Excuse XVI
Strict Obedience is Pharisaical
Question:
Didn’t Jesus denounce the Pharisees for crafting endless laws concerning the Sabbath, including the prohibition against buying and selling?
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One of the most common assertions advanced by proponents of going to restaurants on the Sabbath is that those who refuse to do so are simply being self-righteous. This argument is unique in that it is not an affirmative defense of this practice, but rather an indictment of those who believe such a practice is wrong. In other words, this accusation is not proof that going to restaurants on the Sabbath is acceptable to God. Rather, it is a condemnation of those who would suggest otherwise.
What Is a Pharisee?
Today the term “Pharisee” is one of the most pejorative in a “believer’s” lexicon. It implies that the recipient of this label is filled with arrogance and conceit and devoid of any compassion. It suggests that such people are legalistic—committed to works but not love. Pharisees are cold and insensitive. They are judgmental and cruel. They are quick to accuse and slow to forgive. And anyone who would question an activity as “innocent” as sharing a meal with brethren at a restaurant on the Sabbath must be a Pharisee. But does this term rightly describe those who refrain from this practice?
One of the largest COG associations commissioned its doctrinal committee to produce a position paper defending the practice of dining out on holy time. In it, these Church thinkers claim that the Pharisees tediously legislated Sabbath observance by crafting endless regulations concerning how it should be observed—including not buying and selling. After setting up this argument, they suggest that just as the Messiah took issue with the Pharisees of His day, He would also take issue with those who believe that buying and selling on the Sabbath is a sin in our time. They even suggest that any prohibition against buying and selling on holy time is a "tradition," not a Biblical mandate. Notice their words.
In addition to the biblical account of Sabbath keeping, in the Jewish community there exists the oral law, to be interpreted by the Sanhedrin. Of course the Sanhedrin disappeared over 1,700 years ago, but its influence is still felt today. The oral law (now written in the Talmud) contains 39 categories of forbidden work on the Sabbath. Some of these are specified in the Bible, but not all, yet they were enforced by the Sanhedrin during the time of Christ. As in all matters, we must be careful to separate biblical fact from tradition. In his book Sabbath—Day of Eternity Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes this about commerce on the Sabbath:
The Sanhedrin legislated a prohibition against all forms of buying, selling, trading and other commerce for a variety of reasons. The Sabbath must be a day when all business stops. 1 Kaplan, Rabbi Aryeh, Sabbath—Day of Eternity (Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America: New York, New York) 2002.
A prime rule given to the Sanhedrin was to “make a fence around the Torah.” Jesus Christ did not support the many rules and regulations developed by the Sanhedrin to legislate Sabbath observance. He denounced many of these traditions (Mark 7:9, 13). This should give us reason to pause when it comes to Jewish rules and regulations concerning Sabbath observance.
Manipulating Scripture
It is interesting that the verses these ministers cite have absolutely NOTHING to do with the Sabbath or “buying and selling.” The tradition Jesus denounced involved ceremonial washing. Despite this fact this COG group offers it as evidence that the Messiah denounced the Pharisees Sabbath “regulations.” This subtle deception speaks volumes concerning how defenders of this sin manipulate God’s word in order to advance their case.
It is also interesting to note that the very source they quote readily acknowledges that the Sanhedrin “legislated against ALL forms of buying and selling on the Sabbath.” The point here is that during Jesus’ life no Jew ever engaged in such a practice. Furthermore, there isn't a syllable in scripture that even hints that Jesus took issue with this "regulation"—and for good reason. He was the Lord who inspired Nehemiah’s words prohibiting ALL commerce on the Sabbath and the holy day (Neh. 10:31).
Guilt by Association
Furthermore, these COG leaders attempt to link genuine obedience to God’s Sabbath law with the self-righteous hypocrisy of Jesus' greatest antagonists. It is interesting that this is exactly the same approach employed by the Protestant world when attempting to rebut keeping the Sabbath at all. According to their reasoning, the Pharisees kept the Old Testament feasts, they didn't eat unclean meats, they tithed, and they wouldn't work on the Sabbath. Protestants then conclude that because Jesus issued a scathing indictment against them, He must have disapproved of everything they did. It is doubtful that Sabbath dining advocates would "buy" this argument. However, they have no problem "selling" it when it suits their purpose.
Taking their lead from God
What this doctrinal committee fails to understand is that those who reject the practice of dining out on the Sabbath are not taking their lead from the Pharisees, but rather from God Almighty. It was He who specifically prohibited His people from acquiring their daily meals on the Sabbath, preparing their meals on the Sabbath, and from going outside their community of faith to obtain their meals on the Sabbath (Ex.16). Furthermore, the Almighty was so emphatic when giving these instructions that He actually said that failure to comply was proof that His people rejected Him and His law (verse 4). Today that is exactly what this COG position advocates. We realize this is not their intent, but what they are teaching directly contradicts the enduring moral principle of God's command to His people after leading them out of bondage. The point here is that this issue is not about "Jewish rules and regulations," it is about obeying the Lord of the Sabbath and honoring His word.
Additionally, this COG fails to acknowledge that what takes place in a restaurant every Sabbath is an act of sacrilege and desecrates the very day God made holy at the beginning. Remember, the activity they are advocating requires God's people to:
- Go back into spiritual Egypt (Re. 18:4),
- Seek out slaves to sin (Ro. 6:16) and their slave master (2 Cor. 4:4)
- Pay these slaves for the fruit of their sin (Neh. 10:31).
Despite this fact, these COG leaders contend that those who think such a practice is wrong are just like the Pharisees. For these ministers to assert that the prohibition against buying and selling on the Sabbath was a "Jewish regulation" is a deception of the highest order and an insult to God’s word. It was God's servant Nehemiah who commanded His people to cease from buying ANYTHING (including food) that was sold on the Sabbath or holy day (Neh. 10:31). Oh, that’s right, Nehemiah was a Jew.
A Final Thought
The bottom line is this. It is not the self-righteous that refrain from going to restaurants on the Sabbath. It is the self-righteous who believe you can do otherwise. They are the ones who “spin” God’s word to fit their traditions. The argument that God will somehow give His people a “free pass” to dine out on the day He made holy reflects the height of arrogance. In a very real sense, it is pharisaical. It makes the law of God of none effect.
God’s instructions are firm. His law is absolute. His word does not require man’s “spin,” it requires man’s OBEDIENCE. Going outside your spiritual camp on the Sabbath to acquire your meals and have them prepared for you by slaves to sin (Rom. 6:16) is a practice that God specifically forbids (Deut. 5:14-15). He even identified it as a test to prove His people's loyalty to Him (Ex. 16:4). The self-righteous will ignore that test. Those who tremble at His word will heed it (Isa. 66:2).
Which best describes you?
