God Is in the Sabbath

Is the Sabbath relevant in our modern world? Is it really practical to try to keep the Sabbath today? If so, how should we observe it?.
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Epp, investigates this volatile issue in the Church today:. Some religious groups teach that it is necessary to keep the Sabbath in order to be saved. They insist that we are still under the Law. Yet, for reasons not divulged, they assume the right to remove some of the restrictions laid down in the Bible with regard to keeping the Sabbath as a day of rest. So while they contend that the keeping of the day is incumbent on the Christian, they change the nature of it by their own authority.

This all adds to the confusion surrounding this annoying problem, for which the only satisfactory solution is found in the Bible.

The first reference to the Sabbath is found in Genesis 2: The words "evening" and "morning," however, are missing in the description of this Sabbath day. This would indicate that the first Sabbath was a continuous rest, or a continuous ceasing from labor, until the time when man fell into sin. Then God once again began His labors in creating new creatures in Christ Jesus. It cannot be overemphasized, however, that this was God's rest. No obligation on man's part to keep the Sabbath is even implied in this passage. After this first mention of the Sabbath, there is silence for years; not a word is given concerning it.

God instituted the covenant of the Law years after He had made the covenant of grace with Abraham. The first mention of the Sabbath since the time when God ceased from His labors on the seventh day is found in Exodus 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.

Reference is also made to this in Nehemiah: You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant" 9: In it you shall do no work: 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. Why did God not mention the Sabbath during those years? The answer is evident when the purpose for which the Sabbath was given is realized.

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. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 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.

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Any person of Israel not keeping the Sabbath was to be cut off from his people. Since it was instituted as a special sign for Israel, it could be enforced only as long as Israel was in the land of Palestine as a nation and was on proper terms with God. According to the foreknowledge of God, the Israelites were to be scattered soon after the crucifixion of Christ, and the Book of Galatians teaches that the Law was given by Moses until Christ died: It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator" 3: Even though Israel is back in the land now, she has not recognized her God; consequently, the sign-the Sabbath-is not yet enforced.


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Did Christ keep the Sabbath? Some Scripture passages will show why Jesus kept the Sabbath on earth. In the first place, John 1: He came for His own-the Jews. He was made under the Law and was part of the nation of Israel. The Law was not yet set aside. Jesus, being a Jew and living in the time when the Law was still in force, had to keep the Law, too, including the law of the Sabbath.

He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it: I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 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" Matt. As far as any human being is concerned, Christ is the only One who ever kept the Law perfectly.

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This proves His sinlessness. The four Gospels, which record the history of Christ's life on earth, mention the Sabbath at least 50 times. It was observed by all Jews because until the crucifixion, the disciples, as well as Christ, were still under the Law. Not until He cried, "It is finished" John But notice-and this is very important-Christ is not spoken of once as keeping the Sabbath after the crucifixion.

Instead, He left us the example of the Lord's Day. He observed the Sabbath with the Jews until he turned completely to reaching the Gentiles. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, 'Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. Before chapter 18 the Sabbath is mentioned eight times in the Book of the Acts. The reason for this is that Paul visited the Jew first and, of course, that was most easily done on the Sabbath, for the Jews kept the Sabbath.

But when he met with the church, he always did this on the first day of the week. After Acts 18 the Sabbath is not mentioned once in the Scriptures, with the exception of Colossians 2: It is also noted that the other apostles observed the Sabbath together with the Jews, but they did this only when they went to the places where the Jews were. After Acts 18 we do not find another mention of the Sabbath in all of Scripture, with the one exception mentioned above.

Although the apostles met with the Jews on the Sabbath day to be as Paul said, "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" 1 Cor. From the above statements it can be clearly seen that the apostles, including Paul, understood very well the place and purpose of the Sabbath. It was a sign for the Jews, beginning with Moses and ending with the crucifixion of Christ. It is interesting to note that once the Jews are regathered and recognize God as their King, the Sabbath will be observed again Ezek. Bible Verses about Sabbath.

We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.

Bible Verses about Sabbath

Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.

You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the LORD. He stood up to read,. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Acts 16:13

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. Who can wage war against it? And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

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Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever!

Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep It Holy

And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: I am the First and the Last. And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

The seven stars are the angelsof the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.