Start of Sabbath

I read some time ago that a sabbath keeping church started the sabbath day with a service at 6.30 pm.  That is lovely to mark the start of their day like that.  But what happens if sabbath starts earlier than that?  Or later?

In Australia, depending on the time of the year, and whether or not you live in a daylight saving area, the time of sunset differs enormously.  In Sydney for example, it goes from 5 pm to 8 pm. In London it’s around 4 pm to about 9.30 pm. 

So…having a service at 6.30 pm, depending on the part of the world you are in, may not coincide with the start of sabbath at all.  In polar regions at times of the year the sun does not set…or rise!

Does it say in the Bible when the sabbath starts?  Certainly doesn’t mention a time!

There is no mention of sabbath at all until Exodus, when it was given to the Israelites.  Exodus 16 is the first mention.  They were given manna (bread of heaven, the living bread) for six days, and were to remain in their tents for the seventh, called the sabbath for the first time.

Exodus 18 sees the giving of the ten commandments, the words of the covenant between God and Israel, and the “chapter headings” of the whole Mosaic law.  The fourth commandment told them to do no work.  It did not tell them to worship, but to rest.

When God created the world he gave each day a beginning and end, the evening and morning.  The seventh day had no beginning or end, and only He rested (ceased), because no one else had been creating.

Genesis 2:  1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The day was blessed, and there is no mention of what happened the next 7^th day.  After all, He didn’t go back to creating afterwards!

The day was not marked by a beginning and end like the previous six.  Fast forward to the time of the Exodus.  God gave them the 7^th day, on which He ceased His work of creation, and blessed it, to be the holy day of the Israelites.  They were to remember that He ceased creating, and that He redeemed them from slavery.  This day was was also to point forward to their Saviour, who would redeem them from sin, and give them rest…this time for their souls.

The only references I can find referred to the sabbath beginning in the evening at sunset which incidentally is when they started their journey out of Egypt (Deut 16.6).  It does not refer to Friday or Saturday, just the 7^th day.  It doesn’t refer much to the when, more about what happens on the sabbath and why.

Sabbath was counted from the beginning of a lunar month, it was not attached to Friday/Saturday till well after the birth and death of Christ.  Round about the 3^rd century AD.

But this is really a moot point, given that the sabbath was only given to the Israelites.  When Jesus was on earth, He did not give His disciples instructions about keeping a day holy.  HE is holy.  HE gives rest.  HE gives redemption, and people are free to worship Him 24/7.  The day they worship Him corporately is their choice.  You can worship Him on Saturday, or Sunday, or any other day for that matter.  In fact there are some faith traditions that hold services every day.

So….do you start your corporate worship in line with the sunset/sunrise?  Do you have a fixed time to suit the needs of your congregation?  Which covenant are you following?

Or are you worshipping the Lord your God and worshipping in spirit and truth?  Do you gather together out of a sense of duty, or are you worshipping out of love for the Lord and each other, and joy to be together worshipping, praying and singing praises to His name?

Are you worshipping a day or God?