| The Sabbath: Seventh, First, Everyday
or None?
On the first 7th day of the history of this world, God made the
Sabbath day.
Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work
which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his
work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work
which God created and made.
The Sabbath was made for man (all mankind) not only for the Jews.
Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man,
and not man for the sabbath:
He made His works to be remembered, and the Sabbath commandment
in His law begins with the word “Remember.”
Psalms 111:2-4 The works of the LORD are great, sought out of
all them that have pleasure therein. 3 His work is honourable
and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 He hath
made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious
and full of compassion.
The Seventh-day Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six
days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh
day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do
any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant,
nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh
day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed
it.
The seventh-day Sabbath is a special sign between God and His
people.
Ezekiel 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD
that sanctify them.
Ezekiel 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign
between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.
If we purposely break one commandment, we are guilty of breaking
all.
James 2:10-12 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said,
Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit
no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor
of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged
by the law of liberty.
Jesus taught that the law is eternal.
Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law,
or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments,
and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom
of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
It is easier for heaven and earth to pass than one tittle of the
law to fail.
Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than
one tittle of the law to fail.
Jesus taught that the law is spiritual.
Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old
time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart.
The Sabbath is a memorial of our creation (Gen. 2:1-3), of our
deliverance from bondage (Duet. 5:15), of our redemption (Mark 15:42-16:1)
and of our restitution in the new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 66:22,23).
The Sabbath does not lose it's meaning in the death of Christ, it
finds it!
Luke 23:54-24:1 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath
drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee,
followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was
laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments;
and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. 24:1Now
upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they
came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared,
and certain others with them.
Jesus kept His Father's commandments and asks us to also.
John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his
love.
Jesus had a custom of worshipping every Sabbath.
Luke 4:16 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.
Jesus looked prophetically into the future to the destruction
of Jerusalem and asked His disciples to still be honoring the 7th
day Sabbath.
Matthew 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the sabbath day:
Paul and his company worshipped on the seventh-day Sabbath day
as New Covenant belivers.
Acts 13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch
in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and
sat down.
Paul and his company gathered with the gentiles to worship on
the Seventh-day Sabbath, not the first day of the week.
Acts 13:42-44 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue,
the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them
the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up,
many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas:
who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace
of God. 44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city
together to hear the word of God. [Note: Some believe Paul went
to the synagogue on the Sabbath only because that is where the
Jews would be gathered together. However, this passage shows that
even when invited to preach to the gentiles, Paul recognized the
Sabbath as the most appropriate day.]
Paul and the early church kept the Sabbath while in the countryside.
Acts 16:12-13 And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief
city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that
city abiding certain days. 13 And on the sabbath we went out of
the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and
we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
The dead are not cognant/conscience until the resurrection.
Job 14:12-14 So man lieth down, and riseth not:
till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised
out of their sleep. 13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave,
that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that
thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 14 If a
man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time
will I wait, till my change come.
Paul reasoned in the church every Sabbath. This was his custom
(Acts 17:2).
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and
persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
Paul said he declared all the counsel of God, but never mentioned
that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.
Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the
counsel of God. [Note: At the counsel in Jerusalem, Paul did not
mention the Sabbath. However, he taught it's observance by example,
and approx. 60 years later Luke specifically documented it in
the book of Acts.]
Contrary to what modern religionists teach, the New Testament
does mention the Sabbath and admonishes us to observe it. He that
has entered into God's Sabbath has ceased from his own works as
God did (Gen 2:1-3).
Hebrews 4:9-11 There remaineth therefore a rest (sabbath, margin)
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. 11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man
fall after the same example of unbelief.
The Sabbath was instituted in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:1-3),
Israel was reminded of the Sabbath in the wilderness (Ex. 16:23-30),
Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), Paul and the other apostles
kept the Sabbath (Acts 16:12,13; 18:4) and the saved of the earth
will keep the Sabbath in heaven.
Isaiah 66:22-23 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which
I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall
your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass,
that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another,
shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
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