What is the purpose of the Sabbath?

Danthemailman

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Hebrews 8:10 and Jeremiah 31:33, the error appears not to be with me.

Grace is not a license to sin as we sin in Romans 6.

Jesus quotes from the Ten Commandments because breaking any of them is still a sin Romans 7:7, Romans 3:20, 1 John 3:4 and in danger of judgement James 2:10-12, Revelation 11:19, Matthew 5:21 Hebrews 10:26-30 without repentance and turning from sin. Jesus quotes we are to keep the least of the commandments Matthew 5:19, which means all of them. Right now we have time to repent and turn from sin and walk in Christ. Jesus provides us the Holy Spirit so we can keep the commandments. John 14:15-18. And the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey. Acts 2:38 Acts 5:32. We are saved by grace since we all have sinned as it is God's gift, but living in grace does not mean living in sin.
So according to you, repent means to completely stop sinning and flawlessly obey all 10 commandments? How is that working out for you? Do you claim to be sinless, without fault or defect, flawless, 100% of the time, exactly like Jesus?
 
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Danthemailman

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Yes it does if it changes the meaning, which is something you seem to be doing.

I have no issue with the new moon on the New Earth and it changes not that we will be worshipping the Lord from one Sabbath to another, thus saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:23
Isaiah 66:23 simply teaches that from month to month and from week to week, God’s people will worship Him. In the new heaven and new earth, we read there we will have no need of the sun or moon, there will be no night there, but one perpetual day and the glory of God will illuminate it. (Revelation 21:23-25). How then could there be a cycle of seven days that would allow for literally keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law?

New moons require night, hence sabbatarians have night in heaven, yet there is no day and night cycles in heaven. You cannot have "new moon to new moon" or "sabbath days" without day and night, so your argument is moot. The Isaiah passage simply means that God’s people will perpetually worship Him in contrast to keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law.

Will there be Levitical priests in the new heaven? If Isaiah 66:23 teaches that we will be observing the weekly sabbath day and new moons in the new heaven and new earth, then it also teaches in Isaiah 66:21 that the Levitical priests will be in the new heaven, because it is also mentioned. What happened to the Levitical priesthood under the new covenant terms? Priesthood changed so did the law. Hebrews 7:12 - For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. *The old and new covenants do not mix.”
 
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SabbathBlessings

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So according to you, repent means to completely stop sinning and flawlessly obey all 10 commandments? How is that working out for you? Do you claim to be sinless, without fault or defect, flawless, 100% of the time, exactly like Jesus?
When Jesus healed someone did He say “go sin no more”, or go and sin a little?

I don’t believe that our sin is greater than our God or that He would ask us to do something that is impossible to do.

For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
 
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SabbathBlessings

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Isaiah 66:23 simply teaches that from month to month and from week to week, God’s people will worship Him. In the new heaven and new earth, we read there we will have no need of the sun or moon, there will be no night there, but one perpetual day and the glory of God will illuminate it. (Revelation 21:23-25). How then could there be a cycle of seven days that would allow for literally keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law?

New moons require night, hence sabbatarians have night in heaven, yet there is no day and night cycles in heaven. You cannot have "new moon to new moon" or "sabbath days" without day and night, so your argument is moot. The Isaiah passage simply means that God’s people will perpetually worship Him in contrast to keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law.

Will there be Levitical priests in the new heaven? If Isaiah 66:23 teaches that we will be observing the weekly sabbath day and new moons in the new heaven and new earth, then it also teaches in Isaiah 66:21 that the Levitical priests will be in the new heaven, because it is also mentioned. What happened to the Levitical priesthood under the new covenant terms? Priesthood changed so did the law. Hebrews 7:12 - For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. *The old and new covenants do not mix.”
This is easy to address and will do a little later this morning when I have more time.
 
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Danthemailman

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Yes it does if it changes the meaning, which is something you seem to be doing.

I have no issue with the new moon on the New Earth and it changes not that we will be worshipping the Lord from one Sabbath to another, thus saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:23
I see that you isolate the word “sabbath” in Isaiah 66:23 and disregard the rest in order to uphold your doctrine. So you believe that keeping the weekly sabbath day is perpetual, but the believers “sabbatismos” rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:9) is not perpetual? o_O
 
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Danthemailman

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When Jesus healed someone did He say “go sin no more”, or go and sin a little?

I don’t believe that our sin is greater than our God or that He would ask us to do something that is impossible to do.

For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome. 1 John 5:3
So you claim sinless perfection? (1 John 1:8-10)

In John 8:11, Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more." Jesus was telling the woman to go and leave her life of sin, namely, she had been practicing adultery. Also, Jesus cannot compromise his perfect holy standard, so of course He is not going to say, "go and just sin a little bit."
 
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SabbathBlessings

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So you claim sinless perfection? (1 John 1:8-10)

In John 8:11, Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more." Jesus was telling the woman to go and leave her life of sin, namely, she had been practicing adultery. Also, Jesus cannot compromise his perfect holy standard, so of course He is not going to say, "go and just sin a little bit."
I have never stated I am sinless or have never sinned. I see you didn't quote me saying this.

I believe God can give us victory over sin because he tells us we can with His help. John 14:15-18 I believe in the promises of the Bible. The saints keep the commandments and faith in Jesus revelation 14:12 so apparently it can be done when we become doers of the Word and not just hearers. James 1:22, Romans 2:13, Revelation 22:14
 
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SabbathBlessings

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I see that you isolate the word “sabbath” in Isaiah 66:23 and disregard the rest in order to uphold your doctrine. So you believe that keeping the weekly sabbath day is perpetual, but the believers “sabbatismos” rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:9) is not perpetual? o_O
How so? I go by scripture; I don't add words that changes meanings. Isaiah 66:23 does not say we will worship the Lord from one day to another which is everyday. It says from one Sabbath to another. The Sabbath is defined by God as His holy day that is on the seventh day written personally by God. Exodus 20:10. Your argument appears not to be with me.
 
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Danthemailman

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I have never stated I am sinless or have never sinned. I see you didn't quote me saying this.

I believe God can give us victory over sin because he tells us we can with His help. John 14:15-18 I believe in the promises of the Bible. The saints keep the commandments and faith in Jesus revelation 14:12 so apparently it can be done when we become doers of the Word and not just hearers. James 1:22, Romans 2:13, Revelation 22:14
From your post it sounded like you were implying that it’s possible to no longer sin at all, which is why I asked the question.
 
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Danthemailman

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How so? I go by scripture; I don't add words that changes meanings. Isaiah 66:23 does not say we will worship the Lord from one day to another which is everyday. It says from one Sabbath to another. The Sabbath is defined by God as His holy day that is on the seventh day written personally by God. Exodus 20:10. Your argument appears not to be with me.
Isaiah 66:23 also mentions from new moon to new moon as well, which you left out again. It’s not my argument that is with scripture.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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Isaiah 66:23 simply teaches that from month to month and from week to week, God’s people will worship Him.
Agreed, but you omitted the word Sabbath here for some reason. It says from one Sabbath to another, we will worship the Lord Isaiah 66:23 which is consistent with keeping the holy day of the Lord thy God. The only day God made holy for man Exodus 20:8 and for God, the only day God blessed and sanctified. Exodus 20:8-11, Genesis 2:1-3, Isaiah 58:13

In the new heaven and new earth, we read there we will have no need of the sun or moon, there will be no night there, but one perpetual day and the glory of God will illuminate it. (Revelation 21:23-25). How then could there be a cycle of seven days that would allow for literally keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law?
Jesus will be our sun, but it doesn't say anything about not having days in heaven. In fact, it says the opposite

Revelation 21: 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

There will be separation of days in heaven because some days we will be working and on the Sabbath the saints will come together and worship the Lord, thus saith the Lord Isaiah 66:22-23

New moons require night, hence sabbatarians have night in heaven, yet there is no day and night cycles in heaven. You cannot have "new moon to new moon" or "sabbath days" without day and night, so your argument is moot.
You seem to be arguing with scripture. The New Moon just means the beginning of the month, they did not have a calendar system in biblical times so went by the moons. The Lord said there will be New Moons (months) and weeks and on the Sabbath we will be worshipping the Lord Isaiah 66:23 so I prefer to go with what scriptures says.


The Isaiah passage simply means that God’s people will perpetually worship Him in contrast to keeping the weekly sabbath day under the law.
I worship God daily, He is the center of my world, but I go to church (holy convocation Leviticus 23:3) from one Sabbath to another and the example of Jesus Luke 4:16-22. The Sabbath is defined by God as being on the seventh day so in heaven we will be worshipping the Lord from week to week on the Sabbath just as the scripture says. This will not be new to the saints who keep the commandments of God Revelation 14:12 which of course includes the 4th commandment. The Sabbath was God's perfect plan before sin entered Genesis 2:1-3 and when the Lord comes back the saints will once again worship the Lord in His presence on the Sabbath just like the original plan.


Will there be Levitical priests in the new heaven? If Isaiah 66:23 teaches that we will be observing the weekly sabbath day and new moons in the new heaven and new earth, then it also teaches in Isaiah 66:21 that the Levitical priests will be in the new heaven, because it is also mentioned.

Did you not know the saints (saved ones) will be priests in heaven?

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.


What happened to the Levitical priesthood under the new covenant terms? Priesthood changed so did the law. Hebrews 7:12 - For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. *The old and new covenants do not mix.”
Why do you take this to only mean the Sabbath changed when it says nothing about the Sabbath? Hebrews 7:12 tells us the law that changed and we no longer go to man (Levitical priesthood) for the forgiveness of sins- Jesus is our High Priest now mediating on our behalf in the New Covenant, this is the change in the law, not the seventh day Sabbath and holy day of the Lord thy God.

Hebrew 7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.


God wrote His laws in our hearts and minds in the New Covenant, they are not written away with as you seem to teach. It is still a sin to break God's law and we will all have to stand before Jesus in His righteous judgement. Right now we have time to turn from sin, but just like the days of Noah, so will be the return of Jesus Christ in a day and hour no one expects!
 
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SabbathBlessings

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Isaiah 66:23 also mentions from new moon to new moon as well, which you left out again. It’s not my argument that is with scripture.
I already addressed that. I have no issue with the New Moon, it means month. Some think the months will be every 28 days in Heaven so from week to week and month to month will be the Sabbath. This cannot be proven in scriptures though. I have no issues worshipping the Lord every Sabbath in heaven and on every month. You seem to be making an argument no one is making. Take care.
 
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SabbathBlessings

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From your post it sounded like you were implying that it’s possible to no longer sin at all, which is why I asked the question.
I think it's possible to no longer sin with the power of Jesus Christ. I do not think sin is greater than God. Everyone has sinned, which is different than gaining victory over sin with the help of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promises when you keep the commandments. John 14:15-18. Acts 5:32, Acts 2:38. If you slip and fall we have an Advocate with Jesus who is just and faithful to forgive us of our sins, when we repent. Repent means being truly sorry and turn from sin and walk with Christ in His Spirit which is given when we obey. God bless
 
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Bob S

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I'm not trying to force the Sabbath inside a day/commandment but rather look at what's does the Sabbath mean beyond the day/commandment. (I could have used "God's rest" instead) People seem very fixated on the day, I happen to think it is more than a day. A very basic purpose is simply "to obtain rest" but that's quite a loaded statement.

looking at the Sabbath in a creation vacuum Sabbath is the state of completion of God's work. We know God does not need to rest so we know this rest is not out of fatigue but because the works are complete. The creation account is a type of salvation metaphor, we know this because 2 Cor 4:6-7 tells us what the light of creation is about using the parallel that Christ "made light shine in our hearts" with a direct reference back to the creation account. light is contrasted with darkness and before light, the earth was unformed and existed in darkness so the salvation metaphors unfold naturally. before salvation we are in darkness then a process starts when light is spoken into use that forms us, fills us, and ends in rest.

the whole creation account is in a chiastic structure and the parallel chiasmus helps us understand the point being made. Day 1 is linked to day 4, day 2 is linked with day 5 and day 3 is linked to day 6 (for example day 2 the waters are separated forming the oceans/skies, day 5 fish/birds are filled in the oceans/skies). if you read the accounts you see the pattern of the first 3 days God is organizing/separating, and the last 3 days God is filling up and each unfolds in the same order. This covers days 1-6 but the rest of the account is still in a chiastic structure the first is in the first verse "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" which is paralleled with 2:1 "thus the heavens and the earth were created" and acts like bookends to the account.

There is only one parallel left and this is day 7 what does it link to? the only part left.

1:2 "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."

is paralleled with

2:2-3 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

I call it Day 0 and Day 7

so what does this tell us about the purpose of the Sabbath? it tells us it is the answer to Genesis 1:2. the answer that which is formless, empty and dark. So the Sabbath is the opposite and using the creation account we can see what the sabbath is and what it is not. the Sabbath is not formless it is formed, not empty it is full, not of darkness it is of light. And these are the exact focuses of the creation account, speaking light, forming, and filling until complete which ushers in the Sabbath. So the Sabbath is the state of fruition and culminating point of creation. Because God completed his work it is finished so it is holy and the work is rested and this is the Sabbath of creation.
I follow your reasoning.

The 4th commandment tells us to "remember the Sabbath day" (Ex 20:8) which connects it back to the beginning. It tells instructions on how to keep the Sabbath and gives us the reason and motivation in the law to keep it saying "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day." (Ex 20:11) So the Sabbath day of law mirrors the rest God took on the 7th day. That rest, however, is not the rest of human fatigue it is the rest of a finished work that only God can do. The Sabbath day in the law tells us to remember a day but we can never achieve that kind of completion.
I see a problem with the use of the word "US" in your first sentence. It was not us, it was Israel. The day not only was a remembrance of the six days of creation and the Creator, it was also the remembrance of Israel's release from captivity in Egypt. The day had a two fold purpose for one nation on this Earth, For anyone to use "US" is misnomer.

Hebrews 4:10 tells us "for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." We first enter God's rest and the act of this invokes the rest from works too, "just as God did from his". We cannot rest as God did because that rest is contingent upon a finished work that only God can do. If creation is a salvation metaphor as 2 Cor 4:6-7 alludes to then that finished work is us. God doing a work in us starting by speaking light until complete and this is when we experience rest "just as God did form his"
Yet Israel never entered that Rest. They kept a day, but according to Heb 4 that didn't count. Their given rest was physical. The Rest God has for all mankind is Spiritual. I has nothing to do with one day a week. I submit that we are promised God's Rest. 2Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Day by day we are spiritually renewed as we Rest in the arms of our Savior.

This is embedded in the law itself as the law says "On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." (Ex 20:10) this law is spoken to the heads of the households, those who have authority over the people in their household. it starts saying "you shall not do any work" then continues "neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns." so the context is clear that the "you" is the one with authority over the households.
"You" meant any one embracing the covenant. you shall not do any work. Then comes the specifics, in those specifics I do not see wives, but the first "you" meant everyone.

In ancient cultures explicit permission from the master is needed to do things in the household. this includes wives, children, servants/slaves, animals and even the people passing through the towns. This is especially clear with servants and animals, even more so with animals. A working animal cannot rest unless they are given that rest. if they lay down on the field in the middle of work they will be beaten. it is only when the master gives them rest that they may take rest and outside of that they have no authority to rest, even if they work to death they have no still have no authority to rest.

Our master is Christ and just as an Ox can only take rest if it is given by the master only Christ can give us rest and only he has authority over the rest. He says he is "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mat 12:8) which means the Sabbath is for him and he has authority over the Sabbath. He also offers us his rest (Mat 11:28-30). So Christ is the master of the Sabbath, he has authority over it and he offers us rest.
Jesus Rest doesn't have us wait until the end of the week. Today we can have His Rest. We Gentiles were never offered a rest day, but we are offered Jesus Rest.

So with all that what is the purpose of the Sabbath? it is spiritual completeness that we receive through Christ, which is a parallel of the completeness of creation and Christ has the authority to give it. It is not just salvation but the completed works of the new creation in us (2 Cor 5:17) and because of this, just like the day, we are called blessed and holy.
I would rephrase that to what is the purpose of Sabbatismos? That makes it plain that Sabbath and Sabbatismos are two different subjects. All mankind have the freedom to enter God's Rest today. Anyone that belonged to Israel were under the demands of the Sabbath Law to observe it once a week.
 
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philadelphos

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The last part here seems to be where you get into the purpose of the Sabbath so that's the part I'll comment on since that's the explicit request of the OP so I won't be commenting the on other stuff.

To me it seems like you have described the purpose of us the creation, which is to essentially worship and give glory to God in all things.... broader goals of Christian living as a whole and not on specific goals for the Sabbath. So I'll ask you to dig a little deeper and as promised in the OP I'm asking a why.

Why is the Sabbath conflated with a day?
Why is this day about honoring God, turning from our ways and pleasure and keeping our thoughts and actions towards our Lord and other days do not have this focus?
Why is it about having an appointment every seventh day for communion time with our Lord and Savior when another day is not about this focus?

The arbitrary legalistic aspect is a common misunderstanding. It is "a day" and more. It's a day of surplus/plenty, pointing to the 7th or divinity in all creation. Shmita, sabbatical year of rest on the 7th year, 49th year of jubilee, etc. Cycles of seven and concepts of holiness, throughout Scripture, in mathematics, building & architecture, anatomy, genetics, DNA, science and astrophysics. It's about heaven, and man's involvement/inclusion.

Your implicit point is valid: Constance and regularity vs merely "one day". To "pray without ceasing" and "love the Lord thy God with all", "to take up your cross daily". That is true, in intent, of the heart. Except "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer 17:9) This is the danger or individualism without consulting Scripture, also Spiritualism. An imagined man-made belief, contradictory to God's expressed will.

The purpose of Sabbath is a reminder/remembrance of redemption, symbolically, metaphorically, legally, and actually. It commemorates and aligns the person with God who first rested from his work in Genesis, it's an act of allegiance and affinity. To be holy as he is holy, to do as Christ did.

"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." (Deu 5:15)

This is ofc difficult to impossible for Gentiles to understand or accept since we never saw this, we never lived this, and our ancestors certainly never went through this. In fact, we are likely the perpetrators, of cain, of Babylon, Egypt, and Rome. Thus, having the same ideals and practices as the Egyptians, that God hated and condemned. This is perhaps why so many people mis-understand "Sabbath" as about "work" and "rest" as if synonymous for "pleasure" and "punishment". But for someone who understands that this world is cage, that work is hard, and that our parents/employers/government/rulers are often cruel, then God's "rest" is like an oasis. And "holiness" is a divine and royal privilege.

The purpose of Sabbath is liberation. "I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Deu 5:6)

The world's culture enslaves others, benefiting off others. But God's is "rich" and his system is "life". There is no competition, no misery, no deceit.

The "labour" part is commonly misunderstood as mandatory forced labour, but if you study the Exodus the people simply had opportunity to gather manna and quails (free food, clean and holy food). "I will rain bread from heaven" (Ex 16:4) The strong and fit would gather and there would be enough for the sick and unfit. There was no conflict of interest. No struggle. No blaming or marginalising. And each man had his fill, regardless of how much he gathered. Whereas in Egypt, they had lived 3-400 years of brick-making quotas, with insufficient ingredients/materials/inventory to do their job properly. Plus they were blamed, scapegoated, and persecuted. Which is a constant theme in the history of the industrial "built" world, thousands die at the expense of building walls and cities for Kings/emperors. So Sabbath is God's reminder, his lesson, that his "way" is truly the path of life and peace.

"This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. ...This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full." (Ex 16:16-8)

Iow, perfect market equilibrium in supply and demand, for both goods and labour. Unlike modern Capitalism, working more is done to benefit self and others, and demand is always met. No clutching at straws. There is never shortage, no boom and bust, no outliers or wings, no bulls or bears. No hoarding or greed. No poverty and theft. No room to covet. Everyone has enough. For 40 years there was plenty for all. Also no inflation, deflation, or depreciation. The 'market' refreshes itself automatically, daily. And on Friday there's enough to gather a "double portion" for Sabbath/Saturday to allow a genuine time for rest. Whereas in our economies, someone, somewhere, is always on duty forced to work. e.g. power plant, emergency room, etc. But not in God's kingdom.

So the purpose of Sabbath is also a lesson about prayer and faith, true dependence and reliance on God's provision. To "Give us this day our daily bread".

Inversely, Sabbath is also a judgement for the world, for law-breakers, and people who oppose God. There is no "blessing" for work done on Sabbath. It won't be fruitful. We would call it a waste of time, a non-performing asset, or a dead market (black Saturday) or something along those lines. The market collapses. So there's a cyclical concept, and if you study the stock exhange history, every 7 years (shmita, 7th year, God's "release") every stock market will shrink significantly. Following that, historically, the pattern is that nations will go to war. Likewise, working on Sabbath is explicit disobedience, a crime of capital punishment, death penalty.

"Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none." (Ex 6:28-27)

So the purpose of Sabbath is also a framework for the living vs the dead, God's sheep his elect his children vs the reprobate his enemies and children of Satan. It's a depiction of the spiritual war that began when Lucifer rebelled against Heaven, and the future war between Christ and the Serpent/Dragon per prophecy in Genesis.

Hence "salvation is of the Lord" and Christ is "Lord of the Sabbath". "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Mt 12:8) And "sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Ex 20:10).

Iow, choosing to work on Sabbath is akin to choosing to gather the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. It's failure to grasp to God's paradise. Like a servant gone rogue. So the Sabbath points to eternal rest, eternal salvation, in a new creation, new covenant, new kingdom, and in paradise.

For me, due to mostly to upbringing, I have tendencies towards workaholism and perfectionism, harsh self-criticism and constant feelings of under-achievement. Thus, Sabbath and God's provision is truly good news, refreshing hope. A weekly reminder to stop just stop. It's Friday night, the sun's gone down, and I've worked 15-18hrs all day everyday for God knows how long. And the project won't get any better. And there's always next week. Time for a break. Time to go home. Where true home and rest is only found in Christ, Lord of the Sabbath.

No judgement from me. Each to their own. The historic opposition to Sabbath was prompted by abuse of it, wrongful use. Ceremonial or ritual supremacy, is seen one way or another in all denominations. So you are right in pointing at the heart, as God weighs the heart, but you're also changing the subject to the matter of internalism vs externalism; obedience inwardly vs outwardly.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:" (Col 2:16)

Hence Paul wrote,

"Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Rom 2:24-29)

So the purpose of Sabbath for Gentiles then is less a ritual/ceremonial practice but an abstract or free-form obedience, varying with our circumstances as how and where the Lord called us to believe. I briefly commented about my personal practice in another thread.

Additionally, ime, the principles in Torah/Pentateuch are universally applicable to Jew or Gentile, or any religious or ethnic group. In Chinese philosophy and culture for example, the dominant group believes filial piety which often becomes abused as filial tyrany (dictator parents, or children who seize power and abuse elders). Whilst there have been minority philosophers who taught universal love (towards all people), specifying to do unto others not expecting a return but for the sake of others. So yeah, it's very much possible to be a "practicing Jew" and simultaneously a "Christian", in say communist and confucianist China, or anywhere in the world for that matter. If you know God's word and your heart is in the right place. But in any case, your conscience and the HS will guide your steps.
 
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HIM

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I see that you isolate the word “sabbath” in Isaiah 66:23 and disregard the rest in order to uphold your doctrine. So you believe that keeping the weekly sabbath day is perpetual, but the believers “sabbatismos” rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:9) is not perpetual? o_O
You are misunderstanding Hebrews 4.
 
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pasifika

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Purpose is to enter into God's"rest" (the rest He had on the 7th day in creation..Heb 4:10

Sabbath rest is a "spiritual" rest Not a "physical" rest just as a "spiritual beings or Spirit (God) in contrast to physical beings or human..

In Hebrews 4, shows the Sabbath rest (God's rest) as a complete rest which fulfilled ONLY when the work is fully complete ie 7th day Sabbath (Rest) comes when everything were complete in creation week.. Genesis 1
In creation the 7th day was "blessed" and made "holy" because of His "rest" ..Genesis 2:3
So, we can say that "we" as new creation in Christ will be "blessed" and made "holy" when we enter into His rest..
 
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