QuestionIn the past I ate at restaurants on the Sabbath. Is this all right since they would be working there even without me eating there? Is it all right if I go with my family since they are paying?Answer As mortally minded people we tend to try to justify different things and this is a very bad example to set. The first and most important thing is that we are breaking the fourth commandment by making other people work on the Sabbath. The fact is that if everyone didn't work or do business on the Sabbath there would be no need to worry because stores would be shut and people would do other things. The way it works in the modern world business is done 24 hours a day seven days a week. Why? Because there are people who want to buy things when ever they want. Most Chr-stians don't even keep the Sunday as a day of rest. The idea of a day of rest is hard to find in today's world unless you went to Israel. The stores aren't open because almost no one would buy anything anyway. Notice what the nation of Judah vowed to do once they returned to True Worship of Yahweh under Nehemiah: "They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in Yahweh's law, which was given by Moses the servant of Elohim, and to observe and do all the commandments of Yahweh our Yahweh, and His judgments and His statutes; And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: And if the people of the land bring ware or victuals [food] on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day..." Nehemiah 10:29-31. Later Nehemiah had to deal with some backsliders in Judah who broke Yahweh's laws by conducting such business on the Sabbath: "In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals [food). There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, 'What evil thing is this that you do, and PROFANE the Sabbath day?'" (13:15-17) In the rest of the account we find that Nehemiah threatened the merchants with physical action if they came again to Jerusalem to sell to Judah on the Sabbath. So they came no more on the Sabbath. Yahshua had to contend as well with the merchants who were buying and selling in the Temple (Mark 11:15-16). Al- though this was probably not on the Sabbath, the desecration of what was considered a sanctified place is a direct parallel to defiling through worldly business the Sabbath day that is also sanctified. In the NIV Study Bible note on Mark 11:17 we read, "Isa. 56:7 assured [righteous] non-Jews that they would be allowed to worship [Yahweh] in the temple. By allowing the court of the Gentiles to become a noisy, smelly marketplace, the Jewish religious leaders were interfering with [Yahweh's] provision. a den of robbers. Not only because they took financial advantage of the people but because they robbed the temple of its sanctity." When we do business on Yahweh's holy Sabbath, we also rob this worship day of its sanctity and violate the Fourth Commandment that sets this day apart from a normal day of work and worldly endeavors. We are also prohibited from doing our own pleasure on the Sabbath, which going to restaurants would violate as well, and force our culinary "servants" to work for us on Yahweh's rest day. | 
