Hello brother Dan, some comments for your consideration below.
The word "Sabbath" first appears in Exodus 16:23 - Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning. Sabbath keeping with all it's rules and regulations, was part of a covenant with Israel (Exodus 16:23, 29; 31:12-18; 35:1-3; Leviticus 19:30; 23:2-3, 32; Numbers 15:32-36; 28:1-10; 29:39-40; I Chronicles. 23:30-31; II Chronicles 31:2-4; Isaiah 1:13; Amos 8:5; Nehemiah 10:31) that is not binding on Christians in the New Testament.
Well I liked all the scriptures you provided brother and enjoyed reading everything here until we get to the very last section which are
only your words and not scripture where you say two things.
1. "Sabbath keeping with all it's rules and regulations, was part of a covenant with Israel" and
2. "The Sabbath is not binding on Christians in the New Testament".
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So your argument here is that God's 4th commandment SABBATH is 1. only for ISRAEL and 2. Not binding on christians in the New Testament. So brother if you do not mind I would like to bring this to the light of God's WORD to see if there is any truth in these claims as it it written in JOHN 3:16-21; ROMANS 3:4 because only God's WORD is true and we should believe and follow it over the teachings and traditions of men that break the commandments of God ACTS 5:29
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Q1. IS THE SABBATH ONLY FOR GOD'S ISRAEL?
A1. ABSOLUTELY! God's WORD is for all of ISRAEL! HOWEVER, what needs to be determined is WHO is ISRAEL in the NEW COVENANT as this brings us to the light of God's WORD and helps us to see what it is in God's WORD that is for Christians today.
Q2. WHO IS GOD'S ISRAEL UNDER THE
NEW COVENANT?
A2. The
name "Israel" is only a name given by God himself to represent his people. The origin of the name "Israel" come from
Genesis 32:28 where Jacob wrestled with the Angel and prevailed ...for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. Its meaning is his posterity will rule as God. Jacob had 12 sons representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
ISRAEL (God’s new name given to Jacob) had 12 sons which make up the 12 tribes of ISRAEL
GENESIS 35:22-26 [22], ... Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: [23], The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun: [24], The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: [25], And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: [26], And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddanaram.
God’s promise of the NEW COVENANT is to ISRAEL…
JEREMIAH 31:31-34 [31], Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: [32], Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband unto them, says the LORD: [33], But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34], And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
144, 000 Come out of the 12 tribes of ISRAEL…
REVELATION 7:3-8 [3], Saying,
Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. [4], And I heard the number of them who were sealed: and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand
of all the tribes of the children of Israel. [5], Of the tribe of
Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Gad were sealed twelve thousand. [6], Of the tribe of
Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe
of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. [7], Of the tribe
of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. [8], Of the tribe of
Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Now we have shown the origin of the name ISRAEL let's look at the scripture in detail in the NEW TESTAMENT scripture to see who God's ISRAEL is...
EPHESIANS 2:11-13 [11], Why remember, that you being in
TIME PAST Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12], That AT THAT TIME [in the Past] YOU WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANT OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD: [13], BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, YOU WHO WERE FAR OFF ARE MADE NEAR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
GALATIANS 3:28-29 [28], THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: FOR YOU ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS AND IF YOU BE CHRISTS, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS [29], and IF YOU BE CHRISTS, THEN ARE YOU ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE.
God's true ISRAEL in the NEW COVENANT are not by name only but all those in Christ. Those of the FLESH (sinful human nature) are not Abrahams seed but those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God in Christ are God's ISRAEL...
ROMANS 9:6-8 [6], FOR THEY ARE NOT ALL ISRAEL WHICH ARE OF ISRAEL,: [7], NEITHER, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, ARE THEY ALL CHILDREN: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called <Christ> [8], That is, THEY WHICH ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FLESH, THESE ARE NOT THE CHILDREN OF GOD: BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE <those who believe> ARE COUNTED FOR THE SEED.
God's ISRAEL are all those in CHRIST that have been given a NEW HEART according to the NEW COVENANT promise...
ROMANS 2:28-29 [28], FOR HE IS NOT A JEW WHICH IS ONE OUTWARDLY; NEITHER IS THAT CIRCUMCISION, WHICH IS OUTWARDS IN THE FLESH: [29], BUT HE IS A JEW WHICH IS ONE INWARDLY; and CIRCUMCISION IS OF THE HEART, IN THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE LETTER; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
In the NEW COVENANT all those in Christ are are God's ISRAEL...
COLOSSIANS 3:11 [11], WHERE THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: BUT CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL.
ROMANS 10:11-13 [11], For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12], FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW OR GREEK: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13], FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.
The New Covenant is for God's Israel...
EZEKIEL 36:26-27 [26], A NEW HEART WILL I GIVE YOU, AND A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU; AND I WILL TAKE AWAY THE STONY HEART OUT OF YOUR FLESH, AND GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH. [27], AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, AND CAUSE YOU TO WALK IN MY STATUTES AND YOU SHALL KEEP MY JUDGEMENTS AND DO THEM.
and again...
JEREMIAH 31:33-34 [33], BUT THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH
THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; After those days, says the LORD, I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS,AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34], And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, says the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Paul proclaims it here...
HEBREWS 8:10-12 [10], BUT THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE
HOUSE OF ISRAEL; After those days, says the LORD, I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEARTS; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: [11], And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. [12], For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
The NEW COVENANT is for GOD'S ISRAEL which represent those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God’s WORD.
If you are not part of GOD'S ISRAEL then you are not a part of the NEW COVENANT (
Hebrews 8:10-12).
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CONCLUSION: God's ISRAEL is the name given by God to all those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW his WORD. GENTILES are now grafted in. If you are not a part of the God's ISRAEL then you have no part in the NEW COVENANT.
GOD'S ISRAEL ARE ALL THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND FOLLOW GOD'S WORD (The Church)
So no brother MMD God's WORD does not agree with you here. Please look at the scriptures provided only as a help to you brother.
Now if every man from Adam to Moses kept the Sabbath, why is the Hebrew word for the weekly Sabbath found in the Ten Commandments, never found in the book of Genesis?
Well I do not know if every man from ADAM to MOSES kept the SABBATH as many people did not follow GOD or his WORD after ADAM. God has always had a people however that have followed him according to all the light of his Word that had been revealed to them weather that was shared by word of mouth or the word of God *ROMANS 10:17.
Now to your question ...
Q3. "Why is the HEBREW word SABBATH not being found in the book of GENESIS?"
A3. Good question let's take a look at it. GENESIS 2:1-3 is the
ORIGIN of the SABBATH and says..
GENESIS 2:1-3 [1], Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
[2], And
ON THE SEVENTH DAY God ended his work which he had made; and he
RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY from all his work which he had made. [3], And
GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY, and made it HOLY <the 7th day>: because that in it he had
RESTED from all his work which God created and made.
The ROOT word used for SABBATH found in EXODUS is found in GENESIS which is also the ORIGIN of when the SABBATH was made in the creation week. The HEBREW word RESTED in GENESIS 2:2-3 is the root word of SABBATH.
REST = SHABATH שׁבת (
H7373) this is the root word for
SABBATH which is שׁבּת SHABBATH (
H7676). Although REST (SHABATH) is the root word for SABBATH (SHABBATH) they are different HEBREW words and they have different meanings.
The difference between these is this...
REST SHABATH שׁבת (H7373) A primitive root; to repose, that is, desist from exertion; used in many implied relations (causatively, figuratively or specifically): - (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause (make) to fail,
keep sabbath, suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.
NOTE: This word is the
resting or the keeping of the SABBATH now look at the meaning of the word SABBATH..
SABBATH SHABBATH שׁבּת (H7676) Intensive from H7673;
intermission, that is, (specifically) the Sabbath: - (+ every) sabbath.
NOTE: While the root word means
rest and keeping the SABBATH the HEBREW word for SABBATH in God's 4th commandments means
from one SABBATH to ANOTHER or from one rest to another.
ANSWER: The commandment to keep the SABBATH every Sabbath cannot be given before the SABBATH has been made, BLESSED, MADE HOLY and SET APART by God's WORD.
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More to come...