“THE Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Jesus wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigours of daily life for physical and spiritual relief.
Sabbath means 'rest'. It dates back to the Creation. After six days the Lord rested. In the Ten Commandments, God commanded “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
Later, the Sabbath was a reminder of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The Sabbath reminds us of God’s love for us.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. He asks us to hallow it.
How? We could compile lists of things to do and not to do on the Sabbath; but from the scriptures we learn that our conduct on the Sabbath constitute a sign to God.
A divine decree says: “That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;
“For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labours, ..”
In addition to worship, the Sabbath provides a wonderful opportunity to strengthen family ties and to render service to others, especially those who are not feeling well or are lonely or in need.
“Turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, … honour [the Lord], not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words”
If we choose to delight yourself in the Lord, we will not want to treat it as any other day.
Faith in God engenders a love for the Sabbath; faith in the Sabbath engenders a love for God.
Bishop Aydin Arabacioglu
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
www.lds.org.uk
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