Sabbath Day

[JackB03]

Hey everyone. Got alittle problem. Ive been reading and studying and finally saw that I was not keeping the Sabbath Day. I talked to my wife about it and said we need to pick a day, that we do not work on, to rest and worship the Lord. I seem to have found out the Christian Sabbath is Saturday, yet the catholics changed it to Sunday.

My wife thinks I am taking it to literal. I am planning on working at a hospital down the street and it requires being called in sometimes. I told my wife that I plan on telling them I wont work on my Sabbath day because I am a Christian. She doesnt agree with me and says doctors still get called in because people are dying.

I read about Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath day. So my wife says that if I get called into work, that will be "helping" someone, just like Jesus did.

I dont know much about the Sabbath day but would really like for me and my family to make a commitment to this. I need more understanding of it. Am I going over the line to tell someone I will not work a certain because Im a Christian or would it be ok to get called in to work on the Sabbath day?

Thank you,
Jack

 

[Aibrean]

Is it better to good, or evil? Sunday bread-breaking is mentioned in the Bible. Catholics never changed the Sabbath, but rather instituted worship on Sunday in celebration of the resurrection (at least I am fairly sure).

I agree with your wife, and if the work you do is for the glory of God (I.e. As a witness) then you are also resting. I suggest you read Romans and Galatians.

And in real world examples, there are SDA hospitals and SDA hospital staff do work on Saturday. In Jewish law (talmund I think it is called) you can work if it is to save a life.

Of course we are not Jewish.

 

[JackB03]

Im just alittle confused. If I work at a hospital and they call me to work on the Sabbath day, wouldnt that be considered work?

 

[JackB03]

Oh, about the Sunday worship. It is said that the Pope is trying to make it mandatory for Sunday worship. Thats why so many people think he is the antichrist, since he is in Vatican.

 

[Aibrean]

What would be a better witness, portraying the love of God and helping people or telling people you can't help people because Christ said you have to go to church (which he didn't). Don't be bound by a box.

Living in the spirit IS doing God's work.

Mark 3:3-5
English Standard Version (ESV)
3And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here." 4And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. 5And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

Hebrews 4
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

 

[JackB03]

Glad you gave me that scripture. Makes alot of sense. Still a newbie so give me some slack lol.... Again, thank you!

Jack

 

[Aibrean]

No problem as I see it the Sabbath day exists but the requirements to keep it have changed.

 

[paul1149]

In my opinion, the RCC did go too far making Sunday worship mandatory, but there is evidence in Acts and Revelation that Sunday was being used as a day of community worship – "the Lord's day" being the day He resurrected.

More important is how we have been told to regard the Sabbath. Jesus in His ministry regularly broke it, and taught so:

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.”

He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.

And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”-so that they might accuse him.

He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. -Matt 12:1-14​

Also, the book of Hebrews is fundamentally about how the new covenant in Christ's blood has superseded the old. Chapter four is a study on entering Christ's rest. The writer concludes his line of reasoning with this:

So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. -Heb 4:9-11​

If you read it in context, you will see that he's saying that the covenant of the letter is gone, having been superseded by the covenant of grace. What now "remains" is a spiritual rest that we can attain to quite independently of what day of the week it may be. Indeed, we are exhorted to abide in this rest, to cease from our own dead works, on a continual basis.

Jesus came to set us free from all the legalism of the old covenant. It may be a good thing to rest the body weekly, and to gain fresh mental perspective. But it's not a good thing to get religious about it.

 

[heymikey80]

Acts 20:7 points out that the church gathered every week, historically.

Looking at historical documents that slender picking is confirmed by a number of sources well before the Roman Catholic church or the Pope was even identified as someone prominent. The Letter of Barnabas and the Didache are both considered to be documents from Christianity's first century. Both identify worship day for Christians as being on Sunday, the day of Jesus' Resurrection. They identify it as "the Lord's Day" in unmistakable terms.

Seventh day worship advocates assert that the Acts 20:7 passage has the church meeting after sundown, which would then be on Sunday by Jewish reckoning. There's some conflict whether this is true in the first place. But the gatherers aren't Jewish, and Scripture identifies the day: it's the first day of the week. Saturday is the seventh day of the week.

There was a time (2d century) when some Christians observed both days, too.

 

[LilLamb219]

Jesus is our Sabbath rest. The sabbath was made for us...not us for a certain day. It's okay to worship on Sunday. It's okay to worship on Saturday too as long as you don't become legalistic about it (my church has Saturday and Sunday services).

 

[Steve Petersen]

Im just alittle confused. If I work at a hospital and they call me to work on the Sabbath day, wouldnt that be considered work?

Even within Judaism, saving/preserving life over rides all commandments except prohibitions against murder, idolatry, and adultery.

 

[Paul.]

I suggest you read Romans and Galatians.

Hebrews 4
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

These are good passages to read on the subject, especially Romans 14. To this list I would also add Acts 15:1-33.

 

[AllisonWells]

Jack,

HalleluYah that He has put this on your heart, and that the SPIRIT is compelling you! I am so glad you are searching this stuff out!!! I hope you find this encouraging and helpful...

For one thing, Yahweh (the LORD) told us that the Sabbath is a perpetual covenant. For instance, look at Ex. 31:13, 16-17. I personally do not believe that Yahweh is a liar, so I believe that when He says something is FOREVER, He means it!

Another thing is that He didn't leave it up to us to choose the day. The Sabbath is the ONLY day Yahweh gave a name to! Unfortunately, when people pick-and-choose the day to observe the Sabbath, they lose some huge pictures He wants us to have (I'd be happy to talk about this with you if you like).

For those who want to tell you that we no longer are to observe the Sabbath, or it isn't important, let me point out a few things...
1. It's one of the ten commandments (but for some reason mainstream Christianity seems to think we should only follow nine of them)
2. Yeshua (Jesus) said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." -John 14:15
3. God said the Sabbath is FOREVER
4. Yeshua (Jesus) said that He didn't come to abolish the Law and the Prophets (see Matt 5:17-20)
5. When Yeshua returns, in the Millennial Kingdom, we will be keeping...the Sabbath! Isaiah 66:23 says, "23And it shall be from new moon to new moon
And from sabbath to sabbath,
All mankind will come to bow down before Me," says the LORD. (The whole chapter is really great.)

As for the claim that Yeshua (Jesus) in His ministry regularly broke the Sabbath, this simply is not true. Remember that Yeshua is sinless! He NEVER broke the Sabbath! I would love to take you step-by-step through every healing He performed on the Sabbath to demonstrate that He was not breaking it. In fact, of course He was healing on the Sabbath!!! The number "seven" represents completion, restoration, and rest. See how this plays out in the story of Naaman's hand being healed (see 2 Kings 5).

To further drive the point home that Yeshua could not break the Sabbath and still be sinless, remember 1 John 3:4-6 (NCV)...
4 The person who sins breaks God's law. Yes, sin is living against God's law. 5 You know that Christ came to take away sins and that there is no sin in Christ. 6 So anyone who lives in Christ does not go on sinning. Anyone who goes on sinning has never really understood Christ and has never known him.

So, those who tell you that He was breaking the Sabbath have taken on the FALSE claims the Pharisees were making about Him, which is very heartbreaking.

Also, the book of Hebrews that is being used to tell you that the Sabbath is trivial is being distorted. Be careful! Some things in Paul's letters are "hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Pet. 3:16; NASB). I strongly recommend reading ALL of Hebrews in ONE sitting, OUT LOUD, and then think of what the overall message was.

But as for the end of Hebrews 3, through chapter 4, there are quite a few things to consider.
The end of chapter 3 (verses 16-19) talk about how Yahweh swore that those who were "disobedient" were not able to enter His rest, and that "we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." Disobedience and unbelief go hand-in-hand. Also, consider that they had the gospel preached to them, just like us (4:2). Why didn't it profit them? Because it was not united by FAITH (also v.2). Yahweh wants to bring us back to the way things were at the beginning. Consider reading ch. 4 as pertaining to the future, a coming day, when everything is complete. For now, we are still to be diligent to enter that rest, and we are NOT to follow the same example of disobedience (see 4:11). There is MUCH more to say about these things...

Whatever you choose to do, do not be compelled by man. Pray for guidance, read the Scripture, and may the SPIRIT compel you, for we are to worship with both Spirit AND Truth! May you act with faith, for just as faith without deeds is dead, so are deeds without faith (see James).

As for working on the Sabbath--working in a Hospital, people will need your help. My husband and I understand this conflict very well, as both of us work in hospitals! No one would EVER say that it is wrong to save a life on the Sabbath. My husband and I both very much prefer to have the Sabbath off, but when we must work, we pray that He is glorified and that we will be lights. Working in hospitals, we personally are mostly conflicted about making money on the Sabbath (this is from scripture that talks about how people shouldn't be working for an advantage on the Sabbath--if you like, we can talk about that further). So, we personally do not want any part with that money, and we donate it to very good charities. These choices are between you and Yahweh, so it's definitely something to pray about.

The "Sunday" issue is a whole other thing! Get a load of this: There are times mentioned in the "New" Testament when followers of Yeshua were worshiping on Sunday (even though it was the custom of Yeshua/Jesus to observe the Sabbath, and we find Him and the followers in Acts in the Synagogues on Sabbath -> See Luke 4:16, Acts 17:2), and guess what? These times are specific, and are straight from the Torah (the Law)! People often point to the Lord's Supper and Resurrection Sunday and say "SEE! THERE IT IS! SUNDAY!" However, to understand what is truly going on, you have to know about Yahweh's Feasts (which, contrary to popular belief, are not "Jewish" feasts; Yahweh says they are His). There are two celebrations in His feasts that occur on Sunday every year. The first I'll mention is the day of First Fruits which is found in the week of Passover on the day following the Sabbath (See Leviticus 23:9-11). Now, something REALLY cool to see is in Luke 23:55 through Luke 24:3. Remember how Yeshua (Jesus) is called the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7)? Well, if you will notice, the Last Supper was actually the Passover Seder (Luke 22:15). Yeshua ate the Passover meal with the twelve, and then began the week of Unleavened Bread/feast of Passover. We just read in Leviticus that during the week of Passover, the day after the Sabbath is the day of First Fruits. Luke 23:53-54 shows that Yeshua/Jesus was buried during the week of Passover on the day before the Sabbath. Luke 23:56 shows that the women who followed Yeshua out of Galilee who would later visit the tomb to discover it empty rested on the Sabbath "according to the commandment." Well, here is the Sabbath, so the next day is First Fruits, and surely enough, in Luke 24:1 the women return on the 'first day of the week (Sunday - The day of First Fruits)' to discover the tomb empty! Do you also remember how Christ is called the "First Fruits" of those who are asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20+23)? Pretty neat, huh

Okay, so that was only the first Sunday observance (which is a Feast), now if you would please bear with me and allow me to continue, let's talk about the other. You probably know about Pentecost in the Church. Pentecost translates to "the fiftieth day." What is it? Where did it come from? Why, what an excellent question! It is another one of Yahweh's feasts, only renamed with a Greek word! It actually is the feast of Shavuot (also sometimes called the Feast of Weeks), and you can find it spelled out in Leviticus 23:15-16. It is called the Feast of Weeks because, as you just read, it involves counting "seven sabbaths," or seven weeks, after the Sabbath that occurs during the week of Passover, and adding one. Ta da! Sunday again! The number of days that you count from the Passover Sabbath to the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) is 50 (7*7+1), hence the word "Pentecost" (in Greek). We see this feast being observed in Acts 2:1, which literally says "when the days were fully counted." Again, you see Paul 'hurrying back to Jerusalem" to be there for the 'day of Pentecost/Shavuot.'

Bottom line: Observing the Feasts does NOT change the fact that the Sabbath is still the Sabbath, and that it is on Saturday!

I fear this is getting a bit long, but I would also really love to address the point that Paul1149 makes, saying that "the covenant of the letter is gone, having been superseded by the covenant of grace" and "Jesus came to set us free from all the legalism of the old covenant." If this is getting ridiculously long, I'm sorry! Perhaps we should break for a cup of coffee and come back after a little while...



Better? I know I am! Phew! Okay, first of all the Law and Grace are not polar opposites. I used to believe this myself, so I understand the position, and I promise, for what it's worth, that it's not true. If you look in your Strong's, the synonyms for "covenant" (1285) are:
• Dabar (1697 – “word&#8221
• Hoq (2706 – “statute&#8221
• Piqqud (6490 – “precepts&#8221
• ‘edah (5715 – “testimony&#8221
• Torah (8451 – “law&#8221
• Checed (2617 – “loving kindness&#8221

I want to point out that "Torah" and "Checed" are listed as synonyms. This is important to realize because "checed" is not only translated as "loving kindness," but is also the word used for "grace!"

This goes into much deeper stuff, and it's truly exciting, but there's much to say and I want to keep things are short as possible! There is a big point I want to draw out at this time: that Yahweh's ways are NOT burdensome. We read in Deut. 30:11-14,

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

Also, when Yahweh brought Israel out of Egypt, listen to what He tells us about what happened in Lev. 26:13 (NASB),
13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so that you would not be their slaves, and I broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

Now, why would He bring us out of slavery, just to put us into slavery?

Please realize that we have ALWAYS been told that we MUST have circumcised hearts to follow Him properly. We read this a few times in the "Old" Testament, one of which is here in Deut. 10:16 (NASB)...
16 So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.

Now, we CANNOT follow Yahweh's/Jesus' ways in the FLESH. We are only able to follow it with the Spirit, for the law is spiritual (see Romans 7:14...14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.)

Now, this is a very important verse. In fact, the rest of Romans 7 and 8 are VERY important to get straight. Do you notice that this verse actually tells you what the bondage/slavery is, and that it isn't the Law of God? It sets two things as opposed to each other: On the one hand, you have the Spirit and the Law of God, and on the other you have Sin/Flesh/the law of sin which means death for us (yes, the law of sin and death is VERY distinct and separate from God's Law). Ok, let's continue: notice in Romans 7:22 and 23 he sets the two natures opposed to each other again:

22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

Then, look at Romans 8:1-2: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus BECAUSE the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Yeshua the Messiah) has set us free from the law of sin and of death. Don't forget Romans 7:14 "we know that the Law is spiritual."

Next stop, Romans 8:4 (paraphrasing) we are to fulfill the requirement of the law because we don't walk according to the flesh (law of sin and death/Lawlessness) but we walk according to the Spirit (again, remember Romans 7:14)

Now, reading from Romans 8:5-9 with the proper context should make sense:
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
What did Yeshua/Jesus do on the cross? Ask any kid who believes in Jesus, and he'll know the answer! He set us free from OUR SINS! Our transgressions were nailed to the cross! Period! Full-stop! He saved us from our own sinful nature and inadequacy, so that we can walk upright like Israel did coming out of Egypt!

We were told that He would give us the Spirit so that we are able to follow Him properly! What is the "new" covenant? In Jeremiah 31:31-33, we read, "31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day 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 to them,” declares the LORD. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (NASB)

Wow! And check out Ezekiel 36:26-27!

26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (NASB)

Okay, this is going to continue to go all over the place, because there is SO MUCH to say on the topics at hand (but they are very fun and important discussions to have!). However, the central point you wanted addressed was the Sabbath. The Bible says that it is a sign that you are following Yahweh, not any other god (see Ex. 31:13), and that it is "forever/perpetual!" On top of that we have found that the Sabbath is truly a delight! It is a wonderful time to physically and spiritually refresh ourselves (myself and family), and keep our focus on Yahweh/Yeshua. Be blessed in your walk of faith, being led by the Spirit of Truth!

-Allison

 

[Aibrean]

...then of course there are those that don't understand what the law is really for - to point us to the gospel.

 

[Steve Petersen]

...then of course there are those that don't understand what the law is really for - to point us to the gospel.

It is also 'useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.'

Fancy that!

 

[Aibrean]

Scripture is...in total context.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Scripture is...in total context.

Which includes the Law, no?

 

[Erik123]

I actually agree with what you just said, Aibrean. What do you make of this?

Revelation 12:17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

and

Revelation 14:12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

If you stop and think about it, this says that Christ has come, died, risen again and we are to hold to His testimony and still be keeping the commandments. It sounds like we are supposed to be holding fast to ALL of scripture, in total context, if you will.

 

[AllisonWells]

HalleluYah Steve! And well said, Erik!

The law is all about Yeshua (Jesus), which He says Himself:

"46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me." -John 5:46

We should actually expect this, since He IS the Word!

Are we the only ones that have received the gospel/good news? Nope. Hebrews 4:2 says,

"2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith."

Who is "they" in that verse--those who heard the gospel but didn't combine their obedience with faith? It was those who came out of Egypt in the desert. The gospel has been given from the beginning. It was taught through the Law and the Prophets. Having Yeshua, who IS the Word (the Law and the Prophets), doesn't mean that suddenly the Law and Prophets have disappeared! His Word is true, eternal, and oh-so-good!!!

 

[JackB03]

So all the people that worship the Lord on Sunday will go to hell for not keeping the commandments?