Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Question of the Sabbath

Over at United Kirk they had a rigorous debate as to the place of the Sabbath in our age. Should we hold to a strict understanding of Sabbath or not? And Why?

Here is what the WCF has to say:

THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH
CHAP. XXI. - Of Religious Worship, and the
Sabbath Day.

7. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time
be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and
perpetual commandment binding all men in all ages, He hath particularly
appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from
the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of
the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day
of the week, which, in Scripture, is called the Lord's Day, and is to be
continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.

8. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due
preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs before-hand, do
not only observe an holy rest all the day from their own works, words, and
thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations, but also are taken up,
the whole time, in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the
duties of necessity and mercy.

2 comments:

00 said...

Something that I've been thinking about recently when pondering over the Sabbath...it's importance in my life...what "significance" should I give it in my life...the thing that strikes me is that the purpose of the Sabbath is not only to worship God, but to actually REST from all our hard work that we've been doing throughout the week. I've begun to wonder if perhaps a strict observance of the Sabbath seems no longer the "cool" or "popular" Christian opinion to hold simply b/c we're really not working hard the other 6 days of the week. I mean, if we're being somewhat lazy, unproductive, or even what we might call "restful" during parts of the other 6 days of the week, it seems to make less sense (from a practical standpoint) to really have a Sabbath that is strictly observed. What are your thoughts on this?

Benjamin P. Glaser said...

Good point about us not working that hard the other 6 days. In America we have been blessed with 2 "Sabbaths".