Topical Bible: The Sabbath: The Wicked: Traffic On

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The Sabbath, a day of rest and worship, is a central tenet in Judeo-Christian tradition, established by God as a day of cessation from labor and a time for spiritual reflection. The commandment to observe the Sabbath is rooted in the creation narrative, where God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3), and is codified in the Ten Commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Exodus 20:8).

Despite its sacred nature, the Sabbath has often been profaned by those who engage in activities contrary to its intended purpose. One such transgression is the conducting of business and commerce, which is explicitly condemned in the Scriptures. The prophet Amos rebukes those who eagerly await the end of the Sabbath to resume their commercial activities, highlighting their disregard for the sanctity of the day: "When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat?" (Amos 8:5). This rhetorical question underscores the impatience and greed of those who prioritize economic gain over spiritual observance.

Nehemiah, during the post-exilic period, took decisive action against the desecration of the Sabbath by merchants and traders. He observed that people in Jerusalem were treading winepresses, bringing in grain, and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of goods, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah confronted the nobles of Judah, saying, "What is this wicked thing you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?" (Nehemiah 13:17). He ordered the gates of Jerusalem to be shut before the Sabbath and stationed his servants at the gates to ensure that no load would enter on the Sabbath day (Nehemiah 13:19).

The prophet Jeremiah also warned against carrying burdens and conducting business on the Sabbath, urging the people to "bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in through the gates of Jerusalem" (Jeremiah 17:21). He promised blessings for obedience and warned of dire consequences for continued desecration, emphasizing the importance of honoring the Sabbath as a covenantal sign between God and His people.

The New Testament reaffirms the principle of Sabbath rest, though it also records instances where Jesus challenged the legalistic interpretations of the Sabbath by the Pharisees. Jesus emphasized the Sabbath's purpose for human benefit, stating, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). However, this teaching does not negate the call to honor the Sabbath but rather refocuses it on its intended purpose of rest and worship.

In summary, the Scriptures consistently portray the conduct of business on the Sabbath as a violation of its sanctity, aligning such actions with the behavior of the wicked. The biblical narrative calls for a cessation of commerce and a return to the spiritual and communal aspects of the Sabbath, underscoring its role as a day set apart for God.

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 13:15,16
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

John ii. 11
... he was about to heal on the Sabbath day, and ... 69:9 ), both grieving that their shameful
traffic was cut ... He made them the same answer, "A wicked and adulterous ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxiii john ii 11.htm

The Ministry of Love, the Blasphemy of Hatred, and the Mistakes of ...
... Magdala, which was a Sabbath-day's journey from Tiberias, [2734 ... it, which the knowledge
of its traffic in doves ... in view of His Miracles - seem not only wicked. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxii the ministry of.htm

The Springs of Social Life.
... That world of traffic, that world of toil, that looks ... when I consider what, doubtless,
the Sabbath has been ... prodigal, brazen-fronted by his own wicked will and ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse v the springs of.htm

Letter xiii. Christian Activity.
... She resided in the most wicked and abandoned part ... seeing the grog-shops opened upon
the holy Sabbath. ... whose consciences would permit them to traffic in human ...
/.../letter xiii christian activity.htm

Matt. Ix. 9
... he had left off or forsaken this wicked trade, but ... no fair account could be given,
a shameless traffic, a robbery ... is not lawful to do on the sabbath-day;" [1264 ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxx matt ix 9.htm

General Index.
... unholy traffic in, 474. ... wicked see in hand of Christ at second advent, 639, 668.
see also Fourth commandment; Sabbath; Sanctuary; Temple in heaven. ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /general index.htm

The General Conference of 1832
... the establishment and support of sabbath schools in ... It would be ridiculous, if not
wicked, for these ... poisonous preparation by manufacture and traffic for the ...
/.../chapter 11 the general conference.htm

Spiritual Revival, the Want of the Church
... of the crafts and devices of a wicked world, why ... and make it a very place of traffic,
instead of ... On Sabbath afternoon all the ministers are talked over, faults ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 44 1898/spiritual revival the want of.htm

Jesus and his Brethren
... woman, what did you go for last Sabbath-day?" "I ... and they had gone their way to traffic
somewhere else. All who knew of that wicked transaction were Joseph and ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 43 1897/jesus and his brethren.htm

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
... is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts ... even where comparison is excluded,
thus: "A wicked man taketh ... carried it into a land of traffic [Chaldea]; he ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxxv the figurative language.htm