Should Christian Observe the Sabbath?

[wordsower]

This has to be one of the most simple summaries I have seen on this subject.

statement from Dr. Woodrow Kroll, Director/Speaker of the BACK TO THE BIBLE INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska:

SHOULD THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVE THE SABBATH?

By Woodrow Kroll

Often Christians who worship on Sunday are asked, "Why don't you observe the Sabbath as commanded in the Ten Commandments?" The answer is simple. The Sabbath began before the commandments and outlived them. Let me explain.

It was only when God finished the work of creating the heavens and earth that He rested. The Sabbath, the rest of God, implies perfect satisfaction in what He had accomplished ("it was very good"). The seventh day was fixed by God to be a time of rest and joy for Himself and all creation. Since no more work had to be done, God rested. It was not because He was weary, but because He was finished.

God blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it, setting is apart from the days of His labors. What's more, God had made man on the sixth day, so that the first day that dawned upon Adam was the Sabbath of God. Man immediately entered into the enjoyment of the Creator's rest. When God finishes His work, we benefit by entering into rest with Him.

But that rest was quickly destroyed by man's sin. THE SABBATH WAS DESTROYED. The tempter came, man rebelled against God and the rest was broken. In the ages that follow man appears to have forgotten that the Sabbath was "made for man" not man for the Sabbath. It took Jesus to straighten out man's thinking (Mark 2:27-28). He is Lord of the Sabbath, and still some thinking appears to be confused about what the Sabbath means.

The Law entered when man sinned. The Law was a moral code, a schoolteacher to bring men and women back to God. The Law was designed to point men to Christ, God the Son. Therefore, the Ten Commandments specifically ordained, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" (Ex. 20:8). As long as man lived apart from God, He lived under the Law. But if we remember the law of the Sabbath without remembering the purpose of the Sabbath, we only remember the code and not the Christ.

Of all the Ten Commandments, the only one not repeated in the New Testament, the only one not germane to living under grace instead of law, was the fourth commandment--remember the Sabbath day, keep it holy, do not work, rest the seventh day. There's good reason for this omission. When God finished the work of creation He rested. When God finished the work of redemption again He rested (John 19:30). Jesus finished the work (John 17:4). He put away sin; the work of redemption was complete, and it was very good. The rest that existed from Creation to the Fall was now restored. Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt.11:28).

As Adam entered into God's rest after creation, we enter into His rest after redemption. Between these was the Law and labor. Keeping the Law never brought salvation, but it never brought rest either. Jesus is our Sabbath. The Christian worships the Lord on the first day of the week, the day Jesus rose from the dead, because that resurrection day was the day mankind again could rest in the joy of the Lord. The Sabbath pre-existed the Law and He lives again today in hearts unfettered by the Law.

[tsth]

Here we go.

I don't intend to stay on this one too long Wordsower.

But would like to point out that the "love towards our brother" part of the commandment needs to be recognized as well.

It was only when God finished the work of creating the heavens and earth that He rested. The Sabbath, the rest of God, implies perfect satisfaction in what He had accomplished ("it was very good"). The seventh day was fixed by God to be a time of rest and joy for Himself and all creation. Since no more work had to be done, God rested. It was not because He was weary, but because He was finished.

That's IS the God portion of the commandment, but there is also a love towards our brother part too. That is where we are obligated.

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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. 11 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.

Isaiah 58:13 "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,

Is the Sabbath to be a day of worship? If you are hindering another from worship on that day because of your own pleasures, is that love? Isn't that the whole of the Commandments? To love your neighbor? How can you be loving your neighbors, if you are more concerned with your own pleasures?

Shopping, going out to eat, having work done around your home, etc. You are causing your brother to work and serve you, a Christian.........rather than setting him free to worship?

There is a love portion to that commandment that we still need to pay attention to, just as we do the other commandments. The commandments ALL have a purpose in love. That one does too. We must not dismiss that part.

In His Love,

Suzanen

[wordsower]

Suzanne,

You misspelled your own name!

I hear ya but I think you missed the bigger picture. THat's OK though.

[tsth]

Yeah, I noticed that this morning WS, I figured it was more trouble than it was worth to fix it.

It reminded me of a kid I used to go to elementary school with. He used to call me Susan Anne. I guess I kept it in memory of him.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[wordsower]

LOL!! Susan Anne,

Check this out from George's Ezekiel topic, (which by the way is an awesome study of the temple of Ezekiel, wow, I learned a lot!) He is talking about the millenium:

Now the Sabbath will be observed in a very interesting way during this time.

The sabbath is a type of resting in faith in the Messiah. During the sabbath, one rest from their works. Much like it is when you believe in Jesus, we rest from our works. The sabbath is a picture of believing in the Lord Jesus and resting from the works of the Law. The sabbath is now a PERSON and not a DAY.

Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Now during the time of Ezekiel's Temple the Word declares:

Ezekiel 44:24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.

What is so special about the Sabbath during this time? Well the Temple is opened at all times, when people pass through the temple during NON-SABBATH days they will be permitted to travel from the North Gate to the South Gate or if one enters from the South Gate they will go to the North Gate. While people are walking through the Temple area during non-sabbath days, they may get a glimpse of the King sitting on His throne.

But during a Sabbath day ---

Ezekiel 46:1-3