What is "sabbath"?

[Avonia]

Its not the 18th of June

Except for June 18, 2011 - of course. And other June 18s - periodically.

Oh, the tiny places reduction can take us.

 

[AzA]

Like Israel of old, everyone does that which is 'RIGHT' in his own eyes!

Funny that you reference Judges at this point. The refrain "every man did what was right in his own eyes" is always explained by "In those days Israel had no king."

Is that your solution as well?

 

[Joe67]

When God spoke to Abram/Abraham, then Abraham had sabbath rest.

When God spoke to Job, then Job had sabbath rest.

Today is the day, if you will hear his voice.

Day unto day utters speech. Their voice has gone out into all the world and there is no place where it has not penetrated.

Rom 10:6
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, KJV

Rom 10:8
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; KJV

Rom 10:18
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. KJV

Rom 10:20
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.KJV

Ps 91:1
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.KJV

Ps 46:10
10 Be still, and know that I am God: KJV

Isa 30:15-16
15 For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.

16 But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. KJV

Isa 32:17-18
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; KJV

Gen 2:2-3
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 sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. KJV

When Jesus promises rest for those that labor, he is promising sabbath.

He says, "Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (sabbath)."

Rev 14:13
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.KJV

Ps 23:6
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever KJV

Joe

 

[Restin]

Funny that you reference Judges at this point. The refrain "every man did what was right in his own eyes" is always explained by "In those days Israel had no king."

Is that your solution as well?

Not a good solution, but it does explain what happens when people try to place FORMS on spiritual qualities, it means there is 'no king'...because everyone ends up doing their 'own thing'!

 

[Joe67]

The following testimony of the Spirit of Jesus Christ is a witness of the spiritual nature of sabbath rest, the dying in the Lord whereby we rest from our own works and then the works of God in his grace follow us.

Gal 6:17
17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. KJV

2 Cor 4:10-12
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you. KJV

1 Cor 15:10
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. KJV

Eph 2:10
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV

1 Cor 9:20-21
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. KJV

Rom 6:14
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. KJV

"Sin shall not have dominion over you" is the true Sabbath rest.

Rom 12:20-21
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. KJV

1 Cor 2:5-6
faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, KJV

Joe

 

[Byfaithalone1]

When God spoke to Abram/Abraham, then Abraham had sabbath rest.

When God spoke to Job, then Job had sabbath rest.

Today is the day, if you will hear his voice.

Some wild claims, indeed.

BFA

 

[Byfaithalone1]

You cannot list works to do for the fulfilling of a command that says not to work.

What works would one NOT do? What specific behaviors would one avoid?

BFA

 

[Byfaithalone1]

That was one of the most common reasoning patterns among early Adventists in the 19th Century: if the stakes are high enough, set up an accounting system.

I understand this impulse. But it comes from an imbalanced place.

Sadly, the SDA denomination has never officially abandoned this accounting system. The SDA denomination has never renounced its teaching that the sabbath is the great dividing line between those who receive the seal of God and those who receive the mark of the beast. And yet no one can really explain what sabbath behavior should look like. Instead I am told that we cannot discuss it specifically for such a discussion will lead to dissention and strife. If our salvation depends on human sabbath behavior, shouldn't we be motivated to discuss that behavior in specific terms and identify exactly what it is?

Or, could it be that we all realize that the sabbath could not possibly be the dividing line between those who receive the seal of God and those who receive the mark of the beast?

I realize that you do not accept the party line on this subject, and I'm confident that you already recognize the inconsistency of these teachings. Therefore, in this post, I am likely preaching to the choir.

BFA

 

[Byfaithalone1]

In my mind, the principle of "rest" is a valuable principle. However, the wheels fall off when folks attempt to claim that God has asked Gentiles to observe a weekly cycle of rest that occurs on the same day each week. I take no issue with those who find value in such a weekly cycle, but I find no reason to follow it myself. And, even if I wanted to follow it, this thread offers no information regarding how to follow it.

Further, I suspect that the principle of rest runs much deeper than an avoidance of physical labor.

I think we should keep the Sabbath how we think it is right, and not judge anyone else about it! (That would be revolutionary in the Adventist church!)

Agreed. For the SDA denomination teaches that it is the basis by which God will judge those who are alive immediately prior to His second coming.

For example When I was travelling in Asia, I took a taxi to go to church. But others wouldnt. So who is better the one pays for a taxi on the Sabbath day or the one doesnt? (thats basically what it sums up as.

Thanks for acknowledging this reality. It seems to me that behavior that is called "sabbath keeping" varies so widely that one could not recognize one extreme as being even remotely consistent with the other.

The Sabbath day is Saturday.

This is quite a claim. We do know and I would certainly agree that the sabbath given to Israelites was observed by Israelites on the seventh day. Your statement includes the assumption that the sabbath was given to Gentiles and continues to have relevance for every person today. I see no basis for such a conclusion, but I certainly respect the fact that you do.

Its not the 18th of June or monday or what ever. God assigned a day for us to rest on.

For us?

BFA

 

[Byfaithalone1]

Previously asked question by BFA: Do non-sabbatarians ever receive God's rest and, if they do, what is at the core of that rest?

Is anyone willing to tackle this question?

BFA

 

[Restin]

Previously asked question by BFA

Do non-sabbatarians ever receive God's rest and, if they do, what is at the core of that rest?

Is anyone willing to tackle this question?

BFA

First...According as I read scripture, I am given to see that 'Gentiles', and the 'uncircumcision' are the same as you call 'non-sabbatarians'....ok..?

Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God,
which shall justify the circumcision by faith,
and uncircumcision through faith. KJV

Re: the core of that rest...'FAITH'

Oh yes...you may not be connecting Rom 3:30 'shall justifify' with 'rest' or 'sabbath'!

That is the beauty of justification. Rest from all those things that condemn and separate us from God...now you/we are at 'peace with God' ...Wonderful!

 

[solja247]

Except for June 18, 2011 - of course. And other June 18s - periodically.

Oh, the tiny places reduction can take us.

I was just using an example.

Thanks for acknowledging this reality. It seems to me that behavior that is called "sabbath keeping" varies so widely that one could not recognize one extreme as being even remotely consistent with the other.

But is there still a right and a wrong way in keeping the Sabbath?

 

[solja247]

This is quite a claim. We do know and I would certainly agree that the sabbath given to Israelites was observed by Israelites on the seventh day. Your statement includes the assumption that the sabbath was given to Gentiles and continues to have relevance for every person today.

Not every person, every Christian. If we look at Sabbath through history. The Ethopians, the st Thomas Christians, some Neostrian, Assyrians, Persians etc. were all keeping the Sabbath.


"For although almost all churches throughout The World celebrated the sacred mysteries (the Lord's Supper) on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Allexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, refuse to do this." The footnote which accompanies the foregoing quotation explains the use of the word "Sabbath." It says: "That is, upon the Saturday. It should be observed, that Sunday is never called "the Sabbath' by the ancient Fathers and historians." Socrates
I have done a lot of searching for the Sabbath in history. Some allegations are false. (The Waldensian did NOT keep the Sabbath)

Do non-sabbatarians ever receive God's rest and, if they do, what is at the core of that rest?

Yes they do but they dont enter;

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

The word rest is sabbatismos which means Sabbath.

 

[Byfaithalone1]

Yes they do but they dont enter.

Can we chew on this idea for a moment - - one does not enter the rest that Christ offers by keeping the law - - would you agree?

BFA

 

[Joe67]

Don't exclude the following Scripture. Let each thought and counter thought witnessed in Scripture have their weight.

Rom 2:13
13(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. KJV

There are other Scriptures concerning various facets of law that counter/expand this witness in Romans 2:13.

There are at least three other forms of law witnessed in Romans other than the law that says, "You shall not..."

Joe

 

[kenblaster5000]

Sabbath is like entering into the Lord's rest. Permanently stopping what plans we have to do and doing everything to Him. It is a surrender to Jesus Christ. Taking His yoke upon us and doing what He has ordained us to do. To me, the sabbath is not a given day, but entering into His rest. Be blessed.

 

[solja247]

Can we chew on this idea for a moment - - one does not enter the rest that Christ offers by keeping the law - - would you agree?

I thought I answered to this, my bad.

Last Sabbath school I said: We keep the law because we love God, as it says; 'If you love me you will keep my commands' therefore if you find it a burden to keep God's commands, dont keep them. Work on the Sabbath, murder people (just kidn, you will go to jail!) do whatever you want.

Thats a hard question. The Sabbath is a beautiful day of rest. I am going to say yes and no.

Sabbath is like entering into the Lord's rest. Permanently stopping what plans we have to do and doing everything to Him. It is a surrender to Jesus Christ. Taking His yoke upon us and doing what He has ordained us to do. To me, the sabbath is not a given day, but entering into His rest. Be blessed.

I challenge you to show me this...

 

[kenblaster5000]

I thought I answered to this, my bad.

Last Sabbath school I said: We keep the law because we love God, as it says; 'If you love me you will keep my commands' therefore if you find it a burden to keep God's commands, dont keep them. Work on the Sabbath, murder people (just kidn, you will go to jail!) do whatever you want.

Thats a hard question. The Sabbath is a beautiful day of rest. I am going to say yes and no.



I challenge you to show me this...

I show you with my life. I live my life for Jesus Christ. I meditate on His word all day long. I have the Spirit of God within me.

Matthew 11:28-30
28. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

 

[solja247]

To me, the sabbath is not a given day, but entering into His rest. Be blessed.

I like this idea. but the Sabbath is a day. Not n event, a person. Its a day.

I show you with my life. I live my life for Jesus Christ. I meditate on His word all day long. I have the Spirit of God within me.

Matthew 11:28-30
28. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I should of a been a bit more specific. sorry.

 

[k4c]

To those who have ears to hear.

The rest we receive from Jesus has to do with not having to run around trying to make ourselves acceptable to God. We are acceptable to God in Christ, which brings rest but this does not mean we can now break God's Law.

The fourth commandment Sabbath rest and the rest that Jesus gives us are two different words which carry two different thoughts and meanings.

The rest that Jesus gives us from trying to be acceptable to God is the word (anapano) but the rest of the fourth commandment, of which is a literal day where I am to make my sons, daughts, my male and female servants, my working farm animals and even the stranger within my gate cease from secular labor in honor of God's holy day, is the word (sabbaton). I cannot make my sons, my daughters, my servants, my farm animals or even strangers enter into the rest Jesus gives us. They are two different things.