Topical Bible: The Sabbath: No Purchases to be Made On

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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. Observance of the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between God and His people, emphasizing rest, reflection, and reverence. One aspect of Sabbath observance is the prohibition against engaging in commerce, including making purchases.

Biblical Foundation

The command to refrain from work on the Sabbath is first introduced in Genesis 2:2-3, where God rests on the seventh day after creation. This divine rest sets a precedent for humanity. The command is later codified in the Ten Commandments: "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..." (Exodus 20:8-10).

Prohibition of Commerce

The prohibition against buying and selling on the Sabbath is explicitly addressed in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah, upon discovering that merchants were selling goods in Jerusalem on the Sabbath, took decisive action to stop this practice. He states, "In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of goods. They were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day" (Nehemiah 13:15). Nehemiah's reforms included closing the city gates to prevent merchants from entering and conducting business on the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13:19).

Prophetic Warnings

The prophets also spoke against commercial activities on the Sabbath. In Amos 8:5, the prophet Amos condemns those who impatiently wait for the Sabbath to end so they can resume buying and selling, highlighting the people's disregard for the sanctity of the day. This attitude reflects a deeper spiritual malaise, where economic pursuits overshadow devotion to God.

Sabbath in the New Testament

While the New Testament does not explicitly reiterate the prohibition against purchases on the Sabbath, it upholds the principle of rest and worship. Jesus' teachings and actions on the Sabbath often focused on the spirit of the law rather than its letter, emphasizing mercy and compassion (e.g., Matthew 12:1-14). However, the early Christian community, particularly Jewish Christians, would have been familiar with and likely adhered to traditional Sabbath observances, including refraining from commerce.

Historical and Theological Perspectives

Throughout history, Christian interpretations of Sabbath observance have varied. Some traditions, particularly within Reformed and Puritan communities, have emphasized strict Sabbath observance, including the prohibition of commerce. This view is rooted in the desire to maintain the day's sanctity and focus on spiritual matters rather than material concerns.

In summary, the prohibition against making purchases on the Sabbath is a practice grounded in biblical instruction and historical tradition. It serves as a reminder of the day's sacred purpose, encouraging believers to set aside worldly pursuits in favor of rest, worship, and reflection on God's provision and grace.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Nehemiah 10:31
And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Nehemiah 13:15-17
In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
... 16th Nisan), so as to avoid the Sabbath following on ... If we mistake not, these purchases
had, however, already ... the Passover-day there would have been no time to ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the fifth day.htm

The Plea of Faith
... Delivered on Sabbath Evening, June 22, 1856, by the. ... circulation of the butter shop,
but we have no book that is ... If a person purchases a novel, it is well known ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the plea of faith.htm

Concentration in Prayer
... We discriminated in our purchases for our friends, lest we should ... thy day!" Let us
begin this very Sabbath night ... We are in no hurry of business or of pleasure to ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/xix concentration in prayer.htm

Chronology of the Life of Christ.
... as no fires were allowed to be kindled on the Sabbath (Ex ... day before the Passover;
for then there would have been no need of such haste for purchases as the ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 16 chronology of the.htm

The Unjust Steward - Dives and Lazarus - Jewish Agricultural Notes ...
... which were acknowledgements of debt for purchases made, such as ... the time for making
provision for the next (the Sabbath). ... we notice that there is no analogy in ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xviii the unjust steward.htm

The Paschal Supper - the Institution of the Lord's Supper.
... of the Feast (on the 15th Nisan), it would be unlawful to make purchases. ... festive
day, or 15th Nisan, was to be followed by a Sabbath, on which no such work ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter x the paschal supper.htm

Covenanting a Duty.
... dutiful for all to vow to keep the sabbath. ... sanctioned in the Divine law, and no
reason can ... it existence, organises, incorporates, and purchases it,"confers ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter iii covenanting a duty.htm