The Sabbath Day

#1 Who was it for? How do you keep it? What is the penalty for disobedience?

Ex 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work Only one man ever deserved this rest. Who else ever did six days of work that God would describe as “good”?

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: Whatever you control: gas, water, electricity, must be turned off — out to eat is out etc.

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 31:15-17
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Disobedience to be punished by death — who obeys this?

16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. Not our generations

17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. Not the church

#2 Did Adam or Abraham have the Sabbath?

Ans. No! Then when was it given to the nation of Israel?

Deuteronomy 5:3
3 The LORD made not this covenant The 10 Commandments

with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. Moses, of course, came centuries after Abraham

Nehemiah 9:13-14
13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:
14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: Not 2,500 years earlier

#3 Why was the Sabbath given to Israel?

Was the Sabbath given to Israel to commemorate God’s work of creation and because He rested?
Was it given in celebration of the giving of the manna?

Deuteronomy 5:15
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore Ans. No to both, it was given as a reminder of their slavery in Egypt.

the LORD thy God commanded thee The nation of Israel

to keep the sabbath day.

The Sabbath was part of the ten commandments (it’s the 4th commandment). Are the other nine for us? No, the Law was nailed to the cross.

Colossians 2:14
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; We are no longer under the law. Paul reiterates and confirms all the commandments (except the 4^th) in his epistles. So we are not lawless.

Romans 7:6
6 But now we are delivered from the law. We are under grace and free from the law.

#4 What actual day was Israel’s Sabbath?

Ans. Israel’s physical Sabbath was from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. But Israel, and all of us also, have a spiritual Sabbath. The weekly physical Sabbath was a type or picture of a greater Sabbath (or rest) to come. The law was a “shadow of good things to come” Heb.10:1.

In the book of Hebrews we are told what day our actual Sabbath day is. Heb.3:7 & 4:7 “TODAY”

We have a companion passage in 2 Corinthians 2 Corinthians 6:2
2 behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Instead of saying “today,” like Hebrews calls it, 2 Corinthians calls it “now”. The very day we accept Christ and believe on Him we enter into our “Rest” (our Sabbath). Hebrews 4:3
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest.

“Rest” and “Sabbath” are synonyms. Our rest is spiritual in Christ. It is not physical in the sense of our fruitless efforts of keeping a particular day of the week. We rest (have Sabbath) seven days a week in a Person. Matthew 11:28
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

Or, give you Sabbath. and I will give you rest.

#5 What does Paul have to say about the Sabbath and the law? Plenty, and here are a few of his words:

1 Corinthians 14:37
37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. He left off the 4^th because it’s not for us.

Galatians 3:19
19 Wherefore then serveth the law? Why the law?

It was added because of transgressions, It was added because of transgressions

till the seed should come… The “seed” came!

Galatians 3:24-25
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that For this reason

we might be justified by faith. Not works

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Faith came!

Galatians 4:9-11
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? What a description!

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. If I try to keep the law, with its day observances, I cause Paul’s labor to be in “vain” for me.

Ephesians 2:15
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; Enmity = against us!

Colossians 2:16
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: I will obey this command. Most of Christendom judges these things.

Romans 10:4
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. I believe!

#6 The apostle Paul’s ministry liberates us from the law.

Just look at a few phrases from several of his books.

Galatians
- the law is “a curse”
- “not of faith”
- we are “redeemed from” it
- it’s called “bondage”
- it causes “Christ to have no effect” on us.
Romans
- the law “works wrath”
- “stops mouths”
- we are “delivered from it”
- called the “law of sin and death”
- called the “spirit of bondage”
2 Corinthians (Paul gives these frightening descriptions of the law)
- the “ministration of death written and engraved in stone”
- the “ministration of condemnation”

Romans 7:12
12 the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. There is nothing wrong with the law

Romans 7:14
14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. I’m the problem, not the law

Hebrews 7:19
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. I have accepted a “better hope” and therefore I can “draw close to God”

Acts 13:39
39 And by him (Christ) all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Moses’ life typified the law which enabled him to “see the land”, but not enter.

James 2:10
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

John 1:17
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Joshua, (another name for Jesus) on the other hand, received the land by grace.

Romans 11:6
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. I need grace & truth, don’t you? You can’t have a law and grace mixture, it just doesn’t work both ways

#7 The rejoicing at Peter’s honesty when the Holy Spirit led him to declare that Jewish believers should not try to make the new Gentile converts keep the law and be circumcised was no doubt overwhelming.

Read the whole account again in Acts15.

Acts 15:10-11
11 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Acts 15:31
31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced

#8 In the gospels, the temple and the Sabbath had become the Jew's gods.

Instead of worshipping God, they worshiped the Sabbath day itself and they worshiped the temple building, but rejected what they stood for. The Sabbath was a type of Christ and the temple was to bring glory to God. Heb 3&4, Psalms 29:9

Who really keeps the Sabbath today? Nobody!

Leviticus 25:2-4, 20-21
2 When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;

4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. Vacation sounds good, but…

20 What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:

21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. This just doesn’t happen today

Israel’s Sabbath Day is not for the church!

Jim Maurer

Ex 20:8-11 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work		Only one man ever deserved this rest. Who else ever did six days of work that God would describe as “good”?
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:		Whatever you control: gas, water, electricity, must be turned off — out to eat is out etc.
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Exodus 31:15-17 15 *Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death*.		Disobedience to be punished by death — who obeys this?
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, *for a perpetual covenant.*		Not our generations
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: *for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.*		Not the church

Deuteronomy 5:3 3 *The LORD made not this covenant*		The 10 Commandments
*with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.*		Moses, of course, came centuries after Abraham

Deuteronomy 5:15 15 *And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore*		Ans. No to both, it was given as a reminder of their slavery in Egypt.
*the LORD thy God commanded thee*		The nation of Israel
*to keep the sabbath day.*

Colossians 2:14 14 *Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;*		We are no longer under the law. Paul reiterates and confirms all the commandments (except the 4^th) in his epistles. So we are not lawless.
Romans 7:6 6 *But now we are delivered from the law.*		We are under grace and free from the law.

In the book of Hebrews we are told what day our actual Sabbath day is.		Heb.3:7 & 4:7 “TODAY”
We have a companion passage in 2 Corinthians		2 Corinthians 6:2 2 behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Instead of saying “today,” like Hebrews calls it, 2 Corinthians calls it “now”. The very day we accept Christ and believe on Him we enter into our “Rest” (our Sabbath).		Hebrews 4:3 3 *For we which have believed do enter into rest.*

“Rest” and “Sabbath” are synonyms. Our rest is spiritual in Christ. It is not physical in the sense of our fruitless efforts of keeping a particular day of the week. We rest (have Sabbath) seven days a week in a Person.		Matthew 11:28 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
Or, give you Sabbath.		and I will give you rest.

Galatians 3:19 19 Wherefore then serveth the law?		Why the law?
It was added because of transgressions,		It was added because of transgressions
till the seed should come…		The “seed” came!

Galatians 3:24-25 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that		For this reason
*we might be justified by faith.*		Not works
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.		Faith came!

Galatians 4:9-11 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, *whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?*		What a description!
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.		If I try to keep the law, with its day observances, I cause Paul’s labor to be in “vain” for me.

Acts 13:39 39 And by him (Christ) all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.		Moses’ life typified the law which enabled him to “see the land”, but not enter.

James 2:10 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

John 1:17 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.		Joshua, (another name for Jesus) on the other hand, received the land by grace.

Romans 11:6 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.		I need grace & truth, don’t you? You can’t have a law and grace mixture, it just doesn’t work both ways

Leviticus 25:2-4, 20-21 2 When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. 3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.		Vacation sounds good, but…
20 What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.		This just doesn’t happen today