Sunday The Sabbath We worship on Sunday or should we? Some believe that the Old Testament Sabbath is still the Sabbath. What is the Truth from the Bible? First of all we must try and understand God and His purpose. God doesn't just do things for the sake of it. All the Old Testament laws have a purpose. It is instituted by God as an example to bring into our understanding a greater meaning namely a spiritual application or salvation implication. These laws are used by God to teach us about His salvation plan. For example we see the application of the sacrificial laws. In the New Testament we read in Leviticus 16:15
Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
Yet we find the opposite in Hebrews 10:4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
These two statements seem to contradict themselves. Yet, the Old Testament law was there to introduce us to the sacrifice that will eventually be paid by the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ had to die in order for any sin to be paid. The killing of these animals points to the sacrifice God will make through the Lord Jesus Christ. No sin was ever forgiven when the goats/cattle/sheep were sacrificed Therefore we need to ask some questions in order to help our thinking. The sacrificial law was set up to teach us about the need for payment for sin. God is letting it be known that there is a price for sin that must be paid. The following questions may help us have a wider understanding of these laws.
1. Purpose of the Old Sabbath
2. Who does it point to?
3. Purpose of the New Sabbath
4. What does it represent?
1. Purpose of the Old Sabbath
We first hear of the sabbath in Genesis 2:2-3
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
The purpose of this command is to provide rest for man because God, as He demonstrated, rested on it also. What does God have in mind? Is He simply saying this so that we can adequately rest and the next day we feel better and renewed again to go back to our work whatever that may be, and after that we die and then what?. What work? Any kind of work? Is God concern about our everyday labor? Does God really need rest? Well we know God is Spirit and does not need to rest. He is our constant watcher, He never sleeps. Why then did God rest? Here is wisdom; God rested on this day to show that He has ordained and blessed the Sabbath whom is the Lord Jesus Christ. God depended, rested, on Him in order for mankind to be saved. Why did Jesus come? That is the purpose for which He came; to save those whom God elected to salvation from before the foundation of the world. In other words; so that God can complete His plan that was ordained by Him before creation, the beginning of the world. Because we cannot work for our salvation, God had to send His Son; the Lord Jesus Christ to do that work. [If there is anything we could do to save ourselves, as the human race, Jesus would not need to come.] Therefore God knew from the beginning the fall of man even before creation. The Bible is the Word of God. Everything in the Bible has a spiritual purpose that God uses to points to salvation for mankind where Christ is featured. We must always seek after this if we are to fully understand the message of the Bible.
Who does it point to?
Therefore, the Sabbath, is a ceremonial law that points to Him that we rest upon for our salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ; We depend entirely upon Him for our salvation. He is therefore our Sabbath. What does that mean? All the ceremonial laws was given as an example for us so that we can know about the need for redemption. It helps us understand that God's justice demands payment for any sin. We no longer today observe any of the Old Testament ceremonial laws. Their main purpose is to teach us about as we read in Galatians 3:24-25
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster
We would never really make the spiritual connection to the sacrifice by Christ had we not been first introduced to these sacrifices. Because of our sins there must be a payment for those sins. God used those animal sacrifices and the sprinkling of the blood on the altar by the High Priest every year to teach us about the atonement that was necessary for our sins. The purpose of the sabbath therefore is pointing to the work of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ when He came. What God is teaching is that we keep it holy. In other words we respect and honor the ordinance it points to nor should we do any work in it as the work Christ did is suffice. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
2. Purpose of the New Sabbath
The sabbath was changed when we read in Matthew 28:1 [I'm going to quote including the Strong's Numbers to identify that the Creek word translated Sabbath and the word translated week is the same Creek word] We read in Matthew 28:1
In the end of the sabbath <4521>, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week <4521>, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre
In checking out the words translated "sabbath" and "week" we see in the original language (Creek) these two words are identical as we see its use in the New Testament 68 times; where it is translated week 9 times.The word is as we see below:
(4521 sabbaton sabbaton sab'-bat-on
AV - sabbath day 37, sabbath 22, week 9; 68We also find the same word interpreted as week in Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1
Mark 16:2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week <4521>, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Luke 24:1 ¶ Now upon the first day of the week <4521>, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
John 20:1 ¶ The first day of the week <4521> cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
The above references all refer to the changing of the new sabbath by all the four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We also see an interesting account in Luke 18:12 where the same word translated as week would make more sense when translated sabbath.
I fast twice in the week <4521>, I give tithes of all that I possess.
This reference makes more sense as the Pharisee is declaring how holy he is compared with the sinful publican. If he really fasted twice in a week there is no significance to the statement because anyone can do that, However fasting twice in one day (missing two meals), on the Sabbath gives the impact of what he is saying.
which then would demonstrate his point. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is God,.is introducing to us a new Sabbath and the the purpose for such. Jesus is teaching us what we are to do on the new sabbath. We read in Matthew 12:1- 15
1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat.
2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day.
3 But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
6 But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.What we are seeing here is Jesus is painting a picture of the new sabbath [after the cross] which will be different from the old sabbath [before the cross] There are several concepts that changed at the cross that one should read in order to understand the purpose of the cross but I'll try and cover just the application of these verses. These are the basic principles that are set in this parable;
a. Verse 1 : Picking of corn and eating - Picture of eating the body of Christ [corn same as wheat./bread] on the new sabbath
b. Verses 2-4: David a picture of Christ eating showbread [we eat of body of Christ when we bringing the Gospel]
c. Verse 5: Demonstration of what seem profane to man is not profane to God.
d. Verse 6: Jesus is declaring that He is greater than the law of the Sabbath because He is the Lord of the sabbath [verse 8]
e. Verse 7: Same application as [c]9 And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue:
10 And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him.
11 And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
12 How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
13 Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.
14 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;This we see the healing on the sabbath is a picture of the work we must do in the new sabbath and that is the healing not of bodies but of sin sick souls. Jesus didn't come to the world to heal sick people, He came to save people. That is the meaning of what we see here. Why on the sabbath? That is the day we are to bring the Gospel. That is the new sabbath of which pertains to the saving of souls. Jesus asked in verse 11.What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?
A sheep is a picture of the elect of God who has yet to be saved. The pit is a picture of hell where is in before he is saved. The sabbath is pointing to the new sabbath. We are to read these parable with a mind of: What is God teaching here? That is the purpose of the Bible, it basically teaches the believer about his responsibilities toward God. 2Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
4. What does it represent?
This is the message of the new sabbath and it's main purpose is to have a day that we can be God's witnesses into the world. The message of the latter rain points to all the believer, not the corporate church, to bring the Gospel. That is why I spend an exorbitant amount of time in doing Bible studies and answering questions because, I feel, God has given me the task. Every believer should be concern about bringing the Gospel. We are not alone; the things we understand from His word is not because we study so hard. I don't believe so. I believe God wants us to do this work. Everyone that is saved has a gift from God and that is how we Go about spreading the Gospel [Read the Bible study of Luke 16 about the unjust steward]
Harold Camping of Family Radio has written a book "The Sunday Sabbath" that goes into details the new Sabbath. Click on the link below:
http://www.familyradio.com/index.html and click on online literature and you can download the book for free.As with any concept of the Bible, we must exhaust all scripture in order to find the truth of where we stand as God brings us the understanding. Then it is our job to declare it no matter who stands offended. We must humbly exercise our task as the Lord guides us to declare His Word to those who would hear it and be converted thereby. This is His ministry and this is His Gospel. We are only unprofitable servants. May God give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear.
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