12--THE SABBATH

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. 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." – Genesis 2:1-3


Note: Here we notice God rested on the seventh day of the week after six days of creation. He blessed and sanctified this day– set it apart as sacred.

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 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: 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." – Exodus 20:8-11

Note: This is the fourth commandment, one of the ten God wrote with His own finger on tables of stone. It is part of the law of God. Notice it is to be kept as holy, because of creation. It is the seventh day, as it was in the beginning.

"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

Note: Jesus, who is our example, kept the Sabbath day.

"Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;" – Isaiah 56:5, 6


Note: It wasn’t just the Israelites who were told to keep the seventh day Sabbath, even strangers, who were not Israelites at all were to keep this commandment.

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]." – Isaiah 58:13, 14


Note: Ceasing from work is not the only thing expected in keeping God’s Sabbath, one needs to keep from seeking his own pleasure on this day. Also, talking of business is not in harmony with Sabbath keeping. Our thoughts are to be on God’s creation and salvation. This is a time to spend with family and friends in church, in nature, in the study of God’s word, in relieving suffering, in communion with God, in comforting and encouraging others, and witnessing to others of God’s love and truth. It is a day to rest in the arms of our Creator and Redeemer.

"At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw [it], they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple. Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is [one] greater than the temple. But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had [his] hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift [it] out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days." – Matthew 12:1-12


Note: The leaders of the Jewish people had made unjust laws of their own for Sabbath keeping. Jesus wanted men to know that Sabbath keeping was a day much different than they had believed. Relief of suffering and plucking food to eat was not breaking the Sabbath. Our Saviour didn’t do away with the seventh day Sabbath, which was written by God Himself on stone, He demonstrated how it was to be kept. When our hearts are right with God, and we live to please Him, we will have no trouble keeping the Sabbath holy.

"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." – Exodus 31:13-17

Note: God declares the Sabbath to be a sign that represents Him as the Creator of heaven and earth. It is serious business to break the Sabbath, when you really understand that God wants us to keep it. It is just as serious as stealing, killing or breaking any other commandment of God.

"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. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given [them], flowing with milk and honey, which [is] the glory of all lands; Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols: I [am] the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; 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." – Ezekiel 20:12-20


Note: Here we see the seventh day Sabbath is a sign of sanctification. Through the plan of redemption God justifies and sanctifies men. The Sabbath is a reminder to us of God’s power to make us holy, to give us victory over sin, to re-create us in His image as we were in the beginning.

"Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." – Deutoronomy 5:12-15

Note: The first tables of stone were broken as Moses threw them down when He returned from the mount and found the children of Israel worshiping a golden calf. So God wrote the ten commandments again on tables of stone. This is one of the verses where they are written again. God knew His people can only be happy in obedience to these moral laws. Yet, many are rebellious. They choose to be disobedient, thinking they can find happiness in their own way. How can we know more than our Creator does about what is good for us?

"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard [it]. 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. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. 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. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." – Hebrews 4:1-11

Note: When we enter into the rest Christ gives us through the plan of redemption we also may enter into the rest He gave us at creation. For the seventh day Sabbath is a reminder of both creation and re-creation. It is a special day to help us remember all God has done for us and plan to do for us.

"It [shall be] unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth [day] of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." – Leviticus 23:32

Note: This text helps us to know when the Sabbath begins and ends. We are told the evening and the morning make up the 24 hour day. In other words, The Sabbath begins at sunset on our Friday night and ends at sunset on Saturday night. The Lord asks us to celebrate His Sabbath during this 24 hour period. When the sun begins to set on Friday night we should be ready to have a small worship service in our home. And, as it sets on Saturday night, we can have such a service again and thank Him for His Sabbath blessings. Thus, the whole day becomes very special to us.

"And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. . . . And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils."– Mark 1:21, 32

Note: Again we read of Jesus teaching on the Sabbath day. Sometimes He healed on the Sabbath too, but the Jews had a hard time understanding this. In other texts He tells them that relieving suffering on the Sabbath is right and proper. Remember how He told them they would take an animal who had fallen into a pit out on the Sabbath, so why would they let a human suffer?

"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. 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." – Isaiah 66:22, 23

Note: For those who might think Sabbath is only for this earth, we are told here we will worship on the Sabbath after Jesus comes again. If it is important there, it certainly is important here

CONCLUSION:
Are you willing to keep God’s Bible Sabbath or the tradition of men? There is more to this question than mentioned here. God never changed the seventh day Sabbath to Sunday. This was done by the tradition of men. We will learn more of how this happened in a later study.