Friday: Further Thought ~ Sabbath Rest
Further Thought:
“All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. We are not merely to observe the Sabbath as a legal matter.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 353.
“All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, but not in a listless, do-nothing way.
Image @ Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com
On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul.” — Testimonies to the Church, vol. 6, p. 362.
“The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. Heaven’s work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath.” — Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 207.
Discussion Questions:
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After all that we have said about Jewish Sabbath-keeping and their meticulous rules for keeping Sabbath, who would have thought that it would take a Jewish Rabbi to give us a perspective on the Sabbath that is so eloquently appealing and shareable. I have had time in the last 24 hours to reflect on the quotes from Heschel's book that I posted yesterday and am deeply moved by his idea of the Sabbath. He links creation, salvation, eternity, relationship with God, and our fellow man into the notion of the Sabbath. He makes no attempt to prove its correctness, nor to hold it up as witness to Catholic and Apostate Protestant Sunday worshippers, but simply tells us what the Sabbath is and should be.
Many of us have been challenged by the ongoing restrictions resulting from the current pandemic and have had to rethink our ideas of Sabbath-keeping. Heschel's notion of the Sabbath as a cathedral in time, rather than occupying a space. gives me a sense of how to change my concept of rest on Sabbath. We do not have to prove anything. We have a relationship with God to enjoy, and to share with others. What better way is there to rest.
I love the acknowledgment of a focus on lived experience rather than mere mental ascent-based doctrine and of a cathedral (sanctuary) in time transcending a more literal interpretation. These things bring a Sabbath freedom that lockdowns can't stop.
For those who may be interested in a musical dimension to their Sabbath experience, I recently came across an updated rendition of the song Be Still My Soul (In you I rest) that I find compliments what Heschel is reflecting. It's worth listening to if anyone gets a chance.
Could you provide a link to the song you mentioned, please? It sounds intriguing.
Thanks Richard.
I considered providing a link but then did some research about doing so and, not surprisingly, there are potential implications. So I took the safe route. If you google "Be still my soul (In you I rest)" and you will find it on Youtube. It is done by various artists - the one I watched was by Kari Jobe (with lyrics).
This week's study gave me a glimpse into the struggles which can be experienced by Sabbath keepers. The 7th Day Adventist denomination's leadership, by making the Sabbath an overarching 'sign/pillar/cornerstone' for/in their religious creed, is having to struggle mightily to keep it from becoming a legalistic observance.
Before I used the word 'creed', I looked up its definition: 'A system of Christian or other religious belief; a faith.' Having chosen Sabbath as its name, it makes it even more important to 'be' right in its application.
I did not and do not experience these struggles in my conscience because my eyes and heart are focused on the Faith of Christ. Could it be that observing the Sabbath has become somewhat a 'stand-alone' faith, the importance of it's correct observation becoming so elevated that it has overtaken the importance of Christ's Faith and used as 'judge' of one's faith?
I also deeply enjoyed the spirit's expressions in Rabbi Herschel's writings. It is philosophical in its intellectual nature, but deeply spiritual in its source. I agree, the power vested in Sabbaths is what our Father is working to connect/fold/weave us into again as we happily enjoy our fellowship with him and fellow man.
Keep in mind that the forgotten Sabbath was rediscovered by the pioneers of this movement, which helped them realize the importance of God's law, which was emphasized by Him speaking and writing it Himself, and giving it to mankind to help them see their great need for a Savior.
The two unique teachings of this prophetic movement were the Sabbath and the soon return of Jesus, being highlighted by the name chosen for this movement to be called. The name itself is a witness to the world of what many have forgotten.
The Sabbath will always be a legalistic observance for those who think of it as such, which is sad since it indicates a lack of personal knowledge of the Creator of all that exists, and is such a blessing in time for all who believe and rejoice in the Truth and the knowledge of God, who made the Sabbath a day of delight for man, as a weekly Haven of Rest(Mark 2:27, Isa 58:13).