Shepherds and Sabbaths

“The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.” Exodus 20:10 (NIV)

There is some controversy about what the Sabbath means and what day of the week should be observed as the Sabbath. Most would agree that Sunday is the first day of the week and that the actual Sabbath day falls on Saturday. That is still the day of the week that Jews set aside as the Sabbath.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were very adamant that there would be no work done on the Sabbath. What constitutes work? Religious leaders were very legalistic about this point, even setting specific weight limits on what a person could carry on the Sabbath. Too much jewelry could have constituted work. Temple priests served as guards at the gates to ensure that nobody would enter the city on the Sabbath carrying any items as that was seen as work.

The disciples were accused of working on the Sabbath in Matthew 12:1-2. Jesus was accused of encouraging someone to break the law of the Sabbath by asking the man he had just healed to pick up his mat and go home. Religious leaders tried to catch Jesus in what they perceived as a sin by asking him if it was lawful to heal a man on the Sabbath. To each of these responses, Jesus threw common sense into the mix.

He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven’t you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ You would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12: 3-8, 11-12 (NIV)

You would think that God would be the most legalistic about the Sabbath law since He created it. When God handed down the Ten Commandments He meant for people to put aside their jobs and regular work so that they could focus on worshipping Him for the day. He never intended that people would avoid doing good and needful things.

What about the specific day for Sabbath? Are Christians breaking the Sabbath by meeting on Sundays instead of Saturdays for worship? Early Christians gathered to worship on Sundays in honor of the resurrection. Many of the early Christians were Jewish believers. While I personally believe that the New Covenant of Jesus Christ does not exempt or nullify the Old Testament in anyway (Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it – Matthew 5:17), I also believe that Jesus freed us from legalism when it comes to His laws and commands. Therefore, setting aside one day for rest and worship, even if it is not on Saturday, is not breaking God’s command to keep the Sabbath.

So what do we do about those that have to work on the Sabbath of their religion? Jesus indicated that shepherds had to work on the Sabbath. They still had to tend the sheep and rescue them if they get lost or injured. Most businesses do not really need to be open on Sundays, but first responders and medical personnel cannot close their doors for one day a week or people would die and anarchy could erupt. Common sense tells us that God would allow for such things, but would expect them to find the time to set aside another day of that week for rest and worship.

My father told me that I was not allowed to work on Sundays, and being the rebellious son that I am, I went into the ministry so that I work on every Sunday. Obviously pastors, priests, ministers, etc., must work on the Sabbath. Jesus alluded to it when he reminded the finger-pointing religious leaders that they were just as guilty if they wanted to be so legalistic as to condemn Him and His disciples of breaking the law. The Temple did provide for their own legalistic way to avoid all priests from breaking the Sabbath law each Sabbath: they took turns through some sort of rotation schedule as the verse below indicates.

“Now this is what you are to do: a third of your priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors.” 2 Chronicles 23:4 (NIV)

The number of Temple Levites was far beyond what we would see in any modern church. King David hired 2000 men to serve in the music ministry of the Temple. I cannot even imagine what it would be like to have two paid music ministers on staff, much less 2000. But I can see how much easier it would be to take turns being on duty on the Sabbath if you had more ministers to rotate for those days.

Through wisdom and God’s leadership, most modern churches understand the need for their pastors to have a Sabbath (literally means rest) as well. They know that Sunday is not a day of rest for their pastors, so they provide an additional day off during the week. Some churches also provide time for a sabbatical (also means rest) for their pastors so that they can get away from the daily requirements of ministry to rest and renew their spirits. God needed rest after six days of creating the Universe and Jesus needed 40 days of rest in the wilderness during the middle of His three-year ministry. Churches understand that their pastors are not nearly as strong emotionally, physically, or spiritually as God, so they provide these times of rest.

Just as the bible commands us worship, it also commands us to get some rest. If you are not setting aside one day a week for rest and worship, you are breaking one of the commandments that God literally etched into stone.

This is part three in a series on Shepherding. I encourage you to read the other posts in the series:

1. All We Like Sheep - glamorous may not be the best description for us.

2. Shepherding vs. Herding - driving the church forward or leading it by example?

4. Searching for Lost Sheep - it is not only the unsaved who can be lost.
5. My Sheep Hear My Voice - can you hear the voice of the shepherd?
6. Diligence of a Shepherd - What is one thing pastors should be diligent about?