The Biblical reason for the Sabbath

Dear Erick,

You said that [i]Sabbath was established for the Jews only[/i]

I have never been able to understand how Christians feel free to 'pick and choose' which commandments to obey, and, especially, the practice of embracing the promises and blessings given to Israel, without any consideration for the preceding verses which usually speak of the requirements for such a blessing.

Paul covers this in Romans when he speaks of the gentiles being grafted in to the people of God.

This poem always comes to mind when I hear these types of arguments:

[b][color=000000]’It's Jewish’
[circa mid to late 1800's]

When we present God's holy law,
And arguments from scripture draw,
Objectors say, to pick a flaw,
'It's Jewish.'

Though at the first Most High blessed
And sanctified His day of rest,
The same belief is still expressed,
'It's Jewish.'

Though with the world this rest began,
And thence through all Scriptures ran,
And Yeshua said "'twas made for man"--
'It's Jewish.'

Though not with Jewish rites,
which passed,
But with the moral law 'twas classed,
Which must exist while time shall last,
'It's Jewish.'

If from the Bible we present
The Sabbath's meaning and intent,
This answers every argument--
'It's Jewish.'

Though the disciples, Luke and Paul,
Continue still this rest to call
The 'Sabbath day', this answers all:
'It's Jewish.'

The good news teacher's plain expression,
That " Sin is of the law's transgression,"
Seems not to make the least impression--
'It's Jewish.'

They love the rest of man's invention,
But if the LORD's day we mention,
This puts an end to all contention:
'It's Jewish.'

O ye who thus GoD's day abuse,
Simply because 'twas kept by Jews,
The Savior, too, you must refuse,
He's Jewish.

The Scriptures, then, we may expect
For the same reason you'll reject;
For if you will but recollect,
They're Jewish.

Thus the apostles, too, must fall;
For Andrew, Peter, James, and Paul,
Thomas, Matthew, John, and all
Were Jewish.

So to your helpless state resign
Yourself in wretchedness to pine;
Salvation, surely you'll decline,
It's Jewish.[/b][/color]

Stephen

I would like to bring to our attention the decision (one of many) handed down by a Church Council of the 4th century, the time when doctrines and dogmas were being formulated.

Before this edit was decreed by the Church Council, Constantine had decreed (March 7, 321) Dies Solis — Day of the Sun, "Sunday" — as the Roman day of rest, in keeping with the pagan cult of Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun Cult:

[b][i]"On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed...[/i][/b]

It appears that the emperor Constantine, in his capacity as Pontifex Maximus, was only adding the day of the Sun, (the worship of which was then firmly established in the Roman Empire), to the other ferial days of the sacred calendar…
What began, however, as a pagan ordinance, ended as a Christian regulation; amongst a long series of imperial decrees, during the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries.

About 40 yrs later, the Roman Church came up with this:

[color=660000]THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA, canon 29, reads:
[b]CHRISTIANS must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.[/b][/color]

The first section says: [b]“CHRISTIANS must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day.[/b]

Thus man takes upon himself to [b]change 'the times and the law'[/b], in direct contradiction to the words of our Father:

Exd 20:8-10: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

God tells us to rest on his sabbath. Man tells us to work.

and the judgment was...[b]..."let them be [i]anathema[/i] from Christ"...[/b] :-o

(Anathema: Gr.: a curse, suspension).

It is very clear when the 7th day Sabbath was changed *by Man to the Sunday, but I am trying to figure out when even Sunday sabbath keeping was done away with in most of the church, in exchange for a Spiritualisation of the 4th commandment. I think that is probably a more recent development... Will dig into it!

Stephen

*edit "by Man'

It has always been my understanding that the early Church, that preached to the Gentiles, met on Sunday, the first day of the week to worship. They met on that day because it was the Day that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead.

It was also the day that He led captivity captive [All those, that by faith believed in the "Seed of the Woman", "The Messiah", prophesized in Genesis 3:15 and throughout the Old Testament, that lived and died before the Christ's final sacrifice on the cross of Calvary] with Him when He went to heaven to place His blood on the Altar, in Heaven, to pay for all sin, from the beginning of time, to the end of time. Also, the very Sunday that Jesus Christ resurrected from the dead occured the same day that the Jews had been celebrating the feast of First Fruits since Moses delivered the Law (Lev. 23:9-14)---Christ is our First Fruits!

There are only two such references in the Bible about the early Church meeting on the First Day of the Week:

Acts 20
7. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
10. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
11. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

1 Cor 16:
1. Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 3. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
4. And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

In conclusion, Ray Stedman had this to say about the Sabbath:

We must recognize that the weekly sabbath, i.e., Saturday, is not the real sabbath. It never was, and it is not now. It is a picture or a reminder of the real sabbath. The true sabbath is a rest; the Jewish sabbath is a shadow, a picture of that rest. All the Old Testament shadows pointed to Christ. They were predictions, foreviews, of the coming of the One who would fulfill all these remarkable things. Every lamb that was brought as an offering was a shadow of the work of Christ. Every burnt offering, every bit of incense that was offered, was a picture of the fragrance of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle was a shadow of him. The high priest, in his garments and his office, was a shadow of Christ as our High Priest. Read the book of Hebrews and you will see how beautifully all this is brought out. These Old Testament shadows were looking forward to the coming of the One who would fulfill these and thus end them. When the work of Jesus Christ was finished the shadows were no longer needed.

We behave very similarly today. Some twenty-two years ago when, as a much younger man, I was in Hawaii, I found myself engaged to a lovely girl who lived in Montana and whom I hadn't seen for three or four years. We were writing back and forth in those lonely days, and she sent me her picture. It was a beautiful picture and I showed it to all my friends dozens of times. I propped it up on the desk and I would look at it at least three or four times a day. It was all I had to remind me of her and it served moderately well for that purpose. But one wonderful day she arrived in Hawaii and I saw her face to face. I didn't spend much time with the picture after that, nor have I since. The other day I was cleaning out the garage and ran across the picture. It was still a beautiful picture, and I noted that she had not changed very remarkably since those days, but I found that the picture was quite incomplete and unsatisfying. When the real thing came there was no longer any need for the picture.

This is exactly what happened with these Old Testament shadows, including the Sabbath. When the Lord came, and his work was ended, making possible the true fulfillment of God's intention in the Sabbath, the picture was no longer needed. The weekly sabbath ended at the cross. Paul specifically says this. In the letter to the Colossians he confirms it to us. In Chapter 2, beginning with Verse 13, he says,

And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it [not him; it, the cross].

Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:13-17)

Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath!

Walter

BlazedbyGod wrote:
The fact is, there is not one scripture that says or even alludes to Jesus "being our Sabbath" in the sense of totally replacing the 7th Day Sabbath.

There is not one scripture the says the sabbath has or will ever change from the 7thday to a person. Jesus himself never made this claim or anything similiar to it-

The Bible plainly says that JESUS is:

....the Son of God
....God manifested in the flesh
....Lord & Saviour
....Christ the Messiah
....the bread of life
....the bread of heaven
....the light of the world
....the Son of Man
....the first born of every creature
....Alpha & Omega
....The First and the Last

[b]but I have never seen any verse that says that Jesus is the Sabbath in the sense of replacing the 7th Day or that He is our Sabbath now[/b]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[b]Walter writes[/b]

Christ is the fullfilment of the entire Law.

The Law, [b]including the Sabbath,[/b] was only a picture or a "shadow" of the real law and the real Sabbath.

Christ is the substance, the reality, the fullfilmet of the Law and the Sabbath.

Have you ever thought about all of the sacrifices, millions upon millions of animals, sacrifieced every day of the week (twice daily, at the 9:00 A.M. [the morning sacrifice] and 3:00 P.M. [the evening sacrifice] at the Temple for the sins of the people? Yet this was only a "picture" a "shadow" of the final sacrifice that was [b]fulfilled[/b] by Jesus Christ when He was nailed on the cross at 9:00 A.M., and who gave up the Ghost at 3:00 P.M. on the 14th day of Abib, at the celebration of the Passover, thus fulfilling all of those millions of sacrifices with himself as the final sacrifice for all of the sins of mankind:

Scripture tells us this very thing when we read:

"And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.[not him; it, the cross].
[b]Therefore, let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or of the SABBATH DAYS. These are only a shadow of what is to come;[/b]

[b]but the substance belongs to Christ.[/b] (Colossians 2:13-17)

Sincerely,

Walter

Rowdy2 said: [i]Paul said it best.
KJV Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.[/i]

[u]--Can we really believe that the 'weak and beggarly elements' Paul is referring to can be:--[/u]

- the Day blessed and sanctified by the the Creator at the beginning of creation?
- the 7th day Sabbath rest given to mankind?
- the 4th commandment (written on stone, now supposed to be written on our heart)?
- the perpetual sign of the people of God?
- the Sabbath day upheld throughout scripture, and seen in the Millennial period?

No prophet, priest, disciple or teacher [i]ever[/i] spoke against the 7th day Sabbath, let alone call it a [i]'weak and beggarly element, bondage[/i]'.
That one man can overturn the overwhelming weight of scripture, declaring the LORD's Sabbath as being a 'weak and beggarly element', is grasping at nuances in order to invalidate the word of God. Paul was referring to the pagan days kept by former heathen, before they came to know God.

[u]--LOOKING AHEAD TO THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM -Would the [i]'weak and beggarly elements, the so-called bondage, the so-called ordinance against us'[/i] suddenly become something GLORIOUS again?--[/u]

There is NO indication ever given in scripture that the 7th day Sabbath would cease. We see it still [u]continuing[/u] right into the Millennial Reign of Yeshua (Isa 66:23). That we rest and have peace in Yeshua everyday, does not negate a 7th day rest and ceasing from physical labour.

The LORD speaks clearly through Isaiah, speaking of the [u]foreigners, the gentiles[/u] (and no man, even the *apostle Paul, can oppose HIM):

[color=990000]"And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD,
and to be his servants,
[u]every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant[/u] --
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.
Thus says the Lord GOD,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered."[/color]

*Peter warns us regarding Paul's writings which are 'hard to understand' and which the '[b]lawless[/b] twist to their own destruction'.

The liberal stream of those who spiritualise the Scriptures eloquently express fantastic ideas to reveal how deeply they are able to interpret the 'higher knowledge' of the 4th commandment. None of the other 9 commandments are subject to this, because to do so would obviously negate them. e.g. do not murder, or commit adultery.......we cannot abolish the first command in order to fulfill the spirit of the command, that is to not even [i]think[/i] about it.

Gnostic prophets subtly send out a message that their insights exceed that of the plain written Word of God. They appear to know some secret interpretation of scripture while desperately massaging the texts in order to extract a meaning beyond the clear written Word, exchanging the truth of God for a lie. If a few passages of scripture, taken out of context, can be used to abolish the Torah of God, it is ceaselessly and gleefully used to 'trump' all that God said before. While abolishing the commandments of God, many then claim to have a 'higher law', higher than that given by the Most High God! No. The LORD said that HE would write HIS (note HIS, not our interpretation of) commandments on our heart, and cause us to walk in HIS ways (not our ways). When that happens, all becomes very clear, and no one can take the desire to please our Father away, because it is written on our hearts! [u]If the Sabbath Day is a bondage, then there is no freedom from the law of sin and death, the law is then still on stone, because HE promised that HIS ways would be a joy, a delight and life![/u]

note: [i]'the handwriting of ordinances against us, which was contrary to us'[/i], is [b]not[/b] the perfect Torah (law, commandments, instructions of God). These ordinances are the [b]charges[/b] written against us for sinning (breaking the commandments) in the first place. This debt, this charge against us was nailed to the cross when Yeshua took our punishment in our stead. We should now stop sinning (breaking the commandments), and not trample underfoot the grace of our Lord Yeshua. [u]As Paul said, "Should we continue sinning (breaking the commandments) that grace may abound? God forbid".[/u]

Thank you
Stephen

8-)

The Biblical reason for the Sabbath was to point us to Jesus Christ.( Who is our REST)

The Biblical reason for the Law was to show us our sin...pointing us to Jesus Christ. ( Who became sin for us)

The Biblical reason for sacrifice of bulls and goats was to point us to Jesus Christ. ( Who shed His own blood for the forgiveness of sin...the LAMB OF GOD..who takes away the sin of the world.)

The Biblical reason for the Ark, and the Mercy Seat on top of the Ark was to point us to Jesus Christ. ( That we now can come boldly to the Throne of GRACE, finding individual and personal MERCY 24/7/365....not yet opened in the OT)

It just goes on and on and on!.

The Bible is about Jesus Christ...from Beginning to End!

Katy

Strider100 wrote:

......................................................................................................"No prophet, priest, disciple or teacher ever spoke against the 7th day Sabbath, let alone call it a 'weak and beggarly element, bondage'.
[b]That one man (Paul)can overturn the overwhelming weight of scripture, declaring the LORD's Sabbath as being a 'weak and beggarly element', is grasping at nuances in order to invalidate the word of God.[/b]............."
--------------------------------------------------------------------"

[b]Walter writes[/b]

I really can't believe what you have just written. In other words, you only read and study the first 4 Books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and you have discarded the remaining 23 Books in the New Testament. The reason? So that they words and the teachings of Paul, who was instructed by Jesus face to face for three years in the desert, who was responsible, through the power of the Holy Spirit, of starting the entire Gentile Church, cannot corrupt your own view of the importance of "works" and it's necessity in assuring your own salvation.

I always heard that many of the cult's held this view, but I have never actually met a person that would admit it.

I sincerely am praying for you--that God will give you a new heart, His heart, that He will open your eyes, and draw you to Him. I am praying for your salvation, and I ask for all others reading this post to join with me in agreement, as we plead the precious blood of Jesus Christ over you, and ask that you come to a saving understanding of Jesus Christ and the work that HE did on the cross for you.

As Jesus said--It is Finished! The work is over, and He is the one who did the work. We, who are beleivers in Him, must crucify ourselves daily, and die to self, to allow Him to do His Works through us.

Amen

Walter

from Walter's post: [color=0000CC]Quote:

Strider100 wrote:

......................................................................................................"No prophet, priest, disciple or teacher ever spoke against the 7th day Sabbath, let alone call it a 'weak and beggarly element, bondage'.
That one man (Paul)can overturn the overwhelming weight of scripture, declaring the LORD's Sabbath as being a 'weak and beggarly element', is grasping at nuances in order to invalidate the word of God.............."
--------------------------------------------------------------------"

Walter writes

I really can't believe what you have just written. In other words, you only read and study the first 4 Books of the New Testament--Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and you have discarded the remaining 23 Books in the New Testament. The reason? So that they words and the teachings of Paul, who was instructed by Jesus face to face for three years in the desert, who was responsible, through the power of the Holy Spirit, of starting the entire Gentile Church, cannot corrupt your own view of the importance of "works" and it's necessity in assuring your own salvation.

I always heard that many of the cult's held this view, but I have never actually met a person that would admit it.

I sincerely am praying for you--that God will give you a new heart, His heart, that He will open your eyes, and draw you to Him. I am praying for your salvation, and I ask for all others reading this post to join with me in agreement, as we plead the precious blood of Jesus Christ over you, and ask that you come to a saving understanding of Jesus Christ and the work that HE did on the cross for you.

As Jesus said--It is Finished! The work is over, and He is the one who did the work. We, who are beleivers in Him, must crucify ourselves daily, and die to self, to allow Him to do His Works through us.

Amen
Walter[/color]
____________________________________________________________

Dear Walter,

That you would firmly count yourself amongst those who declare the LORD's Sabbath Day to be a [i]weak and beggarly element[/i], is your decision.

[b]I do not[/b].

That you feel to pray for my salvation and a new heart, because I believe that the commandments of GOD are holy and a joy and delight, is also your decision. I know that I am amongst those whom Revelation 14:12 speaks of [color=990000]....'those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus'...[/color]

[u]The old straw man argument[/u] that quote: [i]"your own view of the importance of "works" and it's necessity in assuring your own salvation"[/i] becomes really tiresome when time after time, people who love the commandments of God [u]constantly assert the fact that they are NOT relying on 'works' for salvation,[/u] but on the willing sacrifice of Jesus who gave himself for us. Why do you never hear that?

Walter quote: [i]"I always heard that many of the cult's held this view, but I have never actually met a person that would admit it.[/i] Walter, that is your opinion. It is also your opinion that I apparently [i]"only read the first 4 books of the NT"[/i] Where did you get that from? Did you not read that I quote from the letters of Paul, Peter, John? Please make sure of the facts before making such sweeping judgments.

Please give us the references [u]where you feel that anyone in Scripture spoke [i]against[/i] the keeping of the 7th day Sabbath, and counted it a[i]'weak and beggarly element'?[/i][/u] Please try and give more than one witness, as you are likely to use a verse from the Apostle Paul, which I have pointed out does not refer to the LORD's Sabbath Day, and would also remind you of Peter's warning that [u]there are some things that Paul has said which are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction[/u]. It would also be helpful if you could point out from the Tanach (OT) the future abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath in the Messianic age, and also confirmed from the words of Yeshua (Jesus).

It would also be helpful if you could explain why this so-called 'weak and beggarly element', this keeping of the 7th day Sabbath, is seen being practiced in the Millennial Kingdom? In which context I might add that the eating of 'swine's flesh and mice and other abominations' is condemned, as found in the Torah? (Isaiah 66)

Yes, Jesus said "It is Finished". He paid the price for our sins. Those who trust in His sacrifice should no longer continue in sin, trampling underfoot the grace of the Son of God. Yes we must crucify ourselves daily, and allow Him to do His work through us, with the sure confidence that we are living in the new Covenant, one in which the HE will write HIS laws on our hearts and minds, and CAUSE us to walk in HIS ways. (and not call HIS law 'a weak and beggarly element, a bondage' and such blasphemous notions).

Yeshua himself said: "If you would enter into life, keep the commandments".
Yehsua also said: [color=990000]'Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.
For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.
[u]Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so[/u], shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you, [u]unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven[/u][/color].

Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints,
Stephen

http://www.wcg.org/lit/law/chr-sab/chr-sab3.htm

Here is an excellent article concerning the Sabbath.

Katy

oops...double post!