- Aug 28, 2010
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First let me start this lesson by stating it is NOT about which day you observe as YOUR Sabbath day. This lesson is NOT about observing the 7[sup]th[/sup] day of the week, the 1[sup]st[/sup] day of the week or any day in between. I am NOT referring to ANY of the (8) times the phrase, “…first day of the week…” is mentioned in the entire bible. And I am not referring to Col.2:16, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:”
Again…..this lesson has nothing to do with WHICH day people observe as God’s Sabbath.
This lesson is about God’s laws He gave us GOVERNING the day you choose as your Sabbath day!!!
That’s right! God tells us, in His holy word, there are activities we ARE to do on the Sabbath and then there are things we are NOT to do on the Sabbath. And to find them we will go to the same place we are to receive ALL of our religious doctrine….the Holy scriptures. Just as God did not leave it up to man to determine what sin is, He did not give us a commandment to keep the Sabbath and then leave it up to US to determine how it should observed. To find ALL of how God wants us to observe His Sabbath we must do as the scripture instructs, “ For precept must be upon precept…line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”, Isaiah 28: 10.
Again…. I cannot stress this enough. This lesson is NOT about which day you observe as the Sabbath. It is about God’s laws He gave us governing the day you observe as the Sabbath.
Who has the authority to change God’s rules concerning His Sabbath?
Did God ever change His rules concerning His Sabbath?
If so, where can the change be found?
If you cannot find where God changed His rules governing the Sabbath, although you may THINK the day changed, you must still follow God’s laws regarding the day!!!!
Below we will read scriptures telling us exactly what God does and does not want us to do on HIS Sabbath day!
God’s laws governing His Sabbath
Let’s just start this from the beginning…
Exod 16;
[23] And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
[26] Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
And again….
Exod 20
[10] But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
And again…
Lev.23
[3] Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
Above we can determine (3) things; first, the Sabbath is a day for rest. Second, we are not to bake or boil (seethe) foods, or do any manner of work on the Sabbath. Notice not only are we not to do any work, any help we have nor the stranger is to work on the Sabbath (Meaning we can’t have someone doing any work for us.) And third, we are to have an Holy convocation.
Let’s continue…
Neh 10;
[28] And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
[29] They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into 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 judgments and his statutes;
Not only did the nation of Israel entered into an oath with God, but ALL that separated themselves from the people of the lands, that would do the law of God and had KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING. Do YOU have knowledge and understanding?
We also know that the laws they said they would keep were the same laws given to Moses by God. Let’s read one of the laws ALL of the people said they would keep;
[31] And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.
Now we know it is the law of God NOT to BUY or SELL on the Sabbath day. Let’s read what the prophet Nehemiah had to say about buying and selling on God’s Sabbath day;
Neh 13;
[15] In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
[16] There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
[17] Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
[18] Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
So God considers conducting business on His Sabbath profanity! Let’s continue…
[19] And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
[21] Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
[22]And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they
should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O
my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.
Here we see the prophet Nehemiah contending with the people of Jerusalem about BUYING and SELLING on the Sabbath day. So much so that in verse (21) he tells them if they continue he will lay hands on them (And he is NOT talking about ‘praying‘ for them.). No BUYING, SELLING or CONDUCTING BUSINESS on the Sabbath Day! That is of course if it can be avoided. Jesus gave us an example that some things are ok to do on His Sabbath.
Matt 12;
[11] And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? [12] How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
So as we can see, some things are permitted, if it is NEEDED, but are we to do whatever we like of the day God set aside as Holy? Let’s read…
Isa 58;
[13] If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
[14] Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Finally we see that we are NOT to do our own pleasure on Gods’ Holy day. We are to honor him, “not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:” No engaging in our OWN PLEASURES on the Sabbath Day!
Let’s review:
We ARE to rest on the Sabbath.
We are NOT to cook or do any manner of work (If it can be avoided,) on the Sabbath.
We ARE to have an Holy Convocation on the Sabbath.
We are NOT to buy or sell on Gods Sabbath, if it can be avoided.
We are NOT to engage in our own pleasures on God‘s Sabbath.
Again….this lesson is NOT about which day is the correct day to serve your God, it is about what you do on the day you serve.
So how do you observe your Sabbath?
Do you spend it going out for dinner with family and friends after a good service?
Do you cook that great after service dinner at home?
Do you go shopping or maybe to the movies?
Do you spend the afternoon working around the house before watching The Big Game?
Do you do what YOU want for the day, engaging in YOUR pleasures, and not what God demands?
Does the observance of your Sabbath mirror that of the examples given to us in the bible?
Do you keep YOUR Sabbath the way God instructs us?