Sabbath in the Home by Eva Barber

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 10, 1914

Sabbath in the Home

By Eva Barber

EVA BARBER

“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.” Isa. 58:13.

In the scripture quoted above these two facts are brought to view concerning the Sabbath: First, it is the Lord’s day, his holy day; and, second, we are to call it a delight. When we honor it we honor him, and we are told how to make it a delight. All this is to be taught to our little ones. It is holy time, God’s holy day, and we should do nothing to mar its purity, its beauty, its holy character; and we are to help these same small girls and boys to call it a delight. This we surely can do with the grand system of truth which goes with Sabbath keeping. Childhood is none too long in which to teach the principles of truth to our children. God has given us a great field right in our homes. Every one of our homes is, or should be, a school where missionaries are trained. This is what our children will be if they fulfill the Lord’s purpose for them. So let the father and mother train each child that this thought may be his purpose, his plan. Let us pray and plan all the week to have a holy, pleasant, delightful Sabbath; not a day of hilarity, or sightseeing, but a pure, pleasant, welcome day in the home.

This will take planning where there are children ranging in ages from a babe to a youth in the early teens. But pray over the matter. The Lord can and will lead. Let us welcome the Sabbath as an honored guest, and be ready to receive it when it comes. Let worship be different from that on other days. Have the songs the children love the best. Have the reading something all will be interested in. Make frequent changes. Read verses in turn or in concert, or have a responsive reading if the children are old enough to take part. Children love to do, love to have a hand in matters that older ones are doing. Each one should select that which will suit the needs of his household best. There are many scriptures we can learn with our children. All children love the twenty-third psalm. The twenty-fourth can be adapted for a responsive reading. Let verses be well learned and repeated from memory, also the commandments and the books of both Testaments. One mother I knew would say “Genesis” and pause, then the little one would follow with “Exodus,” and in this way they would say all the books.

Bible stories are liked by most small children. If during the week a good Sabbath story comes to your home, leave it for Sabbath. Bible games are enjoyed by the older children. Sometimes give facts connected with some character, and let them guess the name. At other times give the first letter of a name and let them each have a certain number of guesses on who the person is that you have in mind. Prepare a box in which to keep the Sabbath books and cards, and whatever else you may have for use that day. Let all these things be stored away during the week. Have scrapbooks. A small magnifying glass helps to study subjects we may gather on our Sabbath walks. A field glass makes a walk more interesting.

These are a few of the many ways to make the Sabbath interesting to the children. They take time and work, but where is the mother who is not willing to spend time and strength in this way?

The father can also help in this home entertainment of the children. In fact, the father should share equally with the mother. Thus neither will be overburdened. He can sometimes take the children for a walk, and leave the mother free to rest or read as she sees fit. He can tell stories or sing or do other things to keep the children entertained and instructed. An older brother or sister can also be very helpful in this home work.

Home training is the greatest of missionary enterprises; for if it were well done, we should not have to mourn for so many who find the world more attractive than the Lord’s truth and work. Our homes are to be one of the greatest missionary agencies among us; so let us make them attractive and efficient for their part. While money alone will not do this, it will help. A love for the work, a fitness for it, will do much, especially a study of such literature as gives a good insight into child training.

Redlands Cal.