What does the Bible say not to do on the Sabbath? |

The Bible says not to work on the Sabbath. This means to abstain from our jobs, cooking, shopping, and cleaning activities.

This is the principle stated in Exodus 20:8–11. God commands us to work six days of the week and rest on the seventh day.

We can also leave aside the worldly, mundane things on this day like news, entertainment, and worldly conversations.

Instead, we can focus on God’s Word, we can pray, study, and more. We can go to Church, and worship together with other believers, but also do good to those in our community.

Table of Contents

What are 5 things you cannot do on the Sabbath?

God does not expect us to have a list of things that we do and cannot do on His holy day.

This type of principle was set by the Pharisees. They made the Sabbath a burden for the people with the 39 rules.

One cannot enjoy the Sabbath if you always need to check a list and make sure you are permitted to do something or not.

Instead, we know we cannot do the following activities on this holy day:

Work → On this day we cannot do our regular jobs, or repair things in the house. This type of activity is not appropriate to do on the Sabbath.
Shopping → This activity is also not suitable for this day. We can organize to do our shopping in the other six days. The Sabbath is meant for rest and worship. Shopping distracts us from the spirit of this day.
Cooking → This activity is also to be made in the other days of the week, and certainly not on the Sabbath. Because things can get messy quickly in the kitchen while cooking, this activity would profane the Sabbath.
Cleaning → Again, this activity is to be made on other days and certainly not on the Sabbath. Cleaning is work, and it is not for the holy day of God. We have plenty of time to do this activity on the other days.
Business activities → To do business on the Sabbath is not appropriate either. If we need to make payments, transactions, phone calls, and other similar activities it is best to leave them for the other days.

What are Christians allowed to do on the Sabbath?

On the Sabbath, Christians can go to Church and worship together with other believers. They can study the Word of God, pray together and do good in the community.

Also, walking in nature is an excellent activity to be done on this day. You can admire God’s creation, and think about His great power, and the new Earth He will make.

Visiting friends, and family members and sharing meals is a wonderful thing to do on the Sabbath.

We can encourage those around us who may struggle with different problems. We can point them to the promises of God so that they can place their trust in Him.

Conclusion

God does not want the Sabbath to be a burden for us. He wants us to enjoy His day of rest.

While we do not need a list of rules, we can certainly abstain from daily work, cooking, cleaning, and shopping.

It is also good to leave aside the politics and worldly news on this day. Focus on God and the plan of salvation. Use this day to tell others about what Jesus did for us.

He died on the cross for our sins, so that we may live, that we may have everlasting life in a new wonderful Earth with no pain, suffering, or death.

My Letter To A Sunday Keeper – Sabbath Documentary