[POLL] Should Christians Rest and Keep Holy the Sabbath Day?

[listed]

First, did Jesus fulfill the law?

Yes.

Second, what is the method of keeping God's law which is written on our hearts and revealed by the Holy Spirit?

Love.

Seems that for some the HS may call them to keep the intent of the sabbath. And others may not have that constraint based on the things the HS is doing in their spiritual formation at a particular time.

 

[Hammster]

No. I'm just saying that Jesus has not yet brought about a New Heavens and New Earth. Since the Sabbath command ultimately points to that, it's not yet fulfilled. We still need to observe it in preparation for that day.

In what way do we "need to"?

 

[Tree of Life]

In what way do we "need to"?

We need it for our spiritual health. If we don't observe the Sabbath command then our faith will be severely injured.

We also need it for conscience sake. If we don't observe the Sabbath command then we are rebelling against the Lord and need his forgiveness. We need to repent.

I'm not about to say that someone who lives the life of a Sabbath-breaker is automatically condemned. Faith in Christ is what saves. Yet true faith will produce obedience and the Sabbath command is just as much an obedience issue as the adultery command.

 

[listed]

Deuteronomy 4:6 says that the nations will be amazed by Israel's Law.

Deuteronomy
5 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

Deuteronomy
4 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

4 But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

12 And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Zechariah 4:16-17 says that one day all nations will worship according to Israel's Law.

First of all there is no such passage in Zechariah.

1 Kings 10:24 says that the whole earth sought to hear Solomon's wisdom.

So what. Your point is unstated and most likely unprovable of it relates to the topic.

 

[listed]

This is exactly what the author of Hebrews says in Hebrews 4.

Both oft he passages I presented violate your idea of Matthew 5.

 

[Tree of Life]

Deuteronomy
5 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

3 The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

Deuteronomy
4 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

4 But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

12 And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

13 And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Love these verses!

First of all there is no such passage in Zechariah.

Sorry I mistyped. Zechariah 14:16-17.

So what. Your point is unstated and most likely unprovable of it relates to the topic.

The point is that at the height of the Solomonic Kingdom, Israel was beginning to fulfill its purpose as being a light to the nations and drawing the nations to the worship of Yahweh. This would imply that the Law given to Israel is meant, ultimately, to be a light to all nations.

 

[Tree of Life]

Both oft he passages I presented violate your idea of Matthew 5.

I love Matthew 5! I haven't mentioned it yet though... How do you know what my idea of Matthew 5 is?

 

[Hammster]

We need it for our spiritual health. If we don't observe the Sabbath command then our faith will be severely injured.

We also need it for conscience sake. If we don't observe the Sabbath command then we are rebelling against the Lord and need his forgiveness. We need to repent.

I'm not about to say that someone who lives the life of a Sabbath-breaker is automatically condemned. Faith in Christ is what saves. Yet true faith will produce obedience and the Sabbath command is just as much an obedience issue as the adultery command.

I was asking in what way, not why.

 

[Tree of Life]

I was asking in what way, not why.

Then I suppose I don't understand the question.

 

[listed]

Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the only way to be saved.

Why is this not evidenced?

 

[listed]

Yeah, mainly salvation.

Isn't this what is being implied here?

 

[Tree of Life]

I was asking in what way, not why.

If you're asking "how do we need to celebrate the Sabbath?" Then I would say that we need to sanctify one day a week to cease from normal labor, to meet with a church body for public worship, and to devote the day to the worship of God.

 

[listed]

Love these verses!



Sorry I mistyped. Zechariah 14:16-17.

The passage doesn't say anything about the sabbath.

The point is that at the height of the Solomonic Kingdom, Israel was beginning to fulfill its purpose as being a light to the nations and drawing the nations to the worship of Yahweh. This would imply that the Law given to Israel is meant, ultimately, to be a light to all nations.

This doesn't mean keeping the law given to Israel.

 

[listed]

I love Matthew 5! I haven't mentioned it yet though... How do you know what my idea of Matthew 5 is?

I've been here awhile.

 

[Tree of Life]

The passage doesn't say anything about the sabbath.

No it's talking about the broader category of the Law. If the nations are to fulfill the Law then the Sabbath would certainly be included.

This doesn't mean keeping the law given to Israel.

Why not?

 

[listed]

Something that is holy is set apart for a specific purpose, but in order for there to be something that is set apart, there also needs to be something that it is set apart from, so the Sabbath is holy because it is set apart by God from the other days for a specific purpose. According to Matthew 11:28-30 and Jeremiah 6:16-19, God's Law is the good way where we will find rest for our souls.

And you referenced Matthew 11:28-30.

 

[listed]

No it's talking about the broader category of the Law. If the nations are to fulfill the Law then the Sabbath would certainly be included.



Why not?

Why does it? It's your point not mine.

 

[Tree of Life]

Why does it? It's your point not mine.

The point of the text is to show that the nations are coming to Israel and that Israel is fulfilling its function as a light to the nations and a blessing to the nations. God promised Abraham that his seed would bless all families of the earth (Genesis 12).

If the nations are coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon then they are coming to hear God's Law. The wisdom of Solomon is based upon the Law of God and inseparably connected to it. As Solomon says in Proverbs 1:7 - The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge.

All of this suggests that Israel, as a light to the nations, was meant to embody God's Law and thus attract the nations to the God of Israel so that they, too, would enter into covenant relationship with Yahweh.

All of this is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who rules over the nations and administers the law of the kingdom of God through the church.

 

[Steve Petersen]

[Staff edit].

'Fulfill' the law is a term found repeatedly in ancient Jewish writings. It is not used in the sense of 'fill up', but 'to do' and 'to keep' the law. Here are a few examples:

If the Sanhedrin gives a decision to abolish (uproot, la'akor) a law, by saying for instance, that the Torah does not include the laws of Sabbath or idolatry, the members of the court are free from a sin offering if they obey them; but if the Sanhedrin abolishes (la'akor) only one part of a law but fulfills (lekayem) the other part, they are liable. - Mishnah, Horayot 1:3

If this is how you act, you have never in your whole life fulfilled the requirement of dwelling in a sukkah! - Mishnah, Sukkot 2:7

Whoever fulfills the Torah when poor will in the end fulfill it in wealth. And whoever treats the Torah as nothing when he is wealthy in the end will treat it as nothing in poverty - Mishnah, Avot 4:9
For more, see J. B. Lightfoots Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica on Matthew 5.

 

[Hammster]

If you're asking "how do we need to celebrate the Sabbath?" Then I would say that we need to sanctify one day a week to cease from normal labor, to meet with a church body for public worship, and to devote the day to the worship of God.

Okay, I'm good with that.