I recognize our modern society has abandoned values of the sabbath in favour of technology and convenience. they have created manpowered systems that work over the sabbath that most simply accept and treat as any other day.
Societies have always abandoned the values of the Christ's Sabbaths in favor of technology and convenience. What does it mean to fast from the world on this day? For one, it means 52 days a year in which you don't make any money. And the Society I was born into pays time and a half for working on God's Holy Sabbath much of the time. That would be pretty "inconvenient" wouldn't it?
But what are the values of God's Sabbaths? Why is it so important to HIM? What is it about this One Commandment that most religious men Hate so much they will do almost anything to avoid it, pollute it, reject it?
Have you ever asked yourself why the Jews, Universal Christian church, Atheists, Secularists, ALL stand together in perfect union against this ONE Commandment JESUS singled out as a Commandment made specifically for men?
There are some groups that have taken more extreme stances and have rejected the advancements and choose to live in their own off the gird communities. The church has not responded or has not responded enough and cultural creep has overpowered the more traditional values that we no longer even question these things.
So in your religious philosophy, what was the reason why Israel Polluted God's Holy Sabbaths? Did the "Church" not respond enough in their time as well?
Jer. 6:
16 Thus saith the LORD, (Word of God which became Flesh) Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
How is it any different today? The Christ has delivered the Oracles of God into every home in America, every religious hand in this land, even your hands, Jesus has delivered the Oracles of God into. How can you say the Christ's Church has not responded?
those initial 85 people that first received power would be indeed in violation of sabbath law if they use the electricity during the sabbath and it was a manpowered system. I really can't answer that but those would be the conditions. And previous to electricity the same would apply to any person that engages in a manpowered system over the sabbath. it's not about electricity itself is not keeping sabbath law (which is silly) it's about causing other people the sabbath to work to supply that power.
So then, in your religious philosophy, if I disconnected power from my house on the Sabbath, the power grid would stop producing power, and those other people would go home and Honor God in His Sabbath. In other Word's, it is those who have submitted themselves to God and His Instruction, as best they can in the Lands they were born into, that are the reason why this world pollutes and rejects God's Sabbaths.
So then, if we would only live in darkness and cold on the Sabbath in these modern times, the whole country would stop polluting and rejecting God's Sabbaths.
I don't find that message anywhere in the Holy Scriptures. but i do find this message.
Matt. 24:
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I (Jesus) am Christ; and shall deceive many.
So these deceivers, do you believe Jesus is telling me that they are tricking men into honoring and obeying the God of the Bible as those examples of Faithful men did? Or is Jesus warning me about religious men who come in HIS Name, who are they tricking men to reject and omit God's instructions?
Israel was a closed community (with some exceptions) and so it was important to declare that Sabbath was to be follow not just by individuals but everyone under the household including animals and also foreigners "in your gates". This was an opportunity for those foreigners to experience God's Sabbath which is something outside the gates they would not experience. This the value to extended it to foreigners is to ensure foreigners were recipients as well to the fruits of the Sabbath.
Again, this is your religious philosophy. You provide no Word's of God, only the imaginations of your own mind. When I ask God about His Sabbaths and foreigners, here is what HE says.
Is. 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;
7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
The reason why I replied to your post in the first place is because your "voice" and the Word's of God contradict each other. We have been warned about this "other voice" from the very beginning of the Gospel of Christ. I am hoping you might consider the source of much of your religious philosophy, and consider that maybe God does know best. Maybe HE knew I would be born into a time where homes are hooked up to an electric grid on the day Ge created His Holy Sabbath. Maybe HIS definition and explanation of HIS Sabbath is TRUTH, while yours is just another wind of doctrine taken from the hundreds of "ministers of righteousness" Paul and the Bible warns about over and over and over.
Just a thought.
Today, Israel is all believers and it is not a closed community. we are scattered in all lands across all systems and cultures and invite all to participate. We don't have gates and foreigners are no longer within them (we are in their gates) but this doesn't mean we forget about them. This is partly why the Sabbath law is no longer compatible with modern systems. We cannot simply translate what a "foreigner" looks like and if they are in our gates or not. There are no gates and the law very clearly is written within the context of communities that are centred around this law. But yet the foreigners around us still need God's sabbath.
Religious men of the world have always taught God's Sabbath was not compatible with their religious systems. This is simply Biblical Truth. Ignoring this Truth doesn't make it void.
This is the point of the Sabbath as God's rest is God's salvation. The good we are to do is not pulling sheep out of pits but instead rescuing fallen souls by showing God's glory in all opportunities. If this is done it doesn't matter if your lights are on or off, or if you are at the office or reheating your meal you made yesterday. God's glory can be shown and we can spread his rest. If this is good this keeps the Sabbath and is better than counting what systems work and what systems don't work.
forget about the systems and just do good.
From my perspective this gospel is the same as the other voice in the garden that convinced Eve God's Commandment wasn't compatible with her life. Don't rely on God to define what is "Good" and what is not, free yourself from the bounds of God's Definition, and define "good" from the imaginations of your own mind.
Don't listen to the Word's of God, they are not compatible in modern society.
Yours is a popular religious philosophy, but is nothing new. It's been around since the very beginning.
We will not come to an agreement here it seems. I am not willing to "omit" God's Word's just to belong to a popular religious franchise, and you are not willing to accept Every Word of God as Truth for HIS new Covenant Church.
Eph. 2:
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
I believe God is the Creator and definer of that which is Good. And I believe the Holy Scriptures are where we find His Definitions.
As the Word's of the Christ Himself tells me.
Luke 16:
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.