Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy

Exodus 20:8

I devoted an entire chapter of my book, Grafted: Embracing Torah, to the Sabbath, but I find that the discussion on keeping the day “holy” to be lacking.  A big part of that is because the Word never tells us how to make it holy.

Holy:

Strong’s [6942] – qadash (kaw-dash), a prim. root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):-appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate. defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.

“make, pronounce or observe as”.  The definition makes it abundantly clear that we make something holy or defiled by what we do.

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. 

Exodus 20:11

Yahweh did what He did to make it hallowed [qadash], but the seventh day is just another day (no matter what Yahweh did) if we do not do something to set it apart as a ‘holy’ day.

To set it apart, we need to do things differently than we normally do and not do thing we do every other day of the week.

1.  Do not work.

This one is easy because Yahweh directs us not to work in Exodus 20:10. 

If a work event comes up on the Sabbath, you decline. If you don’t get all your work done before the Sabbath, you plan for an early morning the next day. When thoughts about work pop into your head, promise yourself you will deal with it tomorrow (if you need to, write a quick note so you won’t forget about it).

By not working on the Sabbath, you are saying, “Yahweh is more important than my job.”

2.  No TV.

The average person in America (ages 18-44) watches three hours of TV a day (https://www.statista.com/statistics/276748/average-daily-tv-viewing-time-per-person-in-selected-countries/).  Since 18-44 year-olds probably spend 8-10 at school or work, well over half of their remaining time awake is spent in front of a TV or other streaming service. Watching television on the Sabbath is not a way of setting the day apart from all the others.

Remember the Sabbath is about being with God. I don’t know about you, but I don’t often experience God’s presence while watching television.  I do, however, have a collection of DVDs that feed into my soul and I enjoy sitting down with my family and watching them.  A short list of those videos that I enjoy:

The Chosen – This video series really surprised me.  Hollywood often butchers Christian themes.  Well-written and an excellent cast.  I’ve not seen Season 2, yet, but I am hopeful.

Luther (2003 – Joseph Fiennes) – well-made and inspiring.  Martin Luther was one of the many men who stood up against the evil practices of the Roman Catholic Church at a time when such conviction was met with inquisition and execution.  Luther was one of the few that did not meet that fate.

Joseph (2005 – Paul Mercurio) – I have watched most of Ted Turner’s Bible Collection stories and have been very disappointed.  Joseph was the exception.  Mercurio captured the man that was nearly killed; saved, but sold into slavery; earn a position of trust from his master, but was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison; then finally earning great authority within Egypt and saving the world from a disastrous famine.  Quite the roller-coaster ride for a single man . . . and the actor portraying him.

Illustra Media DVDs about Intelligent Design – there are numerous titles (e.g., Unlocking the Mystery of Life, The Privileged Planet and Darwin’s Dilemma) that deal with the flaws of Darwinian evolution.  If the evidence points to an intelligent designer, we should follow the evidence.  The Discovery Institute also produced Expelled with Ben Stein, which is still very watchable and still very relevant.

Hell and Mr. Fudge (2012 – MacKenzie Astin) – based on the life of the author of the book, the Fire that Consumes.  Dr. Fudge challenged everything he had ever been taught and what his church denomination insisted be taught about hell and eternal damnation because of his research in the Word.

Matthew (1999 – Bruce Marchiano) – This installment of the Visual Bible is a visual portrayal of the Bible using only the words from the Bible.  I don’t like that it uses the NIV version rather than the KJV (personal preference), but it is good in that the narrative never strays away from actual text.  A small caption updates what chapter and verse is being depicted.  Acts (2002) was good, also, but I was not fond of the Gospel of John (2004)

Exodus Revealed (2002) – If 2.5 million people left Egypt and wandered through the Arabian Peninsula for forty years, there should be some evidence, correct?  Actually, there is a lot of evidence and this video shares lots of it – including underwater footage of Egyptian chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea.  Amazing footage.

Other videos can be devotional, educational, and fun to watch also, but, depending on the age of your children, be prepared to discuss how they differ from the Word (artistic license?).  Some I enjoy are Prince of Egypt; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (it’s a bit ‘woke’, but Donny Osmond is fabulous); Kent Hovind’s Creation Seminars (I enjoy the science, but I go on to something else when he starts evangelizing); and any of the Kendrick Brother’s films (my favorite is still Courageous).

3.  Restrict your social media.

Social media is not just a distraction from God, but it is a distraction from actual life.  If you get on to fellowship with others, you run the risk of getting sucked into political discussions, inane internet games, and pointless surveys.  Cutting out these types of distractions will go a long way in keeping your Sabbath day holy. 

I do use social media to post the blogs (like this one!) I prepare from the time I spend reading and studying the Word . . . I just don’t post it until after Sabbath is over because of all the distractions.

4.  Spend extra time reading your Bible and praying.

One of the best ways to build a relationship with Yahweh is through direct communication with Him. Be intentional about seeking more time to talk with and learn from Yahweh.  The Word is direct communication from Yahweh – don’t expect to get revelation from Yahweh about things He has already shared in his Word.

A drill sergeant I once worked with used to yell at the trainees, “I don’t get paid to tell you to do something twice.”  Yahweh is busy, also, and doesn’t need to repeat Himself – you need to read and listen.

You should be reading and praying every day, so take some of the extra time you have on Sabbath and really dig into the Word

5.  Spend time outside enjoying God’s creation.

The whole “six days work – rest one day” is in commemoration of the Creation story.  The Sabbath reminds us that Yahweh created this whole world for our benefit. Many people experience Yahweh more intimately while in nature, so take a walk, play in the park, sit on the porch, or climb a mountain and ask Yahweh to reveal himself to you through His creation.

6.  Invite friends over (or go to friends) for fellowship and worship.

A Sabbath day does not need to be a day of isolation. Get together with your brothers and sisters in Christ and spend time encouraging each other in the Lord.

Remember that “iron sharpeneth iron” (Proverbs 27:17).  You spend all week working with people who are jealous of who you are and seek to denigrate you so they can look better.  Take some time with people who will speak the Word into your life.

7.  Develop rituals to share with your family to give significance to the Sabbath.

I know that I spent a lot of space in my book separating Godly instructions from man’s rituals, but that does not mean that rituals are bad.  My problem was with people claiming that their traditions were the Word of Yahweh.

Yeshua demanded that we not do as the Pharisees:

¹ Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, ² Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. ³ But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

⁶ . . .Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 15:1-3, 6

⁶ He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. ⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. ⁹ And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. (Mark 7:6-9)

Mark 7:6-9

Yahweh uses rituals to help us remember.  The most obvious one is the subject of this blog.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy . . . .”

Yahweh directs the Hebrews to commemorate Passover, “forever” so that what He did would not be forgotten.

²⁴ And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. ²⁵ And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. ²⁶ And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? ²⁷ That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.  (Exodus 12:24-27)

Exodus 12:24-27

How important is this?  We still remember Passover 3500 years after it took place and the story of Creation over 6000 years since it took place.

Meanwhile, because our schools no longer teach History – no one under forty remembers the horrors of communism and fascism and a majority of our youth believe that communism is preferable to capitalism (https://www.educationviews.org/disturbing-number-of-young-americans-favor-communism/).

It only took two generations to forget that millions were murdered under every form of these ideologies (over 120 million in the 20th Century, alone), and we are now on the verge of implementing them again, today.

Develop a ritual(s) to help commemorate what Yahweh did for you in creating heaven and earth, and what He continues to do.  It may be awkward when you start, but the Father will be blessed by what you do, if it comes from the heart.  If it becomes ritualistic and drudgery over time, then change it.

Do not let it become an empty tradition like Easter and Christmas – my book examines how we took Pagan rituals and tried to “Christianize” them.  We happily anticipated these holidays and partook of all the traditions in preparation of the holidays without knowing how the traditions started nor understanding that Yahweh does not accept worship that uses impure or mindless rituals (see my blog, Really, Awful Worship).

²⁴ And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful [traditional]?

²⁷ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: ²⁸ Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Mark 2:24, 27-28

Yahweh asks us to rest and to keep the day holy.  Do it in a way that blesses you, your family, and your Father.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it [make, pronounce or observe as] holy . . . .