As I was dwelling on what to study today, I remembered a question I received this week, about keeping the biblical Sabbath … is it Saturday, Sunday, literal, figurative … how is it kept, and many other questions. I have a list of posts I have written on this topic indexed:
the sabbath topic at christine’s bible study
And I have much more I have written, to add to this index, besides. So that is going to be the direction we will take for the next few weeks, besides our weekly Torah study. Please, send your questions to christinesbiblestudy [at] gmail.com so I can post answers.
Before I leave this post, I just want to mention I found a wonderful website this week:
Bible Sabbath Free Ebook Library
which contains many historical documents, references, and studies written through history. In fact Sabbath day rest has been a topic of discussion throughout the history of the church … for example, did you know that St. Patrick established Sabbath day (Saturday) rest from biblical authority for the Celtic Church, which put them at odds with Rome … and many other fascinating facts of history which have been washed from modern books.
As I prepare for our Sabbath of rest beginning this evening, may you experience Shalom. ♥
Camilla Anderson says
I have been praying for a long time about learning how to keep the sabbath-for our whole family to make that adjustment, which is a big one. But I have two basic questions: 1) Does the Sabbath have to be Saturday, or can a different day be the seventh day? If it had to be Saturday, then my husband and oldest son would need to find different jobs, and my daughter would have to quit her competition choir. Not that we’re not willing to sacrifice anything to obey the Lord, we are. But are these necessary changes we would need to make to keep God’s commandment properly? 2) What is a good guideline for how to measure if you are keeping the Sabbath “Holy?” How do you discern which activities can be done, should be done, etc?
I will check out the resources you mentioned when I have some time.
I have been reading your 4-part testimony on the HSBA blog and been so very blessed to read it. Can’t hardly wait for the rest, but praying for your family in the meantime.
christine says
Hello Camilla, please keep reading … I have everything that I have studied and experienced concerning Sabbath keeping which I am in process of posting. You can find the index here: http://christinesbiblestudy.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/feasts-of-the-lord/ I am adding to it over the next few weeks.
I just want to add one thing. God gives us time to learn His ways and implement them, simply because it is a big change from the way of the world and even from the way of Gentile Christianity. Keep reading, keep learning, and make one change at a time. If you become convinced as I am that the biblical Sabbath is Saturday, then start praying and asking God to provide favor at the current jobs or new jobs so that you can keep the commandment according to the Scripture. When the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, God did not ask them to keep the Sabbath rest. They couldn’t, they were slaves to their work. But when they became free, then He began to teach them what it meant to keep the Sabbath (Exo 16). We should consider these things carefully before we quit jobs and the like. Thank you so much for the prayers. <3
Camilla Anderson says
Thank you so much for your response and all your posts yesterday. I must tell you that I am wary of the internet and time spent reading blogs, and email time, etc. I keep my email free from subscriptions, I don’t read blogs unless I just “happen” upon them–rarely–and trust God to direct me and teach me. I was “accidentally” directed to your 4-part testimony on HSBA (I honestly have no idea how I got there–maybe through the one friend’s blog I regularly read), and instantly drawn in with empathy and prayer, and then much intrigued by your testimony of keeping the Sabbath, since i had been praying about this for a very long time–still asking God to show me and direct me (which I knew He was “showing” me something in your story). So of course I went to your website. Not used to spending time reading on the internet, I was a bit overwhelmed by it all, but I read a bit, and for some reason subscribed. Your emails began showing up daily, and I looked at them–not sure what to do with them. Torn between wanting to take the time to read them more, but overwhelmed because they seemed to be so far beyond my present understanding, and simply not used to regularly reading anything on my computer. So, I went to delete your messages and unsubscribe from your list, and go back to my regular routine of relying on GOD to teach me (not man)–something that seems practical in my busy life raising 6 (ages 11 months to 18), plus my serious health issues. But God did not let me delete. I pressed “delete,” and your message stayed in my inbox. It would not delete. So, trying to be sensitive to God’s leading, I instead created a folder for your emails and moved everything there. And that was certainly the right thing to do. God is definitely using you to help me, and I’m so grateful. It is also helping to teach my children, too. May God bless you and I will continue to pray for your family.
–Camilla
Camilla Anderson says
Okay, so your other posts and links answered most of my questions. And as I’m typing this, I see my last question answered by a link on your sidebar (sun rise/set table). ! You don’t need to bother to reply. Sorry I pestered you before I read the information you had given. I was just feeling a bit overwhelmed at first! God bless!
christine says
Thank you for the trackback! <3