Graceful Perseverance: The Biblical, TRUE Sabbath Day - 10/06

Welcome to this week’s blog. Today I am building off what God said about the TRUE Sabbath Day, starting with what God declared in the beginning in Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV).

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work – Genesis 2:2 (NIV).

Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done – Genesis 2:3 (NIV).

Of the many biblical laws and commands, the Ten Commandments alone are noted to have been "Inscribed by the Finger of God" in Exodus 31:18.

When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God – Exodus 31:18 (NIV).

The Ten Commandments appear twice in the Bible, in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy. The commandments include instructions to keep the Sabbath day holy, as well as many other instructions and commands. But in today’s study, I am only concentrating on the TRUE Sabbath Day, and why we are to keep it holy.

We celebrate the Sabbath because God made this day for us. Just as God rested on the seventh day of creation, we too are to rest on the seventh day. Here’s what God said in Mark 2:27-28 (NIV).

Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27-28 (NIV).

This seventh day rest has raised much controversy throughout many generations and religious groups. The first question many have is why would an omnipotent God even need to rest? Because God is the creator of the universe; isn’t He then the only one with immeasurable power? So why then does He command us to celebrate the Sabbath by replicating His day of rest? The answer is again in Mark 2:27-28, God created the Sabbath for man. If we are to rest and reflect as God did on the Sabbath, what did God do on His day of rest that was so incredible? And, how then can we, being sinners of the flesh, even come close to His omnipotence, His holiness?

Jesus, our Creator declares throughout the Bible, “Follow me.” Jesus said “Follow me” because God created us in His own image. We are to live our lives as the image of God. Even though He knows we are sinners of the flesh, we are commanded to live our lives as Jesus lived His life, God in the flesh. By living as Jesus did, we learn to refrain from sin in our daily lives. Therefore, entering His rest on this chosen day still stands. From Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, we are to pause our daily routines and reflect and rest as Jesus commanded us. We are to keep this timeframe holy and set apart from our other days of prayer and worship. We are not to fall short of His Sabbath, but do just as He did. Only the faithful will obey God’s word. If we choose not to obey, He tells us we shall never enter His rest. We will be put to death (perish) without an eternity. This is a pretty serious commandment in the eyes of the Lord.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.” And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”– Hebrews 4:1-4 (NIV).

The core values of the Sabbath are just as crucial in today’s chaotic world as they were at the time of creation. God’s commands are the same yesterday, today and forever. We must rest on the seventh day of the week to honor what God did on the seventh day. He rested on the seventh day after He created the universe. Thousands of years later, the faithful still observe the Sabbath by refraining from work, and replacing it with a special day of prayer, worship and fellowship.

We are to do no buying or selling on this day. Nor are we to ask others to labor on our behalf. We are to not do any work, nor our sons or daughters, nor our servants, nor our farm animals, nor any foreigners on our behalf. Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) is clear on this instruction. There is no negotiating, but as faithful stewards of our lives, we must obey God’s instructions and warnings.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy – Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV).

Biblical scripture consecrates for us that God did create the heavens and the earth in first six days. In the beginning, God created light and darkness, and then separated the light from the dark and called them day and night. He created the vault or sky, dry land ground, and the waters He called seas. He commanded the land to produce vegetation, seed bearing plants and tree life to bear fruit. He created the great creatures of the sea and terrestrial life. God then created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God saw all the He had created and said it was good. And then there was evening and morning of the sixth day of creation.

Genesis 2:1-2 tells us by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so, on the seventh day he rested from all his work. It was then that God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. – Genesis 1:1-4 (NIV).

On the seventh day, after much creating, God then rested. He enjoyed it so much that He blessed the day and made it holy for eternity. In recognition of God’s rest, we, too, celebrate the seventh day as Sabbath through rest. For thousands of years, faithful Christians have been observing the Sabbath, and remembering and recreating, in our own way, God’s day of rest.

We must observe the TRUE Sabbath Day – God’s day of worship is on Saturday, which God created in the beginning in Genesis. For it was also written in the beginning in stone as the 4th Commandment. The 4th Commandment is God’s seal (name, title and territory) on His people.

Following is biblical scripture that supports God’s TRUE Sabbath Day is on Saturday, and not Sunday as man-made traditions have taught us. The Bible, without doubt, supports the first day of the week as Sunday and in this order: 1-Sunday; 2-Monday; 3-Tuesday; 4-Wednesday; 5-Thursday; 6-Friday; 7-Saturday (Sabbath Day of Rest).

On Friday: Jesus died on Passover. He laid in the tomb on Friday night (Feast of Unleavened Bread).

On Sunday: Jesus was resurrected; which today we continue to celebrate His resurrection on Sunday (First Fruits). Sunday is the day after Sabbath, and the first day of the week per scripture.

Mathew 28:1 (NIV) - After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Mark 16:1-2 (NIV) - When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.

Luke 24:1 (NLT) – But very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

It must also be noted that during the Pagan and Roman Empire time period, Sunday was initially their first day of the week, and was considered another work day for them. But on March 7, 321 A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine issued a civil decree making Sunday a day of rest from labor, stating: All judges and city people and the craftsmen shall rest upon the venerable day of the sun. What does this mean? Constantine, a Roman Emperor, took it upon himself to change God’s Law. Their first day of the week or their first work day which was Sunday, was changed by Constantine as their new sabbath day.

Following are direct quotes from the Roman Catholic Church who claim to be above God and above the Bible.

“By my divine power, I abolish the Sabbath Day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week.” – History of the Sabbath Father T. Enright, 2/18/1884.

“Sunday is an institution of the Roman Catholic Church and those who observe the day, observe a commandment of the Catholic Church.” – Priest Brady New Jersey, 3/18/1903.

“Sunday is our mark of authority…the Roman Catholic Church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” – Catholic Record of London, 9/1/1923.

This is why it is so important to read and study the Bible. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that our day of rest or TRUE Sabbath Day is on Sunday, the day of the sun. There is no such reference in biblical scripture to support this. For many generations people believe that Jesus’ new covenant, the fulfillment of His Law for the TRUE Sabbath Day on Saturday, was abolished; therefore, for years they have refused to follow God’s law, but chose to follow Constantine’s civil decree, hence the Roman Catholic Church commanded as well. But what does Jesus tell us about His law? “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. – Matthew 5:17 (NIV).

We must turn away from the man-made laws like that of the Roman Emperor Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church who claim to be above God and the Bible, and changed the day of worship to Sunday. Hence, many generations have been deceived our entire lives from the truth, God’s truth of the TRUE Sabbath Day. It is not my intent to offend anyone in this study, but I will always serve the Lord above man. Therefore, I challenge anyone to test the Bible and the scripture that supports God’s truth. It is my responsibility to share God’s truth, and the laws He put into place at the time of His creation of the Heavens and the earth. He is Lord of the Sabbath.

Say to the Israelites, “You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.” – Exodus 31:13-14 (NIV).

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. – Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV).

Blessings until next week,

Debra Pauli Unstoppable Believer

Scripture Quoted From:

New International Version Bible (NIV)

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