Thanks for your comment Gerald. Even though I didn't expand my comment to Pepe about Jesus breaking the Law, rather, mentioning that "Jesus was showing to those Pharisees that the Sabbath observance must not interfere with sustaining life", there still remains the problem of the nature of the Law & its requirements.
The Law given to Israel was "holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" ( Romans 7:12) in every respect, and its very nature called for strict unswerving obedience or face dire consequences. In those instances (of Jesus & His disciples picking ears of corn on the Sabbath Day, or the man picking up sticks on the Sabbath, even this woman caught in adultery), all required the death penalty ( Exodus 31:14; Numbers 15:32-36; Leviticus 20:10). So, the Pharisees could rightly (according to the Law they were under) demand the death penalty for that woman; though one could argue whether they even had the authority to make such judgement as Israel's monarchies and authoritative judicial system had long ended, and these religious leaders were simply self-appointed (spiritual) leaders, post captivity.
When Jesus came on the scene and not only taught Truths that went against pharisaical teachings, He also presented Himself to them as the Lord of the Sabbath ( Mark 2:28). Of course, Jesus' Deity is clearly seen in that claim, but the point of His Words to them was that as Lord, He had both the rule and the last Word concerning the Law. The Law-giver Who took on human flesh, preparing to sacrifice His Life so that God's Grace for salvation could be imparted to all who call upon His Name, was in the throes of ushering a new Law that would clearly reflect that Grace - a Law of Love, Compassion, & Forgiveness. The Old Law couldn't do that: severe punishment for any departure from it was certain. Onto Page 2.
Hello Pepe. I can understand the dilemma & difficulty you have of going to a Sunday service instead of a Sabbath service, as this aspect of observance is highly stressed to all SDA adherents at the outset. In fact, old-time SDAs would tell you that those who worship the LORD on a Sunday have the mark of the beast upon them. So, it's not easy having to deal with such a change (and belief).
Whenever any doctrine or teaching comes up for my consideration, I always go to the heart of the matter. What is the Sabbath Day? Well, it is the fourth Commandment given by God, only to His chosen people Israel ( Exodus 31:13-17). It was given for their complete rest from their busy lives of labor on the other six days. On the other side of the coin, the Ten Commandments, along with the many other commandments were not given to Gentiles. Those who contest this, usually fuse God's relationship to Israel & His Word specifically to Israel, with His Church (of believing Jews and Gentiles). But this has never happened and nowhere in the Word do we read that the Church has to come under those OT commandments, rather, the Church has been given the Holy Spirit, and we ought to obey Him in everything He reveals to us - and this goes beyond anything that the old Law could ever require.
Remember, we are no longer under the Law as the apostle writes in Romans 6:14,15. The Law could only reveal sin, but it gave no power to overcome it - it could only show Israel their sinfulness, thus the requirement of sacrifices to temporarily shield them from God's Wrath. But then Grace came - the Grace of God through His Son's Sacrifice & Gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, both believing Jew and Gentile were forgiven and covered completely & given the Mind of Christ & His Power to live above the stern requirements and penalties of the Law. Onto Page 2.
Hello Dmpsip. There's not very much that is similar between the Sabbath and Sunday. The Sabbath Day was instituted by God for His chosen people Israel with the other Laws in the Ten Commandments plus hundreds of other Laws. Exodus 20:8; Exodus 31:13-17. As part of the Sabbath, the Israelite had to conform to rules about work, home activities, and travel. If these were broken, then punishment was certain. So Sabbath was a day of complete rest and of course, religious activities centered around the Tabernacle, Temple or Synagogue and they were more relevant on the Sabbath Day when folk ceased from their usual labors on the other six days.
Sunday, or first day of the week, was a day set aside by early Christians to come together to worship the Lord & learn from His Word ( Acts 20:7), separate from the Jewish Sabbath and probably in remembrance and inline with the Lord's Resurrection on the first day of the week. And of course, Sunday can be utilized as a day of rest, spiritual contemplation, and being of service to others. So, apart of this aspect of rest and spiritual exercises, not much else is similar to the Sabbath Day observance by Israel.
However, Hebrews 4:9,10 states: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." And this rest has been promised to all who place their trust in Jesus. We look not just for that one day of rest from physical activity, but a true abiding rest in our Savior; resting from our efforts we made previously to please God, and now finding perfect rest by the ministry of His Spirit in our hearts & lives seven days a week.
In your presentation Woe, you mentioned, "The Whore and the Harlot daughters are false churches. They take the name of Christ, but they don't follow the Commandments of God. Specifically, they reject the 4th Commandment and in doing so they break all of the others too."
The Ten Commandments, and most certainly the 4th, has nothing to do with the Church of Christ Jesus. Please consider Exodus 31:12-18. In that passage, there are three distinct occasions where the children of Israel are spoken of & that they alone were to keep the Sabbath Day holy. It was never given to the Gentiles, & certainly not to Christ's Church. True, there were imposter Churches around then as also today, but the marks of their falsehood are not seen in the keeping of the Ten Commandments, rather in the preaching of a defective Gospel and their incorrect understanding and handling of the Word of God.
Where the Decalogue was given to Israel to obey, or where even our Lord told the people to "keep the commandments" (e.g. Matthew 19:17), all was done because the Law was still in force & the New Covenant in Christ's Blood was not ushered in as yet. Once the price for sin was paid & accepted by the Father, only those believing in Jesus to save them from the awful penalty for their sin, could be redeemed, saved, given new birth by the Holy Spirit, and come under the New Covenant administered by the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:6-11. The Old has been abolished, which is the Law (contained) in ordinances (Gk. dogmasim) ( Ephesians 2:14-16).
I'm glad you are able to have some relief and comfort.
Seventh-day Adventists is a denomination that differ in a few areas than most other denominations, the most notable is the Sabbath day.
Example.
They are distinguished by their observance of Saturday/Sabbath "Day"
The commandment for the Sabbath is found in Exodus 20"8-11.
Notice here in Exodus 31:13-18.
who it was written to.
"Speak thou also unto the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout YOUR GENERATIONS; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
If we're applying sound hermeneutics we must consider who this is written to and coordinate this with other scriptures.
Example.
James 2:10. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Also, Colossians 2:16-17.
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Hello Naisa Koroi. In a short answer, I don't believe that worshiping God on a Sunday is breaking the 4th Commandment.
Briefly, my reasons are as follows: this Commandment, alongwith the others, were given to God's people, Israel, for their behavior before God & their fellow-men ( Exodus 20:1-17). The Sabbath was purely a day set apart from all others - a day of complete rest, thus it was a holy (i.e. sanctified, separated) day from the other six days ( Exodus 31:15).
The Sabbath Command never included the necessity to worship God, though it certainly could be used that way in the family home, & then later for functions within the Tabernacle of the Congregation, other sabbath observances, & latterly, in the Synagogue.
The Sabbath Day required that no work be done, even cooking or picking up sticks, moving furniture, lighting a fire, etc. ( Exodus 35:2,3). So the Jewish Sabbath has no correlation to when Christ's Church chooses to worship the Lord today. Some might choose to hold the Sabbath as a day of rest from all work, but for worship, believers in Christ can worship on the first day of the week ( Acts 20:7), or any day of the week for that matter; even as Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him" ( John 4:23).
It's no longer the day of worship or the place of worship that matters (whether on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria, or even in the temple at Jerusalem, as Jesus told the woman), but that our worship, whether done in private or with a Church congregation, is done in the realm of the Holy Spirit & in Truth. So Naisa, may your heart be comforted that the day of corporate worship doesn't matter to the Lord, but that we worship Him with pure hearts, and in sincerity & Truth. Be blessed.
Is worshipping God on any given day breaking the Sabbath?
Part 3.
WHAT MADE SABBATH "HOLY "
The essence of Sabbath-keeping was physical rest. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the Sabbath command specifies rest from labor as the way to keep the day "holy." There is no mention of going to a worship service each Sabbath. Other passages in the Old Testament also define the Sabbath by rest, not by attendance at worship services. See Exodus 31:12-17, Numbers 15:32, Nehemiah 13:15-22 and Jeremiah 17:19-27. The latter two passages, though they refer to Jerusalem, do not mention anything about failure to attend worship services or "sacred assemblies," but only work on the Sabbath as a desecration of this day.
An interesting study is to look up the word "Sabbath" in a concordance, find all the Old Testament references and then read those passages to see how this day was kept "holy." The conclusion will be that rest from labor is what made the Sabbath sacred time, not attendance at a worship service. Most Israelites lived too far from the tabernacle to attend a worship service every Sabbath - and there is no evidence in the Old Testament that they did. And the law did not allow them to assemble anywhere else for worship. Nor do we find commands even for people near the Tabernacle that they had to gather for worship. The Sabbath was kept at home, by resting.
There is no mention in Old Testament passages that attending a worship service on the Sabbath is a way of keeping this day holy. The way the Sabbath was sanctified, made holy or set apart as sacred was through physical rest from labor. All the Old Testament references to Sabbath observance in Israel speak to this point. There is no Old Testament theology of weekly Sabbath holiness that centers around attendance at "holy convocations."
Our SAVIOR, GOD the LORD JESUS CHRIST is faithful in all HIS promises. Whatever we need to accomplish HIS work, HE will provide.
Ephesians 4:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
2 Timothy 3:
.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Although the work may be important, there is nothing more important than to spend a "rest time" with the LORD.
As CHRIST always had a time of rest, and prayer with HIS FATHER; let us do the same that we may be restored spiritually, physically as we await the coming of our KING of Glory, the LORD of HOST.
Ps 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Numbers 6:
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Jesus became our Sabbath as he became our rest as we now rest in his words which are spirit and life John 6:63. The Jews could not keep the Sabbath day they always polluted it. The moment you get out of bed you pollute the Sabbath. On the Sabbath day, nobody was to get out of their bed, do cooking, or leave their house. Sabbath day keepers every week pollute and break the Sabbath the moment they get out of bed. Jesus became our Sabbath as prophesied by Isaiah. When you celebrate the Sabbath it is of no avail as Jesus our forerunner is now that rest. The Sabbath day was a day of rest, when you are resting, you are not sinning. Sabbath day keepers today pervert the Sabbath the moment they get out of bed.
Exodus 31:14] Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
[15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Isaiah 56:2] Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isaiah 11:10] And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Matthew 11:28] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Hebrews 4:8] For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
[9] There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
[10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Hello AngelEverett. When we look at Genesis 2:1-3, we see that the Hebrew word used in this instance, is 'Shabath', from which we get 'Sabbath'. And the meaning in these verses, as also wherever God commands His people, Israel, to rest on the Sabbath day, is that they also are to do as He did. And that is, to cease or desist from all work. When we look at the six days of creation, we can believe that everything that God wanted to create, took place in those first six days - no more creative acts took place. When the six days ended, God rested, or ceased from all His 'creative' Work, as nothing more needed to be done.
When the children of Israel were instructed in this matter (e.g. Exodus 31:12-17), they too were to behave as their LORD did; they could work as much as they wanted to, even to the point of exhaustion, in the first six days, but had to set apart the Sabbath to desist from all work, to rest & recuperate in readiness for the 'new week'. God is Spirit & as such never tires, unlike us who are in the flesh & will always need time off to regain our strength & focus. Therefore, as He ceased from His Work after it was all done and saw that it was very good, He instructed His people to do likewise & to sanctify the day (to set it apart as one dissimilar to any other day of toil & other activities). And this keeping of the Sabbath was a clear sign to Israel that they belonged to Him; no other people on Earth received this 'perpetual covenant' - and to this day Israel adheres very strictly to it. Now if only Israel would receive their Messiah & put their faith in Him alone, things would have been a lot different for them (then & now) as God's special people.
Yes David0921, I also believe that "we can never come to an agreement on many many very important doctrines in the Bible", simply because our beliefs don't align with how the Bible was written & given to us. If "God is indeed the AUTHOR of the entire Bible..every word, phrase...from the mouth of God", then I would think that I wouldn't understand a word of it. But God used human men charged with His Spirit to communicate His Word to us for our benefit. And this goes even further away from the original Voice & Word of God, when that first delivery has since been translated into a variety of languages using a variety of texts from a variety of sources. So is God's Word that you read today in the KJB, exactly the same as what God spoke? It can never be, but its Truths, manner of human involvement & Divine help with their memory & subsequent translations, can provide us as close as possible to God's actual Voice. If we should believe that the KJB (or any translation) is the product of what God said verbatim, I believe that any check (if it were at all possible), would highlight the differences. Truth is retained - but not to the point of exact, word-for-word delivery.
The only two instances I can recall (there may be others), where we see the Finger of God at work, are in Exodus 31:18 & Daniel 5:5,24-28. Of course, we know of many instances where those like Abraham, Moses, Jacob, & others heard directly from God & recorded what they heard. Unless they were writing all things down as they were hearing from God, there will always be some differences in words used, sentence construction, etc., alongwith the many copies, fragments, translations, and so on. This, in my mind, in no way alters what God has to say to us & what we have in our hands is what God wants us to read. But to believe that every jot & tittle is exactly the same as given, is too far-fetched for me.
This whole study on the tabernacle reminds me of Ephesians 2:19-22
"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows, into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (NIV)
All of the specifications God gave for the tabernacle are shadows of what God does in the us, as well as after the pattern of the tabernacle in heaven. Can't wait to get there!
In this chapter YHWH informs Moses that He has filled certain Israelites with the Spirit of God enabling them to perform the work of fashioning all of the furnishings for the tabernacle and clothing for the priests and curtains. He names two of them, one from the tribe of Judah and one from the tribe of Dan, but He indicates that He has equipped many Israelites with the skills to perform all of the work proscribed with excellency.
Then YHWH tells Moses that these people, whom He has chosen and sanctified, are to keep the seventh day as a day of rest from work. This relates back to Genesis where it says God rested on the seventh day from His work of creating the heavens, the earth, and all that is to inhabit these places.
He warns the Moses that anyone who does not keep the Sabbath holy will die. He also says that this is a covenant between Himself and the people of Israel forever.
By reading this, I understand that the Sabbath rest is for the Israelites. It isn't part of a covenant with any other peoples. It was not part of the decision of the Jerusalem council in Acts for Gentiles to keep the Sabbath.
It was also true that the early Christians met on the first day of the week to worship because it was the day of Jesus' resurrection. Constantine did not change anything that wasn't already practiced for three centuries.
It is good to know that God will equip us for every work He has prepared for us to do. But even more so, that He has filled us with His Holy Spirit, that we may know Him and be sanctified. The Holy Spirit is preparing us for heaven, changing us from glory to glory to become more and more like Jesus in character, mind, and soul. Wonderful!
Nehemiah 13:19, There's many more scriptures, hopefully you'll find them all helpful
Jesus observed the Sabbath & fulfilling the Sacrifice: Luke 23:17,54,55,56, John 19:31, Acts 13:27, Matthew 28:1, Mark 6:2, Mark 16:1, Matthew 8:17, Luke 4:21, Acts 13,
Hello Breeni. If you're wanting to see them in the Bible, then in Exodus 20:1-17, you will the full list. Otherwise, the actual hand-written tablets of stone written by the Finger of God ( Exodus 31:18), was last seen placed in the Ark of the Covenant, located in the Tabernacle or Temple ( Deuteronomy 10:1-5).
4. So which is the Sabbath Day? The Sabbath was given only to Israel ( Exodus 31:12-17) - no one else. It, along with Circumcision, marked them as 'belonging to the LORD'. No other people or nation ever received this, or any other, Law to obey. The Gentiles coming to Christ after the Gospel was preached & received, were never compelled to come under the Law in any shape or form. How could they be brought under the Law that only killed? Efforts were made to bring them under the Law, but that was rejected ( Galatians 2:11-21). For indeed, "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." The Jewish Sabbath, along with all Laws, was cast aside, having no more bearing on the one 'in Christ'. Our righteousness, given by God, can never be from the Laws to obey or the Sabbath to observe - our righteousness is found in Christ alone, Who not only perfectly fulfilled the whole Law on our behalf, but opened the "new & living way", that only by His Power can we ever properly do His Will.
As soon as we appeal to the Laws, even the Sabbath, we place ourselves under them, & by them we will be judged. And Sunday (the first day of the week) has never been a Sabbath for those in Christ - it is & always has been the day prescribed to be set aside to come together for worship ( Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).
The Moral law contains the Love and legal code God has for His Universe and beloved children. It is;
Written in stone by God's own finger - Exodus 31:18, Deuteronomy 4:12-13, 9:10
Has always existed & will be kept throughout eternity and throughout all the universe - Psalm 111:7,8, Romans 5:19 refers to Adam sinning in the Garden of Eden
Jesus said He did not come to destroy it but to fulfil it - Matt 5:17 - 19
Jesus said 'If you love me keep my commandments' John 14:15 and that 'He is the Lord of the Sabbath - Mark 2:28 - yet never mentions it being dissolved or changed
God's people are commanded to keep the Commandments of God for all eternity & God's people are identified by it because they keep it out of love to God and by faith - Exodus 19:5, Ecclesiastes 12:13,14, Psalm 111:7,8, Revelation 14:12, 12:17
Lives in the heart of God's children - Psalms 40:8
We are judged by them - James 2:12
Blessed with access to the Tree of Life if you keep them by faith - Revelation 22:14
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."
There's no doubt that the Sabbath is to be kept as an everlasting covenant. The scripture is clear.
Here's my question. Is this commandment for the NON children of Israel as well?
It is one of the Ten Commandments,#8. I have been desiring to keep the Sabbath lately but I'm not part of the 7th day Adventist movement and there are zero others teaching anything on the Sabbath. When I talk to my family they say that's not for us today or that's for the Jews or the Old Testament church or my Sabbath is on Monday.
If you LOVE me you will keep my commandments is a very powerful scripture. It's one of a few that literally changed my life recently and caused me to repent of the wicked lifestyle I was living.
Hi Chris; When we speak of the Old Testament, also known as the Mosaic Law, it specifically contained laws such as unclean animals, clean animals, feast days, new moons and different sabbaths. All of these are found in the book of Leviticus, which is the book of the law. To comprehend what the scriptures teach a thorough study should be applied indeed from all books on that doctrine, One huge difference between the Old Testament and the old covenant, is that Moses wrote the Old Testament by hand, while God wrote with his finger the old covenant. Exodus 31:18 These are different, while the one is called the ceremonial law, the other is called the moral law, they are not the same thing, neither can we join them together as one law. While the Old Testament was destroyed by the Lord Jesus on Calvary Eph. 2:14-16 & Colossians 2:14-15 the old covenant was fulfilled by Christ and then expired Mat. 5:18 & Loke 16:16 after being expired it was then dead Romans 7:4 & Romans 7:6 Meaning they both had different beginnings, and different commandments, and a different endings. One is called a Testament but the other is called a covenant, these do not have the same meaning, you cannot bring them together as one. Today I preached from 11 Timothy 2:15 part of the sermon was rightly dividing the word of truth, we must divide the Old Testament from the old covenant, we must also divide the Old Testament from the New Testament, and the old covenant from the new covenant. Today the New Testament has 7 categories, 1. least commandments, 2. doctrines, 3. unconditional promises, 4. conditional promises, 5. prophecy, 6. faith without works and 7. faith with works. On the other hand the new covenant only has two greatest commandments, love God with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. This is why we must keep them separate, in order to rightly divide the word of truth, otherwise we do a great injustice to the truth of the word of God.
Fighting Over Sabbath destroys the Purpose Of It - 4 years ago
Will we never get the Sabbath controversy solved??
If one would read what God said, at a one-legged snails pace__there is NO controversy. It is not dependent on some world clock; or the Roman Catholic clock or anyone else's clock that they tinker with daily.
Satan wants everyone confused. Like me..tell him to Go To Hell__prepared for him and his demons! He'd probably argue that I can't!! It's not Sunday or Saturday or the Lords Day. Frustration ensues. You reply: It Is prepared! As it is Written!
God said: 6 days shall we work. The next day is the set apart day for the Sabbath. We rest. Exodus 31:17, 31:13:12-18
Modern times, we think there isn't enough week to get everything accomplished. Rest and Church are first thing that gets pushed to the BOTTOM of the DO LIST.
Lawn mowing, check; oil change wash the car, check; wash clothes & put away, check. Wash dog, check. Etc
No one wants to know how much time we accrue sitting in front of a television, computer playing games, talking hours to people through media instead of talking to our family. The 6th day is for us to do the honey do's and go to ball games with our kids; family stuff.
It's a small thing to go to church on "Sunday" and hear Gods Word (which we trust to save us from destruction). Go to a restaurant for an hour to fellowship with friends over food. The rest is ours to be thankful no one is sick; walk the dog, kids & enjoy sunshine and hear nothing except excited voices. Gods voice? Whatever we give to God, he multiplied back to us. (Don't let teenagers bow out) Parents demonstrate What's Important every day.
Computers, cable & Streaming, chatting online are not babysitters. If family life HURTS, then YOU change it. They'd rather have Time with YOU, anyway. Ignore the frowns
Great Big cruise ships are turned with a very small devise. It's not impossible to change habits. Put God first, and He Will sort out the details of change. Touch heals.
Hi Tony. You may be referring to Exodus 31:12-17. This Law was given to Israel in line with Day 7 of the Days of Creation - the Day that God "rested (or, ceased) from all His work" ( Genesis 2:3). The Law, which included the keeping of the seventh day (the Sabbath), & circumcision, were the signs that made God's people a special, chosen people, unlike any other nation on Earth. As God ceased from His Work of creation, so He required His people (Israel) to set a specific day each week to also rest from their labours. And the fact that God sanctified the day (i.e. He set it apart as a special day), meant that Israel should engage themselves with other things other than going through the rigors of daily toil. So, it was a day of physical rest & also a day when their minds could re-focus on their Creator & learning more about Him.
Israel today still keep the Sabbath as required of them. But those of Judaism who have come out, finding new life & liberty in Jesus Christ & led of the Spirit are no longer under the Law ( Galatians 5:18), just as the Gentiles who are "without the Law" ( 1 Corinthians 9:21), are not required to be bound to it - to a Law that only showed man his sin & his incapability to fully obey it ( Romans 7:7 ff).
Both Jew & Gentile still need a rest day from hard toil - for the Jew, the seventh day was appointed. For the Christian, any day could be a day of physical rest. For the Jew, he went to the Temple or Synagogue on the Sabbath to worship God - for the Christian, he can worship God on any day he chooses. The early Church met on the first day of the week to worship ( Acts 20:7), fellowship & break bread together, remembering the Lord Who gave His Life for them & rose from the grave on the first day of the week. So, there is no commandment to break; the Sabbath for worship together does not apply to the Christian - some worship on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday - maybe even other days. But if Sabbath is forced upon Christians, then we have a problem.
GRACE_ambassador {ChrisE} - In Reply - 4 years ago
Precious friend, Allen, for the "weekly" sabbath, see: Exodus 23:12; Exodus 31:15; Exodus 34:21; Exodus 35:2; and, Leviticus 23:3, TO the nation of ISRAEL, but not to us Gentiles.
For the "yearly" sabbath, a "sabbath expert" will have to tell you; I do not know.
Precious Judith: "The Bible says to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy!" = TRUE! people: "He did not say that the Sabbath is for Jews but for mankind!":
God: "Speak thou also unto the children of ISRAEL, saying, Verily my SABBATHS ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout YOUR generations; that YE may know that I AM The LORD that doth sanctify YOU." Exodus 31:13 God TO Israel:
Why are you people not being obedient to God? God said he that worship me must worship me in Spirit and truth! = TRUE, for ISRAEL, In PROPHECY!!
Rightly Divided ( 2 Timothy 2:15) From "Things That DIFFER!":
There is NO ISRAEL today, Only The Body Of CHRIST, Under GRACE, According to the preaching Of JESUS CHRIST, According to The REVELATION Of The MYSTERY (Romans - Philemon) What Does God Say TO Paul, in liberty and freedom, for the Body Of CHRIST?:
God: "Who art thou that judgest...One man esteemeth one day above another: ANOTHER ESTEEMETH EVERY DAY ALIKE. Let EVERY man BE FULLY PERSUADED in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto The LORD; and he THAT REGARDED NOT the day, TO THE LORD he doth not regard it...But WHY dost thou JUDGE thy brother?
...we shall ALL Stand before THE JUDGMENT SEAT of CHRIST.For It Is Written, As I live, Saith The LORD, every knee shall bow to ME, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then EVERY ONE of us shall give account of himSELF TO God...Let us NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE:..." Please Carefully/Prayerfully Read/RE-read ALL of Romans 14:4-13
God: "Let NO man therefore JUDGE you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an HOLYDAY, or of the SABBATH days: Which are A SHADOW of things to come; but the body is of CHRIST!" Colossians 2:16-17
Thus, we DON'T JUDGE "sabbath" keepers, as we, FULLY PERSUADED with the Mind Of CHRIST, worship/REST In CHRIST, The TRUE {Sabbath} REALITY 24/7. God Is CLEAR!
Please be richly Encouraged, Exhorted, and Encouraged In CHRIST, And HIS WORD OF TRUTH, Rightly Divided!!
Mark 2:27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
Jeremiah 17:24And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
Jeremiah 17:22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
It's nothing to GOD if you have perfect attendance or not because there's really nothing we can give HIM that HE doesn't have. But at Church we're still instructed to never be absent (we have 3 days of Church services; some have perfect attendance since they were saved, some come and go). So now we go to Church for our own good to receive blessings from HIM: material, physical, and Spiriutal blessings.
We just have to be thankful to GOD that there's this one place for us where we can go to serve The LORD GOD by:
1) singing praising songs to HIM
2) praying to HIM
3) hearing HIS messages through preaching
4) testifying for HIM
5) joining others in setting up The Church and serving HIS followers
If you get that feeling of not going to Church, whether it's a building or a humble place, then maybe it's time to search yourself first. Pray, fast, sing praising songs to GOD, ask for forgiveness for your shortcomings, and cry for mercy, love, and forgiveness, ask for His sweet Holy Presence. And let HIM lead you wherever HE wants you to be. HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD!
The Law given to Israel was "holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" ( Romans 7:12) in every respect, and its very nature called for strict unswerving obedience or face dire consequences. In those instances (of Jesus & His disciples picking ears of corn on the Sabbath Day, or the man picking up sticks on the Sabbath, even this woman caught in adultery), all required the death penalty ( Exodus 31:14; Numbers 15:32-36; Leviticus 20:10). So, the Pharisees could rightly (according to the Law they were under) demand the death penalty for that woman; though one could argue whether they even had the authority to make such judgement as Israel's monarchies and authoritative judicial system had long ended, and these religious leaders were simply self-appointed (spiritual) leaders, post captivity.
When Jesus came on the scene and not only taught Truths that went against pharisaical teachings, He also presented Himself to them as the Lord of the Sabbath ( Mark 2:28). Of course, Jesus' Deity is clearly seen in that claim, but the point of His Words to them was that as Lord, He had both the rule and the last Word concerning the Law. The Law-giver Who took on human flesh, preparing to sacrifice His Life so that God's Grace for salvation could be imparted to all who call upon His Name, was in the throes of ushering a new Law that would clearly reflect that Grace - a Law of Love, Compassion, & Forgiveness. The Old Law couldn't do that: severe punishment for any departure from it was certain. Onto Page 2.
Whenever any doctrine or teaching comes up for my consideration, I always go to the heart of the matter. What is the Sabbath Day? Well, it is the fourth Commandment given by God, only to His chosen people Israel ( Exodus 31:13-17). It was given for their complete rest from their busy lives of labor on the other six days. On the other side of the coin, the Ten Commandments, along with the many other commandments were not given to Gentiles. Those who contest this, usually fuse God's relationship to Israel & His Word specifically to Israel, with His Church (of believing Jews and Gentiles). But this has never happened and nowhere in the Word do we read that the Church has to come under those OT commandments, rather, the Church has been given the Holy Spirit, and we ought to obey Him in everything He reveals to us - and this goes beyond anything that the old Law could ever require.
Remember, we are no longer under the Law as the apostle writes in Romans 6:14,15. The Law could only reveal sin, but it gave no power to overcome it - it could only show Israel their sinfulness, thus the requirement of sacrifices to temporarily shield them from God's Wrath. But then Grace came - the Grace of God through His Son's Sacrifice & Gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, both believing Jew and Gentile were forgiven and covered completely & given the Mind of Christ & His Power to live above the stern requirements and penalties of the Law. Onto Page 2.
Sunday, or first day of the week, was a day set aside by early Christians to come together to worship the Lord & learn from His Word ( Acts 20:7), separate from the Jewish Sabbath and probably in remembrance and inline with the Lord's Resurrection on the first day of the week. And of course, Sunday can be utilized as a day of rest, spiritual contemplation, and being of service to others. So, apart of this aspect of rest and spiritual exercises, not much else is similar to the Sabbath Day observance by Israel.
However, Hebrews 4:9,10 states: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." And this rest has been promised to all who place their trust in Jesus. We look not just for that one day of rest from physical activity, but a true abiding rest in our Savior; resting from our efforts we made previously to please God, and now finding perfect rest by the ministry of His Spirit in our hearts & lives seven days a week.
The Ten Commandments, and most certainly the 4th, has nothing to do with the Church of Christ Jesus. Please consider Exodus 31:12-18. In that passage, there are three distinct occasions where the children of Israel are spoken of & that they alone were to keep the Sabbath Day holy. It was never given to the Gentiles, & certainly not to Christ's Church. True, there were imposter Churches around then as also today, but the marks of their falsehood are not seen in the keeping of the Ten Commandments, rather in the preaching of a defective Gospel and their incorrect understanding and handling of the Word of God.
Where the Decalogue was given to Israel to obey, or where even our Lord told the people to "keep the commandments" (e.g. Matthew 19:17), all was done because the Law was still in force & the New Covenant in Christ's Blood was not ushered in as yet. Once the price for sin was paid & accepted by the Father, only those believing in Jesus to save them from the awful penalty for their sin, could be redeemed, saved, given new birth by the Holy Spirit, and come under the New Covenant administered by the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:6-11. The Old has been abolished, which is the Law (contained) in ordinances (Gk. dogmasim) ( Ephesians 2:14-16).
Thanks for responding.
I'm glad you are able to have some relief and comfort.
Seventh-day Adventists is a denomination that differ in a few areas than most other denominations, the most notable is the Sabbath day.
Example.
They are distinguished by their observance of Saturday/Sabbath "Day"
The commandment for the Sabbath is found in Exodus 20"8-11.
Notice here in Exodus 31:13-18.
who it was written to.
"Speak thou also unto the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout YOUR GENERATIONS; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Wherefore the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
If we're applying sound hermeneutics we must consider who this is written to and coordinate this with other scriptures.
Example.
James 2:10. "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Also, Colossians 2:16-17.
"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
See part 2.
Briefly, my reasons are as follows: this Commandment, alongwith the others, were given to God's people, Israel, for their behavior before God & their fellow-men ( Exodus 20:1-17). The Sabbath was purely a day set apart from all others - a day of complete rest, thus it was a holy (i.e. sanctified, separated) day from the other six days ( Exodus 31:15).
The Sabbath Command never included the necessity to worship God, though it certainly could be used that way in the family home, & then later for functions within the Tabernacle of the Congregation, other sabbath observances, & latterly, in the Synagogue.
The Sabbath Day required that no work be done, even cooking or picking up sticks, moving furniture, lighting a fire, etc. ( Exodus 35:2,3). So the Jewish Sabbath has no correlation to when Christ's Church chooses to worship the Lord today. Some might choose to hold the Sabbath as a day of rest from all work, but for worship, believers in Christ can worship on the first day of the week ( Acts 20:7), or any day of the week for that matter; even as Jesus told the Samaritan woman, "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH: for the Father seeketh such to worship him" ( John 4:23).
It's no longer the day of worship or the place of worship that matters (whether on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria, or even in the temple at Jerusalem, as Jesus told the woman), but that our worship, whether done in private or with a Church congregation, is done in the realm of the Holy Spirit & in Truth. So Naisa, may your heart be comforted that the day of corporate worship doesn't matter to the Lord, but that we worship Him with pure hearts, and in sincerity & Truth. Be blessed.
Part 3.
WHAT MADE SABBATH "HOLY "
The essence of Sabbath-keeping was physical rest. In Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15, the Sabbath command specifies rest from labor as the way to keep the day "holy." There is no mention of going to a worship service each Sabbath. Other passages in the Old Testament also define the Sabbath by rest, not by attendance at worship services. See Exodus 31:12-17, Numbers 15:32, Nehemiah 13:15-22 and Jeremiah 17:19-27. The latter two passages, though they refer to Jerusalem, do not mention anything about failure to attend worship services or "sacred assemblies," but only work on the Sabbath as a desecration of this day.
An interesting study is to look up the word "Sabbath" in a concordance, find all the Old Testament references and then read those passages to see how this day was kept "holy." The conclusion will be that rest from labor is what made the Sabbath sacred time, not attendance at a worship service. Most Israelites lived too far from the tabernacle to attend a worship service every Sabbath - and there is no evidence in the Old Testament that they did. And the law did not allow them to assemble anywhere else for worship. Nor do we find commands even for people near the Tabernacle that they had to gather for worship. The Sabbath was kept at home, by resting.
There is no mention in Old Testament passages that attending a worship service on the Sabbath is a way of keeping this day holy. The way the Sabbath was sanctified, made holy or set apart as sacred was through physical rest from labor. All the Old Testament references to Sabbath observance in Israel speak to this point. There is no Old Testament theology of weekly Sabbath holiness that centers around attendance at "holy convocations."
See Part 4.
Ephesians 4:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
2 Timothy 3:
.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Although the work may be important, there is nothing more important than to spend a "rest time" with the LORD.
As CHRIST always had a time of rest, and prayer with HIS FATHER; let us do the same that we may be restored spiritually, physically as we await the coming of our KING of Glory, the LORD of HOST.
Ps 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Numbers 6:
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Happy New Year, brethren! Our redemption is near.
December 30, 2023
Exodus 31:14] Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
[15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Isaiah 56:2] Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isaiah 11:10] And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Matthew 11:28] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Hebrews 4:8] For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
[9] There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
[10] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
When the children of Israel were instructed in this matter (e.g. Exodus 31:12-17), they too were to behave as their LORD did; they could work as much as they wanted to, even to the point of exhaustion, in the first six days, but had to set apart the Sabbath to desist from all work, to rest & recuperate in readiness for the 'new week'. God is Spirit & as such never tires, unlike us who are in the flesh & will always need time off to regain our strength & focus. Therefore, as He ceased from His Work after it was all done and saw that it was very good, He instructed His people to do likewise & to sanctify the day (to set it apart as one dissimilar to any other day of toil & other activities). And this keeping of the Sabbath was a clear sign to Israel that they belonged to Him; no other people on Earth received this 'perpetual covenant' - and to this day Israel adheres very strictly to it. Now if only Israel would receive their Messiah & put their faith in Him alone, things would have been a lot different for them (then & now) as God's special people.
The only two instances I can recall (there may be others), where we see the Finger of God at work, are in Exodus 31:18 & Daniel 5:5,24-28. Of course, we know of many instances where those like Abraham, Moses, Jacob, & others heard directly from God & recorded what they heard. Unless they were writing all things down as they were hearing from God, there will always be some differences in words used, sentence construction, etc., alongwith the many copies, fragments, translations, and so on. This, in my mind, in no way alters what God has to say to us & what we have in our hands is what God wants us to read. But to believe that every jot & tittle is exactly the same as given, is too far-fetched for me.
James 1:5,
Exodus 20, Exodus 31:12-17, note Exodus 31:16,17, Exodus 35:1-2, Leviticus 16:29-34, Leviticus 23, Leviticus 24:8,9,
Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 5, Matthew 12, Matthew 28:1-9, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:52,53,54,56, John 19:31, Mark 1:21,
2Chronicles 36:20-21, Isaiah 58, Jeremiah 17, Amos 8, Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 3:4, John 5:10,16 hypocrisy & cruelty, John 7:22,23, Malachi 3:5,
Nehemiah 10:31, Nehemiah 13:14-27, Isaiah 56,
Colossians 2:16,
Hopefully these are all helpful in your study & Bible Study.
Continued..
This whole study on the tabernacle reminds me of Ephesians 2:19-22
"Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself, being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows, into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (NIV)
All of the specifications God gave for the tabernacle are shadows of what God does in the us, as well as after the pattern of the tabernacle in heaven. Can't wait to get there!
In this chapter YHWH informs Moses that He has filled certain Israelites with the Spirit of God enabling them to perform the work of fashioning all of the furnishings for the tabernacle and clothing for the priests and curtains. He names two of them, one from the tribe of Judah and one from the tribe of Dan, but He indicates that He has equipped many Israelites with the skills to perform all of the work proscribed with excellency.
Then YHWH tells Moses that these people, whom He has chosen and sanctified, are to keep the seventh day as a day of rest from work. This relates back to Genesis where it says God rested on the seventh day from His work of creating the heavens, the earth, and all that is to inhabit these places.
He warns the Moses that anyone who does not keep the Sabbath holy will die. He also says that this is a covenant between Himself and the people of Israel forever.
By reading this, I understand that the Sabbath rest is for the Israelites. It isn't part of a covenant with any other peoples. It was not part of the decision of the Jerusalem council in Acts for Gentiles to keep the Sabbath.
It was also true that the early Christians met on the first day of the week to worship because it was the day of Jesus' resurrection. Constantine did not change anything that wasn't already practiced for three centuries.
It is good to know that God will equip us for every work He has prepared for us to do. But even more so, that He has filled us with His Holy Spirit, that we may know Him and be sanctified. The Holy Spirit is preparing us for heaven, changing us from glory to glory to become more and more like Jesus in character, mind, and soul. Wonderful!
Nehemiah 13:19, There's many more scriptures, hopefully you'll find them all helpful
Jesus observed the Sabbath & fulfilling the Sacrifice: Luke 23:17,54,55,56, John 19:31, Acts 13:27, Matthew 28:1, Mark 6:2, Mark 16:1, Matthew 8:17, Luke 4:21, Acts 13,
Matthew 12:8,
4. So which is the Sabbath Day? The Sabbath was given only to Israel ( Exodus 31:12-17) - no one else. It, along with Circumcision, marked them as 'belonging to the LORD'. No other people or nation ever received this, or any other, Law to obey. The Gentiles coming to Christ after the Gospel was preached & received, were never compelled to come under the Law in any shape or form. How could they be brought under the Law that only killed? Efforts were made to bring them under the Law, but that was rejected ( Galatians 2:11-21). For indeed, "if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." The Jewish Sabbath, along with all Laws, was cast aside, having no more bearing on the one 'in Christ'. Our righteousness, given by God, can never be from the Laws to obey or the Sabbath to observe - our righteousness is found in Christ alone, Who not only perfectly fulfilled the whole Law on our behalf, but opened the "new & living way", that only by His Power can we ever properly do His Will.
As soon as we appeal to the Laws, even the Sabbath, we place ourselves under them, & by them we will be judged. And Sunday (the first day of the week) has never been a Sabbath for those in Christ - it is & always has been the day prescribed to be set aside to come together for worship ( Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).
The Moral law contains the Love and legal code God has for His Universe and beloved children. It is;
Written in stone by God's own finger - Exodus 31:18, Deuteronomy 4:12-13, 9:10
Has always existed & will be kept throughout eternity and throughout all the universe - Psalm 111:7,8, Romans 5:19 refers to Adam sinning in the Garden of Eden
Jesus said He did not come to destroy it but to fulfil it - Matt 5:17 - 19
Jesus said 'If you love me keep my commandments' John 14:15 and that 'He is the Lord of the Sabbath - Mark 2:28 - yet never mentions it being dissolved or changed
God's people are commanded to keep the Commandments of God for all eternity & God's people are identified by it because they keep it out of love to God and by faith - Exodus 19:5, Ecclesiastes 12:13,14, Psalm 111:7,8, Revelation 14:12, 12:17
Lives in the heart of God's children - Psalms 40:8
We are judged by them - James 2:12
Blessed with access to the Tree of Life if you keep them by faith - Revelation 22:14
2Chronicles 36:14-21, Nehemiah 9, Nehemiah 13:10-22,
Isaiah 56, Isaiah 58, Jeremiah 17:7-27, Amos 8:4-10,
Matthew 12:2-5, reference Ezekiel 46:1,12,
Matthew 12:8, Matthew 12:1-14, John 5:6-47, John 7:22-23, John 19:31, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 25:31-46
Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant."
There's no doubt that the Sabbath is to be kept as an everlasting covenant. The scripture is clear.
Here's my question. Is this commandment for the NON children of Israel as well?
It is one of the Ten Commandments,#8. I have been desiring to keep the Sabbath lately but I'm not part of the 7th day Adventist movement and there are zero others teaching anything on the Sabbath. When I talk to my family they say that's not for us today or that's for the Jews or the Old Testament church or my Sabbath is on Monday.
If you LOVE me you will keep my commandments is a very powerful scripture. It's one of a few that literally changed my life recently and caused me to repent of the wicked lifestyle I was living.
Isaiah 58:1-14, Exodus 20:8, Exodus 20:10-11,
Exodus 31:13,14,16, Leviticus 16:31, Leviticus 19:3, Leviticus 19:30, Leviticus 23:1-8, Leviticus 24:8, Leviticus 25:2, Leviticus 25:4, Leviticus 25:17, Jeremiah 17:19-27, Lamentations 1:1-7, Isaiah 1:11-17, Isaiah 56:1-8, Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 22:26,
Amos 8:4-8, Mark 2:27,
Matthew 12:8, Matthew 12:1-27, Mark 3:1-11, Luke 6:6-11, Luke 13:11-17, Luke 14:3-6, Luke 14:12-24, Luke 23:3-56, John 5:1-16, John 7:22-24,
Colossians 2:8-17,
James 2:1-26
Hopefully these scriptures are helpful in your question.
If one would read what God said, at a one-legged snails pace__there is NO controversy. It is not dependent on some world clock; or the Roman Catholic clock or anyone else's clock that they tinker with daily.
Satan wants everyone confused. Like me..tell him to Go To Hell__prepared for him and his demons! He'd probably argue that I can't!! It's not Sunday or Saturday or the Lords Day. Frustration ensues. You reply: It Is prepared! As it is Written!
God said: 6 days shall we work. The next day is the set apart day for the Sabbath. We rest. Exodus 31:17, 31:13:12-18
Modern times, we think there isn't enough week to get everything accomplished. Rest and Church are first thing that gets pushed to the BOTTOM of the DO LIST.
Lawn mowing, check; oil change wash the car, check; wash clothes & put away, check. Wash dog, check. Etc
No one wants to know how much time we accrue sitting in front of a television, computer playing games, talking hours to people through media instead of talking to our family. The 6th day is for us to do the honey do's and go to ball games with our kids; family stuff.
It's a small thing to go to church on "Sunday" and hear Gods Word (which we trust to save us from destruction). Go to a restaurant for an hour to fellowship with friends over food. The rest is ours to be thankful no one is sick; walk the dog, kids & enjoy sunshine and hear nothing except excited voices. Gods voice? Whatever we give to God, he multiplied back to us. (Don't let teenagers bow out) Parents demonstrate What's Important every day.
Computers, cable & Streaming, chatting online are not babysitters. If family life HURTS, then YOU change it. They'd rather have Time with YOU, anyway. Ignore the frowns
Great Big cruise ships are turned with a very small devise. It's not impossible to change habits. Put God first, and He Will sort out the details of change. Touch heals.
Mishael
1. to observe a Sabbath: you really have to plan
2 someone has to prepare beforehand
3. Shop for things beforehand
4. It opened my understanding of the scripture & GOD's compassion
Here are multiple scriptures on the Sabbath :
Genesis 2:2,3 (set Sabbath apart), Exodus 16:19-30 (significant differece on Sabbath) , * Exodus 23:11, Exodus 20:11 (blessed & set apart), * Exodus 23:12, Exodus 31:15, Exodus 34:21, Exodus 35:2, Leviticus 16:29-34 (atonement), Leviticus 23:1-10, (seventh day & Passover), * Leviticus 23:21-22, Leviticus 23:27-29 (atonement), Leviticus 23:28-32, * Deuteronomy 5:14, 2 Chronicles 2:4 (forever to Israel), * Isaiah 1:11-18, * Isaiah 56:1-8, * Isaiah 58:6-14,
Jesus observed Matthew 12:8, Mark 1:21, Mark 6:2, Mark 15:42, Luke 4:16,
Jesus set examples on Sabbath * Matthew 12, * Mark 2, * Mark 3, * Luke 6, & many more.
* please note the (*s) these were scriptures that showed compassion & the importance to GOD. (Opposite: Luke 11:42-46 hypocrisy)
By observing the Sabbath do we= Matthew 25:31-46,
Israel today still keep the Sabbath as required of them. But those of Judaism who have come out, finding new life & liberty in Jesus Christ & led of the Spirit are no longer under the Law ( Galatians 5:18), just as the Gentiles who are "without the Law" ( 1 Corinthians 9:21), are not required to be bound to it - to a Law that only showed man his sin & his incapability to fully obey it ( Romans 7:7 ff).
Both Jew & Gentile still need a rest day from hard toil - for the Jew, the seventh day was appointed. For the Christian, any day could be a day of physical rest. For the Jew, he went to the Temple or Synagogue on the Sabbath to worship God - for the Christian, he can worship God on any day he chooses. The early Church met on the first day of the week to worship ( Acts 20:7), fellowship & break bread together, remembering the Lord Who gave His Life for them & rose from the grave on the first day of the week. So, there is no commandment to break; the Sabbath for worship together does not apply to the Christian - some worship on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday - maybe even other days. But if Sabbath is forced upon Christians, then we have a problem.
For the "yearly" sabbath, a "sabbath expert" will have to tell you; I do not know.
GRACE and Peace, Precious friend.
God: "Speak thou also unto the children of ISRAEL, saying, Verily my SABBATHS ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN between Me and you throughout YOUR generations; that YE may know that I AM The LORD that doth sanctify YOU." Exodus 31:13 God TO Israel:
Why are you people not being obedient to God? God said he that worship me must worship me in Spirit and truth! = TRUE, for ISRAEL, In PROPHECY!!
Rightly Divided ( 2 Timothy 2:15) From "Things That DIFFER!":
There is NO ISRAEL today, Only The Body Of CHRIST, Under GRACE, According to the preaching Of JESUS CHRIST, According to The REVELATION Of The MYSTERY (Romans - Philemon) What Does God Say TO Paul, in liberty and freedom, for the Body Of CHRIST?:
God: "Who art thou that judgest...One man esteemeth one day above another: ANOTHER ESTEEMETH EVERY DAY ALIKE. Let EVERY man BE FULLY PERSUADED in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto The LORD; and he THAT REGARDED NOT the day, TO THE LORD he doth not regard it...But WHY dost thou JUDGE thy brother?
...we shall ALL Stand before THE JUDGMENT SEAT of CHRIST.For It Is Written, As I live, Saith The LORD, every knee shall bow to ME, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then EVERY ONE of us shall give account of himSELF TO God...Let us NOT THEREFORE JUDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE:..." Please Carefully/Prayerfully Read/RE-read ALL of Romans 14:4-13
God: "Let NO man therefore JUDGE you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an HOLYDAY, or of the SABBATH days: Which are A SHADOW of things to come; but the body is of CHRIST!" Colossians 2:16-17
Thus, we DON'T JUDGE "sabbath" keepers, as we, FULLY PERSUADED with the Mind Of CHRIST, worship/REST In CHRIST, The TRUE {Sabbath} REALITY 24/7. God Is CLEAR!
Please be richly Encouraged, Exhorted, and Encouraged In CHRIST, And HIS WORD OF TRUTH, Rightly Divided!!
Jeremiah 17:24And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
Jeremiah 17:22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
It's nothing to GOD if you have perfect attendance or not because there's really nothing we can give HIM that HE doesn't have. But at Church we're still instructed to never be absent (we have 3 days of Church services; some have perfect attendance since they were saved, some come and go). So now we go to Church for our own good to receive blessings from HIM: material, physical, and Spiriutal blessings.
We just have to be thankful to GOD that there's this one place for us where we can go to serve The LORD GOD by:
1) singing praising songs to HIM
2) praying to HIM
3) hearing HIS messages through preaching
4) testifying for HIM
5) joining others in setting up The Church and serving HIS followers
If you get that feeling of not going to Church, whether it's a building or a humble place, then maybe it's time to search yourself first. Pray, fast, sing praising songs to GOD, ask for forgiveness for your shortcomings, and cry for mercy, love, and forgiveness, ask for His sweet Holy Presence. And let HIM lead you wherever HE wants you to be. HALLELUJAH! PRAISE THE LORD!