Remember the Sabbath Day

Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.

Which day?
Let's sort out first which day of the week is the sabbath day.  In Judaism, the sabbath is Saturday - which starts on Friday evening at 6pm and continues for 24 hours. Christians have transferred the idea of the sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week, because Jesus set this in motion.  This was the day on which He rose from the dead (John 20:1-18). All eight post-resurrection appearances took place on the first day, either His day of resurrection or the following Sunday. The seventh day is a reminder of God’s work in creation: the first day is a weekly reminder of God’s work in redemption. Every Sunday is an Easter for the Christian.  The early church recognised this change and kept the first day of the week as a distinct and different day (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 16:2)

Still relevant?

Is the fourth commandment relevant to us today, and if so, how should we treat it?

God gave this law to the Hebrews as they wandered through the desert during their 40-year journey from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan. (Exodus 20)

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour 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 male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.  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. 

Seven is a number which denotes perfection and completeness, and is used in the Bible many times with this underlying meaning.  God used the backdrop of his creation of the world in 6 days, and resting on the seventh, to tell his people to do the same - to have one day of rest in seven.  It's interesting that after the French Revolution an attempt was made to metricate the calendar and have a ten-day week.  The experiment failed and was eventually abandoned in favour of returning to a seven-day week. 

The commandment about the sabbath is more detailed than all the others, covering four verses in Exodus 20, and is the only one which begins with the word 'remember'.   All too easily we forget things which should be important, and one of the things which has tended to wither in recent years, even among Christians, is meaningful observance of this commandment.

Jewish observance

Sabbath observance for orthodox Jews is legalistic and restrictive: one of their websites includes the following information :

Climbing a tree is forbidden, because it may lead to breaking twigs or tearing leaves, which could be construed as “reaping” (i.e., separating part of a growing plant from its source). Other activities that by extension are prohibited on the Sabbath include the following:

• Adding fresh water to a vase of cut flowers (sowing — any activity that causes or furthers plant growth).
• Making a bouquet of flowers (making a sheaf).
• Separating good fruit from spoiled fruit (winnowing, selecting, sifting).).
• Cutting hair or nails (shearing sheep-removing outer covering of a human or animal).
• Applying makeup (dyeing).
• Drawing blood for a blood test (slaughtering).
• Rubbing soap to make lather, applying face cream, polishing shoes, using scouring powder for utensils or other surfaces (scraping-smoothing the surface of any material by grinding, rubbing, or polishing).
• Sharpening a pencil (cutting to shape-altering the size or shape of an item to make it better for human use).
• Painting, drawing, typing (writing, making durable marks on a durable material).
• Tearing through lettering on a package (erasing).
• Opening an umbrella or unfolding a screen (building).
• Smoking a cigarette, using the telephone (kindling a fire).
• Switching off an electric light (extinguishing a fire).
• Setting or winding a clock or watch (finishing off).

Jesus's clarification.

Jesus took a very different view:      One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain.  The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”  He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need?  In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”  (Mark 2.23)

Jesus's teaching is clear: sabbath observance is meant to be a gift to us, not a restriction upon us.  Resting one day a week is a privilege to be encouraged, not a nuisance designed to enslave us.

The Lord's Day Observance Society  (now named 'One Day Ministries') campaigned for many years to protect shop employees from being obliged to work in supermarkets  on a Sunday, and this turned into the 'Keep Sunday Special' campaign.  It became heated and politically controversial, with strong arguments being put forward on both sides. It finally resulted in supermarkets being allowed to open on Sundays but with restricted hours of opening. 

One Day Ministries has an informative web-page on the fourth commandment: 
 https://www.dayone.org.uk/home/what-s-wrong-with-britain/fourth-commandment/

My personal application

Keeping the sabbath involves both rest and dedication to God.  'Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.'  My mid-teens were academically pressurized - I went to a public day-school which included Saturday morning school, followed by three hours of weekend homework. 

A fellow pupil somewhat older than myself said in our Bible Class (Crusaders) that he had decided never to do schoolwork on a Sunday, as he wanted to have a day of rest which included coming to Crusaders and/or church .  I was impressed and decided to follow his example. I have continued to do so for the past 60+  years.  As a schoolteacher I would not mark books or prepare lessons on a Sunday.   When I came to live in Neston I acquired a fairly big vegetable garden and attempted to keep it well-cultivated.  But it was heavy-going and to me it was rather a chore, so I decided against gardening on Sundays.  Others, who love gardening as a relaxation from their daily grind at the office might see this in exactly the opposite way. If gardening is a relaxation, then it can count as rest.

Poulsom's farm.

The field opposite our house used to be farmed by Christopher Poulsom. Chris had excellent relationships with other local farmers, and also with his employees. The neighbouring farmers would always help one another at haymaking time, but Christopher, because of his Christian priorities would not do farmwork on Sundays if it could wait until Monday, and would not demand work from his employees on Sunday either if it could be avoided. Chris once told me of a Sunday when many other farmers were haymaking as they expected a rainstorm on the Monday. Christopher went to chapel on the Sunday, leaving half the field harvested and half still undone. In due course the rain came down in torrents, soaking the part of the field which had been harvested, but leaving the other part of the field completely untouched. It was a great example of God honouring those who honour him. 

Chris teaching my first wife Lindsay how to drive the tractor

A picnic during harvesting

Is God in control?

In my blog entry dated 3^rd May 2020 I said "It's not so clear to us yet why we are suffering a worldwide pandemic today, but it is awe-inspiring to consider that God knows, and is ultimately in control."  This was written in the context of the ten plagues in Egypt which preceded the Exodus, and which were clearly foreknown by, and controlled by God for a specific purpose.  I'd like to pursue and clarify my comment by emphasizing the word "ultimately" in the statement.  Throughout history there has been a war going on between good and evil, and ultimately God will have the victory. This might be a better way of putting things than saying God is in control, because it is quite clear that God has ceded some of his control to us.   We are not puppets or androids, wired up to live our lives on a pre-programmed course. Nor are we accidental products of a materialistic universe which has no creator and in which our random acts are ultimately meaningless. 

Freewill

We are taught from the very beginning of the Bible  that human beings have been given free will by our creator.  (for my comments on the value of the Bible,see my blog entry of December 10^th 2019)  We can choose our course of action. This is what is meant when we are told that mankind was made in the image of God (1).  God has graciously shared his freedom to make choices and enabled us to do so as well. In order for this freedom to have meaning, there has to be the availability of a choice between right and wrong actions.  Way back in pre-history the power of evil was ceded to Satan , though not permanently. For good reason, Satan is described by Jesus as The prince of this world,(2)  because of the (temporary) power he has been permitted to retain over world events and occurrences.

The first humans
The very first humans  were given freedom of choice. Whether the story of Adam and Eve is literally or allegorically true, the message is the same: They were able to obey or disobey God, and they chose to disobey.  They pursued the same popular but regrettable choice as Frank Sinatra  - "I did it my way" !

Job

The book of Job is the story of a wealthy and honourable man who lived in ancient times, very probably before 1000 BC.  It's a story of personal disaster on a huge scale, though it has a happy ending.  In chapter 1 we are told that God deliberately allowed Satan to have a measure of control over Job's life - indeed to do Job great harm - in order that Satan might see that Job would remain faithful to God throughout his ordeals. This would prove that Satan ( a mere fallen angel who in no way has the same power as God) does not have the power to break Job's spirit.  I believe we see Job's commitment reflected over and over again in modern times when Christian believers keep faithful to their Lord despite wicked and unjust treatment at the hands of extremist groups and of anti-Christian governments.

Jesus

The ultimate example of this battle between good and evil is of course the story of Jesus, who did no wrong yet was put to death by execution at the hands of wicked men.  Foul wickedness was perpetrated, yet what follows it is the story of Easter: surely the supreme evidence that God is ultimately in control.

The challenge to you and me is this: God has ceded the power of choice to us. Which choice shall we make?  Christian believers are instructed to put on armour, because we too are part of the war against evil.  This evil might be man-made (think World War 2, or man's continuing destruction of the environment) or it might be natural (a pandemic, earthquake or tsunami). Whatever the evil, we are given the choice of whether to support evil, resist evil and work to mitigate its effects, or lazily do nothing.  St Paul challenges us: 

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (3)   

It's a battle described in Bunyan's famous allegory Pilgrim's Progress. (For more on this see my blog entry dated January 6^th 2020) .  The choice is ours: we have control of what we shall do with our own lives, but God assures us that the victory will one day be his.  The many acts of goodness and sometimes of heroism which we have seen during these weeks of pandemic are evidence that many have been making good choices.

A favourite hymn of yesteryear contains this same bible-based theme of  the warfare in which we are engaged.  It was written by Frances Ridley Havergal and was inspired by Moses' challenge in Exodus 32.26 :

Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,
Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
He whom Jesus saveth marches on His side.
By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own lifeblood, for Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,
 

We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army none can overthrow;
’Round His standard ranging, vict’ry is secure,
For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.
Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,
 

We are on the Lord’s side—Saviour, we are Thine!

Chosen to be soldiers, in an alien land,
Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain’s band;
In the service royal, let us not grow cold,
Let us be right loyal, noble, true and bold.
Master, wilt Thou keep us, by Thy grace divine,
Always on the Lord’s side—Saviour, always Thine!

(1) Genesis 1.27

(2) John 12.31 and 16.11

(3) Ephesians 6.10

The Throne

Here are two of the things I have done recently during the covid19 lockdown.

• With Wendy I have watched the film 'Exodus, Gods and Kings'
• I've also been reading, along with our church's virtual housegroup, the Book of Revelation, and have reached chapter 4.

Exodus, Gods and Kings is a stunning film in terms of CGI effects, and brings ancient Egypt dramatically alive. 

(However, I wouldn't commend it for accuracy: it deviates several times quite unnecessarily from the story as told in the Bible. 
I would like to have said to the producer "If it isn't broken, don't mend it!"  The original story is quite compelling enough without any need to make changes to it).

The challenge which Moses made to Pharaoh - the leader of the greatest nation on earth at the time, was quite extraordinary and bold.  "Let my people go."  Release all the Hebrew slaves and allow them to leave Egypt.   As we know, Pharaoh refused, and ten great plagues came upon Egypt.   At this time of the covid19 pandemic, it is helpful to be reminded that plagues are absolutely and totally under the control of God. With hindsight we can see clearly why God sent the plagues on Egypt, and how carefully orchestrated they were.   It all happened for a reason. It's not so clear to us yet why we are suffering a worldwide pandemic today, but it is awe-inspiring to consider that God knows, and is ultimately in control.  It's at such a time as this that turning to God, which Pharaoh did not do, would be such a good idea.   

 In the film, Pharaoh in his frustration shouts out "I am God".  Doubtless he thought he was, in the way that so many absolute rulers down through the ages have done.

When I was reading Revelation ch 4, I came upon this verse:

There before me was a throne in heaven, with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 

The context makes it clear that this was the throne of God himself. Pharaoh's throne in ancient Egypt must have been the most magnificent throne in the world at the time, occupied by an autocratic ruler.  But the throne in heaven was, and is, occupied by one who draws our attention to the rainbow encircling it. Why?   This description is in the last book of the Bible.  In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we can find the answer. It wasn't a plague or pandemic that came - but something equally appalling: a worldwide flood.The description of the reason for the flood and its onset are described in chapter six.  The sad fact was that only Noah and his family were at one with God: everyone else had turned away from God and were doing their own thing.   After the flood was over,

God said to Noah and his sons, "I now establish my covenant with you and your descendants and with every living creature…  Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth. I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and you and all life on earth. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds I will see it and remember this covenant.  (Genesis 9)

The rainbow encircling the throne is a sign and reminder that the almighty creator of the world, (who can do whatever he wishes with his creation), limits himself by his own promise that he will never again destroy the world by a flood. It's a covenant of love and grace, in startling contrast to the attitude of Pharaoh, whose only wishes were to retain his slaves, his wealth and his prestige. 

A final thought: there is a big contrast between the Flood and the current pandemic: the flood killed everyone who had rebelled against their creator, and a new beginning was made, based on one loyal family.  Today's pandemic is nowhere near  killing everybody, and already we see the first signs of  new beginnings as the common danger brings out the best in so many people.  

PS   There is a good article in 'Christian Today' about turning to God in a time of crisis, at  
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/the-antidote-for-despair/134788.htm