By John Thiel, mp3

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

The Sabbath day is written of all the week the best.  I don’t know about you but some people don’t think so.  Many who have been brought up in the Sabbath detail, when it comes to the end of the Sabbath they are jubilant. The go out and have an enjoyable time as if it’s burdensome.  Sometimes the Sabbath is not what God designed it to be and as a consequence those brought up with the Sabbath, fall into a state of wandering how important really is the Sabbath?  We are pursuing what is written in Amos;

Amos 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: [and] because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Prepare to Meet Thy God

We are to prepare to meet our God.  In our previous study we had a look at preparing for heaven as it is paralleled meeting for Sabbath.  We are going to gather every Sabbath and worship God and keep the Sabbath holy there in heaven.

We appreciated from the word of God that to pollute the Sabbath on earth, if we don’t learn to not do that, we will pollute heaven also.  If we are going to be holy in heaven, we need to be holy here.  If we are also going to keep the Sabbath holy, we must ourselves be holy.

Therefore to prepare for the holiness of heaven, the Sabbath becomes a gauge for us as to how well prepared we are for the holiness of heaven.  Every Sabbath that comes around is revelation to us whether we are really prepared for the holiness of the Sabbath.  If we are going to keep the Sabbath holy we must be holy.

I saw that we sensed and realized but little of the importance of the Sabbath, to what we yet should realize and know of its importance and glory. I saw we knew not what it was yet to ride upon the high places of the earth and to be fed with the heritage of Jacob. Letter 3, 1851.  {3SM 260.3}

The out pouring of the Holy Spirit will bring this to us.

Then shall we see the Sabbath more in its importance and glory. But we shall not see it in all its glory and importance until the covenant of peace is made with us at the voice of God,  {3SM 260.3}

The appreciation of the glory of the Sabbath is progressive as we progress towards the holiness of heaven because in the outpouring of the latter rain Gods people have already been sealed to give the cry to those not sealed.  At the voice of God they will go through.  The Sabbath appreciation has everything to do with the preparation of heaven.

Heavenly Holiness – How to Be In Harmony With the Sabbath Sanctity

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

If I’m going to see God, I need to be holy.  If I’m going to see God in the Sabbath, I must be holy. Is there anything of value in the seventh day of the week?  Is there any value in a day?  It is just another day, it’s the seventh day of the week.  They are all just days.  Is there any value in a day? What is specifically written about the seventh day?

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

What did God do when he blessed the seventh day?  He sanctified it.  Is there anything in the seventh day?  God said there is.  The seventh day is blessed and it is sanctified.  There is a special value in the seventh day of Gods week.  That is why the fourth commandment says remember the seventh day to keep it holy because God has sanctified that day. Here is the problem with general professed Christianity.  They say one in seven will do.  If it’s not the seventh a Friday or Sunday,  what’s the difference?  What are they saying?  They see nothing in the day.  That is what they are saying.

Why? Why do people not see anything in the seventh day?  Why?  Very simple, holiness is lacking.  When God sanctifies man, then man can understand the sanctity of the Sabbath.  Not until he is holy can he appreciate the holy Sabbath day.  It is inseparable.  Personal sanctification unveils the measure of the Sabbath sanctity.  The measure of personal sanctification unveils the measure that you can see of the blessing and holiness of the Sabbath.  That is the reason why the Sabbath appreciation becomes progressively more beautiful.  The Sabbath is always pure, perfect and holy but to you and me that sanctification of the Sabbath is to the degree we are progressing in holiness.  It is a progressive development in glory.  By beholding we become changed into his image even as by the spirit of the Lord from glory to glory. The glory of the Sabbath becomes more glorious as we go from glory to glory, character to character.

Your Path

If you have found Jesus as a saviour and have given your heart to him, you have become justified.  Your path is now what?

Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Is the Sabbath perfect, holy, pure and special quality of time?  Then my appreciation of that pure perfect Sabbath is as the shining light shining brighter and brighter.  Then I see its perfection of which it already is.  That is the path of the just.  You and I who know so conscientiously we are living so close to the second advent of Jesus coming that we are going to see God. Can we begin to sense what is needed in preparation to advance in personal holiness so I can behold him without being destroyed? So I can behold the glory of the Sabbath?  If I don’t behold the glory of the Sabbath and I do not engage in the holiness of the Sabbath, what will happen when I see him?

Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

That soul shall be cut off. Holy and reverend is his name.  God is holy.  We must be holy like him.  The Sabbath is holy.  The Sabbath is holy unto you.

If Something Is Holy Unto You, How Do You Handle It?

In the world people worship many treasures and that which is special, how do they handle it?  Those who handle gems, jewellers, I have seen them putting on white gloves and then touching their gems.  It is just about worship how careful and how very diligently these things are handled.  I remember well a young man who had a beautiful car and he polished it up and the child wanted to sit on his bonnet and he said don’t sit on that bonnet.  Keep back, it’s very special.  Something that is very special to you, you will handle with great care.

His people are to regard the Sabbath as a peculiar treasure, a trust to be carefully cherished.  {ST, February 1, 1910 par. 14}

The Sabbath is a treasure to be carefully cherished.  How do you feel about the Sabbath?  How have you felt about the Sabbath?  The sun is setting and you rush around doing this and that and you are still rushing.  What are you doing to the Sabbath?  If the Sabbath is holy, a treasure and precious, it is not just a day of the week. Every week as we come to the end of the Friday, there comes a privilege to cherish and to gaze upon the sparkling holiness of the day.

A day to enjoy God and a day he has blessed.  I am to focus on me and my internal preparation to truly know how much I am and I should cherish that day.  We are to have an internal preparation to regard the Sabbath as it is meant to be regarded.  We are to enjoy the holiness of the Sabbath. What is your taste of music?  What sort of music do you love to listen to through the week?  Because on the Sabbath day, we are to sing sacred music, sacred melodies.  If you enjoy through the week music that clashes with the music of the Sabbath, will you be able to enjoy the real sparkle of sacred music? Sr White had a dream and saw the advent people on a big abyss;

As we heard the sounds of mirth and revelry that seemed to come from the abyss below, we shuddered. We heard the profane oath, the vulgar jest, and low, vile songs. We heard the war song and the dance song. We heard instrumental music and loud laughter, mingled with cursing and cries of anguish and bitter wailing, and were more anxious than ever to keep upon the narrow, difficult pathway. Much of the time we were compelled to suspend our whole weight upon the cords, which increased in size as we progressed.  {2T 595.3}

What did they shudder at?  The instrumental music which was accompanying the vile songs.  Do you have any fascination for the dance song?  I will never forget when I was dealing with the subject of music and speaking to a gentleman who received what I said to be true who all week heard the dance songs of the world but when he came to church he could not sing the hymns.  What are we saying?  If the Sabbath day has the holy atmosphere of holy music, how do you need to be tuned through the week to enjoy and bash the sacred sounds of the hymns that are not polluted by sentimental love songs or the dance songs? It clashes.  The Sabbath becomes a drab day.  People have said you sing droll on the Sabbath.  Why do they say that? Because they are not holy.  Because they enjoy unholy music. That’s why. We have to be holy to enjoy holy music.

Many need instruction as to how they should appear in the assembly for worship on the Sabbath. They are not to enter the presence of God in the common clothing worn during the week. All should have a special Sabbath suit, to be worn when attending service in God’s house. While we should not conform to worldly fashions, we are not to be indifferent in regard to our outward appearance. We are to be neat and trim, though without adornment. The children of God should be pure within and without.  {6T 355.2}

Here is a testimony of Jesus that tells us that I should have clothing set aside for Sabbath.

A Sabbath Suit

We are not to wear on the Sabbath the clothing I wear during the week.  If through the week I am fashion conscious and I look upon special clothing with a different motive with what we wear on the Sabbath, on holy time, what will my fashion consciousness do in my mind when I see people wearing the special Sabbath suit on the Sabbath?

Oh you look extra nice today sister, I like your dress.  You look a bit spiff young man with your suit today.  What sort of a thing is that?  That is an unholy mental exercise.  It spoils and ruins mental and spiritual holiness on the Sabbath day because on the Sabbath day I am to come with my best suit for the Lord and I’m not to think about my clothing, I‘m to think about holy time.  We are to be holy to cherish the holy sacred time on the Sabbath in regards to clothing. There is a mentality on the other side where there is no dress sense on some people’s profession of so called religion.

Some receive the idea that in order to carry out that separation from the world which the word of God requires, they must be neglectful of their apparel. There is a class of sisters who think that they are carrying out the principle of non-conformity to the world by wearing an ordinary sunbonnet, and the same dress worn by them through the week, upon the Sabbath, to appear in the assembly of the saints to engage in the worship of God. And some men who profess to be Christians view the matter of dress in the same light. They assemble with God’s people upon the Sabbath, with their clothing dusty, and soiled, and even with gaping rents in them, and placed upon their persons in a slovenly manner. This class, if they had an engagement to meet a friend honored by the world, and they wished to be especially favored by him, would exert themselves to appear in his presence with the best apparel that could be obtained; for this friend would feel insulted were they to come into his presence with hair uncombed, and garments uncleanly, and in disorder. Yet these persons think that it is no matter in what dress they appear, or what is the condition of their persons, when they meet upon the Sabbath to worship the great God. They assemble in his house, which is as the audience-chamber of the Most High, where heavenly angels are in attendance, with but little respect, or reverence, as their persons and clothing indicate. Their whole appearance typifies the character of such men and women.  {2SM 475.1}   The dress, and its arrangement upon the person, is generally found to be the index of the man or the woman. {2SM 475.2}

The people of the world put on white gloves to touch their gems and Gods people need to be holy in dress especially as they come to be holy towards God on his holy day.

Conversation on the Sabbath

The Sabbath is not to be mistreated.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:

The Sabbath is holy unto us and as we come into the presence of God into the sunset on Friday night, our language needs to be carefully guarded.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

What I speak about through the week predominantly, what I regard through the week, will abundantly be expressed and then comes Sabbath.  If through the week my mind is preoccupied with earthly treasures, what will I do in conversation on the Sabbath?

I saw that it is the privilege of every Christian to enjoy the deep movings of the Spirit of God. A sweet, heavenly peace will pervade the mind, and you will love to meditate upon God and heaven. You will feast upon the glorious promises of His word. But know first that you have begun the Christian course. Know that the first steps are taken in the road to everlasting life. You have never felt your undone condition and turned from your evil ways with bitter sorrow. You have never died to the world. You still love its pleasures; you love to engage in conversation on worldly matters. But when the truth of God is introduced, you have nothing to say. Why so silent? Why so talkative upon worldly things, and so silent upon the subject that should most concern you–a subject that should engage your whole soul? The truth of God does not dwell in you.  {1T 159.1}

If this is the case through the week and we come to the Sabbath and we are instructed not to speak my own words, what sort of a Sabbath will I have?  A day of silence as I can’t speak about anything I want to speak about. If I am not holy and holy absorbed with God through the weak in my activities, then the Sabbath is not holy unto me.

Those who are not fully converted to the truth frequently let their minds run freely upon worldly business, and, although they may rest from physical toil upon the Sabbath, their tongues speak out what is in their minds; hence these words concerning cattle, crops, losses, and gains. All this is Sabbath breaking. If the mind is running upon worldly matters, the tongue will reveal it, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  {2T 703.2}

Everything that happens through the week if we talk and think that on Sabbath, it means the Sabbath isn’t holy unto me.  To have holy conversation I must be holy.  If my heart is full of unholy traffic, out of the abundance of that traffic I will speak.  I must guard my thoughts.  Words and thoughts should be guarded.

They are not so hard to guard if the heart is full of Jesus.  You can see conversation is dependent on my present state of holiness but when I come to the Sabbath, my conversation, my clothing my manner is going to show but remember I am sharing this with you to not make us feel condemned but so that we will learn to become holy.  We are to prepare for the Sabbath.

Children

Parents please note your child needs to be in an atmosphere of Sabbath sacredness on the Sabbath.  We are to instil into the child a sense of sacred time of Sabbath and in the house of God.

Thus the Sabbath has to them no sacred significance. {CCh 264.5}

Can you remember your childhood of being brought up in the Sabbath?  Was it a treasure or gem to you?  Or did you not have a sacred sense of the Sabbath?  Do you know where the problem lay?  Parents find their children a burden.  You may say that is not true I love my children. Follow carefully – a child is naturally restless and energetic. It constantly needs to be guided in an orderly, sensitive way of relating to its surroundings.  As you try to keep the Sabbath holy, your child is restless and you want to talk about the Lord to someone;

I have seen many families where father, mother, and the older members of the household take themselves away from the younger children, and leave them to amuse themselves as best they can. After a while, the children become weary and go out of doors, and engage in play or some kind of mischief. Thus the Sabbath has no sacred significance to them. In pleasant weather the parents can take their children out for a walk in the fields and forest, and talk to them of the lofty trees, the shrubs and flowers, and teach them that God is the Maker of all these things. Then teach them the reasons for the Sabbath that it is to commemorate God’s created works. After working six days, He rested the seventh, and blessedLake Union Herald, Apr. 14, 1909. {BLJ 157.5}

Why?  Because they are left to do as they choose and left without any mind spiritual appreciation of the sacredness of this treasure.  Therefore they have no sacred significance in their mind of the Sabbath.  If you treasure a book, do you permit your child to handle it roughly?  If you treasure a book and a child starts to dangle it by the cover and the binding is put under stress, what do you do?  Do you say careful this book is very special and the child wants to do it again and you say no it’s special, be careful unto the child learns to respect the book.

The Sabbath Is a Treasure

Instil into the child the sense of the awesome speciality of that time and place.  So that as you are driving down the road to church you can say now we are coming to Gods special house of prayer.  As you install the repetitious awe, the special time of the Sabbath, you will instil it in the child that this is special.

If you would train your children to observe the Sabbath according to the commandment, you must do it by precept and example. {LUH, April 14, 1909 par. 6}

The child has to see that it is whisper time if anything to be said.  The child is to feel no raucous noise in the church but only sacred special atmosphere.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

The children of the world cherish film stars and what do they put on their wall?  The children need to be aware of the holiness that I by precept and example exude.  I must be holy in the home if my children are going to be holy in the church.  When it comes to worship time the children will not run around and will be led in sacred worship time. At home as the Sabbath day arrives, look at the holiness engendered;

Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.  {6T 355.3}

The sun is not yet set and we can say to the children, come let us have worship.  Let them feel the relish that we as parents can have for the Sabbath.  Let them feel a special moment around the family altar.

Then around the family altar all should wait to welcome God’s holy day, as they would watch for the coming of a dear friend.  {ST, May 25, 1882 par. 9}

From the very cradle the children are to be educated, and right impressions given to their mind. They are to be instructed in regard to the knowledge of God and His holy commandments. The first lessons impressed upon the child are never forgotten.  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 5}

While my parents were not very careful about not bringing the Sabbath right before sunset, we had worship around the family table and there was something I looked forward to every week.  It was something that imprinted itself upon my mind.

Then search the Scriptures, parents. Be not only hearers, be doers of the word. Meet God’s standard in the education of your children. Let them see that you are preparing for the Sabbath on the working days of the week. All preparations should be made, every stitch taken in the six working days; all cooking for the Sabbath should be done on the preparation day. It is possible to do this; and if you make it a rule you can do it.  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 6}

I remember my mother cooking the food and wrapping it with a special sense of sacredness wrapping it up in a thick quilt to keep it hot for the next day.  It had an impression and this is an impression on the children.

Lead your children to consider the Sabbath as a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honourable. Do not allow yourself to spend the precious hours of the Sabbath in your bed. The heads of the house should be astir early. On Friday the clothing of the children, looked after during the week, should be all laid out by their own hands under the direction of the mother, so that they can dress quietly, without any confusion, or rushing about, and hasty speeches.  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 8}

If you do this with your children telling them this is your Sabbath suit and put it ready before sunset, the next day the clothes are all ready to put on.

In the morning the family should gather about the table quietly; and it would be well if on the Sabbath there should ever be a simple, palatable meal, yet something that would be considered a treat, all prepared–something that they do not have every day of the week.  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 9}

If you have something special on the day it adds to the festivity.

Then either before or after the meal should come the family worship. This should be a service in which the children could all take a part. All should have their Bibles, each reading a verse or two. Then a simple hymn may be sung, followed, not by a long, wearisome prayer, but a simple petition, telling the Lord in the simplest manner their needs, and expressing their gratitude for God’s mercies and blessings.  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 9}     On the Sabbath, parents should give all the time they can to their children, that they may make it a delight..  {BEcho, February 13, 1899 par. 10}

Some children don’t appreciate the nature around them as they are left alone.  The Sabbath school and divine service are important times but the afternoon is also.  Have you seen your children running around in the afternoon and they get into mischief?  As we have been looking at these subjects, there is a personal sanctification of a holy atmosphere that must be engendered in us all through the week so we will be in tune with Sabbath sanctity.  If the week is not lived right it will pollute the Sabbath.  We must be holy through the week to keep the Sabbath holy.  For the Sabbath to be the seal of God’s people as it is clearly delineated, the meaning of Revelation 7:1-3 becomes vivid.  The four angels that are holding the four winds of the earth, what is the other angel saying to them?  Hold until we have sealed the servants of their God in their forehead.

It is true that the Sabbath is the holy time, the holy Sabbath day which is the seal of God.  Why is it the seal of God?  Because it has everything to do with your preparation for it, to be holy, because the Sabbath is holy.

The angel is saying Gods people are not ready yet, hold till we have sealed them.  When the Sabbath is truly kept holy and through the week they are prepared, then the Sabbath becomes the seal because it has been time as the angels have been working to instruct and guide in truth Sabbath keeping which is true holiness.

Holiness and Sabbath keeping cannot be separated.  To enter into harmony of Sabbath sanctity is the sealing of Gods people.  That is what makes the Sabbath the seal of God.  It requires the Holy Spirit to fill us with a deep sense of the sacredness of that day.  We’re to consider the outward preparation so that the Sabbath will be the seal of Gods people.

Amen