Foundations of our Faith: Sabbath

Foundations of our Faith  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  45:43
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Ha’Shabbat: The Sabbath

Shabbat shalom everyone! Welcome again to our NRF family; welcome to our guests, and to our digital viewers here. Today I will be continuing the series that I started two weeks ago, and that Jeff also taught on last week.
So to recap: we are going over the foundations. Specifically, the foundations of our faith, the core basic tenets of who and what we are, what we believe, and what we do. I started this series two weeks ago talking about Identity. I won’t re-hash that here and now, but that was our beginning topic. Last week Jeff followed that up by talking about the Gospel. What is the Gospel, or “Good news”? He talked about how it’s more than just “say this prayer, and you’ll get to be in heaven with Jesus when you die.” It’s about the Kingdom! Amein?
So if you’re watching or listening to this, and you didn’t hear my teaching on identity, or Jeff’s on the Gospel, make sure you check out the website: nrfcommunity.org/sermons to find those, so you can get caught up.
For today’s topic, it may seem like a little bit of an oxymoron at first. Today we will be looking at Sabbath. I mean…y’all get the irony, right? It’s Sabbath right now; obviously everyone here already has an understanding and appreciation of the Sabbath. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. But sometimes with these sorts of things, we consider them so fundamental, so basic, that we often overlook some of the differences or even some of things that we’ve missed because they were so “simple.” So I want to achieve four goals with today’s message.
Introduce the Sabbath for any guests that may not know what all Scripture as to say about it
Discuss a little of the Sabbath-to-Sunday transition
Discuss the two (yes, that’s right: two) different aspects of Sabbath
Offer some practical guidance and advice

Introducing the Sabbath

The best place to begin, is the beginning, amein?
What is the Sabbath? Why is it significant?
The Sabbath is the 7th day of the week. A day that we, in modern English, usually call Saturday. It begins on Friday, at sunset. We get this from the very beginning of Scripture.

1So the heavens and the earth were completed along with their entire array. 2God completed—on the seventh day—His work that He made, and He ceased—on the seventh day—from all His work that He made. 3Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on it He ceased from all His work that God created for the purpose of preparing.

In all of the Creation account leading up to this, we read “And there was evening, and there was morning, the…day.” Third day, fourth day, fifth day, etc. We learn that Sabbath days begin at sunset the day prior from a couple other Scriptures as well.
Leviticus 23:26-32 specifies that the Day of Atonement, a special Sabbath, is to be observed “from evening to evening.” Additionally we find more evidence of this evening-to-evening pattern after the return from exile, in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah 13:19 says:

When evening darkness began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before Yom Shabbat, I commanded the doors to be shut. I further commanded that they should not be opened till after Yom Shabbat. I appointed some of my attendants over the gates so that no burden could enter during Shabbat.

The reason for shutting the gates in this passage, was to prevent the merchants from selling their wares on the Sabbath. But we’ll come back to this.
As we already read in Genesis 2, God rested on the seventh day, so that’s what we are commanded to do as well. Leviticus 23:3:

3“Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You are to do no work—it is a Shabbat to ADONAI in all your dwellings.

In short, we have this thus far:
Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday, and ends at sunset on Saturday
Sabbath is a “Day of rest” (which we’ll examine in a minute)
Sabbath is a holy day, set apart not by the will of man, but by the will of God
This last point is key: Sabbath is not just some Jewish thing that we choose to do. It is a holy, appointed time of YHWH. God created the Sabbath, and He gave it to Israel as He freed them from slavery in Egypt.

8“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. 9You are to work six days, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Shabbat to ADONAI your God. In it you shall not do any work—not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outsider that is within your gates. 11For in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Thus ADONAI blessed Yom Shabbat, and made it holy.

This is stated in Exodus 20, right in the middle of the decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Just a little further on in Exodus 31, we see this reiterated once again, with the addition of punishments for breaking Shabbat. We learn in Mark 2 that “Man was not made for Sabbath, but the Sabbath was made for man.” God created and established the Sabbath Himself, as a principle and precedent for us.

The Sabbath to Sunday Transition

So what happened with Sunday? Why do we gather today, while our brothers and sisters in the normative Church will gather tomorrow? Everyone from the Eastern Orthodox to the non-denominational evangelical Protestants will have their service tomorrow. In some denominations, they even still treat Sunday like a Sabbath, such as the Orthodox and some Reformed denominations. They refrain from work, from discussing work and worldly things. They gather together and engage in a day of spiritual reflection and meditation on God’s goodness.
So why the different day? Well let me just say, it wasn’t some conspiracy. This is going to sound controversial to a lot of people, but it needs to be said: worship on Sunday did not begin because people wanted to worship some false sun-god. No doubt, I’m sure there were some pagan converts that were used to worshipping various gods on various days. We know this. But the precedent of early believers gathering on Sunday did not start with pagans; nor did it start in the 4th century with Constantine, nor did it start with the Council of Laodicea 30 years after Constantine’s death.
We see, very early on, that many Christians took to gathering together on Sunday. They recognized the significance of the resurrection, which was announced on a Sunday. Now I’m not wading into the debate about what day the resurrection took place today, whether it was Saturday just before sunset, or if it was Sunday before sunrise, or whatever. That’s not my point. I’m simply saying that these early believers believed it to be Sunday, whether they were right or wrong.
The Didache, a very early book from the late first or early second century attributed to the Apostles, calls for gathering together on “The Lord’s Day” which was so-called because of the resurrection. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the early Apostolic Fathers of the second century and disciple of the Apostle John, draws a distinction between the Sabbath - being the seventh day - and the “Lord’s Day.” Justin Martyr, in the middle of the 2nd century, argued for the significance of the 8th day, which of course is the day after Shabbat, which is the same as the first day. All of this predates Constantine and the Council of Laodicea.
But to be clear: none of this in any way means the Sabbath was abrogated. In fact, it was because so many early believers were still observing the Sabbath, that the Council of Laodicea issued the canons that it did, such as commanding to abstain from work on Sunday, and to stop “Judaizing the Sabbath.”
Sunday observance started off innocent enough. It was an honest attempt to honor Yeshua’s resurrection. What it became a couple hundred years later, and remains even today, as a substitute Sabbath, that became a problem.
So there’s nothing wrong with going to a Church on Sunday. There’s nothing wrong with recognizing Yeshua’s death and resurrection, and congregating with other believers for worship and prayer and study on Sunday. Or on any other day. But none of that, changes that the 7th Day is the Sabbath, the day of ceasing from work.

Two Aspects of Work

So, on the topic of work. If you’re here today, or already a Sabbath-keeper - as I’m sure pretty much everyone here is - you already know these basics. God established the Sabbath day during the time of creation, and it is reiterated repeatedly throughout Scripture thereafter. Over 20 times in the book of Leviticus alone! We find the repeated statement over and over again: the Sabbath is a day of rest, in it you shall do no work.
But what if “work” and “rest” were not entirely the correct definitions here? Don’t stone me yet, I’m getting somewhere. I’ll say first of all, that I do think “work” and “rest” are fine ways to consider and think about the Sabbath. I don’t find them incorrect, just insufficient. So let’s take a moment here to define our terms.

Rest

In Genesis 2, as we read, YHWH blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because in it He “rested” from all His work. This word for “rested” is shavat, and if you thought that sounds like the word “shabbat” well, you’ve got a good ear. But this word doesn’t mean “rest” in the sense that we typically think of it. When we think of rest, we think of taking a nap in a hammock without having half a dozen barge in and yell at each other. Or maybe that’s just me. The point is, either way, that shavat means “to cease, to stop.” It’s more about stopping than it is about relaxing.
Our next point of reference is Exodus 20:8-11. Again, as we read already, we are told to not do any work, because YHWH “rested on the seventh day.” Here, interestingly enough, we do not find the word shavat as we do in Genesis 2. We find the word vayanach, a form of the word nuach, which actually does mean “to rest” or “to settle” or “to await.”
Hopefully this will come into focus a little better in a moment.

Work

In Exodus 20 we read that for six days we are to do all our work. But many people aren’t aware that there are actually two different words used here. The NASB helps highlight these two different words:

Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

Labor and work. Labor here is the verb avad, and work is the noun melakhah.
These two words refer to two similar, related, but different concepts.
Avad is the word for service, which is why in some translations it is translated as “servile work.” It is work that is performed in service of someone else.
Melakhah is work, specifically creative work. Because it relates to the Creating work that YHWH accomplished in those first 6 days, as described in Genesis 2.
So these two concepts: service, and creative work, are the things prohibited on Shabbat. And these two aspects of work are contained within the two separate reasons for Shabbat itself.
Now we’ve already read mentioned the Sabbath passages of Exodus 20 and 31 thus far. Both of those state that we are supposed to rest on the 7th day, and the reason given for said rest is because God rested, or ceased, His creating. But there’s actually another reason given in Deuteronomy 5:12-15.

12‘Observe Yom Shabbat to keep it holy, as ADONAI your God commanded you. 13Six days you are to labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Shabbat to ADONAI your God. In it you are not to do any work—not you or your son or your daughter, or your slave or your maid, or your ox, your donkey or any of your livestock or the outsider within your gates, so that your slave and your maid may rest as you do. 15You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and ADONAI your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore ADONAI your God commanded you to keep Yom Shabbat.

Did you catch that subtle difference? In Exodus, the reason given for keeping Shabbat is related to Creation. God rested on the 7th day, so we are to do the same. But here in Deut. 5 - which is somewhat a re-telling of the Ten Commandments - we have no reference to Creation. In fact, an entirely different reason is given. “You must remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God has brought you out from there…therefore He commanded you to keep the Sabbath.”
Now, this is not a replacement reason, but rather a renewed reason. It is no less true as Moses writes Deuteronomy that God ceased working on Shabbat; but there is a new significance to the Sabbath after the Exodus, and it relates to the word “labor.”
See, as I mentioned a few moments ago, “labor” is the word avad, and it means service. Specifically it refers to service to someone else. It is a word that is sometimes translated as referring to service to God, but in general to some other person.
So here are the two aspects of work.
Work. That is, creative work. We abstain from doing it on Shabbat because YHWH ceased creating on the Sabbath, and so we are told to follow this example. We “cease” or “stop” creative work.
Servile work (labor). That is, work performed in service to others. The implication here being this is work for your master, or in today’s world, for your employer. And we abstain from it because God brought Israel out of the house of slavery (an by extension, as we learn in the New Testament, all of us, from slavery to sin). We rest from our labor performed in service of others.

Some Practical Guidance

Now I don’t want to just give you a few interesting facts. My goal here, ultimately, is not that you go home today thinking, “Oh how neat, I never realized there are actually two reasons for Sabbath, not just one.” It’s great that we’re learning more about Scripture together! But if all we’re accomplishing is filling our theological informational databases, we’re missing the point. So for this final section here, I want to - hopefully - offer some practical application and guidance.
I have been asked the question, countless times, “Is such and such work? Can I do XYZ on the Sabbath?” Granted, there are some cases where the motivation is because someone doesn’t want to have to “give up” something they don’t want to. But in general, I have found the question to be sincere.
I think in our walk, especially as Sababth-keepers, we’ve all had to struggle a bit with this. Can I cook? Can I garden? Can I go to my cousin’s wedding? Can I go to the gym? Can I go out for lunch?
This is not a new question. This is one of the oldest Biblical questions, in fact. And while not all of these are answered, certainly some in some ways are.
First off though, I actually want to quote the Rabbis here. In the Talmud, there are 39 types of work identified, called the 39 melakhot, or “30 types of work.” (Note: Talmud is the collection of writings and laws and commentary from the Jewish Rabbis from between the 4th to 6th centuries CE).
These are the 39:
Sowing
Plowing
Reaping
Gathering and Binding
Threshing
Winnowing
Selecting
Grinding
Sifting
Kneading
Baking
Shearing wool
Cleaning
Combing
Dyeing
Spinning
Stretching threads
Making loops
Weaving threads
Separating threads
Tying a knot
Untying a knot
Sewing
Tearing
Trapping
Slaughtering
Skinning
Tanning
Smoothing
Ruling lines
Cutting
Writing
Erasing
Building
Breaking down
Extinguishing a fire
Kindling a fire
Striking the final hammer blow
Carrying
According to the Rabbis, these are the prohibited types of work. Now you may have noticed a pattern here, but if not, I’ll explain. The first 11 are types of field work. Sowing, plowing, etc. The next 13 all relate to making cloth curtains. Shearing wool, combing, dyeing, making loops. The next 7 relate to leather work, specifically for leather curtains. Trapping, skinning, tanning. The next two, writing and erasing, are a reference to making and erecting support beams. Building and breaking down are another category. And lastly, kindling or putting out a fire, carrying, and “striking the final hammer blow” all relate to finishing a project.
These categories all pertain to the work that went into the construction of a specific project: the Mishkan, the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Now in Judaism, there are additional prohibitions on the Sabbath, but this sets the stage for our discussion.
All of these types of work are creative work, according to the Rabbis. These are the types of work involved in creating the Tabernacle, and given the parallel of the Tabernacle being God’s dwelling place among man, to the earth being the original intended dwelling place of God among man, I think it kind of makes sense. These are the types of creative work that were identified to refrain from. I personally think these are a good guideline, a good starting point for examining our own walk.
Now I’m not here to tell you what you’re allowed to do on Shabbat. But I do have to hold a certain line. I do have to remind you of what Scripture says, and yes, sometimes I need that reminder as well. This is the part where people may feel a little judged.
So should you plant your garden on Shabbat? After all, you find it restful; relaxing. But it is work, is it not? And if you’re not ceasing from that work, you’re probably not observing Shabbat. There are 6 other days for that. Did not God spend 6 days planting a garden, too?
What about going to a restaurant? After all, I’m not working, just eating. But that sort of mentality misses part of the point of the Sabbath commands. As we read in both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, the Sabbath is a commandment not just for us, but also for our households. No work for us, our children, our servants, or even our beasts of burden. If I go to restaurant, I have a waiter who is serving me, or a cashier at the store. Further, we have the issue of the exchange of commerce, which as we saw earlier in Nehemiah was prohibited in its own right.
I know we live in a fallen world. I know there will always be things beyond our control. There is an employee at the power plant right now to keep the lights on, which we’re obviously using. And yes, he would be there whether we turned the lights on or not. But there’s only so much we have direct control over, in particular those where we have direct interaction with others. I can only control what is in my power to control, and that includes going to Walmart or out to a restaurant. I can buy what I need on Friday.
I know someone, inevitably, is thinking, “Well you’re being too harsh. What about the ox in the ditch!?” So let’s look at that.

1Now when Yeshua went into the home of one of the leaders of the Pharisees to eat a meal on Shabbat, they were watching Him closely. 2And there before Him was a man swollen with fluid. 3So Yeshua said to the Torah lawyers and the Pharisees, “Is it permitted to heal on Shabbat, or not?”

4But they kept silent. So Yeshua took hold of him and healed him, and He sent him away. 5Then He said to them, “Which of you, with a son or an ox falling into a well on Yom Shabbat, will not immediately pull him out?” 6And they could not reply to these things.

In another related scenario, from John 7, Yeshua says that they all agree about circumcising on Shabbat. Again in that passage as well, the context is about healing. This relates to another Judaic principle called pikuach nefesh, “the watching over a soul.”
In Leviticus 18:5, YHWH says, “You shall keep My statutes and My laws which a person shall do and live by them.” In Yoma 85b in the Talmud, one of the Rabbis (Shmuel) interprets this to mean that we are to live by them, meaning not allow one of them to cause our death.
So, for example, if it’s the Sabbath, and you’re a surgeon and you’re not supposed to work, but someone is dying from a wound that needs to be sewn up, well it’s acceptable to suspend the Sabbath law, in order to prevent the loss of life. In fact, the Talmud further states elsewhere that even if it is Yom Kippur, the day of atonement on which we fast, if someone is so hungry and needy that he’s dying, he may break his fast and eat until his condition stabilizes. (In fact, it even says he may eat something unclean, if it truly is a life or death situation).
So how about some real-world examples. If it’s Yom Kippur and you’re fasting, but you’re diabetic…have something on hand to eat to balance out your blood sugar if you need to. If you’re driving down the interstate on Shabbat on your car breaks down, call for help. Call for a tow truck, an Uber, whatever you need to get back to safety. If your child spikes a high fever in the middle of the night on Friday night, go to the 24-hour Walgreens and buy some Tylenol. These are all safety and health concerns.
But remember, too, that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If your car is prone to always breaking down, don’t drive it on Shabbat. If you have kids, keep some Tylenol on hand so you don’t need to go to the store.
When your ox falls into the ditch, it’s something that needs to be remedied, needs to be addressed. Don’t let harm come to it because you’re afraid of breaking the Sabbath. But if your ox is falling into the ditch every single week, then you shouldn’t be keeping him penned up near that ditch. Move him to a different pasture. Right?
So to wrap all of this up, we know that the Sabbath was made for us. Yeshua says so in Mark 2. It was made for us, it was a gift for us, and it is a sign between us and our Creator. It is important because, even though it was made for us, it still belongs to YHWH. It is HIS Sabbath, as He said in Leviticus 23. We should take it seriously, but also realistically. It’s a day of ceasing from work, from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. It’s a day of gathering together with other believers in community to be encouraged, to hear the Word preached, and to fellowship together in the presence of the Almighty.
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