Topical Bible: The Sabbath: Necessary Wants May be Supplied

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, is a central tenet in Judeo-Christian tradition, rooted in the creation narrative and the Ten Commandments. It is observed on the seventh day of the week, commemorating God's rest after the creation of the world. The principle of the Sabbath is not only about rest but also about recognizing God's provision and sovereignty.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of the Sabbath is first introduced in Genesis 2:2-3 : "By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished." This passage establishes the Sabbath as a day set apart by God Himself.

The command to observe the Sabbath is reiterated in the Ten Commandments, as found in Exodus 20:8-11 : "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but 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 foreigner within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy."

Necessary Wants May be Supplied

While the Sabbath is a day of rest, Scripture provides guidance on the allowance for necessary activities that meet essential human needs. Jesus addressed this issue directly, emphasizing the spirit of the law over the letter. In Matthew 12:1-8 , Jesus and His disciples were criticized for picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus responded by highlighting the precedence of mercy and necessity over ritualistic observance: "If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Similarly, in Mark 2:27-28 , Jesus declared, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." This teaching underscores the principle that the Sabbath should serve humanity's well-being, allowing for acts of necessity and mercy.

Old Testament Precedents

The Old Testament also provides examples where necessary wants were supplied on the Sabbath. In Exodus 16, God provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness, instructing them to gather twice as much on the sixth day to prepare for the Sabbath. This provision ensured that their needs were met without violating the Sabbath rest.

Practical Implications

The allowance for necessary wants on the Sabbath extends to acts of mercy and essential services. In Luke 13:10-17 , Jesus healed a woman on the Sabbath, challenging the religious leaders by asking, "Should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound these eighteen long years, be released from her bondage on the Sabbath day?" This act of healing illustrates that the Sabbath is a time for liberation and compassion.

In contemporary practice, this principle allows for essential services such as healthcare, emergency response, and other acts of mercy to continue on the Sabbath. The focus remains on honoring God through rest, worship, and acts of kindness, reflecting the heart of the Sabbath commandment.

Conclusion

The Sabbath, as a divine institution, is a day of rest and worship, yet it accommodates the meeting of necessary human needs. Through the teachings of Jesus and biblical precedents, it is clear that the Sabbath is intended to benefit humanity, allowing for acts of mercy and necessity while maintaining its sanctity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 12:1
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 13:15
The Lord then answered him, and said, You hypocrite, does not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 14:1
And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Corn in Egypt
... Delivered on Sabbath Morning, January 16th, 1859, by the. ... not, who has gone before
him and provided all things necessary, that his wants may be supplied. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/corn in egypt.htm

Christ the Bread of Life.
... Each day they gathered the necessary supply ... The amount for the Sabbath was gathered
the day preceding ... It is well understood by all classes that the wants of the ...
/.../ii christ the bread of life.htm

A Ribband of Blue.
... to satisfy their own hunger and supply their own wants. ... on the morning of the day
before the Sabbath; and as ... manna would not keep, it was necessary that early ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a ribband of blue/a ribband of blue.htm

The Canons of the Holy and Altogether August Apostles.
... take what is required for his own necessary wants, and for ... on the Lord's day, or
on the Sabbath, [576] excepting ... send him out of their house, he may be ordained ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/the canons of the holy 4.htm

Letter xiii. Christian Activity.
... the kingdom of Christ or the wants of the ... She would establish a Sabbath-school, and
superintend it ... 2. Great prudence and discretion are necessary in everything ...
/.../letter xiii christian activity.htm

A Burning and Shining Lamp.
... He was the Emancipator of the Sabbath day from ... be faced by every true man that wants
to illuminate his ... or lamp; then we have the necessary expenditure, burning ...
//christianbookshelf.org/meyer/john the baptist/xiii a burning and shining.htm

The City of the "Elegant Gate"[*]
... In a letter to the Sabbath-school of the Central ... It is as necessary for the happiness
of the souls of the ... consists in having sons to supply the wants of their ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/fagg/forty years in south china/iii the city of the.htm

They Feared the Lord, and Served their Own Gods. 2 Kings 17:33.
... place." They admit that free churches are necessary, in order to ... given you a right
to a perpetual Sabbath, as soon ... his powers in your service, he wants only to ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/they feared the lord and.htm

Christian Stewardship.
... Are not these the real wants of men allowed by the ... of property invested in stock
that habitually violates the Sabbath. No remark is necessary in so plain a case ...
/.../dibble/thoughts on missions/chapter ii christian stewardship.htm

Preface --The Author's Object --The Utility of Written ...
... [Wants the beginning ... did not hinder from doing good while keeping the Sabbath; [1826]
but ... we ought to occupy ourselves with what is most necessary, and which ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter i prefacethe authors objectthe utility.htm