Are physical exercise and sports permitted on the Sabbath?
We do not believe that exercise and sports are permitted on the Sabbath.
The Sabbath is first and foremost a day of rest The word “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew primitive root shabath and means, “..to repose, i.e. desist from exertion.” Since exercise and sports causes a person to exert themselves physically, this activity would violate the Sabbath command.
We find a secondary reason from Isaiah 58:13: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of Yahweh, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:” We believe doing our own pleasure prohibits activities such as exercise and sports, in addition to other worldly and personal activities that don’t focus on the Word. The Sabbath is a day not to focus on the mundane or the world, but on Yahweh’s Word.
For the above reasons we would caution against any activity that causes exertion or may be seen as our own pleasure apart from Yahweh’s Word.
So, if you have to walk 4-5 blocks to church on the Sabbath on a hot July summer and walk back home after worship, are you not “exerting” yourself?
Second, Do you not experience personal pleasure when the sun sets on a Friday evening? Do you not find pleasure in getting up on Sabbath and going to church? Does it not pleasure you knowing you don’t have to work instead spend 2-3 hrs in church? Everything we do, we do it for pleasure . . . for our pleasure.
I think it really comes down to who are you doing these things for? When you find pleasure in following a commandment from Yahweh, that is good. Scripture says as much. Psalm 119:13-16 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. But when you seek your OWN pleasure, and attribute that to Yahweh, that’s where the problems arise. Do people actually go play… Read more »
It is possible to feel pleasure in sports for the Father. I find it is possible to do such a ‘silly’ thing such as football for the Lord on a day of rest, as Sabbath was made for us to rest and feel relaxed. Sports can relax us and many Christians of the faith have played on the Sabbath, dedicating their performances for the Lord. So I see it fit for us to be able to play sports on the Sabbath for the pleasure of God.
So what exactly is Isaiah 58:13 speaking of? If you can play sports on Sabbath why stop there? Where are we to draw the line?