No doubt the demise of Woolworths is not as simplistic as it may appear I’m proposing here.
Nevertheless, when I was informed from the pulpit during the Sunday morning sermon, that Woolworths was one of the first businesses to push for Sunday opening in the UK, it was a stark reminder that when individuals or collective bodies scorn the moral law of God, there will always be a price to pay; sooner or later.
A year ago, over 800 stores were trading in the UK. Today, none.
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. Isaiah 58:13-14
[Image courtesy of Gerry Balding]
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Added Commentary
By Rick Beckman
on 05.05.09
In the spirit of camaraderie, I just had to return the favor of a comment.
Sunday is not the Sabbath Day — Saturday is… always has been, always will be. And the New Testament gives us freedom of whether we acknowledge Sabbaths or festivals.
Regarding Sunday itself, we’re not told to not work on the First Day. Jesus Christ is our Sabbath, and thus we who believe have our Rest everyday.
By Armen
on 05.05.09
Rick,
Firstly, welcome and thanks for commenting.
“Sunday is not the Sabbath Day — Saturday is…”
I prefer the term Lord’s Day. But, when a Christian refers to the ‘Sabbath’ they usually mean the Christian Sabbath (Sunday).
Also, there’s a difference between the ‘Sabbath’ and ’sabbaths’. You may have the choice to acknowledge sabbaths, but the Christian is commanded to acknowledge one day in seven as the Lord’s Day, in which he rests from his own pleasures and labours, to give extra time over to his God.
“Regarding Sunday itself, we’re not told to not work on the First Day. Jesus Christ is our Sabbath, and thus we who believe have our Rest everyday.”
I agree that Christ is our eternal rest.
Nevertheless, the moral law of God has bound men to its obedience since the beginning of time. Never has adultery, idolatry, etc, not been a sin. It was such before Moses’ time, and after. So it is with the one day in seven in which we are to rest, with the example of the apostles showing us it was to be the first day of the week.
By Rick Beckman
on 05.05.09
“the Christian is commanded to acknowledge” — If you could expand on that a bit, I’d be appreciative. If that statement is true, then there’s a lot I need to adjust in my life, but a transference of OT Sabbath commands to Sunday is not something I’ve ever seen explained from the Scriptures.
By Jermayn
on 05.05.09
Good to see you posting again Armen
I agree that we should ‘rest’ a day a week (just the same as farmers do not sow a plot of land every 5-7 years) but whether its Saturday or Sunday or even Monday. I do not think personally its a spiritual crime/ sin on a specific day but just resting.
I know Pastors who ‘rest’ have their day off on a Monday or Friday. I think when we say we cannot have anything on Sunday, we are just becoming religious.
Personally I make sure I have at least one day off from my computer (seeing its what I do for a job). Usually its a Sunday but sometimes its a Saturday….
By Armen
on 06.05.09
Sorry for the delay guys. Had a twelve hour shift yesterday.
Rick,
Some of the particular ‘dos and don’ts’ of sabbath keeping mentioned in the mosaic law, were without a doubt, relevant to national Israel only. However, the basic premise to keep the sabbath, was binding even before Israel was formed as a nation. For this reason, the fourth command begins with the word, “Remember…”. Why would God word it as a ‘reminder’ if it was something they were not acquainted with already? God rested, not because He was tired, but to establish a duty/principle to be observed by all.
Why do we not perform the acts of the ceremonial law anymore? Because, the NT makes it clear that Christ fulfilled all the ceremonial law, and all it’s types and shadows of the work he would do.
However, nowhere in the NT does the scripture abolish the preserving of one day in seven for rest, and spiritual worship and contemplation. Therefore, for us to assume it doesn’t apply anymore when it was given along with nine other commands which we still accept are in force today (and have always been), is a great error. We have no scriptural reason to not observe it.
How to observe it is probably best explained in the verses I quoted in the post, “not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words”.
As for the change of day. Well, I don’t think we ever read of the NT church meeting together on the Sabbath for worship (men like Paul spent the jewish sabbath in the synagogue evangelising. If the Christian church met that day, men like Paul would rarely be in attendance it would appear.
However, there are numerous referrences given where they met on the first day of the week.
So the command has not been taken away, but by apostolic example, we understand that the day has changed.
Jermayn,
Again, the guideline is not a list of dos and don’ts, but if we live Isaiah 58:13-14 as our conscience would tell us, we shouldn’t go too far wrong.
There are some circumstances which legitimately prohibit proper observance, like doctors who are working on Sundays. Regardless, there’s a danger that an overly relaxed view on ‘the day’ can lead to people chosing which day suits them best. This is selfish, and the result will be people professing to have their sabbath at home on Monday, instead of getting out to fellowship with God’s people on Sunday.
By Glenn
on 12.05.09
I think this wee video is appropriate…I think it is interesting that the seventh day (ie the day after the six days of creation) was actually mans first full day.
By Armen
on 12.05.09
Hey Glenn,
Yeah, those little videos are extremely effective. Thanks for linking to it.
By JJ
on 05.06.09
IN THE MAIN ARTICLE WE FIND THIS QUOTE: “Nevertheless, when I was informed from the pulpit during the Sunday morning sermon, that Woolworths was one of the first businesses to push for Sunday opening in the UK, it was a stark reminder that when individuals or collective bodies scorn the moral law of God, there will always be a price to pay; sooner or later.”
First of all, Sunday is not part of God’s moral Law. The seventh day is. Nevertheless, we’ll soon be hearing more and more stories like this article, which essentially blames disastrous results as a consequence of neglecting to observe the Sunday. This EXACT scenario was prophesied over a century ago. Here is the prophecy:
“It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday sabbath; that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced; and that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday, are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity. Thus the accusation urged of old against the servant of God will be repeated and upon grounds equally well established: “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.” 1 Kings 18:17, 18. As the wrath of the people shall be excited by false charges, they will pursue a course toward God’s ambassadors very similar to that which apostate Israel pursued toward Elijah.” Page 590, Great Controversy by Ellen White
By JJ
on 05.06.09
QUOTING RICK: “Jesus Christ is our Sabbath, and thus we who believe have our Rest everyday.”
This is incorrect. Jesus Christ is LORD OF the Sabbath but not our Sabbath. Just like the Queen OF England is not England itself! We are indeed to rest in the Lord everyday just like the OT folks rested in the Lord (Psalm 37:7). Yet they still observed the Sabbath! Clearly, the difference is this:
We rest in the Lord while doing normal everyday work six days a week.
We rest in the Lord while CEASING TO DO our normal work on the seventh-day Sabbath.
Just because Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath doesn’t do away with the Sabbath anymore than just because we, as the Bride of Christ is MARRIED to Christ can do away with marriage! Both institutions are binding!
By JJ
on 05.06.09
QUOTING ARMEN: “I prefer the term Lord’s Day. But, when a Christian refers to the ‘Sabbath’ they usually mean the Christian Sabbath (Sunday).”
Christians who refer to the Sabbath and mean Sunday have no Scriptural warrant. Please provide support for such a use of the term Sabbath. As the verse in the article plainly declares, we are to “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.” The Word of God is against those who belittle His Sabbath.
By JJ
on 05.06.09
QUOTE: “Also, there’s a difference between the ‘Sabbath’ and ’sabbaths’. You may have the choice to acknowledge sabbaths, but the Christian is commanded to acknowledge one day in seven as the Lord’s Day, in which he rests from his own pleasures and labours, to give extra time over to his God.”
Where in the Bible does it command us to acknowledge ONE DAY IN SEVEN? God certainly commands us to observe THE SEVENTH. It is not A seventh or ONE in seven but THE seventh day! How plain can it be? No way around this one semantically!
By JJ
on 05.06.09
QUOTING JERMAYN: “I agree that we should ‘rest’ a day a week (just the same as farmers do not sow a plot of land every 5-7 years) but whether its Saturday or Sunday or even Monday. I do not think personally its a spiritual crime/ sin on a specific day but just resting.”
Since when did you have authority to determine what sin is? My friend, it is God’s prerogative to define sin and it is plainly written: SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW – 1 John 3:4.
Your conscience is not the standard of right and wrong! Nor is your heart! What you think doesn’t matter. It’s what God thinks that counts. And what does He think?
Pro 28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool
Pro 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death.
Jer 17:9 The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?
By JJ
on 05.06.09
QUOTING ARMEN: “Some of the particular ‘dos and don’ts’ of sabbath keeping mentioned in the mosaic law, were without a doubt, relevant to national Israel only. However, the basic premise to keep the sabbath, was binding even before Israel was formed as a nation. For this reason, the fourth command begins with the word, “Remember…”. Why would God word it as a ‘reminder’ if it was something they were not acquainted with already? God rested, not because He was tired, but to establish a duty/principle to be observed by all.
Why do we not perform the acts of the ceremonial law anymore? Because, the NT makes it clear that Christ fulfilled all the ceremonial law, and all it’s types and shadows of the work he would do.
However, nowhere in the NT does the scripture abolish the preserving of one day in seven for rest, and spiritual worship and contemplation. Therefore, for us to assume it doesn’t apply anymore when it was given along with nine other commands which we still accept are in force today (and have always been), is a great error. We have no scriptural reason to not observe it.
How to observe it is probably best explained in the verses I quoted in the post, “not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words”.
As for the change of day. Well, I don’t think we ever read of the NT church meeting together on the Sabbath for worship (men like Paul spent the jewish sabbath in the synagogue evangelising. If the Christian church met that day, men like Paul would rarely be in attendance it would appear.
However, there are numerous referrences given where they met on the first day of the week.
So the command has not been taken away, but by apostolic example, we understand that the day has changed.”
On the one hand you say that the 10 Commandments are forever binding and then on the other hand you say that the fourth commandment was changed. So which one is it: binding or changeable?
You err when you say the apostles observed Sunday more than the seventh day. Please prove from the Scriptures how this is true.
By Armen
on 17.07.09
JJ,
Thanks for your comments.
I’ve answered most of your rebuttals in a previous post and its comments. Perhaps you’ll understand the scriptural view of first day worship when you read it.
By Brenda Illi
on 16.08.09
I am warmed by the intentions of your heart but saddened by the misguided worship on a Sunday. Sunday is not the day of the Lord. The Sabbath is Saturday. The most banal “evidence” of it can be seen in the latin naming of the days of the week, wherein Sabato is Saturday. Sunday worship was instituted by man and has no foundation whatsoever in the Word of God. To worship on Sunday is to put man’s will over the will of God…to place yourself under the rule of man, the creature, and not that of God the Creator.
Please read this article - it helped me alot http://www.blowthetrumpet.org/HonoringGodsSabbath.htm
By Armen
on 16.08.09
Welcome Brenda,
Don’t be too saddened. I’ve dealt with this here:
http://armenthomassian.com/2008/02/27/the-christian-sabbath/
Haven't you got anything to say?