Hi all,
For some Christians, the Sabbath is a very important day. But which day is THE Sabbath to observe? This is a trick question.
Messianic Christians usually meet Friday nights or Saturdays, believing they are obeying God's Word.
Many believe it is more pleasing to God to gather Friday nights or Saturday, because they believe that is what He commanded. That sounds godly, but if you examine the many passages on the Sabbath, there is nothing said about gathering either Friday night or on Saturday (Sabbath). In fact, God only required them to go to temple 3x a year.* Exodus 20:8-11 which is the Law of the Sabbath, merely says don't work. *Deuteronomy 16:16, Exodus 23:17
First mention of meeting Friday nights or on Saturday is during Israel's time of captivity in Babylon (500's BC), but disappeared when they were released back to Israel during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. Meeting on Friday nights or Saturdays didn't become a practice until about 150 years before Jesus was born. It became elevated in importance under the Pharisees, who you will recall, had several clashes with Jesus about the Sabbath. (Mark 7:9-13/Mt 15:1-6 for example)
But well meaning Christians such as 'Messianic' or "Hebrew roots", "7th Day Adventists", "Church of God 7th Day", and "7th Day Baptist Church" also meet on Saturday. But they don't believe according to New Testament realities.
The Sabbath is a Person.
In Exodus 31:16 God calls the Sabbath a 'perpetual covenant'. The reason God's rest is perpetual is because the Sabbath is a Person. Jesus Christ IS the Sabbath. Christ is in you, therefore you are at perpetual Sabbath rest from your religious works. It is done! It is finished! You have peace with God and He with you, because of the perpetual Sabbath of Jesus Christ.
In Genesis 2:1-3 it says:"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in their vast array. On the 7th day God ended all His work, resting. He blessed and set aside (sanctified) the 7th day because He had quit from all He had created and made."
The 7th day Sabbath is a type and picture of the person of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. It is when God quit. In II Corinthians 5:18-19 Paul writes:"And all (new) things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is to say, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging their sins to them...We then are Ambassadors for Christ saying; Be reconciled to God." (God's not angry with you; He made peace with you through Jesus - accept His peace offering!")
When Jesus said "It is finished", He rested. God the Father rested. They quit, it was done, salvation was won. The Sabbath from the start of creation itself, prophesied of Jesus. Do you think the Lord was tired or worn out after 6 days of creation? Of course not, He is a Spirit, He can't get physically exhausted from work. He quit. It was done. The same with "It is finished" on the cross. It was done, the darkness lifted from the cross, the sin of the world was paid for. God quit. Jesus quit. Salvation had been won.
Every Sabbath in every festival in the Bible is a type of the rest accomplished by Jesus' work on the cross. These Sabbaths spoke to a future appointment, a time when God would literally fulfill the appointment with the final Sabbath. These festivals are 'moed'*, divine rehearsals for the true. (Exodus 23:15; 34:18, appointed times*)
Hebrews 4:The Sabbath is Jesus Christ
In the first 8 verses of Hebrews 4 the author writes of Israel under Moses and Joshua, saying they had the gospel preached to them as we have, but many didn't believe in the Lord. He compares those who were believers with the unbelievers who died in the wilderness, with people today who either believe or don't believe. He wrote in v3:"We who have believed enter into that rest..." He is alluding to the fact that had you lived back then, you would have been like Joshua and Caleb and others who believed in the Lord, not like the unbelievers.
He goes on to talk of the rest Israel received after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as they entered the Promised Land, in v8:"If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoke about a future (Sabbath) day of rest. There is then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. Anyone who enters into God's rest also rests from their own (religious) works, as God rested."
Verse 9-11:"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience."
He continues in v12 that the Sabbath is a person:"For the word of God (remember there was no NT at the time, he is talking about the Person who is the Word of God) is sharper than any 2-edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and critiques the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from His sight. For all things are open and naked before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Seeing then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ...."
Here we see Jesus Christ IS the Sabbath. Next week we'll see a Sabbath within a Sabbath, and what Paul wrote about those who choose to honor one day above the rest. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]
For some Christians, the Sabbath is a very important day. But which day is THE Sabbath to observe? This is a trick question.
Messianic Christians usually meet Friday nights or Saturdays, believing they are obeying God's Word.
Many believe it is more pleasing to God to gather Friday nights or Saturday, because they believe that is what He commanded. That sounds godly, but if you examine the many passages on the Sabbath, there is nothing said about gathering either Friday night or on Saturday (Sabbath). In fact, God only required them to go to temple 3x a year.* Exodus 20:8-11 which is the Law of the Sabbath, merely says don't work. *Deuteronomy 16:16, Exodus 23:17
First mention of meeting Friday nights or on Saturday is during Israel's time of captivity in Babylon (500's BC), but disappeared when they were released back to Israel during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. Meeting on Friday nights or Saturdays didn't become a practice until about 150 years before Jesus was born. It became elevated in importance under the Pharisees, who you will recall, had several clashes with Jesus about the Sabbath. (Mark 7:9-13/Mt 15:1-6 for example)
But well meaning Christians such as 'Messianic' or "Hebrew roots", "7th Day Adventists", "Church of God 7th Day", and "7th Day Baptist Church" also meet on Saturday. But they don't believe according to New Testament realities.
The Sabbath is a Person.
In Exodus 31:16 God calls the Sabbath a 'perpetual covenant'. The reason God's rest is perpetual is because the Sabbath is a Person. Jesus Christ IS the Sabbath. Christ is in you, therefore you are at perpetual Sabbath rest from your religious works. It is done! It is finished! You have peace with God and He with you, because of the perpetual Sabbath of Jesus Christ.
In Genesis 2:1-3 it says:"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in their vast array. On the 7th day God ended all His work, resting. He blessed and set aside (sanctified) the 7th day because He had quit from all He had created and made."
The 7th day Sabbath is a type and picture of the person of Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. It is when God quit. In II Corinthians 5:18-19 Paul writes:"And all (new) things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is to say, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not charging their sins to them...We then are Ambassadors for Christ saying; Be reconciled to God." (God's not angry with you; He made peace with you through Jesus - accept His peace offering!")
When Jesus said "It is finished", He rested. God the Father rested. They quit, it was done, salvation was won. The Sabbath from the start of creation itself, prophesied of Jesus. Do you think the Lord was tired or worn out after 6 days of creation? Of course not, He is a Spirit, He can't get physically exhausted from work. He quit. It was done. The same with "It is finished" on the cross. It was done, the darkness lifted from the cross, the sin of the world was paid for. God quit. Jesus quit. Salvation had been won.
Every Sabbath in every festival in the Bible is a type of the rest accomplished by Jesus' work on the cross. These Sabbaths spoke to a future appointment, a time when God would literally fulfill the appointment with the final Sabbath. These festivals are 'moed'*, divine rehearsals for the true. (Exodus 23:15; 34:18, appointed times*)
Hebrews 4:The Sabbath is Jesus Christ
In the first 8 verses of Hebrews 4 the author writes of Israel under Moses and Joshua, saying they had the gospel preached to them as we have, but many didn't believe in the Lord. He compares those who were believers with the unbelievers who died in the wilderness, with people today who either believe or don't believe. He wrote in v3:"We who have believed enter into that rest..." He is alluding to the fact that had you lived back then, you would have been like Joshua and Caleb and others who believed in the Lord, not like the unbelievers.
He goes on to talk of the rest Israel received after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as they entered the Promised Land, in v8:"If Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoke about a future (Sabbath) day of rest. There is then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God. Anyone who enters into God's rest also rests from their own (religious) works, as God rested."
Verse 9-11:"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience."
He continues in v12 that the Sabbath is a person:"For the word of God (remember there was no NT at the time, he is talking about the Person who is the Word of God) is sharper than any 2-edged sword, dividing between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and critiques the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in creation is hidden from His sight. For all things are open and naked before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Seeing then we have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus Christ...."
Here we see Jesus Christ IS the Sabbath. Next week we'll see a Sabbath within a Sabbath, and what Paul wrote about those who choose to honor one day above the rest. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]
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