Chapter 1

THE WEEKLY SABBATH

Before we begin our study let us pray,

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father please bless this time with You and the study of Your Word. Lord, please grant me the eyes to see, the ears to hear and the heart to receive the things that You are teaching me. Father, we thank You for hearing our prayer.

Amen

For our study of the weekly Sabbath we will:

1. Read what God told Moses when He established the weekly Sabbath for the nation of Israel.

2. Look into how the Sabbath was to be observed.

3. Explore the true intent of why the weekly Sabbath was established for the nation of Israel.

4. See that the Sabbath was a foreshadowing of the rest that the born again Christian now has in Jesus Christ.

5. Address the observance of the Sabbath with respect to the born again believer.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WEEKLY SABBATH

As we read the Bible we find that the weekly Sabbath was established for a threefold purpose:

1. The Sabbath was to be celebrated to commemorate the Lord's rest at creation.

Exodus 20:8-11

"[8]Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

2. The Sabbath was also to be a time for the nation of Israel to commemorate their deliverance from their bondage to the Egyptians.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

"[12] Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you. [13] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [14] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor the alien within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest, as you do. [15] Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."

3. The Sabbath was also intended to be a sign between God and the people of Israel. This sign was instituted so that the people of Israel would: (a) remember that they were His chosen people and (b) that He was the Lord their God. To see this let us begin by reading from,

Ezekiel 20:12

"[12] Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy."

In other words, on the Sabbath the people of Israel were to remember that God set them apart for Himself, that is He made them holy.

Let us now read from,

Ezekiel 20:20

"[20] Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign between us. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.""

With the above in mind, let is now explore the,

REGULATIONS FOR OBSERVING THE SABBATH

As we read the Old Testament we find that there were three specific things that were to be done in order to celebrate the weekly Sabbath.

First, on the day of the weekly Sabbath additional burnt offerings were to be made to the Lord. To see this let us read from,

Numbers 28:9-10

"[9] On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. [10] This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering."

Secondly, on the Sabbath twelve fresh loaves of bread, often called the showbread, were to be placed on the table inside the Holy Place of the Tabernacle,

Leviticus 24:5-9

"[5] Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. [6] Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. [7] Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. [8] This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant. [9] It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, because it is a most holy part of their regular share of the offerings made to the LORD by fire.""

Let us notice the following verse,

8 ... In other words the bread was to be in the Tabernacle and before the Lord always. Also note that the bread was in the Tabernacle on behalf of the nation of Israel, that is one loaf for each tribe.

9 ... The old bread was to be eaten by Aaron and his sons, the appointed priests. This was part of their share in the offerings made to God, that is a part of their sustenance.

It is noted that the first two regulations of the Sabbath were directed to the priesthood and their Tabernacle or Temple duties. However, the third and most far reaching regulation that affected every single person of the nation of Israel was the strict cessation from work. No work was to be done during the twenty four hour period from the sunset before the day of the Sabbath to the sunset of the Sabbath day

As time went on and as various situations arose, the priesthood developed and instituted a myriad of rules and regulations to further define the type of work that was to be avoided on the Sabbath. For example, it was against the law to carry anything on the Sabbath. To see this let us read what happened when Jesus cured the paralytic who was by the Sheep Gate pool,

John 5:2-10

"[2] Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. [3] Here a great number of disabled people used to lie--the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [5] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?" [7] "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me." [8] Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." [9] At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, [10] and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.""

Let us notice the following verses,

5 ... The man Jesus came to was an invalid for thirty eight years.

8 ... Jesus commands the man to pick up his mat and walk.

9 ... After being an invalid for thirty eight years can you imagine the joy and happiness the man must have felt that he can now walk!

10 ... Unfortunately, it was against the law to carry a burden on the Sabbath. So, rather than sharing the joy of the healed man and praising God for His Mercy the Jews reprimanded him for carrying his mat.

In fact the laws and traditions for keeping the Sabbath became so strict that even if a person or his family was hungry they were not even allowed to pick heads of grain to eat,

Matthew 12:1-2

"[1] At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. [2] When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.""

In reflecting upon how strict the regulations for keeping the Sabbath became, one comes to realize that all the rules and formalities imposed a tremendous burden upon the people. In fact, it was because of this strictness that the true meaning and purpose of the Sabbath became clouded. Consequently, periodically God would send one of His prophets to Israel to remind them of the,

TRUE INTENT OF THE SABBATH

To gain more insight into God's intent for establishing the Sabbath let us read from His prophet Isaiah,

Isaiah 58:13-14

"[13] If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, [14] then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Let us notice the following verses,

13 ... The Sabbath was to be a delight, not a burden. It was to be a day devoted to seeking God and contemplating His goodness.

14 ... Then, if they kept the Sabbath as God intended, the people would find their joy in the Lord.

This was one of the reasons why, when Jesus came to this earth, He was so upset with the religious leaders. What He found was that the Sabbath was no longer a delight and joy for the people. Instead, He found that the priesthood had not only made the rules and regulations of the Sabbath a burden but had in reality enslaved the people to them.

As a result, our Lord Jesus Christ clearly teaches us is that the Sabbath was created for man not man for the Sabbath. To see this let us read from,

Mark 2:27

"[27] Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

To prove His point let us read about another incident that occurred on the Sabbath,

Matthew 12:9-13

"[9] Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, [10] and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" [11] He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." [13] Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other."

With all this Old Testament background let us now explore the questions of: "What about now? What is the meaning of the Sabbath to the born again believer?"

In an effort to answer these questions we will look into the following two areas of interest: (1) the Sabbath of the born again believer and (2) its observance.

THE SABBATH OF THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER

As we read the New Testament we find that the Sabbath was a foreshadowing of the relationship we now have with God the Father through our Lord ands Savior Jesus Christ. To see this we will:

1. Explore the rest that the born again believer has in Jesus Christ.

2. See that Jesus Christ is always in the Tabernacle of Heaven constantly making intercession to God the Father for you and me.

The Rest of The Born Again Believer

Let us begin this portion of our study by reading the invitation that Jesus gave for us to come to Him and receive His rest,

Matthew 11:28-30

"[28] Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

As we reflect on what Jesus said one might ask, "What is Jesus talking about? What is this promise of rest that He speaks of?"

For us to have a better understanding of the rest that Jesus Christ is talking about, let us begin by reading some excerpts from Webster's definition of the term rest. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, to rest or be at rest means:

(a) To get ease and refreshment by ceasing from work or exertion.

(b) To be at ease or at peace; be tranquil.

With this definition in mind we find that the rest that the born again believer has in Jesus Christ is twofold.

1. The cessation from work

As we saw earlier one of the purposes of the Sabbath was to commemorate the Lord's rest at creation by ceasing all work and entering into His rest,

Exodus 35:2(a)

"[2] For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD..."

This rest was also a foreshadowing of the rest we enter into when we cease from striving to justify ourselves before God by trying to comply with all the commands, laws and statutes and receive God's free gift of salvation. In other words, as God rested after He finished His work of creation, we too are to rest from our labor of trying to earn the salvation that God already accomplished for us in Jesus Christ.

On the surface this truth for the born again believer might seem self evident. However, throughout the New Testament we are reminded over and over again to not slid back into the mode of trying to justify ourselves before God. For example, let us read the following excerpt from the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Galatia.

Galatians 3:1-5

"[1] You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. [2] I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? [3] Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? [4] Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? [5] Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?"

Let us notice the following verses,

2 ... Paul asks the question to the church in Galatia and now to us: "When you received the Holy Spirit was it because you were following God's commands and statutes or was it strictly by your faith in Jesus Christ?"

3 ... Knowing that we are justified by faith, Paul now asks the question of, "why are you reverting back to works of the flesh, that is trying to do good works, to justify or perfect yourself before God?"

5 ... Paul now asks, "Does God work miracles because of how well we comply with His Laws and Statutes or through the belief of what we hear, that is through faith in Him?"

In other words we must never forget that the gift of God's salvation in Jesus Christ is just that ... a free miraculous gift for you and me. As a reminder, let us read from,

Ephesians 2:1-10

"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. [4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Let us notice the following verses,

1-3 ... We were dead in our trespasses and sins.

4 ... God is rich in mercy with great love for us.

8(a) ... By Grace, that is unmerited favor, we have been saved. There is no work we did or can do; it is God's free gift. In other words it is a work that God has already done and is available to each one of us through faith.

8(b) ... Even the faith we have in Jesus is not ours ... it is God's gift to us.

10 ... We are His workmanship.

Thus, when, through faith, we have received Jesus Christ and the work He did for our salvation, the born again believer has now entered into God's rest. To see this, let us read from,

Hebrews 4:9-10

"[9] There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; [10] for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his."

Therefore our mode of living from now on should be as the Apostle Paul described in,

Galatians 2:20-21

"[20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!""

Let us now explore the second aspect of the rest of the born again believer, that is:

2. To be at peace

Earlier in this chapter we found that the second purpose of the Sabbath was for the nation of Israel to take time to commemorate the miraculous deliverance that God gave them from their bondage to the Egyptians. This too was a foreshadowing that pointed to the time when the born again believer would be able to commemorate their deliverance from their bondage to sin and Satan.

To see this, let us recall that on the Sabbath two unblemished, that is perfect, lambs along with an ephah, which is approximately 20.8 quarts, of fine flour were to be offered to God the Father. These offerings were a foreshadowing of the sacrifice our Lord Jesus Christ made on our behalf for the forgiveness of our sins and to deliver us from our bondage to sin and Satan. To refresh our memories, let us begin by reading the testimony John the Baptist once gave concerning our Lord Jesus Christ,

John 1:29

"[29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

To expand upon what John the Baptist said, it is noted that because of the sacrificial work our Lord Jesus Christ did, the born again believer has been given the following glorious gifts:

A. The forgiveness of sins.

1 John 1:9

"[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

B. The deliverance from the power of sin.

Romans 6:14

"[14] For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

C. The deliverance from bondage to Satan.

Colossians 1:13-14

"[13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Now that we have been forgiven and delivered from our bondage to sin and Satan, the born again believer is now at peace with God. To see this let us read from,

Romans 5:1

"[1] Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"

In addition to peace with God, the born again believer can also experience the peace of God. To see this, let us read from,

Philippians 4:4-7

"[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Let us notice the following verses,

4 ... We are to rejoice and be thankful in the Lord always.

6 ... Do not worry about anything but with thanksgiving and prayer we are to present our requests to God. When we do this we must believe and trust that He not only heard us but will also answer in a way that is for our eternal benefit. Now when we do this, God promises that He will fill us with His peace. To see this let us read the next verse.

7 ... The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, the born again believer can also expect to receive the rest or peace that is waiting for them when, for all eternity they will dwell in the new Jerusalem. This peace is described for us in the vision that Jesus gave to the Apostle John. It is recorded for us in,

Revelation 21:2-7

"[2] I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. [4] He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." [5] He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6] He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. [7] He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."

Let us pause for a moment and quickly review the Foreshadowings we have seen up to this point.

1. The cessation from work that was required in the Old Testament Sabbath was a foreshadowing of the rest that the born again believer now has in Jesus Christ.

2. The additional burnt offering required on the Sabbath was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made to deliver the born again believer from the penalty and power of sin and from their bondage to Satan.

This now leaves us with the question of the showbread. Let us recall that, on behalf of the people of Israel, the showbread was placed inside the Tabernacle to always be before the Lord. This too was a foreshadowing. The showbread pointed to the time of the New Testament to teach us that,

Jesus, the True Bread of Life, is now, on our behalf, always in the Tabernacle of Heaven to intercede for you and I

To see this, let us begin by reading how Jesus refers to Himself on the day after He miraculously fed five thousand with five barley loaves of bread and two small fish,

John 6:35

"[35] Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

Unfortunately, the people to whom Jesus was speaking thought that He wanted them to literally eat His flesh or body. They did not realize that Jesus was speaking to them about spiritual things. What Jesus was telling them and now us is that as we must eat bread (or food) to remain physically alive we must also take Him into our heart and soul through the reading of His Word, prayer and the Lord's Supper to remain spiritually alive.

The Bible also teaches us that Jesus, the Bread of Life, is now at the right hand of God in the Tabernacle of Heaven. To see this, let us read what Stephen saw and proclaimed just before he was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. It is recorded for us in,

Acts 7:55-56

"[55]But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [56] "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.""

Finally, the Bible teaches us that Jesus is at the right hand of God on our behalf, which means to intercede for us.

Romans 8:34

"[34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."

Thus we see that all the regulations and activities, that is the cessation of work, the offering of the unblemished lamb and the placing of the showbread in the Holy Place, for keeping the weekly Sabbath were all Foreshadowings that pointed to the time when Jesus Christ would come and bestow God's Grace and Mercy upon all those who belong to Him.

Given all the above let us now address the born again believer's obligation relative to,

THE OBSERVANCE OF THE WEEKLY SABBATH

In addressing this subject we must never lose sight of what we just learned; that is the weekly Sabbath was a foreshadowing to help us, the born again believer, to better understand the good things we have in Jesus Christ. In fact in the Bible the Holy Spirit warns the believers to not be caught up in serving man's traditions and rules. To see this, let us read from,

Colossians 2:8-17

"[8] See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. [9] For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. [13] When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. [16] Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. [17] These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ."

Let us notice the following verses,

9 ... Make sure that no one enslaves you, such as we saw earlier how the priesthood enslaved the Israelites by imposing upon them various rules and regulations.

10 ... We have been given the fullness of Christ! (I am convinced that I do not yet have a grasp of the glory and preciousness of all what this Scripture is saying.)

11-14 ... We are alive in Christ, that is no longer dead in our sins and are born again with the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within us. We are forgiven and accepted into God's Kingdom.

16 ... Do not let anyone impose upon you rules, regulations and laws that appear to make you righteous but are really of no value against the indulgence of the flesh (see Colossians 2:23).

17 ... The reality is in Jesus Christ!

This does not mean that we should not be sensitive to the observance of the Sabbath to remind us of who God is and all that He has done for us through Christ Jesus. However, it does mean that we must be careful to not become enslaved to or judge another by man's traditions and rules concerning its observance. To see this let us prayerfully read the instruction the Holy Spirit gave through the Apostle Paul in,

Romans 14:4-6(a)

"[4] Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. [5] One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. [6] He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord..."

To more clearly understand what the Holy Spirit is teaching us let us read this passage again from the Living Bible translation.

"Some think that Christians should observe the Jewish holidays as special days to worship God, but others say it is wrong and foolish to go to all that trouble, for every day alike belongs to God. On questions of this kind everyone must decide for himself. If you have special days for worshiping the Lord, you are trying to honor Him; you are doing a good thing.

It must be noted that the freedom we now have in Christ should not be misconstrued to imply that we are not to gather with other believers. Consider the following exhortation to those who isolated themselves in,

Hebrews 10:24-25

"[24] And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. [25] Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Lastly, even though there is no specific New Testament commandment for the day or frequency for when to do so, it is noted that in the port city of Troas of Western Asia Minor, the disciples gathered together on the first day of the week to partake of the Lord's Supper.

Acts 20:7(a)

"[7] On the first day of the week we came together to break bread..."

CLOSING

Let us now close this chapter by reading from,

Romans 8:31-39

"[31] What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

AMEN and AMEN

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