at home to his family! (I think God smiles. By the way, his restaurant is closed on Sunday.)
I think there’s room for common sense and consideration. Like, before you invite a bunch of folks over for a big Sunday dinner, consider who’s going to have to do all the work, and whether they honestly consider it “fun!”. Would another day or a smaller group be far better?
Curious about how a day of rest might apply to health, I Googled “How important are rest days for athletes?”. I got this reply: “Nobody questions the value of exercise training for optimal athletic performance and improvement. But rest and recovery is an equally essential component of an exercise program because it gives the body time to repair, rebuild, and strengthen itself between workouts.” (I think God already knew.) Even my neighbor’s electric bike and our mobile devices need a little time to recharge.
Besides rest, a little good, clean, fun might be part of the prescription. It’s also good for your mental health. Feeling burned out? A vacation or mini vacation might be in order. No money in the budget for that? Get creative. I once worked near a restaurant named “Acapulco”. If the work situation became trying, I’d take off for a one-hour lunch vacation in Acapulco!
Don’t feel guilty about doing what God wants you to do or enjoy. Remember: God loves you! —And: “Sunday Fun-day!” May God Bless You!