Is the Sabbath really designed to be a day of rest?

Question

If so, are the ER doctors sinning when they save lives on the Sabbath?

How about the ambulance drivers who rush heart attack victims to the hospital?

Answer 1

Yes the Sabbath is designed to be a devotion to worship and rest as well as helping others. So to answer your question: they're not sinning: see example of Jesus below.

Look what Jesus (MATT.4:23-24; 8; 10:1,7-8; LUKE 9:1-2)did on the Sabbath/Sabbath Days.
{Jesus in the synagogue on the sabbath day. Verses below; the same verses in Luke 6:6-10}
MATT.12:10 = "And behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. and they asked him saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days?..."
MATT.12:11-13 = "And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore is it lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other."
MATT.12:22 = "Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."

{a man having the dropsy healed}
LUKE 14:1-5

LUKE 4:16-19, 31-35, 38-40
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The Sabbath is from Friday Evening to Saturday Evening; Jews still keep it as some christians. No work is to be done this day.
Jesus himself told us to keep this day (John 4:22-24).
"Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." John 4:22
Notice Jesus was saying that we should worship Saturday like the Jews.

Look Sabbath up in Encyclopaedia Americana, Vol.24, pp.68-69.
The Calendar also tells us the 7th day is Saturday.

If you look up Genesis 1:8; it tells us that the evening and morning were the second day. Lev.23:32 says from evening to evening to celebrate the Sabbath.

GENESIS 2:2-3 "AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY GOD ENDED HIS WORK WHICH HE HAD MADE; AND HE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORK WHICH HE HAD MADE. AND GOD BLESSED THE THE SEVENTH DAY, AND SANCTIFIED IT: BECAUSE THAT IN IT HE HAD RESTED FROM ALL HIS WORK WHICH GOD CREATED AND MADE." {sanctify = to set apart; make holy}

EXODUS 20:8-11 "REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY, TO KEEP IT HOLY. SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOUR, AND DO ALL THY WORK: BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD: IN IT THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK, THOU, NOR THY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER, THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAIDSERVANT, NOR THY CATTLE, NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES: FOR IN SIX DAYS THE LORD MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH, THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IN THEM IS, AND RESTED THE SEVENTH DAY: WHEREFORE THE LORD BLESSED THE SABBATH DAY, AND HALLOWED IT." {the 4th Commandment}

REV.14:7 "SAYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, FEAR GOD, AND GIVE GLORY TO HIM; FOR THE HOUR OF HIS JUDGEMENT IS COME; AND WORSHIP HIM THAT MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND THE FOUNTAINS OF WATER."{fear God means reverence him; also this text points back to the 4th Commandment}

LEV.23:3 "SIX DAYS SHALL WORK BE DONE: BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF REST, AN HOLY CONVOCATION; YE SHALL DO NO WORK THERIN: IT IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD IN ALL YOUR DWELLINGS."

DEUT.5:12-14 "KEEP THE SABBATH DAY TO SANCTIFY IT, AS THE LORD THY GOD HATH COMMANDED THEE. SIX DAYS SHALT THOU LABOUR, AND DO ALL THY WORK: BUT THE SEVENTH DAY IS THE SABBATH OF THE LORD THY GOD: IN IT THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK, THOU, NOR THY SON, NOR THY DAUGHTER, THY MANSERVANT, NOR THY MAIDSERVANT, NOR THINE OX, NOR THINE ***, NOR ANY OF THINE CATTLE, NOR THY STRANGER THAT IS WITHIN THY GATES: THAT THY MANSERVANT AND THY MAIDSERVANT MAY REST AS WELL AS THOU."

{Jesus's Example= "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:..-1PETER 2:21}
LUKE 4:16 "AND HE CAME TO NAZARETH, WHERE HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP: AND, AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, HE WENT INTO THE SYNAGOGUE ON THE SABBATH DAY, AND STOOD UP TO READ."

MARK 2:23-28 "AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT HE WENT THROUGH THE CORN FIELDS ON THE SABBATH DAY; AND HIS DISCIPLES BEGAN, AS THEY WENT, TO PLUCK THE EARS OF CORN. AND THE PHARISEES SAID UNTO HIM, BEHOLD, WHY DO THEY ON THE SABBATH DAY THAT WHICH IS NOT LAWFUL? AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, HAVE YE NEVER READ WHAT DAVID DID, WHEN HE HAD NEED, AND WAS AN HUNGRED, HE, AND THEY THAT WERE WITH HIM? HOW HE WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF GOD IN THE DAYS OF ABIATHAR THE HIGH PRIEST, AND DID EAT THE SHEW BREAD, WHICH IS NOT LAWFUL TO EAT BUT FOR THE PRIESTS, AND GAVE ALSO TO THEM WHICH WERE WITH HIM? AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THE SABBATH WAS MADE FOR MAN, AND NOT MAN FOR THE SABBATH: THEREFORE THE SON OF MAN IS LORD ALSO OF THE SABBATH." {The Pharisees thought his disciples were breaking the Sabbath by plucking and eating corn; but Jesus told them it wasn't work. Jesus healed on the sabbath as helped people. On the Sabbath day you can even warm meals as boil water for oatmeal on the Sabbath. The work that you cannot do is cooking meals because it takes an hour or hours to cook or by staying in the fields to do hard labor or cleaning, shopping in the store, eating at restaurants and etc. The Pharisees were putting their laws on people. But Jesus came back to them, when he said "the Sabbath was made for man".}

{Apostles kept the Sabbath--Eph.2:20}
ACTS 17:2 "AND PAUL, AS HIS MANNER WAS, WENT IN UNTO THEM, AND THREE SABBATH DAYS REASONED WITH THEM OUT OF THE SCRIPTURES."

ACTS 18:4 "AND HE REASONED IN THE SYNAGOGUE EVERY SABBATH, AND PERSUADED THE JEWS AND THE GREEKS."

Now let's see if the Catholics know when the seventh day is.
"Ques.--Which is the Sabbath day?
"Ans.--Saturday is the Sabbath day.
"Ques.--Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
"Ans.--We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."--Peter Geiermann, The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1946 ed.), p.50. Geiermann received the "apostolic blessing" of Pope Pius x on his labors, Jan.25,1910. [bible readings pg.194]

"The Catholic Church...by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday."--The Catholic Mirror, official organ of Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893.

***Dan.7:25 "he shall think to change times and laws"

"WHY DOES IT MATTER". It does when it comes down to it; you either have God's Seal(Rev.7:2-3) of the Sabbath Saturday or Satan's Mark(Rev.13:18; Rev.14:8-10; Deut.17:3) Sunday--the day of the sun.
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Now there are other Sabbaths too; they're called Sabbath Feast Days. They are mentioned in the Bible too. LEV.23}
JESUS & THE APOSTLES KEEP THE SABBATH FEAST DAYS.

JOHN 7:2,14 "NOW THE JEWS' FEAST OF TABERNACLES WAS AT HAND. NOW ABOUT THE MIDST OF THE FEAST JESUS WENT UP INTO THE TEMPLE AND TAUGHT."

MARK 14:12 "AND THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, WHEN THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER, HIS DISCIPLES SAID UNTO HIM, WHERE WILT THOU THAT WE GO AND PREPARE THAT THOU MAYEST EAT THE PASSOVER?."

{The Apostles kept the Sabbath Feast Days}
ACTS 2:1 "AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE."

ACTS 20:6 "AND WE SAILED AWAY FROM PHILIPPI AFTER THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, AND CAME UNTO THEM TO TROAS IN FIVE DAYS; WHERE WE ABODE SEVEN DAYS."

ACTS 20:16 "FOR PAUL HAD DETERMINED TO SAIL BY EPHESUS, BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT SPEND THE TIME IN ASIA: FOR HE HASTED, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE FOR HIM, TO BE AT JERUSALEM THE DAY OF PENTECOST."

ROM.5:11 "AND NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED THE ATONEMENT."

1COR.5:6-8 "YOUR GLORIFYING IS NOT GOOD. KNOW YE NOT THAT A LITTLE LEAVEN LEAVENTH THE WHOLE LUMP? PURGE OUT THEREFORE THE OLD LEAVEN,{bread, sin, corn,dust and dirt---(Lev.23:14)leavening agents are yeast, baking soda and baking powder}THAT YE MAY BE A NEW LUMP, AS YE ARE UNLEAVENED. FOR EVEN CHRIST OUR PASSOVER IS SACRIFICED FOR US: THEREFORE LET US KEEP THE FEAST, NOT WITH OLD LEAVEN, NEATHER WITH THE LEAVEN OF MALICE AND WICKEDNESS; BUT WITH THE UNLEAVENED BREAD OF SINCERITY AND TRUTH."

1COR.16:8 "BUT I WILL TARRY AT EPHESUS UNTIL PENTECOST."

1THESS.4:16 "FOR THE LORD HIMSELF SHALL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT, WITH THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, AND WITH THE TRUMP OF GOD: AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RISE FIRST:..." {feast of trumpets}

{7th Day Sabbath & God's Feasts in both kingdoms of heaven}
ISAIAH 66:22-23 "FOR AS THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH, WHICH I WILL MAKE, SHALL REMAIN BEFORE ME, SAITH THE LORD, SO SHALL YOUR SEED AND YOUR NAME REMAIN.AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT FROM ONE NEW MOON TO ANOTHER, AND FROM ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER, SHALL ALL FLESH COME TO WORSHIP BEFORE ME, SAITH THE LORD."

ZECHARIAH 14:1,16-19 "BEHOLD, THE DAY OF THE LORD COMETH, AND THY SPOIL SHALL BE DIVIDED IN THE MIDST OF THEE. AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT EVERY ONE THAT IS LEFT OF ALL THE NATIONS WHICH CAME AGAINST JERUSALEM SHALL EVEN GO UP FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO WORSHIP THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS, AND TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. AND IT SHALL BE, THAT WHOSO WILL NOT COME UP OF ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH UNTO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP THE KING, THE LORD OF HOSTS, EVEN UPON THEM SHALL BE NO RAIN.
AND IF THE FAMILY OF EGYPT GO NOT UP, AND COME NOT, THAT HAVE NO RAIN; THERE SHALL BE THE PLAGUE, WHEREWITH THE LORD WILL SMITE THE HEATHEN THAT COME NOT UP TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
THIS SHALL BE PUNISHMENT OF EGYPT, AND THE PUNISHMENT OF ALL NATIONS THAT COME NOT UP TO KEEP THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES."

{So if you see Sabbath Feasts Calendar; it will explain all of these. Now for example:}
Before the Passover; you have to get the leaven out of your dwelling.
Passover of 2007 is the evening of April 1. What you do is prepare--do blessing of passover--drink wine in a small glass followed by unleavened bread; you also do footwashing; this is all done in your house with believers of family or church members--Also you say sorry for your sins before you partake of the Lord's Supper. 1Cor.11:20-28.

Unleavened Bread--First and last day is Holy, so no work; you do worship that day!
No bread, dust, dirt or corn anywhere til Unleavened Bread has past.

Pentecost--receive God's Spirit. It is a holy day; you do worship that day.

Feast of Trumpets--Worship and Holy Day.

Day of Atonement(Yom Kippur)--a day for fasting and repentance; abstain completely from food and drink; keep holy, do worship--Lev.23:7-8.

Feast of Tabernacles--the first day & 8th day is holy; do worship
Usually you can go to a Motel, seperate dwelling place or tent you can live in during this period. My family do the tent during the feast.

***There's a free booklet called "The Holy Days--God's Master Plan" from my church; you just have to request it. You can look up this site: http://lcg.org
If this doesn't work---look up Living Church of God.


SABBATH
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1346586579049373547aMUpRi

SABBATH FEAST DAYS
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1433216609049373547DnZhej******************************************************

Answer 2

The Sabbath is a day of rest.

Jesus told the Religious leaders
"Have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless." Matt 12:5

In this same chapter Jesus healed a man and told everyone "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath" Matt 12:12

If you are serving God or engaged in a life saving action it is not a sin becuase you are doing good on the Sabbath.



The Reason we need a Sabbath Day

We all need to understand the importance and the reason behind the Sabbath. Look at the scriptures, God creates man and the next thing he does is create a Holy day of rest. Why? Because he was tired? or so that he could commune with them?

The truth is God loves us so much and wants to spend quality time with us. Throughout the week we have school, work and other things that distract us from God. So he created one day that we could focus only on Him.

The purpose of the Sabbath is the fact that God wants to take time to be with us and He wants us to set aside time on His Holy day to devote 100% of our focus and attention on Him, our Creator.

Is the Sabbath a burden? God doesn't think so, in fact he says the exact opposite throughout the Bible.

And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.
Nehemiah 8:9-11

"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 58:13,14

God says the Sabbath is a delight, keeping it you will find joy in the Lord, if you keep it he will make you ride on the heights of the earth, and you will feast on the inheritance of Jacob.

Answer 3

I've learned the important thing is to take A sabbath, not necessarily Saturday/Sunday. ER doctors/Ambulance drivers will save their OWN lives (or at least extend them) by taking a day each week to rest.

Answer 4

The Sabbath day is the 7th day of the week...ie Saturday. And while all creative work is prohibited on the Sabbath, violating the Sabbath to save a life is not only permissible but mandatory. The laws of the bible are so that we 'should live'. If observing a law results in imminent death, then violating it is required with 3 exceptions...murder, idolatry and sexual immorality.

That all said, the Sabbath and all its laws and subsequent penalties is only incumbent upon Jews.

Answer 5

mzJakes was absolutely right.

Shababat observation is only for the Jews, but anyone can take a "sabbath" from their week and allocate it as a day of rest. The difference lies within the definition of work. A Chrstian may say that a minister may not lead services on the sabbath, because that is his profession, where Judaism would say the opposite: a rabbi may lead services because even if it is his profession, he is not in violation of the laws of G-d given to the Jews regarding Shabbat. Melachot are the categories of work we are not to do on Shabbat, there are 39 of them: leading prayer services falls into none of these categories, so it is allowed. But say, shopping is not, because even though you may like to shop and it is not your profession, you are not allowed to buy things on Shabbat.

That said, life takes precedence over the Torah. The ER doctors are not sinning in any way when they save lives on Shabbat because they are just that--saving lives. If a person's life is in danger, all Shabbat laws cease until the person is out of danger. It's the same when an observant Jew goes into labor on Shabbat. Whereas she or her husband are not allowed to make phone calls, ride in cars, carry things outside, etc, all of a sudden there is a taxi in the driveway and suitcases are being thrown in the back and ZOOM, off they go: it's not a violation because lives may be in danger if they don't get to the hospital.

Only the Jews are required to follow these Melachot laws, however.

Answer 6

Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is a day to think beyond your own petty worldly cares like working to pay bills. doctors and Ambulance drivers (nurses, soldiers, cops) must always be willing to think beyond their own petty worldly cares; so they always get a pass.

As far as being a "day of rest?" Not sure God intended us to spend hours a day in front of the TV or typing away at our keyboards. The "rest" was for the laborers and the beasts of burden, and an admonishment to those who expected to be served, continuously.

Answer 7

The Bible provides its own answers:
Jesus said to the Pharisees "It is lawful to do well on the Sabbath day"

The Sabbath day (Saturday) should be set aside as a day of rest and studying the Bible, but if someone is in trouble and needs help, then you should give them the help they need.

Answer 8

You know what Jesus said no man was guilty when he was doing something that was neccessary to do. And besides we are not living under the old covenant but under the new covenant.
The sabbath day is concerning the old testament. Sunday is a day that New Testament Christians have chosen to set aside for Worship. It is not a law it is a choice we make to learn more about God and to help us to grow Spiritually.

Answer 9

Sabbath is translated as Saturday.
But yes, the sabbath means you need at least one day of rest during the week. No specific day. Otherwise the body gets worn out and the mind becomes dull.

Answer 10

Sunday observed among Christians as a day of rest and worship.
If you are sincere, the people that need to break this tradition are not in jeopardy. God knows in their hearts why they can not observe the Holy day. You do know that you can be absolved of sin, don't you?

Answer 11

It was a pagan day of rest and the Hebrew inhereted it, and then the Christians.

Who invented the seven-day week? If we had an eight-day week, which one would be the sabbath?