What is right and wrong? part 4

"Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

INTRODUCTION

Good Evening Southpointe!! We are on part 4 of “What is right and wrong.”

We have looked at three of the big ten. And tonight we are going to look at Commandment number 4, which is the most misunderstood commandment.

This command has produced more confusion and misunderstanding than probably any of the others.

First of all, The Sabbath, when God originally gave it was on Saturday.

The last day of the week. The seventh day was set apart as a day of rest because God rested on the seventh day after creation.

The first reference to the Sabbath is found in

: "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

The root meaning of the words "Sabbath" and "rest," as referred to in Genesis, is "to cease."

After having spent six days in His creative work, God ceased from His labors.

The words "evening" and "morning," however, are missing in the description of this Sabbath day.

This would indicate that the first Sabbath was a continuous rest, or a continuous ceasing from labor, until the time when man fell into sin.

Then God once again began His labors in creating new creatures in Christ Jesus.

It cannot be overemphasized, however, that this was God's rest. No obligation on man's part to keep the Sabbath is even implied in this passage.

After this first mention of the Sabbath, there is silence for 2500 years; not a word is given concerning it.

The first mention of the Sabbath since the time when God ceased from His labors on the seventh day is found in

: "Then he said to them, 'This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.''"

Reference is also made to this in

Nehemiah 9:13-14 "You came down also on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant"

The Sabbath law is made a part of the Ten Commandments:

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

My question is “Why did God not mention the Sabbath during those 2500 years?"

The answer is very clear when we understand the purpose the Sabbath was given.

"Tell the people of Israel: 'Be careful to keep My Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between Me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community.

You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.

The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time.

It is a permanent sign of My covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He stopped working and was refreshed.'"

This was a special sign: It is given so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. verse 13

"Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

Ezekial 20:12 says, "Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them." The Sabbath was especially instituted as a sign of separation for Israel. Any person of Israel not keeping the Sabbath was to be cut off from his people.

The Sabbath was especially instituted as a sign of separation for Israel. Any person of Israel not keeping the Sabbath was to be cut off from his people.

Now let me give you some facts about the fourth commandment.

Now let me give you some facts about the fourth commandment.

It is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament.

Every other commandment that we read about in the big ten is repeated in the New Testament. Really if you study them most of them are even brought with a harder context.

But of all the New Testament list of sins, breaking the Sabbath is never mentioned.

I bring this up because there are people in different religious belief that will tell you if you don’t worship on Saturday you are not worshipping God properly.

Some will even say if you worship on Sunday it is the mark of the beast or the Antichrist. And that is absolutely false.

Jesus never taught anyone to keep the Sabbath.

In fact, Jesus was criticized for not keeping the Sabbath in the way that it had been misinterpreted by the Jewish leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the scribes.

Did Christ keep the Sabbath? Certainly He did. Jesus kept the Sabbath on earth.

The first thing we need to look at:

He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him.

He came for His own-the Jews. He was made under the Law and was part of the nation of Israel.

The Law was not yet set aside.

But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

Jesus, being a Jew and living in the time when the Law was still in force, had to keep the Law, too, including the law of the Sabbath.

Jesus, being a Jew and living in the time when the Law was still in force, had to keep the Law, too, including the law of the Sabbath. He did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled" (). As far as any human being is concerned, Christ is the only One who ever kept the Law perfectly. This proves His sinlessness.

"Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.

As far as any human being is concerned, Christ is the only One who ever kept the Law perfectly. This proves His sinlessness.

As far as any human being is concerned, Christ is the only One who ever kept the Law perfectly. This proves His sinlessness.

But they had taken this beautiful day that God had given as a day of rest and spiritual reflection and turned it into a list of rules and regulations.

Religious leaders had added things that God had never said in His Word.

Things you cannot do on the Sabbath day. There were hundreds of additions they made to it turning it into bondage.

Jesus comes along and sees a guy who needs to be touched. He goes to heal him. They tell Him that He is breaking the Sabbath.

You are not supposed to do that. He says, “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but Sabbath for man.”

They were missing the point. They had lost sight of God’s original plan.

Isn’t it sad how religion often takes the place of relationship with God and how people end up going through rules and regulation with no thought whatsoever of God Himself.

Here the deal, the Sabbath was pointing to a work that God would ultimately do for us at the cross.

So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.

For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.

So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

You see, other religions in the world today say do. Christianity says done.

Because of the work that Jesus did for us on the cross over 2000 years ago when Christ said, It is Finished.

We no longer have to worry about rules and regulations. We come into a new relationship with God where we do what He wants us to do because we want to and not because what we have to.

But you are probably thinking what does that mean to us? It was a day of rest.

God wants us to know that it is a good idea to take one day out of our week to rest and recharge our batteries.

Most of us are in a hurry all the time.

The Bible tells us to be still and know that He is God.

Be still, and know that I am God:

It is good to take some time off. It is good to be quiet. It is good to turn off all your electronics and just listen to God.

Even Jesus took time off:

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told Him all they had done and taught.

Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Jesus was saying you need a day off.

Think about how much our body does every day. Did you know in next 24 hours your body will do these things:

Your heart will beat 103,689 times.

Your blood will travel 168 million miles

You will breathe 23,000 times.

You will inhale 438 cubic feet of air.

You will eat 3 1/2 pounds of food.

You will drink 2.9 quarts of liquid

You will speak 7000 to 14000 words.

You will move 750 muscles.

You will exercise 7 million brain cells.

No wonder you feel tired. You need to rest.

But you also need rest for your soul.

Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."