THE DAY OF REST.
Sunday has been adopted by Turkey as the day of rest instead of Friday, which in the past was reserved by all Moslem countries for worship. Sunday, however, will be renamed Friday by order of the Angora authorities. These authorities have been very careful to explain that the change has been made solely in order to conform to international custom, and for financial and economic reasons. The adoption of one day in seven as a day of rest dates back to days prior to recorded Jewish history. It was observed by the Assyrians and most other nations of the East. The Jews at first connected their Sabbath with the Creation, and later, when the law was given again in the Book of Deuteronomy, they connected it with the deliverance from Egypt. The word Sabbath signifies " rest," and the word, translated " holy "at first, meant " set apart" or " separate." The Sabbath thus became a " holy day," or, as we spell it, a " holiday." Many of the earlv Christians continued to" observe Saturday as a holiday, and they took Sunday as being the first day of their working week, and their best working day after the day of rest, and devoted it to work for God. Thus they used to meet very early in the morning for sen-ice, and then they would devote the rest of the day to works of charity, ministering to the poor, the sick, the orphans and the stranger within the gate. They would search out cases needing assistance and report such cases to their president when they met again in the evening for an evening meal. Later the Sunday took the place of Saturday as the day of rest, and was associated in the Christian Church with the Resurrection. Saturday in most countries still remains a half-holiday, thus maintaining the true significance of its origin. The observance of one day in seven as a day of rest is founded on physiological need, and all attempts, such as that made at the time of the French Revolution, to substitute a working week of more than six days have resulted in physical breakdown. —W.3JL*
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1927, Page 8
Word Count
359
THE DAY OF REST.
Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 208, 3 September 1927, Page 8
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