Play Or Stay Away?

"Are you playing?" a man asked us at work the other day when we brought up the state poker championship.

We would have joined a big crowd -- about 1,000 people competing in all.  And that's with the schedule divided into three tournaments; a ladies-only event and a "high roller" night with a $500 buy-in were added this year.

Yet this charity fundraising event had a critic or two this year.  We read about one complaint challenging its legality, in a state with tight gambling laws.  We understand the organizers cleared all the details through the District Attorney's office.  But that's not why we stayed away.

"They're playing on the Sabbath," we told the man at work.  Every tournament was like that -- either on Friday night or Saturday during the day.

"I put the King of Kings above pocket Kings," we added.  We think he understood -- but perhaps you don't.

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord.... - Isaiah 58:13-14

We mark the Sabbath as the Bible originally did -- on the seventh day of the week, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset (Genesis 1:31-2:3).  We're aware of some Bible verses which might open the door for some latitude.  For instance:

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." - Mark 2:27-28

Jesus said these words -- and Jesus should be Lord of every life (Romans 10:9).  But we choose to not "go our own way" on the Sabbath.  And playing poker would be exactly that for us.  Instead, we give the Sabbath back to God with worship, study and prayer.

Oh yes -- who's the "King of Kings" we were talking about?

....Keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time -- God, the blessed and only ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and glory forever.  Amen. - I Timothy 6:14-16

Is Jesus your King?  And are you honoring Him, above any deck of playing cards or stack of poker chips?