Is enjoying time in your gardens considered “labor” on the Sabbath?
Is it considered "labor" or "work" on the Sabbath to spend time in your flower or vegetable garden if it's for enjoyment? Specifically, doing things such as pruning, trimming, harvesting, etc?
Exodus 35:1 - 35
ESV - 1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, "These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.
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Asked February 05 2022
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Mark Marcotte
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
I don't know if there's a law more misunderstood than the Sabbath law.
God gave Israel (yes you read that correctly), He gave the chosen people He delivered from bondage in Egypt, those people, "a day off with pay."
That's essentially what it was. Jesus said the Sabbath was "for man." Some people act as if it was a prohibition against something they wanted to do. There are seven days in a week and the last day of the week would be a day to rest from the work of the previous six days. It would be a day to refresh. God would bless the six work days with a harvest equivalent to having worked seven.
Some of the people didn't trust what they were told. (Nothing new about that).
So what if I'm working in my yard because that's how I rest and relax?
That's a pretty good End Around; if it doesn't take too long to develop it just might gain a few yards!