Subject: Hank - Doctrine from God or Man ? |
Bible Note: Merv Let me ask you a question what is keeping the Sabbath? To make it easy for you let me give you a definition. SABBATH The day of rest, considered holy to God by His rest on the seventh day after creation and viewed as a sign of the covenant relation between God and His people and of the eternal rest He has promised them. Old Testament The word sabbath comes from the Hebrew shabbat, meaning “to cease” or “desist.” The primary meaning is that of cessation from all work. —Holman Bible Dictionary Let us go to scripture. Exodus 16:23 (NASB) 23 then he said to them, "This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." Exodus 16:25 (NASB) 25 Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Exodus 16:26 (NASB) 26 "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none." Exodus 20:8 (NASB) 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:10 (NASB) 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. Exodus 20:11 (NASB) 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the 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 23:10 (NASB) 10 "You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, Exodus 31:12 (NASB) 12 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, Exodus 31:14 (NASB) 14 'Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Exodus 35:3 (NASB) 3 "You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day." Leviticus 16:31 (NASB) 31 "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. Leviticus 16:31 (NASB) 31 "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls; it is a permanent statute. Leviticus 23:3 (NASB) 3 'For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. In all of this do you see any indication of the activities we consider keeping the Sabbath. No where does it mention going to a synagogue, church, or place to worship. In fact it says everyone is to stay home. The Jews in their usual desire of economy actually corrupted the Sabbath by combining their required worship into this day. The Sabbath was a day of rest, God expected worship all the other 6 days. When the Jews brought charges against Jesus what were they? They were because He did in their eye work, a violation of Sabbath. Jesus said I’m the Lord of the Sabbath. Man no longer needed a day of rest because Shiloh the rest giver had come. What Christian do is set aside a day of worship, that day is not the Sabbath, your right the Sabbath is, was and will always be the 7th day. However Jesus fulfilled it. What Sunday is the Christian day of worship of celebration. By attempting to make Christian worship on either day as keeping the Sabbath is making the same mistake the Jews did when they decided to worship in the synagogues on the Sabbath. The very nature of it violates God’s mandates for the Sabbath. To keep the Sabbath you must refrain from all work. Driving a car to church is work. Getting the kids ready for church is work. Preaching is work. Ushering is work. Teaching Church school is work. Opening the doors of the church is work. Playing the organ/piano is work. In fact the Jews said tying or untying a knot was work so if you tied your shoes on the Sabbath you also broke the Sabbath. EdB |