Pastor Doug: In Isaiah 58, it’s talking about not doing your own pleasure on Sabbath, and you’re wondering does that include intimacy between a husband and wife on the Sabbath Day. Correct?
Caller: Right. Yes.
Pastor Doug: Um, I don’t think so. And I could be wrong. I hope the Lord will forgive me if I am but let me tell you why.
God created some things before sin that He ordained man to enjoy that are not considered evil. God created food and He intended for man to enjoy food. That’s why it says everything pleasant to the taste.
God also created intimacy in marriage. Now there are times when a person may fast from their food and, Paul says in Corinthians, that a husband and wife might agree to separate and to fast for a period of time but not too long.
It equates intimacy in marriage, or sex, with fasting from foods – so then you have to ask the question, ‘Are we expected to not eat on the Sabbath day because you enjoy it?’
This about this now – one more question: What day of the week did God make Adam and Eve?
Caller: Sixth day.
Pastor Doug: Sixth day correct?
Caller: Yes.
Pastor Doug: What day of the week would have been their honeymoon?
Caller: The next day.
Pastor Doug: The next day. The Sabbath was their first day together. At the end of the day He gets Eve – because I mean here he already named all the animals, it must have been the last half of the day – God presents this ravishing, beautiful woman. And He says, ‘Now tomorrow is the Sabbath. Don’t touch her.’ That would be hard to imagine!
I think that everything He made in the garden was innocent. We sometimes think that sex is dirty. It can be, but food can be gluttonous too.
So I think that there are times when a person should fast from food and from intimacy for a purpose. Paul talks about that – but there’s nothing in the Bible that says sex on the Sabbath is wrong.
Now there was one other time when God was going to speak to the children of Israel in Exodus. He told them do not come near your wives. Well He was about to give them the Ten Commandments I think. So it was a time of real setting aside. But that was not a general rule. Ok?
Caller: Ok.
Pastor Doug: All right. I hope that helps.
Caller: Thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: God bless.
Co-Host: Thanks for the call Nicolas.
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