Studies on the Sabbath by R. A. Underwood

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 31, 1911

Studies on the Sabbath

By R. A. Underwood

IV. As Kept by Christ a Blessing and Not a Burden

And the ruler of the synagog answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? Luke 13: 14-16.

At the time of Christ's first advent the Sabbath had been perverted and bound about by restrictions and traditions, so that the day designed by God to be a great blessing had become a burden, if not a curse. Christ's mission was to remove false conceptions of God's law, and to "undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free." Christ lived the law. His life was a perfect example to men of the law's requirements in all the relations of life.

It is true Christ aroused the indignation of the rulers, as He tore away the false conceptions of what constituted righteousness. He showed that a man's life was worth more than a beast's, and that all their outward show of hypocrisy was of no avail. His life was an example of His words in Isa. 58: 6, 7:

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

It has ever been the plan and purpose of the rebel leader against the government of God to make it appear that the terms of God's law were oppressive and unreasonable. Especially has this been so with reference to the observance of the Sabbath. Satan succeeded in leading the Jewish nation to add numerous ceremonies and restrictions which made the Sabbath a burden rather than a blessing. It was regarded as a sin to walk on the grass on the Sabbath, lest some seed might be thrashed out by this means. Physical rest and fasting were the outward signs of great piety. To correct this false view Christ led the disciples through the corn fields and began to pluck the corn to eat.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But He said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is One greater than the temple. BUT IF YE HAD KNOWN WHAT THIS MEANETH, I WILL HAVE MERCY, and NOT SACRIFICE, YE WOULD NOT HAVE CONDEMNED THE GUILTLESS. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day. . . . And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore IT IS LAWFUL TO DO WELL ON THE SABBATH DAYS. Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Matt. 12: 2-8; 11-13.

All these acts of Christ were regarded as Sabbath desecration and worthy of death by the Pharisees. The Lord of the Sabbath, who was its Maker and Author, is now in their midst revealing what real Sabbath-keeping consists in. It was to be a day of blessing rather than a curse, a day of joy and gladness instead of a day of mourning and fasting, a day of worship and refreshing to man. "From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." Lev. 23: 32.

A Day of Rejoicing

We do not celebrate days by fasting and afflicting ourselves. We remember the days of greatest blessings to celebrate, such as our birthdays, our wedding anniversaries. Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and Independence days. O, what a different view the Sabbath presents when viewed from the divine standpoint! If there is one day in all the week that the children as well as each member of the family should look forward to with pleasure, as it returns to bring its added blessings to the week, it is the Sabbath of the Lord our God. While we are not to pursue the ordinary labor of the week, the Sabbath is not to be a day of idleness. The priests in olden times offered more sacrifices on the Sabbath than on any other day in the week. See Num. 28: 3, 4, 9, 10; Eze. 46: 4.

"Six days shall work [thy work] be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation." Lev. 23: 3. We are admonished to "call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable." Isa. 58: 13. This day of richest blessings we are to celebrate in holy convocation, in renewed consecration to service, in gifts and offerings, abundant, showing our appreciation of the blessings of God for which the Sabbath stands as a memorial and sign. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth." Ps. 96: 8, 9.

They brought their gifts to Jesus, And laid them at His feet; And love for this dear Saviour, Made every offering sweet; Good deeds and words of kindness, Help for the poor of earth, And not a gift among them Was thought of little worth.

Apart from other givers A poor wayfarer stood; He saw the gifts they offered, The poorest counted good, And he was filled with longing A gift, the poor, to bring; Alas! all empty-handed He stood before the King.

"Dear Lord," he cried in sorrow, "I know how kind Thou art; Take all I have to give Thee, My sinful, wayward heart." Then Jesus answered softly, "Count not the gift as small; Though all of them are precious, Thine is the best of all."

Reader, is the Sabbath day one of delight and soul refreshing, instead of dolorous grief, to you? Is it a day of intellectual and spiritual feasting of good things? Do the members of your family, including the children, look forward to the approach of the Sabbath as they do to the coming of a friend most welcome? Or is its observance one of stern duty and fear? If so, at its close the children and perhaps other members of the family feel a sense of relief when the sun disappears in the west. If the latter is the experience of your family, there is something decidedly wrong in the way the Sabbath is kept in your home. Let the Sabbath be welcomed by songs and prayers of thanksgiving. On the "preparation" day wholesome fruit and nourishing food should be made ready to "celebrate" the approaching day. Let the children and all expect that on the day of greatest "delight" and blessing they will receive temporal and spiritual blessings in keeping with the "blessed" rest day of Jesus Christ our Redeemer.