ESV - 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
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Personally I feel that the Sabbath is often portrayed negatively, for whatever reasons. Perhaps it's the list of laws that came with it in the Jewish Law. It's important to realize that the Sabbath is a gift from God. A chance to rest, reconnect with God, and recharge us…. Physically, mentally and spiritually. More than ever I believe that taking a Sabbath is important. We are constantly plugged into Facebook, Twitter, the news, email, etc. Few of us even separate our work and personal lives. It's become so common to check work emails outside of work, while at home and on the weekend. I don't think we should be asking "Do we have to take the sabbath?". Our approach should be more of "I'm glad I have the opportunity to take the sabbath, and I should". I highly recommend the following book, The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan. It really helped me restore the Sabbath in my life and recharge once a week. The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan (It can be found on Amazon) Book Description: Widely-acclaimed author Mark Buchanan states that what we've really lost is "the rest of God-the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness." Stillness as a virtue is a foreign concept in our society, but there is wisdom in God's own rhythm of work and rest. Jesus practiced Sabbath among those who had turned it into a dismal thing, a day for murmuring and finger-wagging, and He reminded them of the day's true purpose: liberation-to heal, to feed, to rescue, to celebrate, to lavish and relish life abundant.
My opinion is that Sabbath is a delight to keep. I do believe the model of a day is from sundown Friday to sundown Sat. And that this was the time our creator rested after creation. I have taken the approach that if I want to be like the Father, I need to do what he did... and keeping the Sabbath and keeping it at this time is a good start. To include Dan's comment, I do not consider it a salvation issue... but one of quality of life... just like the rest of the big 10. I dont honor my parents to be rescued from my sin, I do it because I have been told to and it will bring life. I do it because I love God and want to be like his son. I would suggest Christ did not challenge the keeping of the Sabbath, but the way the Jews in his day thought it should be kept.
This was the most difficult topic for me to understand, there are so many different interpretations, he said, she said, the Church said, the Sabbath is for the Jews, it's done away with, it was changed to Sunday, the commandments where nailed to the cross and don't forget the big one, we are under grace and no longer under the law. The following is what I have come to understand by reading the Bible. Some Scriptures I have read concerning the Sabbath, Jews and Gentiles. So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath (Acts 13:42 NKJV) Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God (Acts 13:43, 44 NKJV) Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures (Acts 17:1, 2 NKJV) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:4 NKJV) Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them (Ezekiel 20:12 NKJV) For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD, “So shall your descendants and your name remain And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD (Isaiah 66:22, 23 NKJV) And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27 NKJV) So I am seeing that the Sabbath was made for Man, Jews and Gentiles and is not done away with. Some scriptures I read after I heard we are under grace and no longer under the law. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not (Romans 6:14, 15 NKJV) If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love (John 15:10 NKJV) So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Matthew 19:17 NKJV) If you love Me, keep My commandments (John 14:15 NKJV) For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3 NKJV) Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them (Deuteronomy 7:11 NKJV) and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good (Deuteronomy 10:13 NKJV) Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12 NKJV) Get the point? So be careful and think about this. "in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8-9, KJV). So this all brings me to these Scriptures. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1, 3 NKJV) And He said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5 NKJV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV) So why would we change anything? Jesus didn't change the Sabbath day or abolish the commandments. I read the Bible and pray for understanding. Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17, 19 NKJV) There is a gift from God at the top of every page on this eBible site. It's a search engine and what you are reading is the inspired word of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV) But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4 NKJV) Go ahead, try it, type in the word "Sabbath" or "keep the commandments" or "seventh day" and open your heart and your mind to the truth. Note: use "quotation marks" to keep your search more specific. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:8, 11 NKJV) Just look at any calendar and it will show you what the seventh day is. I'm just a Christian searching for the truth and I keep Saturday (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) as the Sabbath day of The Lord our God.
...in my humble opinion, the change made by the catholic church was one of the great deceptions used by satan to deceive true believers, but I must elaborate my belief that judging your brothers (and sisters) is just as great a sin (if not greater) than not observing THE LORD'S SHABBATH on Saturday. (As a matter of fact, I remember judging being condemned, but never Shabbath-keeping. Who are YOU to judge the servant of another? Romans 14:4) I personally (try my best and ENJOY to) observe the Shabbath (day of rest) on Saturday as a symbol of the initial everlasting covenant GOD made with his people, and then ALSO what some refer to as "THE LORD'S DAY" on Sunday as an acknowledgement of The New Covenant of GOD'S GRACE! (I pray that no one finds this offensive!) "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. Romans 14:5-6" LOVE is the GREATEST COMMANDMENT, not the DIVISION created by this debate! "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, do so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:12" GOD'S BLESSINGS & SHALOM!
What is the Sabbath? Under the Mosaic Law the sabbatical system included a weekly Sabbath day, as well as additional specific days throughout each year, the seventh year was considered a Sabbath year and the 50th year was a Sabbath year (jubilee year). According to the Jewish calendar the weekly Sabbath was the seventh day of their calendar week which was from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. Many Christians today have traditionally kept Sunday as their day of rest and of worship; however others have adhered to the day set aside on the Jewish calendar which would be Saturday. The word Sabbath is taken from the Hebrew sha•vath′, meaning “rest, cease, desist.” The Genesis account of creation says that on the seventh day Jehovah God rested from his creative works, however God's people were instructed to observe a 24-hour day rest or Sabbath and this was during the time of Moses. This is well illustrated for us after the Israelites left Egypt, God miraculously provided food for them in the form manna while they were in the wilderness. The instructions they received were six days you will pick it up but on the seventh day is the Sabbath. Then at Exodus 16:30 we are told that “the people proceeded to observe the Sabbath on the seventh day from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday evening”. That the Sabbath was not commanded upon any of God’s servants until after the Exodus is evident from the testimony of Deuteronomy 5:2, 3 and Exodus 31:16“It was not with our forefathers that Jehovah concluded this covenant, but with us.” “The sons of Israel must keep the sabbath... during their generations.... Between me and the sons of Israel it is a sign to time indefinite.” Further instructions were given concerning the Sabbath law in the 10 Commandments given to Moses. The fourth commandment stated in part that “Remembering the sabbath day to hold it sacred, you are to render service and you must do all your work six days. But the seventh day is a sabbath to Jehovah your God.” (Exodus 20:8-10) Sabbath-keeping thus became an integral part of life for the Israelites.—Deuteronomy 5:12. So then, this was a day specifically set apart by God for rest from regular labors, and served as a sign between him and the sons of Israel. The Sabbath was considered a sacred day of rest and rejoicing not only for the Israelites but for their servants and alien residence, and God gave consideration to the animals as well, ceasing from all labors. There were specific occasions when the Sabbath did not apply, such as priestly duties, that were not curtailed on the Sabbath and infants were circumcised on the Sabbath if that happened to be there eighth day of life. The Benefits and Importance of the Sabbath; The God given and directed Sabbath requirements serve to give each individual Israelite rest physically, but more importantly it provided each one the opportunity to personally show his faith and obedience through the observance of the Sabbath, the desisting from all labor was not the important factor. Each parent was instructed to inculcate in their children's hearts and mind the laws of God; therefore the Sabbath gave parents the opportunity to do this. The Sabbath also gave each Israelite time to occupy himself by taking in knowledge of God and attending to spiritual needs. And the Levites who were scattered throughout the land doubtless took advantage of the Sabbath to teach the Law to the people of Israel. —De 33:8, 10 Le 10:11. Violation of the Sabbath law was a very serious matter because it was a rebellion against Jehovah and the punishment was death. It was vitally important for each individual Israelite to remember to keep the Sabbath. The Israelite nation as a whole were held captive in Babylon for 70 years and the land was desolated because of their failure to observe the Sabbath law. After the Jews return from Babylonian captivity in 539 B.C.E. The Jewish religious leaders gradually made it a burden, by greatly increasing the Sabbath restrictions to 39 with innumerable lesser restrictions. These restrictions negated the intended purpose of the Sabbath of being a joyous spiritually up building time. The extreme to which the Jewish religious leaders went to can be seen in some of the laws they instituted. For example catching a flea was forbidden as hunting. A sufferer could not be given relief unless death threatened. A bone could not be set, nor a sprain bandaged. The true purpose of the Sabbath was made void by these Jewish religious leaders, for they made the people slaves to tradition, instead of having the Sabbath serve men to the honor of God. (Mt 15:3, 6; 23:2-4; Mr 2:27) You may recall when Jesus disciples picked grain and rubbed it in their hands to eat, this did not go unnoticed by the religious leaders, and they were accused on two counts, namely harvesting and threshing on the Sabbath. Not observed in the Christian Congregation Jesus being a Jew and under the Mosaic Law observed the Sabbath as God's word directed, however according to the inspired Christian writings which state “Christ is the end of the Law” (Ro 10:4), which results in Christians’ being “discharged from the Law.” (Ro 7:6). With regard to the sacrifice that Christ Jesus made the Scriptures plainly state that his sacrifice” abolish the law of commandments consisting in decrees and that God blotted out the handwritten document against us which consisted of decrees and he has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake”. Thus the entire system of Sabbath, whether they be days or years were brought to its end with the rest of the law by the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. This was pointed out by the apostle Paul to those who were scrupulously observing “days and months and seasons and years”: “I fear for you, that somehow I have toiled to no purpose respecting you.”—Ga 4:10, 11. Recall the penalty the Israelites faced for failing to observe the Sabbath now was not a concern for Christians. This explains why Christians can esteem “one day as all others,” whether it be a Sabbath or any other day, with no fear of judgment by another. (Ro 14:4-6; Col 2:16) It’s interesting to note that it wasn't until 321 CE under the direction of Constantine who decreed Sunday (Latin dies Solis, an old title associated with astrology and sun worship, not Sabbatum [Sabbath] or dies Domini [Lord’s day]) to be a day of rest for all but the farmers. This action by Constantine certainly contradicts the foregoing information we have considered which makes it clear that literal observance of Sabbath days and years was not a part of first-century Christianity.
A couple of additional thoughts: The Holy Spirit directed the apostles to put no other burdens of the law upon the gentile believers than the following: 'Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “ You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. (Acts 15:24, 28, 29 NKJV) Also in Hebrews 4 we are exhorted to enter the Sabbath rest of God. In this passage Paul speaks of this rest being 'today' (not Saturday or Sunday). He explains this sabbath rest as being a rest from dead works and unbelief and an entering into a rest that comes by faith. Thus every day should be a 'sabbath rest' whereby we put aside works, unbelief and striving and live by faith with consciousness toward God in all that we do. Under grace (as opposed to the law) every day ought to be observed as a sabbath (ie resting from striving and works and living with consciousness toward God) not just one day. Not in the sense laid down by the law but as the true intent and spirit of the sabbath. Jesus demonstrated this when he healed on the sabbath. The spirit of the sabbath was more important than the law of the sabbath.
The following is my understanding about Sabbath on Genesis 2. I. What is written on Genesis 2? a) God rested on the seventh day from all His work (Gen 2:1, 2) b) God also blessed the seventh day and sanctified it (Gen 2:3) II. What is not written on Genesis 2? a) God did not command Adam to keep the Sabbath day holy. No command for Adam to rest from his duty on the garden. Only command was not about Sabbath but about good and evil. (Gen 2:16, 17) No command for Noah, Abraham to keep the Sabbath Day. ‘Sabbath law’ was given to Moses after Exodus. (Exo 20:8-11) because Rest was not about keeping the law because Rest was about relationship with God in Christ because Adam and Eve had true rest in God until sin entered b) No ‘There was evening and there was morning-the seventh day’ It was not written because God’s rest does not end in 24hrs. because God’s rest continued [until Sin entered] because God’s rest was not limited to Seventh day only because God's rest continuously available to those who believe (Psa 95:7-11; Heb 3:7-4:11) III. How does NT interpret the Creation Rest? (Heb 3:7-4:11) a) OT God’s Rest was recorded in creation (Gen 2) Moses gave Israel God’s Rest as the law (Exo 20:8-11) Israel could not get God’s rest due to their unbelief. (Psa 95:7-11) Joshua also could not lead them to God’s rest (Heb 4:8) King David could not have/lead his people to God’s rest. b) NT Sabbath-rest of God is still available to us in Christ. (Heb 4:1, 9) Only those who believe can enter God’s rest (Heb 4:3, 8) We should make every effort to enter God’s rest (Heb 4:11) IV. In Conclusion a) God’s Rest [Sabbath] was a picture of God’s eternal rest. God’s rest did not come through Moses, Joshua, and David. God's rest does not come through keeping the law. because Mosaic rest was a picture of Salvation Rest. because earthly rest was a picture of Spiritual rest in Heaven. b) The Sabbath was a shadow (Col 2:16, 17) Sabbath Laws point to the true Rest in Christ. (Heb 4:8-11) Jesus is the Reality: Jesus gives us true Rest [Sabbath] (Mat 11:28-30) c) God’s Rest [Sabbath] is not a certain day nor limited by 24hrs. God’s Rest is eternal, transcendent state in Christ.
God Bless You, Genesis 2:1-3 ESV - 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. The Ten Commandments: EEExodus 20:8 emember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Sabbath of the old covenant Numbers 28:9 “‘On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah[c] of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. 10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. Jesus kept the Sabbath (Sabbath of the New covenant) Luke 4:16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, Luke 4:31 Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. Jesus commanded to keep the sabbath until the end of the age Mathew 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Mathew 24:20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. Because Jesus is the lord of the Sabbath mathew 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Paul warned to keep the lords day to enter the lords sabbath A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God Heb 41 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.[a] 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”[b] And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”[c] 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”[d] 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
I have to chime in on this with my thoughts. Ask yourself this: What is there in this world that I can physically do in order to obtain and keep salvation? Hopefully, your answer is, "accepting the sacrifice of the Christ for my sins". Perhaps, you added, "love your neighbor as yourself," but only as a bonus. If you think about it, in today's modern world it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep the Sabbath. The rules surrounding the Sabbath are complex and burdensome and essentially prevent you from even turning on a lightswitch. Some Orthodox Jews do even go so far as to observe this. But how to observe the non-use of electricity (you're hiring someone to man the power station, essentially, through a previously-set up agreement, which is prohibited) especially in an area that has Winter and needs heat? Well, unless you're going about replacing your electricity with a wood-burning stove that you load up the night before to last you through the Sabbath, good luck. Our God does not want us to think of Him as a burden; He is not the a god of disorder, but of peace. We are instructed to receive His sacrifice for our sins and the salvation He offers through it. Stop making it difficult, and just accept it.
Saturday or Sunday... The main value I get out of setting aside a day to not work (at all - home or office) is to reflect on how it is -God- who provides all my needs. Reflecting on how my work and efforts are -not- the source of my provision. Taking a day off from all activities to focus on acknowledging God as my Creator, Master, Owner, and Provision helps me to put Eternity, (and so this very short life) in perspective. Isaiah 58:13-14: If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Christ said the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. When was it made? - at creation when God rested on it as an example for all mankind. There was no Jew alive then until the tribe of Judah existed. The apostles kept the Sabbath and that is Biblical as well as historical fact. Read the writings of many scholars such as W D Davies as well as Catholic writings. As far as the resurrection on Sunday argument again it can be proven biblically and historically that Christ was crucified on a Wednesday in 31ad and arose on Sabbath just before sunset. There were two Sabbaths that week; an annual holy day Sabbath on the Thursday and weekly Sabbath on Saturday. Even a number of evangelical scholars recognize it. People ought to be aware of the history in the latter first century and beyond as to how and why Sunday came to be instituted as the supposed "lords day". And no I am not a 7th day adv. But a person who is not afraid of truth on this most important subject. BTW. Jerry Falwell believed among others that Christ was crucified on Wed not on Friday.
Genesis:2 reads GOD made the world in 7 days.. 1 - he made day and night 2 - he made sky 3 - he made land,sea and plants 4 - sun,moon,stars and seasons 5 - sea creatures 6 - land animals and man... 7 - he took rest we might have heard of this since childhood.. notice these ---- god made day and night first.. ----at the end of each day he had to be satisfied and call it 'GOOD' (like in god terms, 'the best') ----- HE NEVER RESTED UNTIL HE MADE U AND YOUR WORLD he didn't think of rest or slumber until all that u needed were made up to his perfection, he was working, planing and constantly designing every detail of what u needed without ceasing or resting for all the 6 days and nights... till this day, he does not sleep and each night guards u in his arms wow! Isn't it? Such great is his love <3 <3! all he asks of us is to keep apart that day as a reminder of his love and spend time with him>> to him u r above ALL! and if u cant spare a day(Sunday or Saturday.. god sees your heart) for your god that only means u don't love him enough..
This is a non-issue and has nothing to do with our salvation. Neither does keeping any commandments because no one can keep them. If we could then Christ didn't need to die for us. The Apostle Paul wrote, "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths.." (Colossians 2:16) Actually, everyday is the Lord's day so one day is as good as the next. Just pray and follow what the Lord places upon your heart.
All laws that God gave in the Old Testament was until Christ. The LORD Jesus Christ lifted the bar for all the other nine commandments except the Sabbath. The reason being that the people were trying to make laws out of the Sabbath and live according to those laws, and this was done specially by the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders. The Sabbath law given by God was a picture of our Salvation rest in Christ our LORD. Salvation is not obtained by our works, it is by Grace through the LORD Jesus Christ. For those who have truly received the LORD Jesus Christ, every day is a Sabbath day holy unto the LORD, because everyday is the LORDS day. Those who have not been set free by the truth of the Word of God through His Holy Spirit, are those who are trying to still keep the laws or some of them. If anyone would read Hebrews chapter four and ask the Holy Spirit to give them understanding will clearly see that the seventh day Sabbath law does not exist anymore as much as abstaining from certain foods. If we are true Christians we will look at ways of pleasing the LORD in the way we live our daily lives, rather than trying to keep a law, because if we live by the law we will also be judged by the law, and who can keep the whole law. NONE. GOD Bless you all
Act 20:7 And upon the (first of the week,) when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. the Greek shows: σάββατον sabbaton = Saturday - First of Week is to say "on one Saturday." check Greek OT Septuagint. As a Mohel when we do Kiddish(Breaking of bread and pass the wine) this is Friday at sunset and Sabbath last till Saturday sunset. And was done for many years. Saturday was changed by Pope Sylvester (A.D. 314-335) in a historic statement, often quoted by his successors in defence of the Roman Sabbath fast, clearly supports this conclusion: "If every Sunday is to be observed joyfully by the Christians on account of the resurrection, then every Sabbath on account of the burial is to be regarded in execration of the Jews (exsecratione Judaeorum). In fact all the disciples of the Lord had a lamentation on the Sabbath, bewailing the buried Lord, and gladness prevailed for the exulting Jews. But sadness reigned for the fasting apostles. In like manner we are sad with the saddened by the burial of the Lord, if we want to rejoice with them in the day of the Lord’s resurrection. In fact, it is not proper to observe, because of Jewish customs, the consumption of food (destructiones ciborum) and the ceremonies of the Jews. CH 6 of "ROME AND THE ORIGIN OF SUNDAY" bySamuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University
"GOD instituted the sabbath at creation. He blessed and sanctified the seventh day." - Genesis 2:2-3 When Jesus prophesied about events that take place forty years after his death, he instructed his followers concerning the holy sabbath day - Matthew 24:20 He emphatically declared that not "one jot or tittle" would be changed until heaven and earth cease to exist - Matthew 5:17-18 Christ's disciples kept the sabbath after the crucifixion even at the cost of delaying the burial of their lord - Luke 23:56 SO, BASED ON THE ABOVE WORDS please understand that there's no mention in the New Testament that the Seventh - Day sabbath was eliminated or changed! WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN - ACTS 5:29 And also there is no scriptural proof for Sunday observance. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the catholic church in the council of Laodicea (364 A.D) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. But GOD said "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you" - Deuteronomy 4:2!
I'm addressing here the question “How does the Sabbath day commandment still apply today?” merged with this question. Commandment keeping will NOT save anyone! We are all saved by grace through faith! (Eph 2:8-9) However, saved people keep God's Commandments (1 John 2:3-6). Now that we establish how are being saved, let's see what the Word of God says about this important subject. First, let’s keep in mind that we serve a God who does not change - He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Ps 89:34; 1 Peter 1:24-25). Second, God told us that if we love Him we should keep his Commandments: (John 14:15; 14:21; 14:23; 15:14; 1 John 2:3-4; 5:2; 2 John 6; Rev 12:17; 14:12). From all these text, God's will for us should be abundantly clear. In Matthew 19:17-19 Jesus tells that if we wish to enter life, we should keep the Commandments - and He lists the 6th, the 7th, 8th 9th, then the 5th, and love your neighbor. Obviously this is not an all-inclusive list because the first four commandments are not being mentioned and we cannot imagine Christ saying that having other gods, idolatry, taking the Lord’s name in vain and breaking the Sabbath would be appropriate for anyone seeking eternal life. The Ten Commandments are a reflection of God’s character. They show how we can live to honor God and become more like Him in our attitudes and actions. The first Four Commandments pertain to our relationship with God and the last Six relate to our relationship with others. Taken together they can be summed up with the words of Jesus (Matt 22:37-40) - love the Lord and love your neighbor. The Sabbath Commandment can be found in Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-16. This Commandment however, is different from the other nine. Yes, even nonbelievers would agree that killing, lying or stealing is not good; but why keep the Seventh-day holy? There is no implicit logic or reason why we should keep the Seventh-day Sabbath other than that God commanded it - the Sabbath is a test of faith. The Seventh-day Sabbath is not a Jewish institution - it was established at Creation (Gen 2:1-3). The Sabbath Commandment is a reminder of God’s Creation (Ex 20:11). God could have chosen any different way to memorialize His creative act, but He chose a memorial set in time: a weekly day of rest. The Seventh-day Sabbath has been preserved by God through the centuries and since the days of Jesus it has been observed in many areas of the world. Never has there been a time in which God's people somewhere did not observe the Seventh-day Sabbath. Christ Himself instituted the Sabbath day of rest for us (Mark 2:27), and make no sense to believe that He would He change it. Jesus kept the Sabbath day faithfully (Luke 4:16). Jesus’ disciples also kept the Sabbath day (Acts 13:14; 16:13). The Seventh-day Sabbath is taught throughout the Bible, while Sunday sacredness is never mentioned. Even the Gentiles in the early Church kept the Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44; 16:13; 18:1, 4, 11). And going back to the original question - the Sabbath-day Commandment matter now more than ever. In the Garden of Eden God created two institutions: marriage and the Sabbath - today both institution are under attack. More and more voices are saying that what God commanded is legalism and not important and we should follow man-made institutions and commandments. "Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev 14:12).
The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its origin when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." Job 38:7. Peace brooded over the world; for earth was in harmony with heaven. "God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good;" and He rested in the joy of His completed work. Gen 1:31. Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, "God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it,"--set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God's power and His love. The Scripture says, "He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered." "The things that are made," declare "the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world," "even His everlasting power and divinity." Gen 2:3; Ps 111:4; Rom 1:20, R. V. All things were created by the Son of God. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.... All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. And since the Sabbath is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power of Christ. The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to the soul. He "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor 4:6.... The Sabbath was embodied in the law given from Sinai; but it was not then first made known as a day of rest. The people of Israel had a knowledge of it before they came to Sinai. On the way thither the Sabbath was kept. When some profaned it, the Lord reproved them, saying, "How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?" Ex 16:28. The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment forms a part, Christ declares, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law." So long as the heavens and the earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be honored by all beneath the sun. "From one Sabbath to another" the inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Matt 5:18; Isa 66:23.... "Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He said, "I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them,"--make them holy. Ezek 20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power, the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel of God. And the Lord says, "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 the Lord, honorable;... Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa 58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28.
A great question indeed. In Luke 6:5, Jesus is Lord over the Sabbath. In the Jewish Law, it was forbidden to perform any labour or any kind of preparations on Sabbath. However, through the incident when King David ate holy bread at the room of the priests, and through Jesus healing the blind man on Sabbath, it is made clear by the Lord that the Sabbath is to be observed with works of mercy and that Sabbath is men, not the opposite. Good acts, such as helping the poor, the needy, the sick, etc are all pleasing in the eyes of God. In Isaiah 58:1-14 every second of our devotion to our Creator on Sabbath has to be completed with honesty and good acts and it continues until our last breath. Hence,the Sabbath is made special and holy because all other days make us weary from our labour and toil we face each day. So God gave us the day so that we could surrender ourselves freely to Him. The best part is that through this day, despite the rest of our days of labour, we feel more 'energised' in spirit to draw close to Him every moment of our lives. There are few things that I'd like to add on to the void in my answer: 1.As I could recall,the physical Sabbath day lies in the Jewish time system from sundown Friday to sundown Sat(just for our knowledge) 2.With this fact mentioned,my opinion:Jesus taught his people that the Sabbath is Not Limited to only one day and he stresses that despite our limitations and faults,we are encouraged by the Lord to 'struggle' every day and to keep all our days holy,not just one day. I think that even if the Sabbath applied to people of Jesus' time,the meaning of 'rest' reminds us that all of us should 'stop and be still' towards God's love.At any time,even if we are busy with a duty on a Sunday(day of Obligation in Christianity) for example,we can still commemorate God and all that he has done,much so if it is a duty which requires a person to defend a country(army),care for the sick and the dying,and every other duties.Whatever that we do,it must not divert our attention from God as our Creator. It would only be a sin if a person purposely misses the Sabbath (be it Saturday or Sunday) without any valid reason (God knows all our intentions, let Him be the Judge). In conclusion, the Sabbath, though we do not observe it physically like the Jews,but spiritually our hearts give thanks to God for His goodness with our talents and skills given by Him.An obligation will only remain an obligation if it is not done out of love for God (in the case of the Pharisees and the laws, see Matt 15:1-9) and defeats the purpose of loving Him freely as our Eternal Father. We still keep the Sabbath up till today at Sundays / Saturdays and we will continue doing so in love for Christ. Thank You.
Mark 28; “ And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath”. Puts it in a whole new light. Consider the great Matthew Henry (lived in the 17th century), commentator of the Word of God, were he commented on the healing of the lame man; John 5:8. “The man sick of the palsy (John 5:5) was … bidden to rise and walk. Secondly, It was to proclaim the cure, and make it public; for, being the sabbath day, whoever carried a burden through the streets made himself very remarkable, and every one would enquire what was the meaning of it; thereby notice of the miracle would spread, to the honor of God. Thirdly, Christ would thus witness against the tradition of the elders, which had stretched the law of the sabbath beyond its intention; and would likewise show that he was Lord of the sabbath, and had power to make what alterations he pleased about it, and to over-rule the law. Joshua, and the host of Israel, marched about Jericho on the sabbath day, when God commanded them, so did this man carry his bed, in obedience to a command. The case may be such that it may become a work of necessity, or mercy, to carry a bed on the sabbath day; but here it was more, it was a work of piety, being designed purely for the glory of God. "Fourthly, He would hereby try the faith and obedience of his patient. By carrying his bed publicly, he exposed himself to the censure of the ecclesiastical court, and was liable, at least, to be scourged in the synagogue. Now, will he run the hazard of this, in obedience to Christ? Yes, he will. Those that have been healed by Christ's word should be ruled by his word, whatever it cost them.” Henry further states; “The Jews quarreled with the man for carrying his bed on the sabbath day, telling him that it was not lawful, v. 10. It does not appear whether they were magistrates, who had power to punish him, or common people, who could only inform against him; but thus far was commendable, that, while they knew not by what authority he did it, they were jealous for the honor of the sabbath, and could not unconcernedly see it profaned; like Nehemiah. Neh 13:17. (2.) The man justified himself in what he did by a warrant that would bear him out, v. 11. "I do not do it in contempt of the law and the sabbath, but in obedience to one who, by making me whole, has given me an undeniable proof that he is greater than either. He that could work such a miracle as to make me whole no doubt might give me such a command as to carry my bed; he that could overrule the powers of nature no doubt might overrule a positive law, especially in an instance not of the essence of the law. "He that was so kind as to make me whole would not be so unkind as to bid me do what is sinful." Christ, by curing another paralytic, proved his power to forgive sin, here to give law; if his pardons are valid, his edicts are so, and his miracles prove both.”
Sabbath according to the [EBD], Easton’s Bible Dictionary, in Hebrew is a verb, sabbath, meaning "to rest from labor"), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen 2:2). "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of rest and refreshment for the body and of blessing to the soul. (The first scriptural notice of it, though it is not mentioned by name, is to be found in (Genesis 2:3) at the close of the record of the 6-day creation. Smith The early Christians kept the 7th day as a Sabbath, much after the fashion of other Jews. Gradually the 1st day of the week came to be recognized as the day on which the followers of Jesus would meet for worship. The resurrection of our Lord on that day made it for Christians the most joyous day of all the week. John Richard Samphey Isn’t our God wonderful to perceive and be thoughtful and considerate enough to give us a day each week to rest? To do the Sabbath is a demo to the world of how important God is to us. We are indeed living in a fast-paced world! We must set aside a day each week for rest and worship. Don’t neglect God’s gracious provision. LASB I love it! I practice it! I love the extra time I have to spend in the Word and in prayer, in playing and singing hymns and Christian songs, and in fellowship when it's not the pandemic.
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