Leviticus 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest" ..... "from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
This passage of scripture teaches us the proper time to begin the Sabbath, and even though it was given in the context of the day of atonement, which was a ceremonial Sabbath, yet the fundamental principle remains the same. In other words, the Sabbath begins when the sun is setting in the western sky, not at six o'clock as many people believe. This aspect of proper Sabbath observance was clearly understood by the people of God in both the Old and New Testament dispensations, for this is the reason why the body of Christ was taken down from the cross and laid to rest before the Sabbath commenced. His disciples, together with the women sought to get all of the issues pertaining to the anointing and burial of His body out of the way, so that they too could keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. Let's read:
Luke 23:50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
In the beginning when God had firmly established the day and night cycles, the day began with the evening, not with the morning as is currently done, for our system of reckoning days has come down to us from the Romans, and is contrary to what is clearly stated in the Bible. Hence the reason why the New year's Eve celebrations in Times square, New York city, hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, is always a few hours late, every year, for by the time the confetti begins to rain down during the grand finale, the year has actually started many hours before. The basic understanding of the beginning of the day, including the Sabbath is drawn directly from creation week, when God set the cycles in motion. Let's read:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
As a result of the cycles established by God, the Sabbath is also to be observed from the setting of the sun on Friday evening to the going down of the same on Saturday evening, with no secular work or conversations taking place during the sacred hours. Many contemporary Sabbath keepers have become very lax in this aspect of proper Sabbath observance, for some are found to be still attending to the mundane things of life, and shopping and cooking long after the Sabbath has commenced, and in this we do err greatly, for by so doing we are really infringing on God's sacred time that He has set apart for Himself and us, and therefore the practice constitutes a form of stealing.
All secular work should be finished long before the sun sets on Friday evening so that we can give ourselves sufficient time to unwind our minds from the cares of the world which have engrossed our attention all week, and this process usually takes a few hours. God is a Spirit, and therefore our frame of mind, as well as the letter of the law is important to Him, as is clearly delineated in the experiences of the Hebrews in Nehemiah's day. Let's read:
Nehemiah 13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
The habit of observing the Sabbath a few hours late every Friday, will prepare many people to be a few hours late when Christ comes, for God is a God of order, and everything that pertains to His kingdom must be done with precision and dispatch. The five foolish virgins had actually returned from their purchases a few hours late, and for this they were forever shut out from eternity, thus it behooves all Christians to follow closely, the example that God has set, and not to take for our own personal use, that which He has ordained as being sacred time.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that the necessary changes and reforms go into effect without delay, for he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. Let's read:
Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you" .... "for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
May God add his blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!