Sabbath Meditation #21 – The Morality of the Sabbath

by Kelly McDonald, Jr.

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:8-9).

When we think about the Sabbath, many people will say, “Well, God doesn’t care which day we rest on. One day in seven is all that matters.” Let’s seriously consider this line of reasoning with two of the other Ten Commandments.

Does God care whose property you have in your possession? (Your own or someone else’s?)

Does God care whose spouse you take home with you? (Your own or someone else’s?)

Again, most Christians would agree that God does care whose property you have in your possession. They will agree that it matters whose spouse you take home with you. For some reason, many will make an exception to the Sabbath. The Ten Commandments are absolute.

Just as God cares that we only possess our own property and that we stay faithful to our own spouse, He cares what day we rest upon. Since He saved us, we are called to be like Him (Leviticus 19:1-2).

The seventh day is called Sabbath of the Lord our God. It isn’t our day. He gives us six other days to do our work. The seventh day is sanctified unto Him.

Just as there is only one Lord God, there is only one day that God set apart for the Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset). If we do not obey the Bible on this subject, then we have broken it. The morality of this commandment is set in stone in the same way as the other nine.

Consider the absolute nature of the Sabbath commandment, especially throughout the Bible. You will find that just as God and Christ never change, so it never changes. Truly, Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath – today, yesterday, and forever (Mark 2:27-28, Heb. 13:8).

Selah.

Kelly McDonald, Jr.

BSA President – www.biblesabbath.org