Working on the Sabbeth

[InternalFlame]

I live with my parents since I am going through college still...and they expect me to do my share in chores in exchange, and I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that they keep asking me to do most of my chores on the sabbeth. Now, I tell them that I would be perfectly happy to do it any other day, but they keep insisting. They are Christians and they know WHY this bothers me, but they just don't seem to care.

I know I have to honor my father and mother, but I also know I must keep the Sabbeth holy. What should I do?

What is your take on work on the Sabbeth?

[Marnie]

I live with my parents since I am going through college still...and they expect me to do my share in chores in exchange, and I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that they keep asking me to do most of my chores on the sabbeth. Now, I tell them that I would be perfectly happy to do it any other day, but they keep insisting. They are Christians and they know WHY this bothers me, but they just don't seem to care.

I know I have to honor my father and mother, but I also know I must keep the Sabbeth holy. What should I do?

What is your take on work on the Sabbeth?

If you are not a Jew, there is no Sabbeth for you. Sunday is the Lord's Day. I work on Sunday when I have to, but I always go to Church first. In today's economy, it's hard to NOT work on Sunday for some of us.

[Jadzia44]

Ok, I am just a practical person. I see things in a practical manner and things that are not practical make little sense to me. That beieng said, it really doesn't matter what my take on the Sabbeth is. If you belief the in the Sabbeth or have some conviction about working on the Sabbeth then you should follow that not my take. However, (here is the practical part coming in) you live with your parents and you are to honor them. To the extend that it would cause you to sin? No, I don't think so but you can compromise. Do your chores in advance of "Sabbath" Don't wait till they ask you do them. If you have everything they need for you to do they will be little they will need to ask of you on the Sabbeth. I am not sure if you are considering the Sabbeth as Saturday or Sunday but whichever, do your chores the day before. You may have to stay up late and do what you can the night before but at least you will not have some feeling that you have done something wrong by doing these chores on the Sabbeth. Also, by doing the needed chores before being asked to will help make your parents happy too.

One uestion for everyone else... They did not have paper plates or anything in the Bible days and still had to eat...did they just not wash any dished till the next day? Families ate together a lot in Bible days so there could be a lot of people and a lot of dishes piled up after just one meal. Just wondering how that worked.

[Rania]

InternalFlame~

I am also a follower of the Sabbath (as much as I can possibly be) so I'm going to suggest something. Ask your parents on Thursday or early Friday what it is they would like you to do on Saturday and then do your best to get it all done prior to Saturday.

This is a personal choice you have made to honor the Sabbath on a specific day and there is nothing wrong with it. It's only a problem if you or I tell others that they must also honor it on a specific day.

Above all else, honor your father and mother and if you have to do work on the Sabbath, talk to God about it and ask him to either give you peace or to help your parents see that this is very important to you.

In Christ's Love~

Tap

[TEXASGRANDMA]

I am not Jewish so, I go to Church on Sunday. I have had to work on Sunday's in the past. Even when I did not have a job, I had to cook and clean and wash clothes, because I am a mom.

But, as a Christian we can be in mode of worship every day of the week.

betty

[Rania]

Ok, I am just a practical person. I see things in a practical manner and things that are not practical make little sense to me. That beieng said, it really doesn't matter what my take on the Sabbeth is. If you belief the in the Sabbeth or have some conviction about working on the Sabbeth then you should follow that not my take. However, (here is the practical part coming in) you live with your parents and you are to honor them. To the extend that it would cause you to sin? No, I don't think so but you can compromise. Do your chores in advance of "Sabbath" Don't wait till they ask you do them. If you have everything they need for you to do they will be little they will need to ask of you on the Sabbeth. I am not sure if you are considering the Sabbeth as Saturday or Sunday but whichever, do your chores the day before. You may have to stay up late and do what you can the night before but at least you will not have some feeling that you have done something wrong by doing these chores on the Sabbeth. Also, by doing the needed chores before being asked to will help make your parents happy too.

One uestion for everyone else... They did not have paper plates or anything in the Bible days and still had to eat...did they just not wash any dished till the next day? Families ate together a lot in Bible days so there could be a lot of people and a lot of dishes piled up after just one meal. Just wondering how that worked.

I missed your post before I posted and we suggested almost the same thing.

In answer to your question, the idea is to not do any more work than necessary. Cooking on Friday but having to re-heat on Saturday or letting the dishes soak on Saturday and washing them later in the evening is fine. Serving Christ by visiting shut-ins or ministering to the poor would also be worthy "work" on the Sabbath. Cleaning house from top to bottom or spending the day working in the yard would go against what the Sabbath is all about. That's my personal take on it and I would never suggest that this is required for everyone. This is what I feel God requires of me, at this time.

There are times I have wandered away from this and worked very hard on the Sabbath but I miss it terribly and I notice a huge difference in my spiritual walk. The Sabbath, for me is an entire day that I give to God and I spend the whole day in the Word, listening to wonderful music and reading and learning more about Him.

It's awesome!!

I'm not legalistic, I just know that God created the Sabbath for our benefit? Why not enjoy that?

Blessings upon all of you~

Tap

Edited February 18, 2006 by Totallyatpeace

[Khristeeanos]

The sabbath is from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

Is this when the problem is arising?

[Guest LadyC]

i may just be being obtuse here, but i don't recall any scripture that indicated that the jews should live slovenly on the sabbath, or that children should be disobedient on the sabbath.

sure, jews didn't do their major work, such as slaughtering a goat or cooking it for the noon meal, on the sabbath, but i'd be willing to bet someone had to set the table and clear it off afterward. they may not have done the laundry on the sabbath, but i bet they didn't leave their clothes laying all over the floor, either.

now, internal flame, let me ask you a question, and i want you to give me an honest answer. you consider sunday as your sabbath. what do you do on sundays? do you spend it all either in church or with the family? or do you maybe take in a movie with a friend, or during the summer go hang out at the lake, or essentially ANY recreational activity, whatever it may be? this is not an accusation here, so don't get me wrong... but what i'm asking is do you dedicate every minute of your sabbath to the Lord, or is it possible that somewhere deep down where you don't want to acknowledge, is a little part of you that may feel entitled to having sunday all for yourself to do with as you please, as long as a portion of it belongs to Jesus... i'm asking that from a purely human perspective, because i think all if not most of us may have, at some point in time, "used" the sabbath as an excuse to do nothing that we didn't WANT to do.

i'd like you to read the first 14 verses of matthew chapter 12, if you don't mind, and then consider these points.

1. Jesus was accused of breaking the sabbath by collecting grain to feed his desciples.

2. Jesus also told his accusers that the priests were innocent of committing a crime against the sabbath when they did temple work.

3. Jesus healed the sick on the sabbath, and stood accused.

4. Jesus told his accusers that if they had a sheep fall into a pit on the sabbath, they would work to save the sheep.

5. Jesus said it is lawful to do good works on the Sabbath.

6. Jesus said "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,"

in mark chapter 2, v. 27, Jesus says that the sabbath was created for man, not the other way around.

in luke chapter 13, v. 15, Jesus says "The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? "

what i'm trying to show you here is that the sabbath day is intended to be a day in which we honor God, to edify US. it was never intended as a day not to take personal responsibility for the daily things that must be done. those things which could be prepared for in advance should be done, so as to be able to focus our attention on doing the Lord's work on the sabbath, because oftentimes, there was simply not enough hours in a day for individuals to give their attention to God during the rest of the week. and today with all of our modern technology of convenience, there STILL is not enough time during the rest of the week, mainly because we are too caught up in the rat race of existance to MAKE that time.

but we NEED that time to draw close to the Lord, to worship and praise Him, which edifies and strengthens us. so when we refuse to do chores and basic household tasks on a sunday, are we utilizing that time to spend with God? or are we using that time for our own recreational purposes because it is a day of "rest and relaxation"? and if honoring our parents is honoring God, are we truly being obedient to the sabbath by disobeying them?

[Guest yod]

I live with my parents since I am going through college still...and they expect me to do my share in chores in exchange, and I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that they keep asking me to do most of my chores on the sabbeth. Now, I tell them that I would be perfectly happy to do it any other day, but they keep insisting. They are Christians and they know WHY this bothers me, but they just don't seem to care.

I know I have to honor my father and mother, but I also know I must keep the Sabbeth holy. What should I do?

What is your take on work on the Sabbeth?

As you can see, there aren't a lot of people who understand your desire to please God this way. Ask the Lord...and do that.

Honoring your parents is a very important commandment. In the case of a minor living at home it might supercede even the Sabbath. I doubt Daniel got the Sabbath off when he was a slave in Babylon

You should respectfully let them know how you feel about wanting to honor the Lord...and that obeying them (even though they are causing a contradiction within you) supercedes "your" wishes...and then do what they ask with such love and humility that they will see Him in you.

It might convict them, it might not....either way the Lord knows your heart is to please Him.

[Arthur Durnan]

By all means, work hard from Monday thru Saturday and strive to emphasize a nearness to God on Sunday, the Lord's Day, via family togetherness, reading the Word, meditating and, of course, being found in God's House morning & evening. All of Sunday is the Lord's Day, not just the morning hours. BLESSINGS on you & your family in Jesus' Holy Name!

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com