Pentateuch
This is a very, very long paper so I will not make my intro to it any longer than it has to be. The object of this paper was to use Dr. Allen Brown's UP/SA Hermeneutic method of Biblical interpretation.
What is that you say? Simple! It carries the following presumptions:
Although the paper is long, I promise you it is worth the read. If you call yourself a follower of God; then you need to follow His proceedures for the Sabbath. Therefore, the lenght of this paper should be of no concern, if you are eager to please God in regards to His Sabbath. God's Sabbath is to be honored in the way that He has specified very clearly in His word. I would even dare to say that not to many people are honoring it in the way that their Master has requested. I have used BOLD FONT on the key UP (Universal Principles) and main points (along with the scripture addresses) to be taken away. The bold font is for those who do not wish to read the entire paper. A mere gleaming of the BOLD FONT will suffice in giving you the Biblical Mandates for God's Sabbath.
What is that you say? Simple! It carries the following presumptions:
- UP: Universal Principles:This Principe states that there are universal principles in the Bible that are true to all believers; in all times.
- SA: Specific Applications: This is simply what it claims to be; specific applications that were applicable to only certain individuals and certain times.
Although the paper is long, I promise you it is worth the read. If you call yourself a follower of God; then you need to follow His proceedures for the Sabbath. Therefore, the lenght of this paper should be of no concern, if you are eager to please God in regards to His Sabbath. God's Sabbath is to be honored in the way that He has specified very clearly in His word. I would even dare to say that not to many people are honoring it in the way that their Master has requested. I have used BOLD FONT on the key UP (Universal Principles) and main points (along with the scripture addresses) to be taken away. The bold font is for those who do not wish to read the entire paper. A mere gleaming of the BOLD FONT will suffice in giving you the Biblical Mandates for God's Sabbath.
PAPER 2: "THE SABBATH"
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to think about and apply the Old Testament to this New Testament age using the UP/SA hermeneutic. In addition, this paper is meant to address two main issues:
By using the UP/SA hermeneutic method, I will attempt to address these two questions and draw a reasonable educated decision on the matter. In addition, I will seek to show greater understanding of what all the Sabbath details.
Given the importance of the Sabbath and what is at stake, it seems logical to begin our debate at the beginning. In this particular case we turn to the book of Genesis.
Genesis 2:2-3 “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.”
This is the very first mention of the Sabbath found in all of scripture. Although, it does not specifically use the words “Sabbath” in either scripture it is however, the foundation for the practice of the Sabbath. The UP to be taken away from these two passages is that God has set aside or sanctified a certain day of the week from the common or ordinary. This shows all believers in all days and times to come that God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained one day of the week as anything but common or ordinary. Another UP to take away from these passages is that God has set a decree on the importance of a day of rest and refreshment. The SA that can be taken away from these passages is that God chose that sanctified day to fall on Saturday, or also known as the seventh day; bearing in mind that a SA is not binding upon all peoples upon all times.
Further evidence for the fact that God had formerly chose Saturday as this sanctified day, can be found in the book of Exodus.
Exodus 20:10-11 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 UP behind these verses is that the Sabbath day (which at the time fell on the seventh day) is Holy unto God. In addition, the scripture also provides some SA such as “thou shalt not do any work.” This scripture can be a little confusing because it is a UP and it provides a SA to all peoples in all times. The UP has already been noted, however; the SA is still in effect for all believers, only the day of the week has changed. Further evidence that the Lord had previously chosen the seventh day as Holy and sanctified it unto Him can be found in Exodus 12:16, 16:30, 23:12, and 34:21.
Exodus 12:16 And in the first day [there shall be] an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Exodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Exodus 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
The UP that these verses teach us is the importance that God places on rest. God created the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested. God did not rest for His own benefit. It is not as if He was tired and needed a break. He did this for our benefit, in order to teach us the importance of taking one day a week and forgetting the troubles of the world and focusing our thoughts on Him. God cares for us and in His care for us has established a six day work week, followed by a day of rest and worship. The SA from these verses is that this day was meant to be conducted on the seventh day. Exodus goes onto to further teach us a UP about God’s provision.
Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow [is] the rest of the holy SABBATH unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [today], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exodus 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today [is] a SABBATH unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exodus 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the SABBATH, in it there shall be none.
Exodus 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the SABBATH, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
These verses are in reference to the Israelites wanderings in the wilderness. God was teaching two UP to them and to us today as believers. The first UP from these passages is that God is our faithful provider. The Israelites had just come out of Egyptian slavery and they had a lot of bad habits and attitudes that the Lord had to break them of. So God in all of His wisdom set up an object lesson to teach them the importance of the Sabbath, and at the same time that He was their provider. God would have this bread like substance called “manna” which means “what is it” come down from heaven. The Israelites were instructed to gather the manna for six days and to gather none on the Sabbath day. This gathering of the double portion on the six day was also a way for God to teach His people to trust in Him as their provider. They were told to gather a double portion only on the six day that they might rest on the seventh day, because in six days, God created the earth and on the seventh day He rested. This leads us to our second UP that this was all meant to teach them the sanctity of the Sabbath. The SA from these verses is for the most part clearly stated; to gather just enough food for six days, and on the six day grab a double portion, because there will be none found on the seventh day; the day that you must be resting.
The book of Exodus also teaches us that God looks at the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as one of the most detestable things that an individual can do.
Exodus 35:2-3 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a SABBATH of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the SABBATH day.
These verses teach us that God views the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as punishable by death. There are certain things or deeds that are allowed on the Sabbath day, however; those will be addressed later in this paper. Until then, the dishonoring of these passages is in reference to doing work such as your job for self-gain purposes. The UP to be taken away from this verse is that God looks at His Sabbath day of rest as extremely holy. Another way to word this UP is to say that God looks at the dishonoring of His Sabbath as deserving of capital punishment. Further evidence for God’s extreme dissatisfaction in the breaking of His holy day can be found in Exodus 31:13-17
Exodus 31:13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the SABBATH, to observe the SABBATH throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. 17 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.
Although these verses teach us the UP that God views the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as punishable by death, they also teach us something very wonderful. These verses teach us the UP that keeping the Sabbath is a sign or a mark to identify us as God’s people. The keeping of the Sabbath is a reminder to our children and to us. These verses teach us that God is the one who sanctified the Sabbath, and it is that same one true God who sanctifies us. The SA to draw from these verses is that those who do not honor the Sabbath are to be put to death. However, we live in a society that no longer punishes those who do not attend church by throwing stones at them. Regardless, it is still for our benefit to “remember the SABBATH day, to keep it holy.”(Exodus 20:8)
We now turn our attention to the book of Leviticus. The book of Leviticus is a great way to shed light on exactly what the Sabbath means to us as believers today. Although the book of Leviticus deals mostly with the priestly duties of the tribe of Levi, it also shows us today the various kinds of Sabbaths and their applications. For example, there were multiple kinds of festivals, feasts, and celebrations unto the Lord throughout the year. Leviticus shows us a prelude to the various kinds of Sabbaths and their appointed festivals in chapter 23:3:
Leviticus 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is] the SABBATH of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it [is] the SABBATH of the LORD in all your dwellings.
As previously mentioned this verse is a prelude to the various kinds of Sabbaths. Therefore we have already covered this verse in the above mentioned scriptures. However, it is never to repetitious to restate one of God’s UP. In this case that being that the Sabbath is a holy day of rest unto the Lord. The same chapter in Leviticus goes onto start addressing some of the various types of Sabbaths and their regulations.
Leviticus 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day [is] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work [therein].
This particular scripture is in reference to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This verse is a SA that teaches us that the people were to present offerings for six days and on the seventh day they were to rest and cease from presenting these offerings. The UP that this teaches us is twofold. First, God is a God of order and requires sacrifice on our behalf. Secondly, in the same way that the leaven was to be removed from the bread; God requires sin to be removed from our lives. This leads us to the day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:31 It [shall be] a SABBATH of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever.
Leviticus 23:32 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.
The second verse is a restatement of the first verse in this instance. These two scripture are in reference to the Day of Atonement where offerings of purification were made to make the people right with God. I belief that a more modern translation of these verses would change the word “afflicted” into “deny yourselves.” Therefore the above referenced passages teaches us a UP of the need for the holy atonement from the source of holiness (God). In addition, another UP that can be gleaned from these passages is that God expects us to deny ourselves of our desires and ambitions at least one day of each week. The SA of these verses is beyond my current understanding. The passage says “in the ninth [day] of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your SABBATH.” The reason that these verses are confusing is because they say that we are clearly supposed to celebrate these particular Sabbaths forever, however; this brings up multiple questions. First, when we do celebrate them, do they fall on the seventh day or do we switch them to the first day, like the Lord’s Day? Second, the Jewish calendar is different than our modern calendar. Therefore what day does this fall on? Lastly, the Day of Atonement (or week for that matter) is not a time that most employers allow their employees to take off of work. As previously stated the SA of these verses are currently beyond my revelation of scripture.
Moving onto another Sabbath celebration, we find ourselves at the Feast of Trumpets.
Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first [day] of the month, shall ye have a SABBATH, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
This celebration is celebrated today as Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The UP that this verse is trying to teach us is much like the other verses that have covered the Sabbath; That God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained other days as anything but common or ordinary. The SA is in regards to the actual day. The calendar has changed from the time that this was spoken; name of the month that this is celebrated is no longer called by the same name; at least not in western civilization. One last festival to briefly mention from our provided scriptures is the festival of Shelters.
Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a SABBATH, and on the eighth day [shall be] a SABBATH.
This scripture teaches us that some festivals were different from the others. In this particular festival, everyone was to rest on the first day and the eight day. This teaches us the UP that God is a God of order who demands strict obedience. The preceding verse in Leviticus 23:38 summarizes that we are to honor all the different Sabbaths.
Leviticus 23:38 Beside the SABBATHs of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
The UP that this verse teaches us is that God views all Sabbath days as Holy and sanctified unto Him. With this in mind we now move onto a different kind of Sabbath that involved the land itself.
Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a SABBATH unto the LORD.
Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a SABBATH of rest unto the land, a SABBATH for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Leviticus 25:6 And the SABBATH of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
These verses are talking about The Sabbath Year. This year was meant to serve as a one year rest of cultivating the land. For a period of six years the Israelites were allowed to grow various foods such as grain. However on the seventh year (much like the seventh day) the people were to refrain from working on and tilling the land. The landowners could eat whatever the land produced in this seventh year to provide for their families, and whatever was leftover was meant to be provision for the poor who did not own land. In addition, this rest or Sabbath of the land was to allow the land itself a well needed rest. The UP that this teaches us is that God has also sanctified the land that we live on as holy unto him as His special possession. The SA is that for six years they were allowed to work and till the land and on the seventh year they refrained from it. I believe that this lesson is also teaching us a UP lesson of absolute trust in the Lords provision. One of the most sacred things to most individuals is their lives. Since the cultivating of the land meant life or death for most individuals, this lesson was essentially saying to the people “Do you trust your lives in My hands?”
God looked at this lack of trust in Him as very offensive; so much that He promised punishment for breaking of this Sabbath Year.
Leviticus 26:2 Ye shall keep my SABBATHs, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD.
Leviticus 26:34-35 Then shall the land enjoy her SABBATHs, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye [be] in your enemies' land; [even] then shall the land rest, and enjoy her SABBATHs. 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your SABBATHs, when ye dwelt upon it.
Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her SABBATHs, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
In these verse God is foretelling the Israelites that if they fail to honor his Sabbath Year of rest, that He, Himself will carry away the people away from the Promised Land and into captivity. The UP that these verses teach us is that one way or another; God’s Sabbath’s are holy and will be treated as such. Regardless if the people fail to honor them; God will receive His rightful due. One similar Sabbath of rest is called the Year of Jubilee.
Leviticus 25:8 And thou shalt number seven SABBATHs of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven SABBATHs of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
This passage teaches us that after forty-nine years that any land that had been sold or traded was to be restored to the rightful owners. In addition this Year of Jubilee also applied to those who had been sold into slavery. This year was also treated as a Sabbath Year where there was to be no farming. The UP that this verse teaches us is that God cares for all of the peoples of the earth and that he views all people as equal. This year of Jubilee served as a way to balance the tides. This year prevented land monopolies that would never allow the poor to get ahead.
Lastly the book of Leviticus provides a few SA on certain procedures of honoring the Sabbath.
Leviticus 24:8 Every SABBATH he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
This verse provides a SA on the bringing of the bread offering every week by the people to the tabernacle.
Leviticus 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my SABBATHs: I [am] the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:30 Ye shall keep my SABBATHs, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD.
These verses provide us with the SA for Holiness in our personal conduct. The UP that these three verses teach us is one that we have mentioned before; God is a holy God, and that He or anything that He has sanctified should not be treated as common or ordinary.
Next we turn to the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The book of Numbers provides us with SA or regulations of the Sabbath.
Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the SABBATH day.
Numbers 28:9-10 And on the SABBATH day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:10 [This is] the burnt offering of every SABBATH, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
Numbers 28:25 And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
Numbers 31:24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
All of these verses provide us with God’s very orderly specific regulations for the Sabbath. Some of these deal with activities that are punishable by death, and others deal with the exact kind of animal sacrifice that is acceptable to God. The UP to be taken away from these verses is that God is concerned with our ability to understand. God is all of His wisdom, does not leave us an excuse for saying that “we didn’t know.” Although, these particulars may seem confusing to us today, God has spelled His mandates out very clearly. In addition, another UP to be taken away from this is that God is concerned with teaching His people about Holiness. That was the reason for all of this. After all the years that His people spent in a pagan land worshipping false idols; God had to start the process of teaching the people about Holiness.
The book of Deuteronomy goes onto further teach the people about God’s Holiness.
Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the SABBATH day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
Deuteronomy 5:14 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.
Deuteronomy 5:15 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.
Deuteronomy 16:8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day [shall be] a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work [therein].
All of these SA are meant to teach Gods people the UP that He is Holy and all those who come to Him must therefore be Holy. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.”(Lev 11:45)
This is a good point to pause and reflect on what we have gathered until this point in the Pentateuch, before proceeding to the remainder of the Old Testament.
1. We have concluded that God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained at the very least one day of the week as anything but common or ordinary.
2. We have also learned that God had formerly ordained the seventh day (Saturday) as this one day a week to be set aside as holy.
3. In addition, we have learned that God requires strict obedience to the honoring of His Sabbath. Anyone who did not honor this Sabbath by spending it resting/remembrance and participating in worship has personally sinned against God; and this sin is punishable by death.
4. We have also learned that God is a God of order, understanding, and provision.
5. We have also learned that God has established different Sabbaths for different events and times of the years.
6. Lastly, we have learned that all of this was for the benefit of the people, in order to teach them the importance of Holiness. God has done this by showing them the difference between holy and the common or ordinary.
We now turn to the book of Nehemiah in order to learn three important truths about the Sabbath; the need for repenting, renewing, and restoring.
Nehemiah 9:14 And madest known unto them thy holy SABBATH, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:
In this verse the people were before Nehemiah and God repenting from turning away from God and His decrees. This was shortly after their return from exile; which God had previously warned them about. Nehemiah was giving the people a history lesson of sorts and the people we in agreement and thereby confessing their sins; one of those sins being the dishonoring of the Sabbath. The UP that this passage teaches us is the need for repentance when we have dishonored God. Our next passages teach us the need for renewing our end of the covenant.
Nehemiah 10:31 And [if] the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the SABBATH day to sell, [that] we would not buy it of them on the SABBATH, or on the holy day: and [that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
Nehemiah 10:33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the SABBATHS, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
These two passages are where the people verbally renew the previously broken covenant that they had made with God. The UP that these verses teach us is that even when we have been unfaithful; that God remains faithful and is will to forgive and restore, if we repent and turn from our behavior. Next the book of Nehemiah teaches us the importance of restoring/repenting.
Nehemiah 13:15-22 In those days saw I in Judah [some] treading wine presses on the SABBATH, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the SABBATH day: and I testified [against them] in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the SABBATH unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing [is] this that ye do, and profane the SABBATH day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the SABBATH. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the SABBATH, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the SABBATH: and [some] of my servants set I at the gates, [that] there should no burden be brought in on the SABBATH day. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do [so] again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no [more] on the SABBATH. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and [that] they should come [and] keep the gates, to sanctify the SABBATH day. Remember me, O my God, [concerning] this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
These verses show how Nehemiah took the necessary action to restore things to God’s proper standard of holiness. This is also a form of repentance. Repentance is more than just a condition of the heart; it is also a change of one’s sinful behavior. These passages describe that repentance and restoring of what is good and right in God’s sight. Therefore these passages teach us the UP that God requires more than words from us, in order to receive the blessings of His covenant with us. The above verses also provide SA in the form of what changes needed to be made for this particular people in this particular place and time.
We now travel a little backwards in time, to before the Israelites expulsion and return to the Promised Land. We now look to the books of the Prophets.
The Prophets were God’s chosen mouthpieces to warn the people of coming judgment, unless they repented. There were many things that the people needed to repent from, and you may have guessed it; one of those things was dishonoring God’s holy Sabbath.
Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and SABBATHS, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
God was saying though the prophet that He was not impressed with the people going through the motions. The UP to take from this is that the Sabbath is more than mere attendance; it is the condition of the heart towards God. Isaiah goes onto share that God will reward those who turn to Him and Honor His Sabbath.
Isaiah 56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the SABBATH from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isaiah 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my SABBATHS, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Isaiah 56:6 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;
The UP to take away from this is that God is above and beyond generous. It is our duty and honor to serve the creator, and yet He chooses to reward those who choose to serve and Honor Him. In addition, there is also a UP that God accepts all individuals no matter who they are, and not just His chosen people. Isaiah then goes onto remind us that even though God is a rewarder of those who honor Him, that the fact remains that the Sabbath is about God and not about us.
Isaiah 58:13 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:
The UP to be taken away from this passage is the Sabbath day is about God and not about us. The Sabbath is a holy day that God has sanctified and must be honored in such a way that is deserving of his majesty. It is a day that is meant to be spent in adoration and focus of His advancement and not our own. Lastly, the prophet points out the final days of the new earth and new Heavens.
Isaiah 66:23 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.
This is a great point to pause and address the conclusion to one of the two major questions that this paper has set out to answer. Is the Sabbath only binding to Old Testament believers, and not to the New Testament church?
The above verse clearly demonstrates that the Sabbath will still be in practice when the new Heaven and new earth come into effect in the final days. It seems logical enough to assume that if the Sabbath is one of the very first things that God has established during the time of creation, and that it will be in effect during the final days of existence, then it would most certainly apply to all times in between. We know that the Sabbath was in effect on the seventh day of creation. We also see later in this paper that the seventh day Sabbath was in effect until the time of the Resurrection. Lastly, we now clearly see that the Sabbath will be in effect in the Final days. It seems illogical that the God who said “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal 3:6) would simply dismiss the practice of the Sabbath to only the New Testament believers.
The prophet Jeremiah goes onto provide us with some SA in regards to the Sabbath.
Jeremiah 17:21-22 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the SABBATH day, nor bring [it] in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the SABBATH day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the SABBATH day, as I commanded your fathers.
Jeremiah 17:24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the SABBATH day, but hallow the SABBATH day, to do no work therein;
Jeremiah 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the SABBATH day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the SABBATH day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
These verses provide the believers of that time with some SA on how to honor the Sabbath in Jerusalem. In addition, these verses also tell the people of the coming destruction for the dishonoring of the Sabbath. The UP to be taken away from these verses is that God expects us to honor His Sabbath. In some cases He even spells out the certain activities in our everyday lives and how we are to conduct ourselves; much like He did here for his people whom lived in Jerusalem.
The book of Ezekiel provides perhaps one of the best sources in all of scripture in regards to the Sabbath.
Ezekiel 20:12-13 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. 13 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.
Ezekiel 20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my SABBATHS: for their heart went after their idols.
Ezekiel 20:20-21 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. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my SABBATHS: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my SABBATHS, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
Ezekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my SABBATHS.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my SABBATHS, and I am profaned among them.
Ezekiel 23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my SABBATHS.
The reason that these verses are such a treasure in all of scripture is that they take us right to the source of Holiness. These verses were spoken through the prophet in the first person narrative. To put it another way; this is God speaking directly through the prophet Ezekiel. What better place to go than to the one who founded the Sabbath when seeking to understand and honor it.
These verses are God recalling for the people in attendance the breaking of His Sabbath. These passages provide us with SA on how the Israelites had formerly broken His holy Sabbath. The UP to learn from these passages is that the eternal God remembers those who desecrate the things that He has deemed holy. The next verses in Ezekiel refer to the duties of the priests and princes of Israel.
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.
Ezekiel 45:17 And it shall be the prince's part [to give] burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the SABBATHS, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
These two verses provide us with SA that was applicable to the priest and the princes in the days of the Israelites return from captivity. Although, they no longer apply to us, we can learn a UP. The UP to learn from this is that God has also set individuals apart from the common or ordinary. This does not mean that God thinks they are better than everyone else, it simply means that God has selected certain individuals to be set apart, and that He has sanctified them unto Himself as holy. Lastly in Ezekiel we see a vision that the Lord had showed him.
Ezekiel 46:1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the SABBATH it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
Ezekiel 46:3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the SABBATHS and in the new moons.
The exact explanation of this passage is beyond my skills of interpretation. I am not sure if this is a vision of the temple that was rebuilt and then later destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, or if this is a vision of the temple that will be rebuilt in the last days. Therefore I am unable to draw a UP or a SA from these two passages.
This now leads us to our last scripture in the Old Testament. Much like the previous scripture, this final verse springs forth from a vision. In the book of Amos God had just showed the prophet a vision of some ripe fruit in a basket. The Lord then told Amos that “Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment.” We then go onto read the following verse:
Amos 8:4-5 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Sadly, this verse shows us that a problem existed back then, that still exist today; people are put priority on their honey-do list over what is happening in the now. The UP that this shows us is that God would rather have our love, attention, and honor than our attendance/participation.
This now concludes our Old Testament review of the provided scriptures. It is once again a good point to review since our last pausing point.Bearing in mind our previous pausing point facts, we have gone on to learn that:
7. The Sabbath is a time for repenting, renewing, and restoring.
8. We have learned that these things take action on our behalf.
9. We have learned that the Sabbath is more than going through the motions, it is also more than mere attendance; it is the condition of the heart towards God.
10. We have also learned that God accepts all individuals no matter who they are, and not just His chosen people.
11. In addition, we have learned that the Sabbath is a day that is meant to be spent in adoration and focus of His advancement and not our own.
12. We have also learned that the eternal God remembers those who desecrate the things that He has deemed holy.
13. Lastly, we have answered one of our two questions from the outset of this paper. That truth being is that God has set aside a Sabbath from the dawn of creation, and expects us to Honor, cherish, and keep it until the end of all time. It is holy unto Him and shall forever remain to be so.
With these facts in mind we now turn to our final section of the New Testament in hope of finding out if the switch to Sunday as the Sabbath is valid and what kinds of deeds are permissible. What better person to shed some light on these questions as Jesus Himself.
Matthew 12:1 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. 2 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.
Matthew 12:5 “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?”
Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of man is Lord even of the SABBATH day.”
What has just happened here is that after centuries of the Israelites not doing the right thing on the Sabbath, they have now switched to doing too much, and consequently have missed the whole heart behind the purpose of the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples were walking through the field on the Sabbath and they were hungry so they grabbed so corn from the fields and ate it. It was not as if they had taken the corn and cooked it. This passage shows a major shift in the Israelites attitude and beliefs towards God’s holy Sabbath. They had shifted into legalism which believed in Salvation through works and not by grace through faith. This same story can be found in the Gospel of Mark and Luke.
Mark 2:23-24 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the SABBATH day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the SABBATH day that which is not lawful?
Mark 2:27-28 And he said unto them, “The SABBATH was made for man, and not man for the SABBATH:” 28 “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the SABBATH.”
Luke 6:1-2 And it came to pass on the second SABBATH after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing [them] in [their] hands. 2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the SABBATH days?
Luke 6:5-6 And he said unto them, “That the Son of man is Lord also of the SABBATH.” 6 And it came to pass also on another SABBATH, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Jesus then went on to point out the Pharisee’s error in reference to their understanding of the Sabbath. These verses and the combined Gospels teach us three UP that The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. In addition, we are taught that Jesus is the Lord over the Sabbath. Lastly, we are taught that deeds of necessity are permissible on the Sabbath day. Shortly after this incident Jesus goes onto heal a man, and the Pharisee’s were waiting to catch Him in the act. In addition, there were multiple occasions were Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:10-12 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. 11 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? 12 “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the SABBATH days.”
Mark 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the SABBATH day; that they might accuse him.
Mark 3:4 And he saith unto them, “Is it lawful to do good on the SABBATH days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” But they held their peace.
Luke 6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the SABBATH day; that they might find an accusation against him.
Luke 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, “I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the SABBATH days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy [it]?”
Luke 13:14-16 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the SABBATH day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the SABBATH day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, “ [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the SABBATH loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering?” 16 “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the SABBATH day?”
Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the SABBATH day, that they watched him.
Luke 14:3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the SABBATH day?”
Luke 14:5 And answered them, saying, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the SABBATH day?”
John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the SABBATH.
John 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the SABBATH day: it is not lawful for thee to carry [thy] bed.
John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the SABBATH day.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the SABBATH, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
John 7:22-23 “Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the SABBATH day circumcise a man.” 23 “If a man on the SABBATH day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the SABBATH day?”
John 9:14 And it was the SABBATH day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the SABBATH day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
All of these verses of Jesus healing individuals on the Sabbath day of rest teach us a UP. That UP being that deeds of mercy are acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. If the spirit of God decides that He wants to move on a certain day, let no man come between that. Jesus also taught individuals the Word of God on the 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.
Luke 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the SABBATH days.
Luke 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the SABBATH.
These passages teach us the UP that deeds associated with worship are allowed on the Sabbath day as well. This would include activities such as teaching others the word of God on the Sabbath day. The Gospel of Luke provides another example of a deed associated with worship.
Luke 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the SABBATH day according to the commandment.
To summarize, from the four Gospels we can conclude that:
There are certain deeds which are acceptable on the Sabbath day;
14. Deeds of mercy,
15. Deeds of necessity,
16. Deeds that have to do with worship.
We now turn to the remained of the New Testament; in order to hopefully answer the last remaining question of is the Sabbath to be celebrated on Sunday (the 1st day of the week) as compared to Saturday (the seventh day of the week).
The book of Acts goes onto show us that the change was gradual and that the early church still honored the seventh day as the Sabbath for some time.
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.
Acts 13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every SABBATH day, they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [him].
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next SABBATH.
Acts 13:44 And the next SABBATH day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every SABBATH day.
Acts 16:13 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].
Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three SABBATH days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every SABBATH, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
These verses teach us that the honoring of the seventh day was still in effect. Paul was known for not causing others to stumble and for meeting others where they were at.
1 Cor 9:19-23 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
It makes sense that Paul would continue to attend the weekly seventh day Sabbath in order to not become a stumbling block to others. In addition we learn a UP from the above scriptures from the book of Acts. That UP being that the Sabbath is still to be honored throughout all generations. The exact date of that Sabbath we will now address. There are those who will use the following scriptures to argue the exact day that the Sabbath is meant to be observed on.
Romans 14:5-7 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH [days]:
These verses have been the cause of some confusion in regards to the Sabbath, however; a closer look at the context should be taken into account. In the passage from Romans, many have argued that this passage allows believers to choose to celebrate the Sabbath day on any day of their choosing. This is however, not the case, and is not what the passage is in reference to. This passage is referring to the various festivals and Sabbaths throughout the year and is in no way referring to the observance of the weekly Sabbaths. A simple reading of the entire chapter in light of this information would suffice to settle this argument, unless someone is dead set against objectively hearing the information. The UP behind this verse is that there are days that are meant to be spent honoring the Lord.
The verse from Colossians has often been used for the same argument as that for which we have just addressed in Romans. In addition, the same objective reading of the context will answer this erroneous belief. Lastly the UP is the same as that of the Romans passage.
This leads us to the final scriptures that show the observance of the Sabbath on the first day of the week, by the early church.
Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
1 Cor 16:2-3 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
These verses teach us that the gathering of the saints had shifted to the first day of the week within the first century. They started commonly referring to it as the Lords Day. The first day of the week was the Day that the risen Lord first appeared to the disciples and others. Although the observance of the seventh day was still in effect, it gradually shifted to the first day of the week. When John spoke of it in Revelation he wrote of it as if the term was common knowledge to those to whom He was writing.
Although the Bible does not specifically say “Thus shall thou switch the Sabbath day to the first day of the week” it most certainly does show that the practice of gathering together in observance of the Sabbath on the first day had been made. The UP that these additional verses teach us is that the Sabbath is still in effect and still meant for worship and rest.
Conclusion
Upon the reviewing of the all of the provided scriptures and a detailed study of the books that they are located in, it is reasonable to assume the following general Sabbath rules:
1. God has made some days holy and sanctified them as such.
2. God looks at the dishonoring of these holy days as extremely offensive.
3. This is not something that is currently receiving the proper respect and reverence that it deserves.
4. The Sabbath day is a holy day for God and is meant to be spent pursuing Him and not our own selfish desires.
5. God is the ultimate provider, and in His provision has made abundant information on what is and is not acceptable on these holy days.
6. The God who “changes not” has developed the Sabbath since the days of creation, and it is in effect until the final days.
7. In addition, the day of the Sabbath has been allowed to be shifted to the first day of the week; in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
References
The Bible
Dr. Allen Browns provided scriptures
Dr. Allen Browns thoughts from his paper entitled “The Sabbath and the Christian.”
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to think about and apply the Old Testament to this New Testament age using the UP/SA hermeneutic. In addition, this paper is meant to address two main issues:
- There are those in certain denominations who claim that the Sabbath day is to be celebrated and honored on Saturdays as opposed to Sundays.
- In addition, there are those in certain theological circles that claim that the Sabbath was only binding to Old Testament believers, and therefore does not apply to the New Testament church.
By using the UP/SA hermeneutic method, I will attempt to address these two questions and draw a reasonable educated decision on the matter. In addition, I will seek to show greater understanding of what all the Sabbath details.
Given the importance of the Sabbath and what is at stake, it seems logical to begin our debate at the beginning. In this particular case we turn to the book of Genesis.
Genesis 2:2-3 “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.”
This is the very first mention of the Sabbath found in all of scripture. Although, it does not specifically use the words “Sabbath” in either scripture it is however, the foundation for the practice of the Sabbath. The UP to be taken away from these two passages is that God has set aside or sanctified a certain day of the week from the common or ordinary. This shows all believers in all days and times to come that God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained one day of the week as anything but common or ordinary. Another UP to take away from these passages is that God has set a decree on the importance of a day of rest and refreshment. The SA that can be taken away from these passages is that God chose that sanctified day to fall on Saturday, or also known as the seventh day; bearing in mind that a SA is not binding upon all peoples upon all times.
Further evidence for the fact that God had formerly chose Saturday as this sanctified day, can be found in the book of Exodus.
Exodus 20:10-11 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 UP behind these verses is that the Sabbath day (which at the time fell on the seventh day) is Holy unto God. In addition, the scripture also provides some SA such as “thou shalt not do any work.” This scripture can be a little confusing because it is a UP and it provides a SA to all peoples in all times. The UP has already been noted, however; the SA is still in effect for all believers, only the day of the week has changed. Further evidence that the Lord had previously chosen the seventh day as Holy and sanctified it unto Him can be found in Exodus 12:16, 16:30, 23:12, and 34:21.
Exodus 12:16 And in the first day [there shall be] an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save [that] which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Exodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 23:12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Exodus 34:21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
The UP that these verses teach us is the importance that God places on rest. God created the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested. God did not rest for His own benefit. It is not as if He was tired and needed a break. He did this for our benefit, in order to teach us the importance of taking one day a week and forgetting the troubles of the world and focusing our thoughts on Him. God cares for us and in His care for us has established a six day work week, followed by a day of rest and worship. The SA from these verses is that this day was meant to be conducted on the seventh day. Exodus goes onto to further teach us a UP about God’s provision.
Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow [is] the rest of the holy SABBATH unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [today], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exodus 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that today; for today [is] a SABBATH unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exodus 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the SABBATH, in it there shall be none.
Exodus 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the SABBATH, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
These verses are in reference to the Israelites wanderings in the wilderness. God was teaching two UP to them and to us today as believers. The first UP from these passages is that God is our faithful provider. The Israelites had just come out of Egyptian slavery and they had a lot of bad habits and attitudes that the Lord had to break them of. So God in all of His wisdom set up an object lesson to teach them the importance of the Sabbath, and at the same time that He was their provider. God would have this bread like substance called “manna” which means “what is it” come down from heaven. The Israelites were instructed to gather the manna for six days and to gather none on the Sabbath day. This gathering of the double portion on the six day was also a way for God to teach His people to trust in Him as their provider. They were told to gather a double portion only on the six day that they might rest on the seventh day, because in six days, God created the earth and on the seventh day He rested. This leads us to our second UP that this was all meant to teach them the sanctity of the Sabbath. The SA from these verses is for the most part clearly stated; to gather just enough food for six days, and on the six day grab a double portion, because there will be none found on the seventh day; the day that you must be resting.
The book of Exodus also teaches us that God looks at the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as one of the most detestable things that an individual can do.
Exodus 35:2-3 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a SABBATH of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. 3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the SABBATH day.
These verses teach us that God views the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as punishable by death. There are certain things or deeds that are allowed on the Sabbath day, however; those will be addressed later in this paper. Until then, the dishonoring of these passages is in reference to doing work such as your job for self-gain purposes. The UP to be taken away from this verse is that God looks at His Sabbath day of rest as extremely holy. Another way to word this UP is to say that God looks at the dishonoring of His Sabbath as deserving of capital punishment. Further evidence for God’s extreme dissatisfaction in the breaking of His holy day can be found in Exodus 31:13-17
Exodus 31:13 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. 14 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. 15 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. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the SABBATH, to observe the SABBATH throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. 17 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.
Although these verses teach us the UP that God views the dishonoring of something that He has sanctified as punishable by death, they also teach us something very wonderful. These verses teach us the UP that keeping the Sabbath is a sign or a mark to identify us as God’s people. The keeping of the Sabbath is a reminder to our children and to us. These verses teach us that God is the one who sanctified the Sabbath, and it is that same one true God who sanctifies us. The SA to draw from these verses is that those who do not honor the Sabbath are to be put to death. However, we live in a society that no longer punishes those who do not attend church by throwing stones at them. Regardless, it is still for our benefit to “remember the SABBATH day, to keep it holy.”(Exodus 20:8)
We now turn our attention to the book of Leviticus. The book of Leviticus is a great way to shed light on exactly what the Sabbath means to us as believers today. Although the book of Leviticus deals mostly with the priestly duties of the tribe of Levi, it also shows us today the various kinds of Sabbaths and their applications. For example, there were multiple kinds of festivals, feasts, and celebrations unto the Lord throughout the year. Leviticus shows us a prelude to the various kinds of Sabbaths and their appointed festivals in chapter 23:3:
Leviticus 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day [is] the SABBATH of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work [therein]: it [is] the SABBATH of the LORD in all your dwellings.
As previously mentioned this verse is a prelude to the various kinds of Sabbaths. Therefore we have already covered this verse in the above mentioned scriptures. However, it is never to repetitious to restate one of God’s UP. In this case that being that the Sabbath is a holy day of rest unto the Lord. The same chapter in Leviticus goes onto start addressing some of the various types of Sabbaths and their regulations.
Leviticus 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day [is] an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work [therein].
This particular scripture is in reference to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This verse is a SA that teaches us that the people were to present offerings for six days and on the seventh day they were to rest and cease from presenting these offerings. The UP that this teaches us is twofold. First, God is a God of order and requires sacrifice on our behalf. Secondly, in the same way that the leaven was to be removed from the bread; God requires sin to be removed from our lives. This leads us to the day of Atonement.
Leviticus 16:31 It [shall be] a SABBATH of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever.
Leviticus 23:32 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.
The second verse is a restatement of the first verse in this instance. These two scripture are in reference to the Day of Atonement where offerings of purification were made to make the people right with God. I belief that a more modern translation of these verses would change the word “afflicted” into “deny yourselves.” Therefore the above referenced passages teaches us a UP of the need for the holy atonement from the source of holiness (God). In addition, another UP that can be gleaned from these passages is that God expects us to deny ourselves of our desires and ambitions at least one day of each week. The SA of these verses is beyond my current understanding. The passage says “in the ninth [day] of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your SABBATH.” The reason that these verses are confusing is because they say that we are clearly supposed to celebrate these particular Sabbaths forever, however; this brings up multiple questions. First, when we do celebrate them, do they fall on the seventh day or do we switch them to the first day, like the Lord’s Day? Second, the Jewish calendar is different than our modern calendar. Therefore what day does this fall on? Lastly, the Day of Atonement (or week for that matter) is not a time that most employers allow their employees to take off of work. As previously stated the SA of these verses are currently beyond my revelation of scripture.
Moving onto another Sabbath celebration, we find ourselves at the Feast of Trumpets.
Leviticus 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first [day] of the month, shall ye have a SABBATH, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
This celebration is celebrated today as Rosh Hashanah, or the Jewish New Year. The UP that this verse is trying to teach us is much like the other verses that have covered the Sabbath; That God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained other days as anything but common or ordinary. The SA is in regards to the actual day. The calendar has changed from the time that this was spoken; name of the month that this is celebrated is no longer called by the same name; at least not in western civilization. One last festival to briefly mention from our provided scriptures is the festival of Shelters.
Leviticus 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day [shall be] a SABBATH, and on the eighth day [shall be] a SABBATH.
This scripture teaches us that some festivals were different from the others. In this particular festival, everyone was to rest on the first day and the eight day. This teaches us the UP that God is a God of order who demands strict obedience. The preceding verse in Leviticus 23:38 summarizes that we are to honor all the different Sabbaths.
Leviticus 23:38 Beside the SABBATHs of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
The UP that this verse teaches us is that God views all Sabbath days as Holy and sanctified unto Him. With this in mind we now move onto a different kind of Sabbath that involved the land itself.
Leviticus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a SABBATH unto the LORD.
Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be a SABBATH of rest unto the land, a SABBATH for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Leviticus 25:6 And the SABBATH of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
These verses are talking about The Sabbath Year. This year was meant to serve as a one year rest of cultivating the land. For a period of six years the Israelites were allowed to grow various foods such as grain. However on the seventh year (much like the seventh day) the people were to refrain from working on and tilling the land. The landowners could eat whatever the land produced in this seventh year to provide for their families, and whatever was leftover was meant to be provision for the poor who did not own land. In addition, this rest or Sabbath of the land was to allow the land itself a well needed rest. The UP that this teaches us is that God has also sanctified the land that we live on as holy unto him as His special possession. The SA is that for six years they were allowed to work and till the land and on the seventh year they refrained from it. I believe that this lesson is also teaching us a UP lesson of absolute trust in the Lords provision. One of the most sacred things to most individuals is their lives. Since the cultivating of the land meant life or death for most individuals, this lesson was essentially saying to the people “Do you trust your lives in My hands?”
God looked at this lack of trust in Him as very offensive; so much that He promised punishment for breaking of this Sabbath Year.
Leviticus 26:2 Ye shall keep my SABBATHs, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD.
Leviticus 26:34-35 Then shall the land enjoy her SABBATHs, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye [be] in your enemies' land; [even] then shall the land rest, and enjoy her SABBATHs. 35 As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your SABBATHs, when ye dwelt upon it.
Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her SABBATHs, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
In these verse God is foretelling the Israelites that if they fail to honor his Sabbath Year of rest, that He, Himself will carry away the people away from the Promised Land and into captivity. The UP that these verses teach us is that one way or another; God’s Sabbath’s are holy and will be treated as such. Regardless if the people fail to honor them; God will receive His rightful due. One similar Sabbath of rest is called the Year of Jubilee.
Leviticus 25:8 And thou shalt number seven SABBATHs of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven SABBATHs of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
This passage teaches us that after forty-nine years that any land that had been sold or traded was to be restored to the rightful owners. In addition this Year of Jubilee also applied to those who had been sold into slavery. This year was also treated as a Sabbath Year where there was to be no farming. The UP that this verse teaches us is that God cares for all of the peoples of the earth and that he views all people as equal. This year of Jubilee served as a way to balance the tides. This year prevented land monopolies that would never allow the poor to get ahead.
Lastly the book of Leviticus provides a few SA on certain procedures of honoring the Sabbath.
Leviticus 24:8 Every SABBATH he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
This verse provides a SA on the bringing of the bread offering every week by the people to the tabernacle.
Leviticus 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my SABBATHs: I [am] the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:30 Ye shall keep my SABBATHs, and reverence my sanctuary: I [am] the LORD.
These verses provide us with the SA for Holiness in our personal conduct. The UP that these three verses teach us is one that we have mentioned before; God is a holy God, and that He or anything that He has sanctified should not be treated as common or ordinary.
Next we turn to the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy. The book of Numbers provides us with SA or regulations of the Sabbath.
Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the SABBATH day.
Numbers 28:9-10 And on the SABBATH day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour [for] a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:10 [This is] the burnt offering of every SABBATH, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
Numbers 28:25 And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
Numbers 31:24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.
All of these verses provide us with God’s very orderly specific regulations for the Sabbath. Some of these deal with activities that are punishable by death, and others deal with the exact kind of animal sacrifice that is acceptable to God. The UP to be taken away from these verses is that God is concerned with our ability to understand. God is all of His wisdom, does not leave us an excuse for saying that “we didn’t know.” Although, these particulars may seem confusing to us today, God has spelled His mandates out very clearly. In addition, another UP to be taken away from this is that God is concerned with teaching His people about Holiness. That was the reason for all of this. After all the years that His people spent in a pagan land worshipping false idols; God had to start the process of teaching the people about Holiness.
The book of Deuteronomy goes onto further teach the people about God’s Holiness.
Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the SABBATH day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
Deuteronomy 5:14 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.
Deuteronomy 5:15 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.
Deuteronomy 16:8 Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day [shall be] a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work [therein].
All of these SA are meant to teach Gods people the UP that He is Holy and all those who come to Him must therefore be Holy. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy.”(Lev 11:45)
This is a good point to pause and reflect on what we have gathered until this point in the Pentateuch, before proceeding to the remainder of the Old Testament.
1. We have concluded that God has ordained certain days as common or ordinary, and that He has ordained at the very least one day of the week as anything but common or ordinary.
2. We have also learned that God had formerly ordained the seventh day (Saturday) as this one day a week to be set aside as holy.
3. In addition, we have learned that God requires strict obedience to the honoring of His Sabbath. Anyone who did not honor this Sabbath by spending it resting/remembrance and participating in worship has personally sinned against God; and this sin is punishable by death.
4. We have also learned that God is a God of order, understanding, and provision.
5. We have also learned that God has established different Sabbaths for different events and times of the years.
6. Lastly, we have learned that all of this was for the benefit of the people, in order to teach them the importance of Holiness. God has done this by showing them the difference between holy and the common or ordinary.
We now turn to the book of Nehemiah in order to learn three important truths about the Sabbath; the need for repenting, renewing, and restoring.
Nehemiah 9:14 And madest known unto them thy holy SABBATH, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:
In this verse the people were before Nehemiah and God repenting from turning away from God and His decrees. This was shortly after their return from exile; which God had previously warned them about. Nehemiah was giving the people a history lesson of sorts and the people we in agreement and thereby confessing their sins; one of those sins being the dishonoring of the Sabbath. The UP that this passage teaches us is the need for repentance when we have dishonored God. Our next passages teach us the need for renewing our end of the covenant.
Nehemiah 10:31 And [if] the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the SABBATH day to sell, [that] we would not buy it of them on the SABBATH, or on the holy day: and [that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
Nehemiah 10:33 For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the SABBATHS, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy [things], and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and [for] all the work of the house of our God.
These two passages are where the people verbally renew the previously broken covenant that they had made with God. The UP that these verses teach us is that even when we have been unfaithful; that God remains faithful and is will to forgive and restore, if we repent and turn from our behavior. Next the book of Nehemiah teaches us the importance of restoring/repenting.
Nehemiah 13:15-22 In those days saw I in Judah [some] treading wine presses on the SABBATH, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the SABBATH day: and I testified [against them] in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the SABBATH unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing [is] this that ye do, and profane the SABBATH day? 18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the SABBATH. 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the SABBATH, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the SABBATH: and [some] of my servants set I at the gates, [that] there should no burden be brought in on the SABBATH day. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do [so] again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no [more] on the SABBATH. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and [that] they should come [and] keep the gates, to sanctify the SABBATH day. Remember me, O my God, [concerning] this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
These verses show how Nehemiah took the necessary action to restore things to God’s proper standard of holiness. This is also a form of repentance. Repentance is more than just a condition of the heart; it is also a change of one’s sinful behavior. These passages describe that repentance and restoring of what is good and right in God’s sight. Therefore these passages teach us the UP that God requires more than words from us, in order to receive the blessings of His covenant with us. The above verses also provide SA in the form of what changes needed to be made for this particular people in this particular place and time.
We now travel a little backwards in time, to before the Israelites expulsion and return to the Promised Land. We now look to the books of the Prophets.
The Prophets were God’s chosen mouthpieces to warn the people of coming judgment, unless they repented. There were many things that the people needed to repent from, and you may have guessed it; one of those things was dishonoring God’s holy Sabbath.
Isaiah 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and SABBATHS, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; [it is] iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
God was saying though the prophet that He was not impressed with the people going through the motions. The UP to take from this is that the Sabbath is more than mere attendance; it is the condition of the heart towards God. Isaiah goes onto share that God will reward those who turn to Him and Honor His Sabbath.
Isaiah 56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the SABBATH from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Isaiah 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my SABBATHS, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Isaiah 56:6 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;
The UP to take away from this is that God is above and beyond generous. It is our duty and honor to serve the creator, and yet He chooses to reward those who choose to serve and Honor Him. In addition, there is also a UP that God accepts all individuals no matter who they are, and not just His chosen people. Isaiah then goes onto remind us that even though God is a rewarder of those who honor Him, that the fact remains that the Sabbath is about God and not about us.
Isaiah 58:13 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:
The UP to be taken away from this passage is the Sabbath day is about God and not about us. The Sabbath is a holy day that God has sanctified and must be honored in such a way that is deserving of his majesty. It is a day that is meant to be spent in adoration and focus of His advancement and not our own. Lastly, the prophet points out the final days of the new earth and new Heavens.
Isaiah 66:23 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.
This is a great point to pause and address the conclusion to one of the two major questions that this paper has set out to answer. Is the Sabbath only binding to Old Testament believers, and not to the New Testament church?
The above verse clearly demonstrates that the Sabbath will still be in practice when the new Heaven and new earth come into effect in the final days. It seems logical enough to assume that if the Sabbath is one of the very first things that God has established during the time of creation, and that it will be in effect during the final days of existence, then it would most certainly apply to all times in between. We know that the Sabbath was in effect on the seventh day of creation. We also see later in this paper that the seventh day Sabbath was in effect until the time of the Resurrection. Lastly, we now clearly see that the Sabbath will be in effect in the Final days. It seems illogical that the God who said “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal 3:6) would simply dismiss the practice of the Sabbath to only the New Testament believers.
The prophet Jeremiah goes onto provide us with some SA in regards to the Sabbath.
Jeremiah 17:21-22 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the SABBATH day, nor bring [it] in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the SABBATH day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the SABBATH day, as I commanded your fathers.
Jeremiah 17:24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the SABBATH day, but hallow the SABBATH day, to do no work therein;
Jeremiah 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the SABBATH day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the SABBATH day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
These verses provide the believers of that time with some SA on how to honor the Sabbath in Jerusalem. In addition, these verses also tell the people of the coming destruction for the dishonoring of the Sabbath. The UP to be taken away from these verses is that God expects us to honor His Sabbath. In some cases He even spells out the certain activities in our everyday lives and how we are to conduct ourselves; much like He did here for his people whom lived in Jerusalem.
The book of Ezekiel provides perhaps one of the best sources in all of scripture in regards to the Sabbath.
Ezekiel 20:12-13 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. 13 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.
Ezekiel 20:16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my SABBATHS: for their heart went after their idols.
Ezekiel 20:20-21 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. 21 Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which [if] a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my SABBATHS: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Ezekiel 20:24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my SABBATHS, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
Ezekiel 22:8 Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my SABBATHS.
Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed [difference] between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my SABBATHS, and I am profaned among them.
Ezekiel 23:38 Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my SABBATHS.
The reason that these verses are such a treasure in all of scripture is that they take us right to the source of Holiness. These verses were spoken through the prophet in the first person narrative. To put it another way; this is God speaking directly through the prophet Ezekiel. What better place to go than to the one who founded the Sabbath when seeking to understand and honor it.
These verses are God recalling for the people in attendance the breaking of His Sabbath. These passages provide us with SA on how the Israelites had formerly broken His holy Sabbath. The UP to learn from these passages is that the eternal God remembers those who desecrate the things that He has deemed holy. The next verses in Ezekiel refer to the duties of the priests and princes of Israel.
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.
Ezekiel 45:17 And it shall be the prince's part [to give] burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the SABBATHS, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
These two verses provide us with SA that was applicable to the priest and the princes in the days of the Israelites return from captivity. Although, they no longer apply to us, we can learn a UP. The UP to learn from this is that God has also set individuals apart from the common or ordinary. This does not mean that God thinks they are better than everyone else, it simply means that God has selected certain individuals to be set apart, and that He has sanctified them unto Himself as holy. Lastly in Ezekiel we see a vision that the Lord had showed him.
Ezekiel 46:1 Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the SABBATH it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
Ezekiel 46:3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the SABBATHS and in the new moons.
The exact explanation of this passage is beyond my skills of interpretation. I am not sure if this is a vision of the temple that was rebuilt and then later destroyed by the Romans in 70AD, or if this is a vision of the temple that will be rebuilt in the last days. Therefore I am unable to draw a UP or a SA from these two passages.
This now leads us to our last scripture in the Old Testament. Much like the previous scripture, this final verse springs forth from a vision. In the book of Amos God had just showed the prophet a vision of some ripe fruit in a basket. The Lord then told Amos that “Like this fruit, Israel is ripe for punishment.” We then go onto read the following verse:
Amos 8:4-5 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Sadly, this verse shows us that a problem existed back then, that still exist today; people are put priority on their honey-do list over what is happening in the now. The UP that this shows us is that God would rather have our love, attention, and honor than our attendance/participation.
This now concludes our Old Testament review of the provided scriptures. It is once again a good point to review since our last pausing point.Bearing in mind our previous pausing point facts, we have gone on to learn that:
7. The Sabbath is a time for repenting, renewing, and restoring.
8. We have learned that these things take action on our behalf.
9. We have learned that the Sabbath is more than going through the motions, it is also more than mere attendance; it is the condition of the heart towards God.
10. We have also learned that God accepts all individuals no matter who they are, and not just His chosen people.
11. In addition, we have learned that the Sabbath is a day that is meant to be spent in adoration and focus of His advancement and not our own.
12. We have also learned that the eternal God remembers those who desecrate the things that He has deemed holy.
13. Lastly, we have answered one of our two questions from the outset of this paper. That truth being is that God has set aside a Sabbath from the dawn of creation, and expects us to Honor, cherish, and keep it until the end of all time. It is holy unto Him and shall forever remain to be so.
With these facts in mind we now turn to our final section of the New Testament in hope of finding out if the switch to Sunday as the Sabbath is valid and what kinds of deeds are permissible. What better person to shed some light on these questions as Jesus Himself.
Matthew 12:1 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. 2 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.
Matthew 12:5 “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?”
Matthew 12:8 “For the Son of man is Lord even of the SABBATH day.”
What has just happened here is that after centuries of the Israelites not doing the right thing on the Sabbath, they have now switched to doing too much, and consequently have missed the whole heart behind the purpose of the Sabbath. Jesus and His disciples were walking through the field on the Sabbath and they were hungry so they grabbed so corn from the fields and ate it. It was not as if they had taken the corn and cooked it. This passage shows a major shift in the Israelites attitude and beliefs towards God’s holy Sabbath. They had shifted into legalism which believed in Salvation through works and not by grace through faith. This same story can be found in the Gospel of Mark and Luke.
Mark 2:23-24 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the SABBATH day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the SABBATH day that which is not lawful?
Mark 2:27-28 And he said unto them, “The SABBATH was made for man, and not man for the SABBATH:” 28 “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the SABBATH.”
Luke 6:1-2 And it came to pass on the second SABBATH after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing [them] in [their] hands. 2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the SABBATH days?
Luke 6:5-6 And he said unto them, “That the Son of man is Lord also of the SABBATH.” 6 And it came to pass also on another SABBATH, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
Jesus then went on to point out the Pharisee’s error in reference to their understanding of the Sabbath. These verses and the combined Gospels teach us three UP that The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. In addition, we are taught that Jesus is the Lord over the Sabbath. Lastly, we are taught that deeds of necessity are permissible on the Sabbath day. Shortly after this incident Jesus goes onto heal a man, and the Pharisee’s were waiting to catch Him in the act. In addition, there were multiple occasions were Jesus healed people on the Sabbath day.
Matthew 12:10-12 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. 11 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? 12 “How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the SABBATH days.”
Mark 3:2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the SABBATH day; that they might accuse him.
Mark 3:4 And he saith unto them, “Is it lawful to do good on the SABBATH days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?” But they held their peace.
Luke 6:7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the SABBATH day; that they might find an accusation against him.
Luke 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, “I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the SABBATH days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy [it]?”
Luke 13:14-16 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the SABBATH day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the SABBATH day. 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, “ [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the SABBATH loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering?” 16 “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the SABBATH day?”
Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the SABBATH day, that they watched him.
Luke 14:3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the SABBATH day?”
Luke 14:5 And answered them, saying, “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the SABBATH day?”
John 5:9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the SABBATH.
John 5:10 The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the SABBATH day: it is not lawful for thee to carry [thy] bed.
John 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the SABBATH day.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the SABBATH, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
John 7:22-23 “Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the SABBATH day circumcise a man.” 23 “If a man on the SABBATH day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the SABBATH day?”
John 9:14 And it was the SABBATH day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
John 9:16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the SABBATH day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
All of these verses of Jesus healing individuals on the Sabbath day of rest teach us a UP. That UP being that deeds of mercy are acceptable in the eyes of the Lord. If the spirit of God decides that He wants to move on a certain day, let no man come between that. Jesus also taught individuals the Word of God on the 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.
Luke 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the SABBATH days.
Luke 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the SABBATH.
These passages teach us the UP that deeds associated with worship are allowed on the Sabbath day as well. This would include activities such as teaching others the word of God on the Sabbath day. The Gospel of Luke provides another example of a deed associated with worship.
Luke 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the SABBATH day according to the commandment.
To summarize, from the four Gospels we can conclude that:
There are certain deeds which are acceptable on the Sabbath day;
14. Deeds of mercy,
15. Deeds of necessity,
16. Deeds that have to do with worship.
We now turn to the remained of the New Testament; in order to hopefully answer the last remaining question of is the Sabbath to be celebrated on Sunday (the 1st day of the week) as compared to Saturday (the seventh day of the week).
The book of Acts goes onto show us that the change was gradual and that the early church still honored the seventh day as the Sabbath for some time.
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.
Acts 13:27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every SABBATH day, they have fulfilled [them] in condemning [him].
Acts 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next SABBATH.
Acts 13:44 And the next SABBATH day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
Acts 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every SABBATH day.
Acts 16:13 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].
Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three SABBATH days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Acts 18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every SABBATH, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
These verses teach us that the honoring of the seventh day was still in effect. Paul was known for not causing others to stumble and for meeting others where they were at.
1 Cor 9:19-23 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
It makes sense that Paul would continue to attend the weekly seventh day Sabbath in order to not become a stumbling block to others. In addition we learn a UP from the above scriptures from the book of Acts. That UP being that the Sabbath is still to be honored throughout all generations. The exact date of that Sabbath we will now address. There are those who will use the following scriptures to argue the exact day that the Sabbath is meant to be observed on.
Romans 14:5-7 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth [it] unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard [it]. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH [days]:
These verses have been the cause of some confusion in regards to the Sabbath, however; a closer look at the context should be taken into account. In the passage from Romans, many have argued that this passage allows believers to choose to celebrate the Sabbath day on any day of their choosing. This is however, not the case, and is not what the passage is in reference to. This passage is referring to the various festivals and Sabbaths throughout the year and is in no way referring to the observance of the weekly Sabbaths. A simple reading of the entire chapter in light of this information would suffice to settle this argument, unless someone is dead set against objectively hearing the information. The UP behind this verse is that there are days that are meant to be spent honoring the Lord.
The verse from Colossians has often been used for the same argument as that for which we have just addressed in Romans. In addition, the same objective reading of the context will answer this erroneous belief. Lastly the UP is the same as that of the Romans passage.
This leads us to the final scriptures that show the observance of the Sabbath on the first day of the week, by the early church.
Acts 20:7 Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.
1 Cor 16:2-3 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
These verses teach us that the gathering of the saints had shifted to the first day of the week within the first century. They started commonly referring to it as the Lords Day. The first day of the week was the Day that the risen Lord first appeared to the disciples and others. Although the observance of the seventh day was still in effect, it gradually shifted to the first day of the week. When John spoke of it in Revelation he wrote of it as if the term was common knowledge to those to whom He was writing.
Although the Bible does not specifically say “Thus shall thou switch the Sabbath day to the first day of the week” it most certainly does show that the practice of gathering together in observance of the Sabbath on the first day had been made. The UP that these additional verses teach us is that the Sabbath is still in effect and still meant for worship and rest.
Conclusion
Upon the reviewing of the all of the provided scriptures and a detailed study of the books that they are located in, it is reasonable to assume the following general Sabbath rules:
1. God has made some days holy and sanctified them as such.
2. God looks at the dishonoring of these holy days as extremely offensive.
3. This is not something that is currently receiving the proper respect and reverence that it deserves.
4. The Sabbath day is a holy day for God and is meant to be spent pursuing Him and not our own selfish desires.
5. God is the ultimate provider, and in His provision has made abundant information on what is and is not acceptable on these holy days.
6. The God who “changes not” has developed the Sabbath since the days of creation, and it is in effect until the final days.
7. In addition, the day of the Sabbath has been allowed to be shifted to the first day of the week; in honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
References
The Bible
Dr. Allen Browns provided scriptures
Dr. Allen Browns thoughts from his paper entitled “The Sabbath and the Christian.”