The Weekly Feast Of
Sabbath
“Remember The Sabbath Day To Keep
It Holy.”
Chapter
1
Meaning Of
Sabbath
Meaning
Of Sabbath
Sabbath is a Hebrew word, which means rest. The
Sabbath day is every seventh day. It is a holy day of rest as ordained by God,
for humanity to rest from all forms of daily labour. It is also a day of
worship.
By rest on the Sabbath day, means a day set aside for
every one to direct his thoughts and actions toward God. It should be spent in
worship and reverence. The rest from daily activities makes our hearts free to
ponder on spiritual matters, heavenly life, our oneness with God, because we
are created in His image and likeness of God. In His image and likeness simply
mean that we are children of God.
Sabbath
is also called ‘’the Lord’s Day.’’
God’s Reminder
Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, which the Almighty
blessed and hallowed for rest, in remembrance of His rest from His work of
creation.
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it
holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 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. 11 For in six days the
LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and
rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed
it.” Exodus 20:8-11
The Sabbath law is the forth commandment, which begins
with “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” God used the word, ‘Remember,’
because He knew before time that time shall come when nations and religions
shall begin to give false teaching, formulating and teaching man-made doctrines
in place of God’s commandments. Jesus warned about the unauthorized changes,
saying,
"These people draw near to Me with their
mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of
men.'"
Matthew 15:8-9
What About Sunday?
Sunday is the day for the worship of the sun. That is
why its name is ‘Sunday,’ (Sun’s day or day of the sun).
The problem with Sunday worship was that Roman
Catholic Church changed the day of worship from Sabbath (Seventhday) to
Firstday. They did this without God’s approval. Evidence includes:
1. God said that the
seventh day Sabbath shall be an everlasting statute.
2. Jesus lamented and
warned against changing the laws and times of God.
3. The Roman Catholic
Church also fabricated another Ten Commandments different from what God said in
the Bible. Check the Ten Commandments recited at Catechism, and compare it with
what God said in Exodus 20:1-end.
4. Below are the two sets
of Ten Commandments: one is man-made and the other is what God said.
Chapter
2
The
Importance Of Sabbath
Sabbath, The Gateway To Heaven
When a person travels on a road,
he
enters a vehicle.
When he wants to travel on the sea,
he
boards a ship.
When he wants to travel by air,
he
takes flight in the airplane.
So it is that the vehicle that takes somebody
to heaven
is
rest: quiet time, meditation or Sabbath.
As simple as that
15 For thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength."
Isaiah 30:15
The
Importance Of Sabbath
1.
Your life is renewed.
2. You feel better after a rest.
3. Your strength is renewed:
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-41:1
4.
Your brain functions better and faster after a rest,
break.
5. You are healthier after a rest, and you
look more beautiful/handsome.
1. You gain The Benefits Of Life In Spirit And In Truth.
2. You benefit by keeping appointments, not
by the contrary. When you are asked to come at 4.00pm and you com eat 10.00pm
3.
Silence - “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm
46:10
4. Blessings
Of The Sabbath
Assurance of the Lord’s Blessings
Thus says the LORD:
"Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath ,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil."
3 Do not let the son of the foreigner
Who has joined himself to the LORD
Speak, saying,
"The LORD has utterly separated me from His
people";
Nor let the eunuch say,
"Here I am, a dry tree."
4 For thus says the LORD:
"To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
"The LORD has utterly separated me from His
people";
Nor let the eunuch say,
"Here I am, a dry tree."
4 For thus says the LORD:
"To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5 Even to them I will give in My house
And within My walls a place and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
That shall not be cut off.
6 "Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants —
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath ,
And holds fast My covenant —
7 Even them 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
nations."
8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
says,
"Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him."
Genesis 1:1 - Isaiah
56:8
5. More Blessings For Calling The Sabbath A Delight
"If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath ,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the LORD honourable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the
earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken."
Isaiah 58:13-59:1
6. Expect VIPs As Children
"And it shall be,
if you heed Me carefully," says the LORD, "to bring no burden through
the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no
work in it, 25 then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes
sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and
their princes, accompanied by the men of Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem; and this city shall remain forever. 26 And they shall come from the
cities of Judah and from the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin
and from the lowland, from the mountains and from the South, bringing burnt
offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, bringing sacrifices of
praise to the house of the LORD.
Rest, quiet times or
Sabbath is so important that God ordered the Israelites to rest for 24 hours,
one full day every week.
We do achieve success in life, “neither by power nor by might, but by my
spirit says,” the Lord.
…But people would not,
16 And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses" —
Therefore you shall flee!
And, "We will ride on swift horses" —
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!
17 One thousand shall flee at the threat of one,
At the threat of five you shall flee,
Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain
And as a banner on a hill.
Isaiah 30:15-17
Chapter
3
A Song
For The Sabbath Day
A Psalm
It is
good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to
sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To
declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your
faithfulness every night,
3 On an
instrument of ten strings,
On the
lute,
And on
the harp,
With
harmonious sound.
4 For
You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work;
I will
triumph in the works of Your hands.
5 O
LORD, how great are Your works!
Your
thoughts are very deep.
6 A
senseless man does not know,
Nor does
a fool understand this.
7 When
the wicked spring up like grass,
And when
all the workers of iniquity flourish,
It is
that they may be destroyed forever.
8 But
You, LORD, are on high forevermore.
9 For
behold, Your enemies, O LORD,
For
behold, Your enemies shall perish;
All the
workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10 But
my horn You have exalted like a wild ox;
I have
been anointed with fresh oil.
11 My
eye also has seen my desire on my enemies;
My ears
hear my desire on the wicked
Who rise
up against me.
12 The
righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall
grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Those
who are planted in the house of the LORD
Shall
flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They
shall still bear fruit in old age;
They
shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To
declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my
rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Genesis 1:1 - Psalms 92:15
Chapter
4
Types Of
Sabbath
Types
And Levels Of Sabbath Keeping
1. Precreation Sabbath
Before
God started to create, He was at rest. Therefore, Sabbath precedes creation. It
was from everlasting, and it is the ancient religion. The only religion of God,
which He also gave to His children, who are the sons of men.
2. The
Weekly, Seventh Day Sabbath
"Remember
the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your
work, 10 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. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and
all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the
Sabbath day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11
3. The High Day Sabbath
Every festival of God
contains Sabbath or is based on Sabbath. Such festival Sabbath is called High
Day Sabbath. In other words, the feast of feasts is the Sabbath, and must not
be played with.
4. The Sabbath Of The Seventh Year – Sabbatical Leave As
Practised By Modern Civilization
And
the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 "Speak to the children
of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give you, then
the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your
field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but
in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a
Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard.
5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather
the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And
the Sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female
servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your
livestock and the beasts that are in your land — all its produce shall be for
food. Leviticus 25:1-7 (Deuteronomy 15:1-11)
According
to convention (what is widely and currently obtainable), a person goes for one
year leave with paid salaries and fringe benefits.
5. The
Daily Sabbath
Whenever you travel on the road, you enter the
vehicle. When you move over the surface of water, you enter a ship. And when
you move in the air, you enter an aeroplane. Likewise, the vehicle that takes a
person to heaven is rest. This is what humanity do not know. That is why they
think that going to heaven is only after when people have died. Rest,
relaxation, peace of mind, is the jet plane that leads you into the presence of
God. The Bible confirms it in the psalms:
“Be still, and know that I am God;”
Psalms 46:10
This simply means to observe quiet times and
meditation and God would manifest to you.
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your
strength."
Isaiah 30:15
3 You will keep him in perfect peace ,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late (working in the night),
To eat the bread of sorrows (suffering from hard
labour);
For so He gives His beloved sleep .
Psalms 127:2
You should have set period for
quiet times, everyday. It may be 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 1 hour. The longer,
the better. The time may be in the morning, afternoon or night, when you stay
alone for a while.
Do your
best to avoid much talking or noisy distractions, during the day.
6. Jubilee
Sabbath
'And you shall count seven sabbaths of
years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths
of years shall be to you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall cause the trumpet
of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of
Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. 10 And
you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the
land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you
shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. 11
That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor
reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine.
12 For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce
from the field.
13'In this Year of Jubilee, each of you
shall return to his possession. 14 And if you sell anything to your neighbor or
buy from your neighbor's hand, you shall not oppress one another. 15 According
to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and
according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. 16 According to
the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer
number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to
the number of the years of the crops. 17 Therefore you shall not oppress one
another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. Leviticus
25:8-17
The
Jubilee Sabbath is God’s way of ensuring that nobody remains perpetually poor,
so that the rich does not get richer, while the poor gets poorer.
7. The
Everlasting Sabbath
The Seventh Day Sabbath is a foretaste of the
everlasting kingdom of God, wherein all is peace, rest and security.
All Things Made New
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then
I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven
saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with
them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their
God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no
more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former
things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I
make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are
true and faithful."
Revelation 21:1-5
And I ask you, “Is the seventh day Sabbath not an
encouragement to the everlasting Sabbath?”
Our everyday
life should conform to heavenly life. That is why God warned Moses to make the
earthly tabernacle exactly like the heavenly tabernacle. Jesus confirms this
when He said,
“ … thy kingdom come…” Luke 11:2
Other
Terms And Forms Of Sabbath
Other terms used for
mini-Sabbath include: rest, relaxation, sleep, quiet times, siesta, meditation,
incommunicado, sabbatical leave, bed rest, etc. Each of these terms or activities
demands silence, quietness, peace of mind, absence of distractions, withdrawal
from noisy and worldly environments into the serene spiritual dimension. Each
takes the away the cares and worries of everyday life from our souls.
Chapter
5
The Day
Chosen By The Lord
Sunday
or Sabbath?
"Remember the
Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 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. 11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that
is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath
day and hallowed it. Exodus 20:8-11
Jesus
Did Not Abolish The Law
"Do not think
that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but
to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means
pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and
teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever
does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20
Hypocrites! Well did
Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 "These people
draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with
their lips,
But their heart is far
from Me.
9 And in vain they
worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men.'"
Matthew 15:7-9
Why Jesus Kept The Sabbath
Jesus kept the Sabbath, for the
confirmation of the Old Testament teachings and practices as being still
relevant in the New Testament era. Also, He did so in fulfilment of the Old
Testament, in obedience to the word of God, and for continuity of the
Everlasting Covenant of God. Besides, He gave corrections to human errors and
misconceptions, which people have introduced into the true worship of God. The corrections
He gave does not mean that Old Testament is no longer relevant.
Chapter
6
Sabbath
Worship And Offerings
Offerings
As Directed By God
'Thus says the Lord
GOD: "The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be
shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the
day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by way of the
vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The
priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall
worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall
not be shut until evening. 3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at
the entrance to this gateway before the LORD on the Sabbaths and the New Moons.
4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day
shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; 5 and the grain
offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as
much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. 6 On the
day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a
ram; they shall be without blemish. 7 He shall prepare a grain offering of an
ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the
lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall go
in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.
"But when the
people of the land come before the LORD on the appointed feast days, whoever
enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south
gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the
north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but
shall go out through the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall then be in their
midst. When they go in, he shall go in; and when they go out, he shall go out.
11 At the festivals and the appointed feast days the grain offering shall be an
ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the
lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. Ezekiel 46:1-11
'And on the Sabbath
day two lambs in their first year, without blemish, and two-tenths of an ephah
of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with oil, with its drink offering
— 10 this is the burnt offering for every
Sabbath , besides the regular burnt offering with its drink offering. Numbers
28:9-10
Chapter
7
Demonstration
Of God’s Commitment To The Sabbath
Obedience
Is Better Than Sacrifice
And so it was, on the
sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And
all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to
them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy
Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will
boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until
morning.'" 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it
did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, "Eat
that today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in
the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the
Sabbath, there will be none."
Now it happened that
some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none.
28 And the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse to keep My
commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the LORD has given you the Sabbath ;
therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man
remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."
30 So the people rested on the seventh day. Exodus 16:22-30
Chapter
8
Why
People Hate Sabbath
The
Reasons Why People Hate Sabbath
1.
False Indoctrination
2. Childhood Foundation
3. The Enemy Instigates Them To Do So.
4. People Are Ignorant Of The Truth.
5. How The Enemy Works
6. For Example, Why You Get Angry When
There Is Cause.
Chapter
9
The
Sabbath Law And Regulations
Throughout
Your Generations
And the LORD spoke to
Moses, saying, 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My
Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your
generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 14 You
shall keep the Sabbath , therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who
profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that
person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for six
days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does
any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore
the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath , to observe the Sabbath
throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between
Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the
heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was
refreshed.'" Exodus 31:12-17
Then Moses gathered
all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them,”
These are the words which the LORD has commanded you to do: 2 Work shall be
done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath
of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You
shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day."
Exodus 35:1-3
'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh
day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on
it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:3
Allow
Your Servants To Rest
'Observe the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall
labor and do all your work, 14 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 ox, nor your donkey, nor
any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male
servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that
you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out
from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your
God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Sabbath
Is Forever
"For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me," says
the LORD,
"So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says
the LORD.
Hallow
The Sabbath Day
Thus the LORD said to
me: "Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the
kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of
Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah,
and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.
21 Thus says the LORD:"Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the
Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 nor carry a burden
out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath
day, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they did not obey nor incline their
ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive
instruction.
Chapter
10
Sabbath
In The Old Testament
Chapter
11
Sabbath
In The New Testament
Jesus Is
Lord Of The Sabbath I
At that time Jesus
went through the grainfields on the Sabbath . And His disciples were hungry,
and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it,
they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do
on the Sabbath !"
3
But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry,
he and those who were with him: 4 how he
entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to
eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the
Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath , and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is
One greater than the temple. 7 But if
you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would
not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For
the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath ." Matthew 12:1-8 (Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
Jesus Is
Lord Of The Sabbath II
At that time Jesus
went through the grainfields on the Sabbath . And His disciples were hungry,
and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 And when the Pharisees saw it,
they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do
on the Sabbath !"
3
But He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry,
he and those who were with him: 4 how he
entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to
eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the
Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath , and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there
is One greater than the temple. 7 But if
you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would
not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For
the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath ." Matthew 12:1-8 (Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
You Will
Find Rest For Your Souls
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." Matthew 11:28-30
Come
Away By Yourselves To A Lonely Place
And
find rest for your souls.
Healing
Is Allowed On The Sabbath
Now when He had
departed from there, He went into their synagogue. 10 And behold, there was a
man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying,” Is it lawful to heal
on the Sabbath ?" — that they might accuse Him.
Then He said to them,
"What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit
on the Sabbath , will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value then is a man than
a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath ." 13 Then He said to the man, "Stretch out
your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the
other. 14 Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might
destroy Him. Matthew 12:9-14 (Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-11)
Jesus
Worshipped On The Sabbath
Then
they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the
synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He
taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:21-23 (Luke
4:31-37)
The Law
Is Made For Man, Not Man For The Law
Now it happened that
He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath ; and as they went His disciples
began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him,
"Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath ?"
25
But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in
need and hungry, he and those with him:
26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high
priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the
priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?"
27
And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the
Sabbath . 28 Therefore the Son of Man is
also Lord of the Sabbath ." Mark
2:23-28 (Matthew 12:1-8; Luke 6:1-5)
It Is
Good To Do Good On The Sabbath
And He entered the
synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched
Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath , so that they might
accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." 4 Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on
the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they
kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved
by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your
hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the
other. 6 Then the Pharisees went out
and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy
Him. Mark 3:1-6 (Matthew 12:9-14; Luke 6:6-11)
Go Home
And Honour The Prophet In Your Town With Gifts
Lest Your Neglect Of Them Be An
Evidence Against You On The Day Of Judgment
Then He went out from
there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when
the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him
were astonished, saying,"Where did this Man get these things? And what
wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by
His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James,
Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they
were offended at Him.
But
Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own
country, among his own relatives, and in his own house." 5 Now He could do no mighty work there,
except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief.
Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. Mark 6:1-6 (Matthew
13:53-58; Luke 4:16-30)
The
Spirit Of Deliverance Is The Spirit Of Sabbath
So He came to Nazareth,
where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue
on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the
prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it
was written:
"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the
LORD."
Luke 4:16-19 (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6)
Do Not
Be A Hypocrite
Now He was teaching in
one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had
a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way
raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to
her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." 13 And He laid His hands on her, and
immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14
But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had
healed on the Sabbath ; and he said to the crowd,” There are six days on which
men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath
day."
15
The Lord then answered him and said,
"Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or
donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter
of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed
from this bond on the Sabbath ?" 17
And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all
the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke
13:10-17
It Is
Lawful To Heal On The Sabbath
Now it happened, as He
went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the
Sabbath , that they watched Him closely. 2 And behold, there was a certain man
before Him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and
Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ?"
4
But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. 5 Then He
answered them, saying, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has
fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath
day?" 6 And they could not answer
Him regarding these things. Luke 14:1-7
Be A
Good Judge
After this there was a
feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem
by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five
porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame,
paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a
certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in
first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he
had. 5 Now a certain man was there who
had an infirmity thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew
that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him,
"Do you want to be made well?"
The sick man answered
Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred
up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
8
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." 9 And immediately the man was made well, took
up his bed, and walked.
And
that day was the Sabbath . 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured,
"It is the Sabbath ; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."
11
He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and
walk.'"
12
Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed
and walk'?" 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for
Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus found
him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no
more, lest a worse thing come upon you."
15
The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
John 5:1-15
Honor
The Father And The Son
For this reason the
Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things
on the Sabbath . 17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working
until now, and I have been working."
18
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke
the Sabbath , but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with
God. 19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for
whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows
Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than
these, that you may marvel. 21 For as
the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life
to whom He will. 22 For the Father
judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they
honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who
sent Him. John 5:16-23
Righteous
Judgment
Jesus answered and
said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not
that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the
Sabbath . 23 If a man receives
circumcision on the Sabbath , so that the law of Moses should not be broken,
are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath ? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment."
John 7:21-24
Glorified
By Wisdom Of The Holy Spirit
They brought him who
formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made
the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he
had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I
washed, and I see."
16 Therefore some of the
Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the
Sabbath ."
Others said,” How can
a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them.
17 They said to the
blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your
eyes?"
He said,” He is a
prophet."
18 But the Jews did
not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight,
until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they
asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How
then does he now see?"
20 His parents
answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was
born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his
eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." 22
His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed
already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the
synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
24 So they again called the man
who was blind, and said to him,"Give God the glory! We know that this Man
is a sinner."
25 He answered and
said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that
though I was blind, now I see."
26 Then they said to
him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?"
27 He answered them,
"I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it
again? Do you also want to become His disciples?"
28 Then they reviled
him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. 29 We
know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is
from."
30 The man answered
and said to them,"Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know
where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not
hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears
him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the
eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do
nothing."
34 They answered and
said to him,"You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching
us?" And they cast him out. Genesis 1:1 - John 9:13-34
His
Death Did Not Break The Sabbath I
Now behold, there was
a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented
to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who
himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and
asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and
laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain
before. 54 That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.
55
And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they
observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared
spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the
commandment. Luke 23:50-56 (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; John 19:38-42)
His
Death Did Not Break Sabbath II
Therefore, because it
was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the
Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their
legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers
came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with
Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did
not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear,
and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified,
and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that
you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be
fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says,
"They shall look on Him whom they pierced." John 19:31-37
Jesus
Did Not Abolish The Sabbath Nor Authorized Any One To Do So
"Do not think
that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but
to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means
pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and
teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever
does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus
Laments Over Jerusalem
"O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!
How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her
chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you
desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall
see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
LORD!'"
Matthew 23 (Mark 12:38-40; Luke
20:45-47)
Beware
Of The Seven Woes In Confirmation Of The Sabbath
Then
Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: "The scribes
and the Pharisees (Religious Leaders) sit in Moses' seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to
observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they
say, and do not do…
13 "But woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven
against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are
entering to go in…
15 "Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one
proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as
yourselves. Matthew 23:1-end
Chapter
12
The
Disciples, Apostles And The Early Church Observed Sabbath
The
Disciples Kept Sabbath
Then they returned to
Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath
day's journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room
where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas;
Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and
Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His
brothers. Acts 1:12-14
Paul
Kept Sabbath
Now when Paul and his
party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John,
departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga,
they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day
and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers
of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any
word of exhortation for the people, say on." Acts 13:13-15
"Men and
brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to
you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in
Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices
of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath , have fulfilled them in
condemning Him. Acts 13:26-28
On the next Sabbath
almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the
Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and
blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas
grew bold and said,"It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken
to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has
commanded us:
'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the
earth.'"
Now when the Gentiles
heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as
had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:44-48
Jerusalem
Council
"Known to God
from eternity are all His works. 19
Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who
are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things
polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from
blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in
every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath ."
The Jerusalem Decree
Then it pleased the apostles and
elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to
Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and
Silas, leading men among the brethren. 23 They wrote this, letter by them:
The
apostles, the elders, and the brethren,
To the
brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
Since we
have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words,
unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the
law" — to whom we gave no such commandment — 25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with
one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26
men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We
have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by
word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon
you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from
things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual
immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.
Farewell.
Acts
15:18-29
11Therefore, sailing
from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to
Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that
part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13
And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer
was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met
there. 14 Now a certain woman named
Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who
worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15
And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If
you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay."
So she persuaded us. Acts 16:11-16
Ministering
At Corinth
After these things
Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew
named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife
Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome);
and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with
them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in
the synagogue every Sabbath , and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. Acts 18:1-4
Chapter
13
Sabbath
In The Coming Kingdom Of God
Chapter
14
Penalties
For Violating The Sabbath
Now while the children
of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the
Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses
and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it
had not been explained what should be done to him.
Then the LORD said to
Moses,” The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone
him with stones outside the camp." 36 So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all
the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and
he died. Numbers 15:32-36 (Exodus 31:12-17)
The Fall
Of Jerusalem
And the LORD God of
their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and
sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling
place. 16 But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and
scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people,
till there was no remedy.
Therefore He brought
against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the
sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or
virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them all into his hand. 18 And all the
articles from the house of God, great and small, the treasures of the house of
the LORD, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, all these he took
to Babylon. 19 Then they burned the house of God, broke down the wall of
Jerusalem, burned all its palaces with fire, and destroyed all its precious
possessions. 20 And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to
Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the
kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah,
until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept
Sabbath , to fulfill seventy years.
2 Chronicles 36:15-21 (2 Kings
25:1-21; Jeremiah 52:4-30)
Others,
Not You, Shall Suffer
"For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me," says
the LORD,
"So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me," says
the LORD.
"And they shall go forth and look
Upon the corpses of the men
Who have transgressed against Me.
For their worm does not die,
And their fire is not quenched.
They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."
Isaiah 66:22-24 (Jeremiah 1:1)
Burning
Fire As Penalty
"But if you will
not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when
entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire
in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be
quenched."'" Jeremiah 17:27
“They
Shall Not Enter My Rest.”
Be Faithful
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, 'They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.'
11 So I swore in My wrath,
'They shall not enter My rest .'"
Hebrews 3:7-11 (Psalms
95:7-11)
Now, understand why
people do not rest. Instead, they are everyday running about for one thing or
the other, for the cares and worries of everyday life.
Chapter
15
The Day
Of Worship: Sunday Or Sabbath
The
Prophecy Of Change
"thus he said:
'the fourth beast shall be
a fourth kingdom on earth,
which shall be
different from all other kingdoms,
and shall devour the
whole earth,
trample it and break
it in pieces.
24 the ten horns are ten kings
who shall arise from this kingdom.
and another shall rise after them;
he shall be different from the first ones,
and shall subdue three kings.
25 he shall speak
pompous words against the most high,
shall persecute the saints
of the most high,
and shall intend to
change times and law.
then the saints shall
be given into his hand
for a time and times
and half a time.
26'but the court shall be seated,
and they shall take away his dominion,
to consume and destroy it forever.
27 then the kingdom and dominion,
and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole
heaven,
shall be given to the people, the saints of the most
high.
his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.'
Daniel 7:23-2
Chapter
16
Sabbath
Reformations
By
Nehemiah
Now the rest of the
people — the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim,
and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the
Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had
knowledge and understanding — 29 these
joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath
to walk in God's Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to
observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His ordinances
and His statutes: 30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of
the land, nor take their daughters for our sons; 31 if the peoples of the land
brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from
them on the Sabbath , or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year's
produce and the exacting of every debt. Nehemiah 10:28-31
In those days I saw people
in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath , and bringing in sheaves, and
loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they
brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on
which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who
brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the
children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Then I contended with
the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you
do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and
did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring
added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath ."
So it was, at the
gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath , that I
commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till
after the Sabbath . Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no
burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now the merchants and
sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
Then
I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the
wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they
came no more on the Sabbath . 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should
cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify
the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13:15-22
"Blessed be Your glorious name,
Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 You alone are the LORD;
You have made heaven,
The heaven of heavens, with all their host,
The earth and everything on it,
The seas and all that is in them,
And You preserve them all.
The host of heaven worships You.
"You are the LORD God,
Who chose Abram,
And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans,
And gave him the name Abraham;
8 You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give the land of the Canaanites,
The Hittites, the Amorites,
The Perizzites, the Jebusites,
And the Girgashites —
To give it to his descendants.
You have performed Your words,
For You are righteous.
"You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants,
And against all the people of his land.
For You knew that they acted proudly against them.
So You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day.
11 And You divided the sea before them,
So that they went through the midst of the sea on the
dry land;
And their persecutors You threw into the deep,
As a stone into the mighty waters.
12 Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar,
And by night with a pillar of fire,
To give them light on the road
Which they should travel.
"You came down also on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven,
And gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.
14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath ,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger,
And brought them water out of the rock for their
thirst,
And told them to go in to possess the land
Which You had sworn to give them.
Nehemiah 9:4-15
The Need
To Keep Watch On The Sabbath
In
the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and made a covenant with the
captains of hundreds: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan,
Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of
Zichri. 2 And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the
cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
Then all the assembly
made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them,
"Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD has said of the sons of
David. 4 This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath ,
of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors; 5
one-third shall be at the king's house; and one-third at the Gate of the
Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD. 6
But let no one come into the house of the LORD except the priests and those of
the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people
shall keep the watch of the LORD. 7 And the Levites shall surround the king on
all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes into the
house, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king when he comes in
and when he goes out."
So
the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest
commanded. And each man took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath ,
with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath ; for Jehoiada the priest had
not dismissed the divisions. 9 And Jehoiada the priest gave to the captains of
hundreds the spears and the large and small shields which had belonged to King
David, that were in the temple of God. 10 Then he set all the people, every man
with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side
of the temple, along by the altar and by the temple, all around the king. 11
And they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the
Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and
said, "Long live the king!" 2 Chronicles 23:1-11 (2 Kings 11:4-12)
Relevant Things That Should Be
Done On The Sabbath Day
1. Attend worship of God.
2. Say or do prayers.
3. Read scriptures or
sacred texts.
4. Render thanksgiving
and praises to God.
5. Perform services in
the church, holy place, ministry or camp.
6. Give testimonies of
what God has done for us.
7. Narrate
faith-promoting stories or events.
8. Visit the sick, the
needy, the poor or the prisoners.
9. Do works of charity
that are urgent.
Chapter
17
The End
Time Warnings
Come Out
Of Her
...
Pray
About The Great Tribulation
"Therefore when
you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet,
standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16
"then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down
to take anything out of his house. 18
And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to
those who are nursing babies in those days!
20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath
. 21 For then there will be great
tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this
time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And
unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's
sake those days will be shortened.
Matthew 24:15-22 (Mark 13:14-23; Luke 17:23,24,37; 21:20-24)