Quote:
Originally Posted by Amanah
Is it possible for someone to keep the Sabbath by themself? What exactly would you do?
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Set the day apart from the other days. "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy". Holy means essentially separated. Doing your ordinary work (your job, cooking, cleaning, business transactions, etc) during the other six days, and not doing those things on the Sabbath, as well as not requiring such work from others (your children, other people, any work animals you might have, etc
* see note below) helps to mark the seventh day as different or separate from the other days. Doing this in honour of Jesus as Creator of heaven and earth and as Lord of the Sabbath establishes your activity as "sanctified" or devoted to a divine purpose.
It is often helpful to mark the beginning and end of the Sabbath. By acknowledging the Sabbath has now started (on what we call Friday evening), and then acknowledging the Sabbath has ended and the week has restarted (on what is commonly called Saturday evening), you are establishing a separation or boundary between the Sabbath and the other days and officially recognizing the Sabbath as hallowed by God.
In
Lev 23 God says the Sabbath is an appointment and a "holy convocation", or sacred assembly. But that of course implies two or more people assembling together to worship God. However, God calls these things His appointments (moedim, often thought of as "Feasts"). So you can think of it as an appointed time that one meets with God. Yes, He is with us at all times, but there are times when we "meet God" or encounter God in a non ordinary way, a way other than just existing in His presence 24/7. Prayer, for example, is "time with God", as is the Sabbath. Obviously, the two would go together!
So if one were the only Sabbath keeping believer they were in contact with, and so could not meet with other believers on the Sabbath, they could still meet with God, and use the day for prayer, worship, study of His Word, etc. Church is two or more gathered in His name, but even if it's just you and the Lord, that's two, you can still have church, in a sense.
We "welcome the Sabbath" at it's start with prayer and usually a meal. (The Sabbath is technically a feast, or festive occasion, so a nice meal is usually appropriate.) We also "say goodbye to the Sabbath" at its end, that is we recognise the passing from the Sabbath to the first day of the week, with prayer. We welcome the Sabbath with
Psalm 95 and prayer, and acknowledge its ending with a psalm and prayer, and singing psalm 24 (which is "A Psalm For the First of the Week") to sort of officially recognise the start of the first day of the week.
There are other things we do, but basically we 1) stop our ordinary work, 2) formally recognise the start and stop of the Sabbath with prayer, and 3) use the day with a special emphasis on prayer and worship as well as just enjoying God's blessings.
*Note: Not requiring labour of others is why most Sabbath keepers do not shop or go to restaurants or stores or conduct financial transactions on the Sabbath.