The Sabbath is a day of rest and is a holy Sabbath to the Lord (Ex. 16:23). We are told in Ex. 16:26, six days we are to gather (work) and the seventh day there is none to gather (no work). God was teaching them about His Holy Sabbath and when it was. On Friday He will make provision for you to be taken care of throughout His Sabbath (Ex. 16:29). In order to have this provision you must be obedient to His Laws & Commands. You cannot go out on the Sabbath for work purposes or even have it in your heart to go out on the Sabbath to find work or you will miss His provision. Your heart must be fully set on Him during this special Holy time He set aside to be with Him. (Ex. 16:29) In the Ten Commandments Moses reminds us to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exo. 20:8, ESV) Here we are again told six days we shall labor and do ALL our work. We are also told the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. We are reminded that He rested on the seventh day and reminded we are to rest on the seventh day. The seventh day in America is called Saturday. In Hebrew the seventh day is called Shabbat. The Jewish people never forgot when Gods true Sabbath was/is. (Exo. 20:8-11) In Exo. 31:14-17, we are once again told to keep the Sabbath because it is holy. We also find out for the Israelites whoever does any work on it is cut off from his people and anyone who profanes it shall be put to death. To profane something according to Merriam Webster means to treat (a holy place or object) with great disrespect. In Isa. 56:2 we again see that we are blessed when we keep the Sabbath, dont profane it and keep our hand from doing evil. We are told all Israelites shall keep the Sabbath. So if you are saved, then you are grafted in to Yeshua (Jesus). He was an Israelite of the tribe of Judah (Jewish). So if you are grafted in this is what you are grafted into and you are now an Israelite grafted in to Yeshua and also a child of God, and coheir (Rom. 8:12-17). We are also told here in Ex. 31:16 that this is a covenant forever (haolam in Hebrew). It is a sign forever between Him and us that we are His children. So when we honor His Sabbath we are forever marked as His children and true Sabbath observance sets us apart from the world. He also tells us that if we truly honor the Sabbath and His Sabbath rest we will be refreshed! We see this repeated again in Ex. 35:2, and Lev. 16:31. In Lev. 23:3 He again tells us it is a no work day and it is also an appointed feast day of the Lord. In Numbers 15:32-36 we have an example of those found gathering sticks and their outcome - put to death. Today I do not believe we are immediately physically put to death. I believe that this starts as a spiritual death that leads us to backslide into sin. We know that our sin leads to death (Rom. 6:23). In Deu. 5:12 we are again told to observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord our God commanded us. In Deut. 5:13-15 we are again remind about not working on the Sabbath. I understand there are some that have to work on the Sabbath. The Bible gives us examples in Kings of the changing of the guard on Sabbath (2 Kings 11:5-9) and the rotation of the Priest or the Priestly duties (1 Chron. 9:32 & 2 Chron. 23:4-8). If your work is not required like the guard or the Priests (& I am sure there are others which is not the point here) then you are command to rest and do no work. Even Jesus honored the Sabbath (Matt. 12, Mark 2:27-28, 6:2; Luke 4, 13). Jesus performed many miracles on the Sabbath (look throughout the four gospels). This means even in our hearts! We cannot be resting on the Sabbath and wishing, missing, or thinking about work. To do this steals the joy and rest from the Sabbath and removes us from Him and allows the enemy room to move us closer to him and the world. Think of it this way. We are like chess pieces in a chess game. We are either being moved to advance Gods kingdom or we are being used for the enemies schemes. Remember God is the potter and we are the clay. How well we endure the heat determines if we are an unusable cracked pot, a terra cotta pot that sits on the patio, a plate used in the house or fine china. Live truly for Him and His purposes and goals. Do not live for your own because often our ways lead us further from Him and into sin. Choose today to truly honor Him and His Sabbath rest so you can be set apart and tied to His eternal covenant of Sabbath rest that marks us as different from the world. Dont just live one day a week. Live every day of every week of every year! Truly live it so others will see and know there is a change in you and whatever that change is they want what you have! What you have is the true living God and meeting with Him on His Holy day that He set aside. Yes, Hes with us always but He set aside one day that is more special than the others and that day is Saturday (Sabbath). Today choose and be like the prodigal child that realized their mistakes and returned home. He has never forsaken you, left you or anything else. He has always been right there by your side patiently waiting for you to make the right choice. Dont follow the world. Follow Christ! Isa 58:13-14, ESV If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. {There are plenty more verses on the Sabbath. Study to show yourself approved! 2 Tim. 2:15}
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 16:20:24 +0000
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