Hi everyone, I'm looking for information you might have gained on what the truth behind the day of rest is. Is it Sunday? What are we actually supposed to do on Sabbath? Should we really stay home and rest and do nothing? And what about the scripture in the NT when Jesus describes the Sabbath as being made for man and not the other way around? If the Sabbath isn't Sunday how do we find out when it actually is, I've heard accounts of people saying Sabbath is Saturday, others have said its tied to the moon cycle somehow.... any answers would be greatly appreciated!
Hi brother Justbreathing, big welcome to CF here and so great to meet you
Firstly, I would like to say before sharing anything with you here that it is wise when seeking God's truth through his Word to prayerfully ask JESUS for his Spirit to be your guide and teacher. Here are a few promises to get you started here in *JOHN 14:26; 16:13: 7:17.
God's promises are conditional of course of continuing in his Word *JOHN 8:31-36. We can only find God's truth as we seek it through God's WORD because JESUS is the truth *JOHN 14:6. God's promise to be our teacher is part of the NEW COVENANT promise *HEBREWS 8:11 so if you have faith in God's WORD and genuinely wish to know God's truth God's promise is that he will be your teacher IF you CONTINUE in his Word.
For me regarding God's 4th Commandment start off by reading what God's 4th commandment says..
HOW DO WE KEEP THE SABBATH?
WHAT DOES GOD'S 4TH COMMANDMENT SAY?
EXODUS 20:8-11
[8], Remember the SABBATH DAY, to KEEP IT HOLY. <Why?> Because God made it Holy for mankind and commands us to keep it as a Holy day)
[9], Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
[10], 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: <WHY>
[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, and HALLOWED IT.
WHAT DAY IS GOD'S SABBATH?
v10 The SEVENTH DAY of the week. (Saturday)
WHEN DOES THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK START?
GENESIS 1:4-5
[4], And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
[5], And God called the
light Day, and the
darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
A day in God's time is the night (darkness) and the light make up one day. The DAY in God's WORD starts at SUNSET and ends the following SUNSET. So God's 4th Commandment Sabbath would start Friday at SUNSET and end Saturday at SUNSET.
ALL UNECCESSARY WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE FRIDAY SUNSET
EXODUS 16:22-23
[22], And it came to pass, that
on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
[23], And he said to them, This is that which the LORD has said,
To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath to the LORD: bake that which you will bake to day, and seethe that you will seethe; and that which remains over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
MARK 15:42, And now when the
even was come, because
it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath
The preparation day is the
6th day of the week. This includes preparing to stop all business and secular work as well as any domestic work; cooking, cleaning; shopping, buying and selling that can be done on any other day of the week.
IT IS LAWFUL TO DO GOOD ON THE SABBATH?
MATTHEW 12:5-12
[5], Or have you not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
[6], But I say to you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
[7], But if you had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.
[8],
For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day
[9], And when he was departed from there, he went into their synagogue:
[10], And, behold, there was a man who 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?
Therefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
MARK 2:27, And he said unto them,
The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath
It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
WHAT IS LAWFUL ON GOD'S SABBATH?
1. Remembering the creator and his creation (Exod 20:8-11)
2. Rest from all unnecessary work (Ecodus 20:10-11)
3. Doing good (Matt 12:12)
4. Prayer (Acts 16:13; Matt 21:13)
5. Worship the creator (
Isaiah 58:13-14; Exodus 34:14; 1KING 9:6; Revelation 14:6-12)
Song, praise, bible study, helping others, preaching the gospel, resting, prayer, seeking God, remembering the creator and his creation. Walking in nature, going to church with like minded believers. (too many scriptures)
WHAT IS NOT LAWFUL ON GOD'S SABBATH?
WORK; all business and secular work as well as any domestic work; cooking, cleaning; shopping, buying and selling that can be done on any other day of the week and anything to do with work (
Exodus 20:8-11; Exodus 16:22-23; Matthew 21:13).
.............
There is no purpose in FOLLOWING any of God's LAWs including the SABBATH if it is NOT done through FAITH that works by LOVE because it is ONLY as GOD writes his LAW to LOVE then we can take up our beds to follow him. LOVE is the fulfilling of GOd's LAW in those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God's WORD (Romans 13:8-10; Ephesians 2:8) and is why JESUS says; IF you LOVE me keep my commandments *John 14:15.
There are other threads and topics here. Make God your trust and guide however. You will only find JESUS and his truth through his WORD.
God bless brother and welcome again.
