The Sabbath
Genesis 2:2-3: “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.”
The Sabbath day is a sanctified Holy Day of the Lord, which was based after the creation of the Earth, Sun, Moon, Stars, Man, Woman, and Beast. Day seven is a Holy Day meaning separate from the other six days. Contrary to popular belief, Sunday is the first day of the week! When using Gregorian or modern day calendar you will find that the seventh day is from Friday sundown until Saturday sundown. That is the beginning and completion of the seventh day. The keeping of the Sabbath is a commandment and statue to be kept throughout our generations.
Exodus 20:8-11: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. [9] Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: [10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: [11] For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
Leviticus 23:1-4: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. [3] Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. [4] These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.”
There are restrictions regarding what makes this day holy or separate from the other six days. No working, cooking, buying or selling is to be done on this day. As the scriptures state, it is a day of rest and worship. Examine the following scriptures:
Exodus 35:2-3: “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. [3] Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.”
To “kindle fire” would mean to burn with the intent of cooking, roasting or parching.
Exodus 16:23-30: “And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. [24] And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. [25] And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. [26] Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. [27] And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. [28] And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? [29] See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. [30] So the people rested on the seventh day.”
Here we see that what was known as the day of preparation (Friday) was announced as instructions regarding how to prepare ourselves for the Sabbath. We were to cook double the food and utilize the leftovers for our consumption on the Sabbath. There was to be no going out on the Sabbath looking for food or shopping. All manner of shopping and cooking are to be done before the sun goes down on Friday.
Nehemiah 10:31: “And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.”
Again buying on the Sabbath was forbidden.
Nehemiah 13:15-19: “In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. [16] There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. [17] Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day? [18] Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. [19] And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.”
The Prophet Nehemiah had to admonish the nobles and leaders of Israel for allowing working, buying and selling to be done on the Sabbath. He knew that evil and the rebuke of the Lord would follow for not keeping the Sabbath Holy as a commandment of the Most High. He eventually shut the gates of Jerusalem to restrict any merchants from coming in and tempting the people to break the Sabbath and also to restrict the rebellious Israelites from leaving to profane the Sabbath.
Mark 3:1-4: “And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. [2] And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. [3] And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. [4] And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.”
Christ advised that doing good on the Sabbath is lawful. This means staying within the parameters of the law. Notice the Apostles did not cook the corn but simply opened the stalks with their hands and ate them. We are to do the same in this generation. Make preparations in your home for the Sabbath. Cook your meals ahead of time as was commanded in the law or eat salads, cold cut sandwiches and such foods that do not require any cooking or purchasing. We are also taught in circumstances of health or life or death situations, seek medical help.
Matthew 12:11-12: “And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? [12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.”
Ezekiel 22:26: “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”
Exodus 31:13 “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.”
Many priests, preachers, bishops, deacons, and evangelists continually profane the Sabbath and teach the rest of Israel to do the same. Teaching that the Sabbath is on Sunday, or that we don’t have to keep the Sabbath or that the laws have been done away with, or using their own interpretations as to how to keep the Sabbath is all wrong! Listen to the scriptures and stay in the fear of the Lord! (Revelations 1:3).
St John 4:23: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”