Our beliefs » Sabbath

 God’s Blessed Rest Test day

 At Creation, Before Sin God gave rest before work
Genesis 2:1-3      God rested on, blessed and sanctified the 7th day at creation

Before the Ten Commandments Exodus 16:4, 23-30
v.4 test whether they would walk in  God’s law.
v.23-30 God provided manna 6 days a week, but none on His Sabbath

Ten CommandmentsExodus 20: 8-11 (also Deuteronomy 5: 11-15)

a/  Exodus 20:1 “God spoke all these words”  Matthew 4:4  “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God
b/  Not new – God said “remember  ….”
c/  Not the Sabbath of the Jews but of the LORD your God.
-Malachi 3:6  Jehovah does not change
d/  Because God rested on, blessed and sanctified the 7th day at creation

During the Exodus

Exodus 31:12-17    Repeat of the Sabbath command and it’s link back to creation.
v.12 Jehovah calls it “My Sabbath”

Babylonian captivity

Ezekiel 20   In this chapter God is concerned about 2 sins – Sabbath breaking and idolatry – both involve rejecting Jehovah, the true God.  In v. 12, 20 The Sabbath is a sign between Jehovah and his people.

Was the Sabbath in the Old Testament just for the Jews?

Isaiah 56:1-7   The Sabbath was for  v.2 man (not specifically Jews)
v. 4 Eunuchs
v.6 foreigners
God’s house was to be a house of prayer for all nations

Jesus and God’s commandments

Matthew 5:17-20   Jesus did not come to abolish the LAW or prophets.
v.19 who will be called least in the KINGDOM?  Who called great in the KINGDOM?

Jesus Claim

Mark 2:27, 28    Sabbath was made for MAN.     M A N does not spell J E W. The Sabbath was made for the benefit of mankind at creation.
The Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.   If Jesus is our Lord we will keep the day he is Lord of.

Jesus Example
Luke 4:16    Can we go wrong if we follow Jesus example?

Is Saturday of today the Seventh Day of Jesus time?

Luke 23:54 – 24:1 Christ was:

-Continuous observance by the Jews and by Christians on Sunday confirm this.

Luke 23:56 Even though Jesus had died, the disciples still kept the Sabbath according to the commandments.

In the End time

Matthew 24:20   Jesus is speaking of a day many years after his crucifixion.  Yet his disciples are to pray not to have to flee in the winter  or on the Sabbath day.  If it doesn’t matter which day we are to keep, Jesus is talking nonsense.   Clearly his people would continue to  be Sabbath keepers.

Did Paul keep the Sabbath?

Acts 13:14, 42, 44  Paul attended the synagogue on the Sabbath.
Acts 16:3   No synagogue here. Paul went looking for a place of prayer
Acts 17:1-3   As his custom was …
Acts 18:3,11  Paul gave a talk every Sabbath for a year and a half. No indication that when people became Christians they stopped keeping the Sabbath.

In Revelation

Revelation 12:17    Satan hates the people who keep the commandments
Revelation 14:7     Call to worship God as the Creator  – v.12 God’s people observe his commandments.

In New Earth

Is 66:22,23   In New Earth all flesh will bow down and worship before Jehovah from Sabbath to Sabbath.

The Blessings of the Sabbath
Reminds us where we came from, why we are here, where we are going.
1. Creation  Exodus 20
2. Salvation – our rest in Christ
3. Anticipation of NEW heaven and earth
4. A sign between God and His people  Exodus 31:13, 17;  Ezekiel 20:12,20

Antidote to  Materialism
Stress
Information overload – turn off TV, ignore the paper
Workaholism

Family time spending time together, building memories
No work, no guilt
Extended family – church

Time to step back, regroup, gain perspective, establish values.  There is more to life than work.

Principles of Sabbath Keeping

Exodus 20:8 -11          Work / rest
Nehemiah 13:15 – 22  Not a commercial day
Isaiah 58:13,14           God’s day, a happy day, not a  pleasure day
Matthew 12:12          Jesus showed how the Sabbath should be kept.
Leviticus 23:32           From evening to evening
Hebrews 10:25         Assembling for fellowship

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