SABBATH: THE SPECIAL DAY

KEEPING THE SABBATH – ETERNAL COVENANT

1. Ex.31:16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. Lev.19:30 You shall keep My Sabbaths. Gen.2:2 And on the seventh day Elohim finished His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it because that in it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.

Is.56:2 Blessed are those who are careful to do this (what’s right and do it in the right way – honor Torah of  YHWH) and the son of man who lays hold on it . Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest by refusing to work.

Is.66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth that I will make shall remain before Me, says YHWH, so shall your offspring and your name remain. And from month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says YHWH. 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.

Ezek.20:10  And I brought them out of the land of Mizraim and led them into the wilderness. I gave them My commandments and made known to them My statutes, by the observance of which a person shall live. I also gave them My Sabbaths as a sign between Me and them, so that they might know that I am YHWH who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My commandments, and they rejected My statutes, which, if a person does, he shall live by them. They greatly profaned My Sabbaths.

Hebr.4:9 So there remains a Sabbath – keeping for people of YHWH.

Mk.2:27 Then he said to them, “Sabbath was made for mankind, not mankind for Sabbath. The son of man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He’s in charge!” 

The Council of Laodicea in 321 AD established Sunday for celebrating the “Day of the Lord” and forbid keeping the Sabbath, threatening those who did with anathema. Here is canon 29: ‘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.’ The Catechismus Romanus was commanded by the Council of Trent and published by the Vatican Press, by order of Pope Pius V, in 1566. This catechism for priests says: ‘It pleased the church of God, that the religious celebration of the Sabbath day should be transferred to “the Lord’s day. Sunday”’ (Catechism of the Council of Trent). ‘The Catholic Church by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday’. This way through Babylonian – Catholic system the commandment about the Sabbath-Day of YHWH was cancelled and it was replaced with Sunday – the day (establishment) of men. So the religious system replaced the worship of the living YHWH with the worship of idolatrous god of the Sun known by the names of Horus or Ra (‘Eye of Lucifer’ or ‘eye in the triangle’) in the ancient Egypt, god Tammuz (son of Ishtar/Easter/Аstarte) in Babylon and Assyria, God Kolyada, Jarilo or Yar in the pagan Slavic culture, Mirtha in India, Persia and Iran, Helios in Ancient Greece, Apollo in ancient Rome, Moloch in Ancient Carthage, Tonatiuh for Mayans and Aztecs, Amaterasu for the people of Japan.

HOLY CONVOCATION OF SABBATH

2. Lev.23:3 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 YHWH in all your dwellings**.

* ‘a holy convocation’ – in Hebrew: מקרא (mikra).

** ‘Dwellings’ – in Hebrew: מושב (moshav).   

Act.15:21 This is basic wisdom from Moses (Torah), preached and honored for centuries now in city after city being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

Act.13:42 As they (Paul and Barnabas) went out of the synagogue, the people earnestly begged that these things might be told to them further the next Sabbath.

Act.13:44 The next Sabbath almost the entire city gathered together to hear the Word of YHWH.

Act.16:13 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.

Act.18:4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.

REMEMBER (HONOUR) SABBATH AS A SPECIAL DAY

3. Ex.20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (withdrawn from common employment and dedicated to YHWH). Ex.31:14 Therefore you are to keep my Sabbath, because it is set apart for you. Everyone who treats it as ordinary must be put to death. For whoever does any work on it is to be cut off* from his people. Lev.19:3 Keep My Sabbaths: I am YHWH your Elohim.

* ‘to be cut off from his people’ – does not refer to those who did not keep Sabbath by mistake, unintentionally or ‘due to weakness’ but to those who broke the commandments in a demonstrative and defiant way and consciously defiled the name of  YHWH. The Scriptures talk about the person who was gathering sticks deliberately on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36). If put in context, it was talking about ‘an impudent hand (presumptuously/ intentionally)’: Num.15:27-30.

Is.56:4 For thus says YHWH: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, 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. Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to YHWH, to serve Him, and to love the name of YHWH, to be His servants – everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant – 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.” YHWH, Who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “Yet I will gather to him others besides those who are gathered to him.”

Neh.13:17 What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our YHWH bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.You are profaning the Sabbath day (Shabbat) and making it like an ordinary day. 

4. Deut.5:15 You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and YHWH your Elohim brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore YHWH your Elohim has ordered you to keep the day of Sabbath (observe and take heed to the Sabbath day).

2Chron.36:20 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, to fulfill the word of YHWH 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. Thus, the land will enjoy its Sabbath rest that people did not observe. (Lev.26:34) 

CONTINUATION OF THE SABBATH: FROM SUNSET OF THE 6^th DAY UNTIL SUNSET OF THE 7^th DAY

5. Lev.23:32 From even unto even, shall ye keep your Sabbath.

The Sabbath is not an object of worship but is a time dedicated for a simple rest: Col.2:16 So don’t put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet (how exactly to do it), or with regards to Judaic ceremonies of holy days (festival), new moons or Sabbaths (how exactly to do it).These things are a shadow of things that are coming (things to come), but the substance is of the Messiah.

DO NOT WORK ON THE SABBATH

6. Ex.20:9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for YHWH your Elohim. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days YHWH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Ex.34:21 Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. Even in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest on the Sabbath (stop working even during plowing and harvesting). Lev.25:2 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 YHWH.” Ex.31:15 Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to YHWH. Whoever does any work* on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death**.

* ‘work’ – in Hebrew מְלָאכָה (melakha) – job, business, matter, service.

** ‘put to death’ – for a systemic intentional violation of the law. Not to keep the Sabbath – it is an evil which needs to be eradicated from our midst.

Is.58:13 If you hold back your foot on Sabbath from pursuing your own interests on my holy day. If you call Sabbath a delight, YHWH holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. If you do, you will find delight in YHWH – I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya’akov, for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.

Jer.17:21 YHWH speaks to you: Guard your souls and do not carry a burden through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Nor should you carry a burden from your houses on the Sabbath day; do not do any work on this day. You must sanctify this day, as I commanded your ancestors.

The Book of Jubilees Chapter 2 Declare and say to the children of Israel the law of this day both that they should keep Sabbath thereon, and that they should not forsake it in the error of their hearts; and that it is not lawful to do any work thereon which is unseemly, to do thereon their own pleasure, and that they should not prepare thereon anything to be eaten or drunk, and (that it is not lawful) to draw water, or bring in or take out thereon through their gates any burden, which they had not prepared for themselves on the sixth day in their dwellings. And they shall not bring in nor take out from house to house on that day; for that day is more holy and blessed than any jubilee day of the jubilees; on this we kept Sabbath in the heavens before it was made known to any flesh to keep Sabbath thereon on the earth (Gen.2:3). And the Creator of all things blessed it, but he did not sanctify all peoples and nations to keep Sabbath thereon, but Israel alone: them alone he permitted to eat and drink and to keep Sabbath thereon on the earth. And the Creator of all things blessed this day which He had created for blessing and holiness and glory above all days. This law and testimony was given to the children of Israel as a law for ever unto their generations.

The Book of Jubilees Chapter 50 And behold the commandment regarding the Sabbaths – I have written (them) down for thee- and all the judgments of its laws. Six days shalt thou labour, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of YHWH your Elohim. In it ye shall do no manner of work, ye and your sons, and your men- servants and your maid-servants, and all your cattle and the sojourner also who is with you. And the man that does any work on it shall die: whoever desecrates that day, whoever lies with (his) wife, or whoever says he will do something on it, that he will set out on a journey thereon in regard to any buying or selling: and whoever draws water thereon which he had not prepared for himself on the sixth day, and whoever takes up any burden to carry it out of his tent or out of his house shall die. Ye shall do no work whatever on the Sabbath day save what ye have prepared for yourselves on the sixth day, so as to eat, and drink, and rest, and keep Sabbath from all work on that day, and to bless YHWH your Elohim, who has given you a day of festival and a holy day: and a day of the holy kingdom for all Israel is this day among their days for ever. For great is the honour which YHWH has given to Israel that they should eat and drink and be satisfied on this festival day, and rest thereon from all labour which belongs to the labour of the children of men save burning frankincense and bringing oblations and sacrifices before YHWH for days and for Sabbaths. This work alone shall be done on the Sabbath-days in the sanctuary of YHWH your Elohim. That they may atone for Israel with sacrifice continually from day to day for a memorial well-pleasing before YHWH, and that He may receive them always from day to day according as thou hast been commanded. And every man who does any work (business) thereon, or goes a journey, or tills (his) farm, whether in his house or any other place, and whoever lights a fire, or rides on any beast, or travels by ship on the sea, and whoever strikes or kills anything, or slaughters a beast or a bird, or whoever catches an animal or a bird or a fish, or whoever fasts or makes war on the Sabbaths (Mtt.24:20). The man who does any of these things on the Sabbath shall die, so that the children of Israel shall observe the Sabbaths according to the commandments regarding the Sabbaths of the land, as it is written in the tablets.

The Pharisees interpreted this commandment in their own way by making people follow extra, useless and contradictory rules regarding exactly what they were supposed to and not supposed to be doing on the Sabbath. As a result, they ended up ‘loading’ themselves down with more work or more ‘jobs’. This meant they had to observe these rules themselves and control themselves (as well as others) and to make sure that no one was breaking these extra rules, instead of abiding in the ‘shalom’ peace of  YHWH’s Sabbath.

Yeshua did not violate the Sabbath in the eyes of YHWH , but he violated it in the eyes of a religious system: Mtt.12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Luk.14:5 Then Yeshua 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?”

The true meaning of the Sabbath is to not worry about your job and put all life cares aside.

DO NOT COOK ON THE SABBATH

7. Ex.35:3 Don’t light any fires* in your dwellings on the Sabbath day. Ex.16:23 He said to them, YHWH has said, tomorrow is a solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to YHWH. Bake and boil what you will bake and boil today and all that remains over put aside for you to keep until morning.

* Some religious movements explain this commandment, for example, as a ban on turning on lights in houses, using hot water, using an elevator, etc. But this is just their interpretation. The word אֵשׁ (‘esh) translated as “kindle a fire” in Hebrew means fire for cooking, roasting, parching, flames or altar-fire. This is an example of when this word is used: Ex.12:8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire (אֵשׁ), with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The commandment says about cooking and not about using the electrical appliances. Also it is necessary to understand the difference between food preparation and its warming up: to warm up and to cook the food are two different meanings.