Shabbat Shalom!
And Happy Purim!
Today is the weekly Shabbat,
and tonight is the beginning of Purim (meaning "lots").
Purim is the celebration of the story of Esther and Mordecai's victory over Haman's evil plot to destroy the Jewish people in the biblical book of Esther.
Purim is not one of YHVH's commanded appointed times. However, Mordecai "recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces, instructing them to observe the 14th day of the month of Adar, and the 15th day, every year, to commemorate the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; they were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions of food to each other and giving gifts to the poor." (Esther 9:20-22)
Since the time Mordecai proclaimed these 2 days to be celebrated and commemorated, they have been and are celebrated! If you would like to know more about how Purim is celebrated around the world, just google the word "Purim." Basically, if you read the book of Esther and thank YHVH that He is faithful to intervene and to keep His Word to His people, both in ancient times as well as now, then you will be celebrating Purim!
However....this blog post is NOT about celebrating Purim! :o)
Here is the question for today's blog post:
Is YHVH serious about SHABBAT (the Sabbath)?
YES!! And I am so glad!
I have been taking YHVH seriously regarding this mitzvot (instruction) for the past two years, and I just LOVE this 24-hour period every week! How I could ever have thought that keeping the Sabbath was a "legalistic" thing, I don't know! I think I must have just been convinced from hearing things I was taught, rather than trying YHVH at His Word (and His command) and seeing how RIGHT and GOOD and LOVING are all His ways!
Thus the heavens and earth were finished, along with everything in them. On the seventh day God was finished with his work which He had made, so He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all His work which He had created, so that it itself could produce. Genesis 2:1-3
Setting aside Shabbat (Sabbath, seventh day) as holy and as the day of rest is NOT a "Jewish" thing...it is a GOD thing! He set this day aside as a holy day of rest from the very beginning of time!
Who changed the day to Sunday?
Who decided that "rest" means "work" and everything else other than what God instructed?
MAN!
Is YHVH serious about this holy day each week set aside for rest and for communion with Him?
Well, as always, the answer is right there in the Word of YHVH...the answer is found in many parts of the Word of YHVH, from the beginning to the end.
First, let's look at the Israelites in the desert. For 40 years, God fed them manna each day to sustain them. He also commanded that they keep the seventh day holy as a rest day for HIM.
He told them, "This is what YHVH has said: 'Tomorrow is a holy Shabbat for YHVH. Bake what you want to bake; boil what you want to boil; and whatever is left over, set aside and keep for the morning.'" They set it aside till morning, as Moses had ordered; and it didn't rot or have worms. Moses said, "Today, eat that; because today is a Shabbat for YHVH - today you won't find it in the field. Gather it six days, but the seventh day is the Shabbat - on that day there won't be any." However, on the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather and found none. YHVH said to Moses, "How long will you refuse to observe My mitzvot and teachings? Look, YHVH has given you the Shabbat. This is why He is providing bread for two days on the sixth day. Each of you, stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day." So the people rested on the seventh day. The people called the food manna. Exodus 16:23-31
Only 3 months into their 40-year period in the desert after leaving Egypt, YHVH gave His people the words, the commands, the expectations of His kingdom. Ten of these He actually wrote on stone tablets as a memorial for the people to see.
TWICE, God wrote these stone tablets, and He made it obvious that the Sabbath is something that He cares deeply about. Also notice that He says "remember the Sabbath day." It is something He had already put in place and set aside for Himself.
"Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for YHVH your God. 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 the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. For in six days, YHVH made heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but on the seventh day He rested. This is why YHVH blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for Himself." Exodus 20:8-11
These Ten Most Important Words of YHVH are again listed in the book of Deuteronomy, which is basically Moses's retelling of the story of YHVH and His people Israel when they were finally about to cross over into the promised land after 40 years.
"Observe the day of Shabbat, to set it apart as holy, as YHVH your God ordered you to do. You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for YHVH your God. On it you are not to do any kind of work - not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave....You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and YHVH your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore YHVH your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat." Deuteronomy 5:12-15
Not only did YHVH write it in stone twice, but He also told Moses to tell the people directly what the Shabbat was and why YHVH set it apart.
YHVH said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel, 'You are to observe My Shabbats; for this is a sign between Me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am YHVH, who sets you apart for Me. Therefore you are to keep My Shabbat, 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. On six days, work will get done; but the seventh day is a Shabbat, for complete rest, set apart for YHVH. Whoever does any work on the day of Shabbat must be put to death. The people of Israel are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the people of Israel forever; for in six days YHVH made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working and rested'" Exodus 31:12-17
And again four chapters later, Moses assembled the whole community to tell them about YHVH's command to take a collection and build Him a tabernacle. Moses began this command by reminding the people of the command to observe Shabbat...
Moses assembled the whole community of the people of Israel and said to them, "These are the things which YHVH has ordered you to do. On six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest in honor of YHVH. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. You are not to kindle a fire in any of your homes on Shabbat." Exodus 35:1-3
(NOTE: Since the restriction above is against work, and since the rest of Exodus 35 is about doing the metal-work of building the temple, the part about not kindling a fire is interpreted by some to be a prohibition against building a fire for the purpose of work or against collecting the firewood and is not a requirement to eat cold food and live in unheated dwellings on the Sabbath.)
In Leviticus 23, YHVH gives the pattern of His appointed times which His people are to proclaim and observe as holy. These are the "Feasts," the appointed times that are given to us as an incredible picture of YHVH's relationship with us throughout all of history. Notice that Shabbat is the first appointed time listed here, because YHVH used it, from the time of creation, to set the pattern of all His "holy, set-apart" days.
YHVH said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel: 'The designated times of YHVH which you are to proclaim as holy convocations are My designated times. Work is to be done on six days; but the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, a holy convocation; you are not to do any kind of work; it is a Shabbat for YHVH, even in your homes. These are the designated times of YHVH, the holy convocations you are to proclaim at their designated times.... (and He goes on to list them all)." Leviticus 23:1-4
Now let me interrupt myself for a moment and ask the question again:
Is YHVH serious about Shabbat?
In the book of Numbers, YHVH instructs Moses to tell the people of Israel what will happen to those who go willfully against YHVH's Word...
"The priest will make atonement before YHVH for the person who makes a mistake by sinning inadvertently; he will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven - no matter whether he is a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living with them. You are to have one law for whoever it is that does something wrong by mistake.
But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming YHVH....Because he has had contempt for the word of YHVH and has disobeyed His command, that person will be cut off completely; his offense will remain with him."
While they were in the desert, they found a man gathering wood on Shabbat. They brought him to Moses, Aaron and the whole congregation....Then YHVH said to Moses, "This man must be put to death; the entire community is to stone him to death outside the camp." Numbers 15:28-35
Here is a story from Nehemiah about those who did not keep Shabbat as commanded...
"In those days I saw men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with...all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day....I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, 'What is this wicked thing you are doing-desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.' When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day....Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love!" Nehemiah 13:15-22
YHVH spoke again to His people Israel through His prophet Isaiah...
Here is what YHVH says: "Observe justice, do what is right, for My salvation is close to coming, My righteousness to being revealed." Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. A foreigner joining YHVH should not say, "YHVH will separate me from His people";...The foreigners who join themselves to YHVH to serve Him, to love the name of YHVH, and to be His workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to My covenant, I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer... Isaiah 56:1-7
"If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on My holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, YHVH's 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 YHVH - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of YHVH has spoken." Isaiah 58:13-14
Okay, are we convinced yet?
Is YHVH serious about Shabbat?
Some people at this point will probably say, "but Jesus did away with keeping the Sabbath on Saturday."
Did He? Are you sure? Do you know who really eventually changed "the Lord's day" from Saturday to Sunday?
Look at Isaiah 66. Read Isaiah 66 in the context and point in history it is describing. It has not yet come to pass. It speaks of Israel in the end times...it speaks of the NEW JERUSALEM. The end of Isaiah 66 (the final chapter of this book) talks about the new heavens and the new earth. This is still to come! This will be when Yeshua is reigning on His throne as the KING OF KINGS!
"For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will continue in my presence", says YHVH, "so will your descendants and your name continue. Every month on the new moon and every week on Shabbat, everyone living will come to worship in My presence," says YHVH. "As they leave, they will look on the corpses of the people who rebelled against Me." Isaiah 66:22-24
(Sounds like YHVH is quite serious about Shabbat...then, now and at the end of time!)
But what about Yeshua...what about Jesus? What did He say about Shabbat?
At that time Yeshua went through the grainfields on Shabbat. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread-which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Yeshua, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on Shabbat?" He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on Shabbat, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on Shabbat." 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. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill him. Matthew 12:1-14
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Yeshua went into the synagogue and began to teach. Mark 1:21 (similar verses include Mark 6:2; Luke 4:31; 6:6)
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on Shabbat he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. Luke 4:16
Indignant because Yeshua had healed on Shabbat, the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath." The Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Luke 13:14-15
At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" John 5:9-11
Is Yeshua breaking His own command regarding Shabbat (afterall, He is the Word Incarnate, the Living Word, the Author of it all)? Or is He making a statement regarding MAN'S interpretation of God's law?
Look at all these things that happened after Yeshua's resurrection:
The women who had come with Yeshua from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on Shabbat in obedience to the commandment. Luke 23:55-56
…On Shabbat they [Paul and believers] entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak." Acts 13:14-15
As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures. Acts 17:2
Then never let anyone criticize you for what you eat or drink, or about observance of annual festivals, New Moons or Sabbaths. These are a shadow of what is coming: the reality is the body of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 (This verse, when taken out of context to all of YHVH's Word, is used repeatedly and ignorantly to "prove" that God has changed His commands regarding keeping His Word.)
And in Hebrews chapter 4, the author the importance of YHVH's Shabbat rest from the beginning of creation with the REST that He offers us in Him through Yeshua.
Therefore, let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering His rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it...For it is we who have trusted who enter the rest. It is just as He said, 'And in My anger, I swore that they would not enter My rest.' He swore this even though His works have been in existence since the founding of the universe. For there is a place where it is said, concerning the seventh day, 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.'...'Today, if you hear God's voice, don't harden your hearts.'...So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God's people. For the one who has entered God's rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from His. Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience. Hebrews 4:1-11
The last two scripture references summarize YHVH's teaching on the Sabbath: We are not to put in place and judge each other over man-made rules as the Pharisees did, but the seventh-day Sabbath remains as a holy day set apart by YHVH Himself, just as it has been from the creation and will be in the end of days.
We say we love YHVH. We say we want to obey Him.
What is the proof of that love?
John spoke some strong truth about these two things:
The way we can be sure we know Him is if we are obeying His commands. Anyone who says, "I know Him," but isn't obeying His commands is a liar - the truth is not in him. 1 John 2:3-4
(Yeshua said) "If you love Me, you will keep My commands..." "Just as My Father has loved Me, I too have loved you; so stay in My love. If you keep My commands, you will stay in My love - just as I have kept My Father's commands and stay in his love." John 14:15; 15:9-10
1 John 5:3 “For loving God means obeying His commands. Moreover, His commands are not burdensome..." 1 John 5:3
To me it is so obvious that YHVH always has been and is still serious about His Shabbat being set apart as a holy day of rest for HIM!
Let me end this blog post with a comment about something I said at the beginning:
I can't believe I ever thought keeping the Sabbath was a legalistic thing of the past! This last scripture about God's commands not being burdensome is SO TRUE!
This time of rest with YHVH every week is so rich and deep in meaning and in relationship with Him! The more I practice this command and the more I read His Word, the more I see the richness, the many layers of His character and how He reveals Himself to us.
It is in this excitement and contentment that I want to offer Psalm 92 as a parting thought. Psalm 92 is entitled "A Song for the Sabbath."
(I will only include part of it here...you can read the rest while you are resting!)
Psalm 92
A psalm. A song for Shabbat:
It is good to give thanks to YHVH
and sing praises to Your name, "Elyon,"
to tell in the morning about Your grace
and at night about your faithfulness,
to the music of a ten-stringed harp and a lute,
with the melody sounding on a lyre.
For, YHVH, what You do makes me happy;
I take joy in what Your hands have made.
How great are Your deeds, YHVH!
How very deep Your thoughts!...
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar in the Lebanon.
Planted in the house of YHVH,
they will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
Even in old age they will be vigorous,
still full of sap, still bearing fruit,
proclaiming that YHVH is upright,
my Rock, in Whom there is no wrong.
Thanks for reading my blog, my journey with my Adonai and King, YHVH through the Messiah and King, Yeshua.
May you know the joy of entering into His rest!
Gina
PS If you want to read more about the truth of what Scripture says about the death and resurrection of Yeshua, you can read "Correcting the Sunday Myth" at this website: http://www.therefinersfire.org/resurrection1.htm
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