What does it mean to "keep the Sabbath"? (Read question's description)

[Tzephanyahu]

On 3/9/2019 at 3:13 PM, naominash said:

I wonder what I should do then, as a gentile believer?

Maybe listen and just rest today. Lol, good cause I'm just in my room resting right now. 

I'll still go to church tomorrow. But maybe today should just be a Sabbath rest for me.

Shalom,

That's great news Naomi! The Sabbath is a wonderful instruction from the Father. You will find it to be a real blessing to you! Once I changed to it more and more Scriptures leapt out to me at how important it is to the Father.

Let's remember, the Sabbath is not a Jewish institution or standard. It was a commandment given to all of mankind, as a whole, right at the beginning.  Now, in Exodus 20, when the 10 commandments are given, the Father says to REMEMBER the Sabbath - implying the pre-existence of the commandment, not it's introduction. Are we to obey the rest of the 10 commandments but ignore the one on the Sabbath? Definitely not!  Many Christians get on their high horse about all of the other 10 commandments, except this one.

The Sabbath is not only a blessing but, in Jewish thought, it's like an engagement ring from the Creator to His creation.  He asks us to remember that He is the Creator, at least once a week for one day.  Observing it is our sign to Him that we recognise Him as the Creator and are grateful for His marvellous work, which we live in today.  Observance is simply and beautifully declaring "My God is Yahweh", and it couldn't be easier to observe!

Side note: Soon, there will be a time where Sunday observance could well become a law.  The world is reaching to this change quicker than most of us realise.  Then we may face a choice of Yahweh's day or the Pope's day.  What day will you choose as a witness of faith?  We have all grown up in a world where Friday night to Saturday night is the biggest time for partying, consumerism and even work.  I think the devil has purposely engineered our weeks like this to make it harder to observe.

Now, there is nothing wrong with worshipping on Sunday as well, but it's not the Sabbath given by Yahweh.  Neither is Yeshua "our sabbath".  That teaching is both overly-complicated and without sound scriptural backing.  There is a typology there, but there is no ordained replacement of such an important commandment done with such subtlety.  

But what of Yeshua's response to the Sabbath? Well, Yeshua, the apostles and the early church all kept the observance - simple as that.  Why then did the Pharisees accuse Him of violating the Sabbath?  Yeshua was making a point with this very issue. He persisted to heal on the Sabbath, in front of them, to highlight the fact that loving and caring for each other is more important than obeying the letter of the Torah.  It is far more important to help someone in need, even on the Sabbath, for that is the goal of the Torah.

So was Yeshua overruling the Sabbath to teach the way of the new Christian walk?  No, not at all.  Business as usual is Sabbath observance, without fail and without delay.  HOWEVER, if a brother or sister is need of help and YOU have the power to help them - then do it!  For the commandment to love one another as ourselves is above that of the Sabbath. But, business as usual is Sabbath observance. 

With this in mind, consider what Yeshua said below (John 7:23):

"Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?"

Circumcision was seen to be a greater command than the Sabbath if the 8th day after birth fell on a Sabbath, as the boy had to be circumcised on the 8th day. In the same way, if we have the power to help or care for someone in need on a day that happens to be the Sabbath, the decision rules for love, always "against which there is no law".  Yeshua showed us examples with miracles of healing - but what was he actually doing?  He was using the power He had to help someone who needed it - that's the lesson for us.

But, again, business as usual is observance. Not for the sake of salvation, but as a natural outworking of it.  Does it not please the Father? Why then, would you not do it if you can? Do you prefer to shop that day? Do you prefer the traditional day from Rome?  Forgive me for those provocative questions, but hopefully it highlights my point.

Love & Shalom

[Still Alive]

I was teaching a class on Hebrews last Sunday and one of the members asked about the Sabbath. No matter what I said, she kept going back to, "but shouldn't we keep the Sabbath". The reason, I suspect, is that her family is really big on doing the family thing one day a week. And they have a very solid family. 

I tried to explain that keeping one day a week for that is a really great idea, but we need to focus on the spirit of what the bible says, not the literal words. The Sabbath is clarified in the NT, but many just have a hard time not keeping one day every week as their "rest", even though our rest is Jesus.

I think the core problem is that it is one of the ten commandments. The rest of them are not controversial. 

[Still Alive]

6 minutes ago, Betha said:

Did Jesus/Yashua not say that HIS WORD will judge people on the last day ? Joh 12v48.  When did He ever tell us just to keep one day a week ?

Why should something God commands be 'controversial ? He is quite certain about the 7th day !....can't be any day or every day ???

It would not be controversial if it were not in the ten commandments. The reason is that if you remove it from the ten commandments, it becomes like tithing - a purely jewish theocracy thing.

But even then it is like the commandments of Jesus vs the ten commandments. If you took them away they would still be in force based on the words of Jesus and the apostles, but in a slightly different way: e.g. hating your brother is the same as murdering him. And the same with rest. We rest from our works all the time.

And what works are those? "Good works" that we perform to bring about our own salvation. Jesus paid the price once for all, allowing us to enter His rest, We still do good works, but for a completely different reason. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by Still Alive

[Walter and Deborah]

On 3/20/2019 at 12:01 PM, naominash said:

I'm still on the fence about how to seriously and in what manner so save some of that enthusiasm for when I talk to more Messianic believers in person. 

There's two sides I lean towards. One is your position on the Sabbath and the other is the one stating Jesus IS the Sabbath. 

I am finnicky like that. 

Shalom:your post is great, But aren't we are to follow his steps? For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: I Peter 2:21

Well! please, look at the scriptures esp. concerning The Sabbath, because of your salvation, I just want to point out the following: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 9 jSix days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the kseventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the lsojourner who is within your gates. 11 For min six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11, 

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  Luke 4:16

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  Acts 17:2

Edited April 5, 2019 by Walter and Deborah
More info.

[other one]

4 hours ago, Walter and Deborah said:

Shalom:your post is great, But aren't we are to follow his steps? For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: I Peter 2:21

Well! please, look at the scriptures esp. concerning The Sabbath, because of your salvation, I just want to point out the following: Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 9 jSix days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the kseventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the lsojourner who is within your gates. 11 For min six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11, 

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  Luke 4:16

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,  Acts 17:2

Do you start your car on the sabbath....   if so you are kindling a fire and should be put to death.

 

Jesus came to Nazareth and as was his custom.....   not commandment but his custom...…       and if you were going to talk to a group of Jews where would you go....   why, where they meet which is on their sabbath at the synagogue.  

 

BTW we are to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy, but not one day a week but every day that you live....

No one keeps the Mosaic Sabbath that I've ever known of.

[other one]

3 hours ago, Betha said:

Not wishing to argue but scripture says  the Sabbath is one of GOD's HOLY days. It is listed among other Holy Feast days belonging to the Lord  Lev 23v2,3,4.....the children of Israel (incl Jews) were 'to share in GOD's Holy time by assembling on those Holy days.....they were not given them to keep to themselves but to be an EXAMPLE to other nations Deut 4v6-8.    and indeed today God speaks to all nations Acts 10v35 - IF they will hear !!!

As long as people see them as commands or customs of JEWS ONLY they are actually EXcluding themselves from sharing with GOD !

the Jews did not have a covenant that would get you to heaven...   and following the laws of that covenant will still not get you to heaven...  

Jesus himself confessed he was working on the sabbath,  not only that but the Father himself had been working....    A truly born again Christian has a very close relationship with God and those days don't really bring one closer to god...   I share those ways every day which make my whole life as special as you suggest the holy days do.....

I experience what Paul was trying to get across when he said if you want special or holy days it's ok but not mandatory   You say I am excluding myself from God and I'm simply saying you can have that same sharing every day, you don't need special days.

I personally have no desire to be part of the first covenant God had with the Israeli people....   my concern is the second that has the promise of eternity with the heavenly host.

[JustPassingThru]

10 hours ago, Betha said:

yes I am familiar with Heb 8 and the 'new covenant'.

Dear sister, it's not enough to be familiar with it, we have to believe and receive it.

Your first covenant is conditional, like has been previously asked, do you turn on the lights or cook in your house on the Sabbath, if so, here's what YOUR first covenant says:

You shall kindle no fire throughout your living places upon the Sabbath day. Exo35:3

Can you honestly tells us your house is completely dark from the time three stars are observed in the night sky until the sun rises in the morning, that means not even one tiny indicator light!

Lord bless

[JustPassingThru]

1 hour ago, Betha said:

Yes, I could have expressed myself more clearly....sorry.

Yes you could of expressed yourself more clearly, ...may I humbly ask you about what?

[JustPassingThru]

2 hours ago, pinacled said:

Not sure where you have gotten your information about Shabbat. But it is not an accurate representation.

What then do you suppose the Lord is speaking of in the message given in Revelation.

[ "who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua "]

You are  not sure, ...did you read what I said, ...from the Bible, I gave the verse, here it is again:

You shall kindle no fire throughout your living places upon the Sabbath day. Exo 35:3

What is so hard to understand about that?

And the verse you quote just reinforces what it says, ...KEEP the Commandments!!!

NO FIRES, ...it's a common fact, I hope you agree, ...the Children of Israel did not have electricity, so for them FIRE was used to cook their meals and in oil lamps to illuminate their tents and later on their homes.

This was a common practice until about 140 years ago when Edison "discovered"electricity and used it to produce FIRE in a filament that produced light to illuminate our homes, businesses, streets, everywhere, ...I think you get the point.

So, anyone that today tries to live a religious life of works from the First or Old Covenant to try and please God is warned by the Holy Spirit writing through Paul the futility of their works:

 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  Gal 3:10

Do you see that, it's the LAW, anyone trying to keep the works of the LAW must KEEP all of the works of the LAW!

So then, if you turn on a light in your home during the Sabbath you have kindled a FIRE, that means YOU have broken the LAW, that means you have sinned, the LAW clearly states in the Book of Leviticus YOU must offer a sacrifice for YOUR sin, ...that means YOU must go to Jerusalem and offer a sacrifice in the Temple of God.

What are you going to do???

Do you see how ridiculous it is to try and keep the WORKS of the LAW today, ...even more serious than that is anyone teaching people THEY must keep the WORKS of the LAW, ...here's what Jesus has to say about that:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.  Mat 23:15   

For me personally it's a no brainer, ...I much rather live under the unconditional Second or New Covenant by FAITH Hab 2:4, My Salvation is not conditional, base on my religious works, but by faith in the Truth of the Word of God that Jesus did fulfill or complete the requirements of the First Covenant for me, ...I now live by faith in the Grace He has given me and when I sin I don't have to go to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice in a non-existent Temple, all I have to do is talk to my Heavenly Father from my heart, confess my sin to Him and He is faithful and just to forgive me!

Again, like I said, ...it's a no brainer!

 

[JustPassingThru]

6 hours ago, Betha said:

About the Old and the New Covenant.

Okay, I'm listening...