IN THE BEGINNING PART 9

The Purpose of the Sabbath

It was a reminder that the Lord is our Creator.

It was a reminder that the Lord is the One who sanctifies us.

It was to day to worship the one who created and redeemed us (Psalm 92:1-15).

It was a reminder that we need rest.

It was a reminder that we are dependent on the Lord, and He will provide for us.

On the 7th day of creation, God gave no instructions to man about what they could or couldn’t do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until Exodus 16 that we first see God giving clear instruction about what He wanted Israel to do. Then He gave further instructions when He gave the Law to Moses. And observing the Sabbath was a lot more than just not working on the 7th day. Sabbath laws were applied to the various feasts of Israel. They weren’t just applied to the feasts, but also to the New Moon convocations that occurred monthly. They were also applied to Sabbath years and the Year of Jubilee.

The Purpose of the Old Covenant

Exodus 31:17 “It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’ ””

It displays the holiness of God.

It shows us our own sinfulness.

Galatians 3:10 “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”” (Deuteronomy 27:26)

Romans 3:19-20 “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

3. It shows us our need of a savior because we can’t earn our salvation.

4. It often uses signs, types, and shadows to teach greater truths. (Mention the holy of holies, the sacrifices, the high priest, Passover, etc…)

5. It was never designed to save us.

Genesis 15:6 “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

Psalm 32:1-2 “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

1 Timothy 1:8-11 “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”

The Promise of a New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34 ““Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.””

Ezekiel 36:25-27 “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

The Perversion of the Sabbath

Deuteronomy 4:2 “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”

In the Mishnah, the Rabbis enumerated 39 major categories (with hundreds of subcategories) of labor that were forbidden based on the types of work that were related to the construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, which ceased on the Sabbath.

Walking farther than 1000 cubits (a little over a quarter of a mile), drinking outside the camp, drawing water into any vessel, wearing perfume, opening a sealed vessel, assisting an animal to give birth or helping an animal out of a pit, having sexual relations

Activities that cannot be performed on the Sabbath are basic tasks connected with preparing the showbread of the Temple (it would include sowing, plowing, reaping, binding, threshing, winnowing, selecting, grinding, sifting, kneading, baking), work related to making the coverings in the Tabernacle and the vestments used by the priests ( which would include shearing sheep, bleaching, dyeing, spinning, stretching material, making two loops — the beginning of sewing, threading needles, weaving, separating, tying a knot, untying a knot, sewing, tearing), activities concerned with writing and the preparation of parchment from animal skin (It would include trapping or hunting, slaughtering, skinning, curing hides, scraping pelts, marking out a hide to make ready for cutting, cutting), writing, erasing, constructing (building, demolishing), kindling a flame (lighting or extinguishing), carrying (from private to public domain, and vice versa), and putting the finishing touches to a piece of work already begun before the Sabbath.

The Rabbis decreed that one not only should avoid forbidden acts but also must not do anything that (1) resembles a prohibited act or could be confused with it, (2) is a habit linked with a prohibited act, or (3) usually leads to performing a prohibited act.

The rabbinic enactment of measures to prevent these possibilities was termed “putting a fence around the Torah”. For example, ripping up a piece of paper was forbidden since it resembles “cutting to shape” or could be confused with it.

Similarly, agreeing to buy something was prohibited, because most agreements are confirmed in “writing”; climbing a tree is forbidden, because it may lead to breaking twigs or tearing leaves, which could be construed as “reaping” (i.e., separating part of a growing plant from its source). Other activities that by extension are prohibited on the Sabbath include the following:

Adding fresh water to a vase of cut flowers (sowing — any activity that causes or furthers plant growth), Making a bouquet of flowers (making a sheaf), Separating good fruit from spoiled fruit (winnowing, selecting, sifting), Brushing dried mud from boots or clothes (grinding), Cutting hair or nails (shearing sheep-removing outer covering of a human or animal), Applying makeup (dyeing), Braiding hair (weaving), Drawing blood for a blood test (slaughtering), Rubbing soap to make lather, applying face cream, polishing shoes, using scouring powder for utensils or other surfaces (scraping-smoothing the surface of any material by grinding, rubbing, or polishing), Sharpening a pencil (cutting to shape-altering the size or shape of an item to make it better for human use), Painting, drawing, typing (writing, making durable marks on a durable material), Tearing through lettering on a package (erasing), Opening an umbrella or unfolding a screen (building), Smoking a cigarette, using the telephone (kindling a fire), Switching off an electric light (extinguishing a fire), Setting or winding a clock or watch (finishing off), Wearing eyeglasses not permanently required (carrying from private to public domain and vice versa).

Romans 10:1-4 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

See Luke 18:9-14...