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Sabbath:
God's blessed rest day
At Creation, Before Sin.
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 Commandments.
Exodus 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:
Crucified on the preparation day. |
In the tomb on the Sabbath day. |
Raised on the first day. |
Good Friday |
Saturday |
Easter Sunday |
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.
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 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.
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.
Isaiah 66:22,23. In New Earth all flesh will bow down and worship before Jehovah from Sabbath to Sabbath.
Significance 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
The Blessings of the Sabbath.
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.
Copyright K. Bird © 2004.