Leviticus 23:1 And the Lord spake"... "saying, 3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. 31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 "From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
This passage of scripture clears up a misconception that has long been held by those who are not familiar with the instructions given in the fourth commandment, for it addresses the proper time to begin the Sabbath. Many people often ask whether the Sabbath begins at six o'clock, but the answer given in the Bible is that it starts at sunset on Friday, and ends at sunset on Saturday. All of the secular duties should therefore be finished in a timely manner, before the sacred hours set in, and all the members of the household should also be done with working, so that the Sabbath can be kept in the right frame of mind, for God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. Let's read:
John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh".... 23 "When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Many of us who endeavor to keep the Sabbath day holy, make a grievous mistake by allowing the cares of life, and the responsibilities of our temporal interests to encroach upon the holy time, by working right up until the beginning of the Sabbath, only to make a mad dash for our family worship, which should be engaged in a calm and restful frame of mind. Both the letter and the spirit of the law should be carefully observed, in order that true Sabbath-keeping may be our experience. Another common error which occurs in many Sabbath-keeping households is that of cooking and baking way into the sabbath hours, and with some, this is done with no compunctions of conscience. But God is very specific in His instructions upon this point, and as it is with everything else He has commanded, they should be faithfully followed. Let's read:
Exodus 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man".... 23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord"...
In order for the Sabbath to have any true meaning to us, and in order that our worship over the sacred hours be acceptable in God's sight, we will need to finish our secular duties, and all our baking and cooking about an hour or more before the Sabbath begins, for it takes some time for our minds to unwind from the toils and cares of the week. In many instances Sabbath-keeping Christians are worshiping at the altar whilst their minds are still in the grocery isles, mulling over items that should have been purchased days before.
Furthermore, our planning for the Sabbath should be at the forefront of our minds, long before Friday, so that we have our plans in place, ready to execute in a timely and orderly manner. When this is done long before the Sabbath begins, both our minds and our bodies will be at rest, and thus we would be able to spend quality time with our Creator, and with each other. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to keep the whole Sabbath day holy, for the Sabbath was made for man, and as such we should find peace and rest in The Lord of the Sabbath, and during the sacred day. Let's read:
Exodus 31:12 And the Lord spake"... "saying, 13 "Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. 14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore".... "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!