THE SABBATH WAS UNQUESTIONABLY ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE
The Seventh Day Sabbath was universally accepted by all Jewish sects. Why? They all knew that breaking this law was a major reason for their nation to be taken into captivity. All Jews, including the sect which worshiped Jesus of Nazareth, kept the Sabbath. They all knew that it was the sign of which God they worshiped –– the “sun god” or the Creator God.
Exodus 31:13-17, “Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. [It is the sign that signifies who is your God and that you are God's people.] …for a perpetual covenant. 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.” (KJV)
The Sabbath is the sign of the creator God and all Jews knew this and agreed to it. There were no exceptions, period.
Ezekiel 20:12-13, “Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD…and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them…23 I lifted up mine hand unto them…that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;”
Every Jewish sect and all the people knew why they were taken into captivity and they never made that sinful mistake again.
WHAT WAS JESUS THE MESSIAH'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SABBATH ?
Jesus grew upin a strongly Sabbath-keeping community and knew it was a part of righteousness. He, like everyone else, would never have even considered switching to the day of the sun god. Christ naturally chose the Sabbath to officially launch His ministry to the nation.
Luke 4:16-20, “So He came to Nazareth…And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 ‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel…’” (NKJV)
Jesus told the startled audience that the prophesy of Isaiah about the Messiah, was NOW being fulfilled right before them. He was that special messenger. Further He said:
Continuing verse 18, “‘He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’ 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.”
Christ loved the Sabbath Day and WANTED IT TO BE USED AND HONORED PROPERLY. Time spent with God and family and refreshing our tired bodies is important. This is why Christ condemned the over regulation of the Sabbath by the clerical leaders. They had amassed over time more than 600 hundred Sabbath rules. Note His response:
Mark 2:24-28, “And the Pharisees said to Him, ‘Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ 25 But He said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?’ 27 And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.’”
The premise behind their cruel and stifling set of regulations is that God is petty and completely lacking flexibility and compassion and grace. This will not build our relationship with the Eternal God of the Sabbath. This over regulation administration will drive people away from God. Many will dread the Sabbath, not welcome it as a weekly festival to God.
These clerics, especially the Pharisees, did not really understand God. All God's Laws are made for mankind. They are for our benefit. Further Jesus has control over how the Sabbath should be administered. He is the God of the O.T. and the N.T. Those disciples traveling with the Messiah and learning from Him was an appropriate activity.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST LAW GOD TAUGHT HIS PEOPLE?
After leaving Egypt, the land of sin, God gave a very detailed lesson in Sabbath rest to the Israelites.They had to collect their food –– manna –– each day with regard to the seventh day Sabbath.
Exodus 16:4-5, “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. 5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’”
The food would spoil if kept overnight except for the Sabbath. Every day of the week they learned to rest on the Sabbath. If it were that important to God why would He change without a long explanation? NO such explanation exist in the N.T.
Where did Sunday worship come from and who initiated it? The Catholic church says they are the authority for Sunday and that all the protestants are still following them thereby. They say correctly that there is no Biblical command to alter the Sabbath –– only Papal authority.
THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH ALSO KEPT THE SABBATH
Note the record of the N.T. church reveals a closeness to other Jewish sects for years in Sabbaths and Holy Days. These are the outward signs of which God you worship.
Acts 11:20-26, “But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord…And a great many people were added to the Lord…to Antioch…and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.”
It took many years for the average person in the Empire to note the difference between the non-accepting Jews from those that worship Christ. Why? Both groups kept the same sign, the Sabbath. However so many gentiles were now being converted and fully accepted that they could more easily distinguish between the two groups.
Acts 13:42-45, “So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas…44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy;”
Note the Apostles did not say, “Wait a minute, we have switched to Sunday, so comeback tomorrow or meet us somewhere else on a Sunday.” One reason no one said anything so ridiculous is they would been automatically shown as false prophets. Belief in the Sabbath was total then, it was a slam dunk doctrine.
Acts 17:2, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”
Years later Paul's missionary ministry is still built around the Sabbath rest of God. Belief in the Sabbath is a slam dunk.
