What is Sabbath all about? Is it about the day or about relationship with God pointing to God’s future plan and purpose?
In this discussion, we are going to critically look at what Sabbath means, the purpose for which God instituted it and the statutory requirement of Sabbath which are the things God commanded to be observed.
THE MEANING:
The reason we have to treat Sabbath is because it is a holy commandment of God which was given to last forever. Many confuses the commandments of God with the laws of God. God’s commandments are standards that will neither change nor come to an end till this age is over while the laws of God are ordinances which God gave that will cover a given period and they come to an end once their purpose is fulfilled. Commandment of God is different from the laws of God.
Today, there are many divergent views about the meaning and purpose of Sabbath. Some view it as a law which is religious and ritually connected to a particular day. This view is the same like that of the Jews which Jesus refuted. Some view it as one of the laws of God which does not need to be followed any longer due to grace. This group believe Sabbath as a law is already fulfilled and we are no longer under the law but under grace.
We should understand that we are still under the law, but not under the law of Moses. We are still under the law of the Spirit of life and truth (Romans 8:2).
The laws of God are dispensational and do not last forever while the commandments of God are forever and will last to the end of the ages. Sabbath cannot come to an end until the new age begins. Sabbath will cease once the kingdom of God comes because then every day shall become the day of the Lord and all things shall be done to the praise, glory, honor and worship of God the eternal King who will then be among His people.
We all know for sure that the kingdom of mankind has not yet become the kingdom of God as the scripture revealed will happen at the end in the book of Revelation.
“Then the end will come, when he (Christ) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:24.
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 11:15.
“3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Revelation 21:3-4 NLT.
Sabbath remains a holy commandment and should be observed for the same original purpose until the new age comes as described in the above scriptures.
THE DAY:
Secondly, there is also the argument about which day is the rightful Sabbath day. The reason for this argument is because Sabbath is connected to a particular day and is understood among the people to be about the day. If Sabbath is about a particular day, then the issue of which day is the right Sabbath day will be more important than anything. But, Sabbath is not about a particular day and is not an issue of a day.
Sabbath is Sabbath but it is observed for a whole day. Sabbath is all about rest through which we affirm and express our present and future relationship with God.
In view of the above contentions, we are going to discover the truth about Sabbath and correct the errors that have been upheld in divergent views. We will find out if God’s command for sabbath observation is about the day and the rest or about building relationship with God.
WHAT SABBATH IS:
Understanding what Sabbath is will reveal to us the mind of God who instituted it. The mind of the Lord God can only be revealed by the Spirit of the Lord. Our discussions are always based on the revelation and interpretation given by the Spirit of the Lord. We follow spiritual principles rather than academic principles in discussing things of God because the things of God are spiritually discerned.
Sabbath is a holy rest to be kept as part of worship and honor to God. It is a rest from all personal and corporate work (all forms of work) set aside for the Lord’s worship gathering also known as holy convocation, holy assembly or holy meeting. So, Sabbath is rest and assembly dedicated to the honor and worship of the Lord by which we draw and forge closer relationship with Him.
Sabbath was not instituted as a religious event. It is a pattern of life that God gave us. Observing Sabbath and keeping a Sabbath day holy does neither connect nor reconcile us to God. It is not a way of salvation or redemption. It is rather a lifestyle of a redeemed person.
Our soul will not be redeemed or be saved by observing Sabbath, but anyone who is redeemed that hopes for the salvation of the soul must observe Sabbath. Observing Sabbath shows we are God’s redeemed people who are willing to honor God and follow His example on earth.
God instituted Sabbath for the people of Israel after He redeemed them from slavery and bondage in Egypt. It was given as a commandment that should be followed while they walk with God. People of Israel began to walk with God after they left Egypt which was the time God began to lead them on their way to the Promised Land.
We are now in the dispensation of the Promised Kingdom and not a Promised land. In this dispensation of the Promised Kingdom, we have to walk with God as we make the journey towards the end when we shall enter and inherit the Promised Kingdom. One begins to walk with the Lord immediately the soul is redeemed.
The first stage of salvation which takes place when we first believe is the redemption of the soul. Our journey to the Promised Kingdom starts after we believe in Christ and confess faith in God’s salvation plan through him. It is at this time we begin to walk with God. This is the reason Holy Spirit is given to those that believe to enable them walk with God. The same way the people of Israel walked with God to the Promised Land is how the redeemed of the Lord walk with God through the help of the Holy Spirit to reach and enter the Promised Kingdom.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:14.
In giving the command about Sabbath, God referenced His own working pattern showing He wants us to have the same pattern while exercising dominion over the earth. He said He worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. He wants us to work for six days and rest on the seventh day and dedicate that rest to Him.
Sabbath is not a religion but a pattern of life for mankind and the entire earth inhabitants. It is not about the rest or the day. It is about our mindset – a time of rest created to focus on God and on our relationship with Him.
That Sabbath is a mindset for a pattern of life is reflected in the instructions God gave the people of Israel on how and which days to gather Manna. The seventh day was exempted. Again, God commanded that even the Land shall observe Sabbath of the Lord every seventh year.
This particular Sabbath is observed by the Land and not the people. The farmland will rest and stay unworked for the whole year. Plants will not be pruned and whatever that shall grow on its own will not be stored.
HOW SABBATH IS HOLY:
Holy is anything that is dedicated to God. Holiness is of God and not of people or things. That someone or something is holy means the person or the thing is dedicated to God. Someone who is chosen by God, who lives for God or something which is preserved and used solely for God’s purpose is holy.
So, a rest that is dedicated to honor and worship God is a holy rest. It is a rest from all form of work which God commanded as a mark of honor and worship to God for which reason it is called the Sabbath of the Lord (Exodus 20:10). Sabbath is statutory and all Sabbaths are statutory.
TYPES OF SABBATHS:
Sabbath is one both in meaning and in purpose. There is just one Sabbath but there are different occasions which God commanded that Sabbath be observed and there are two different creations God commanded to observe Sabbath, namely human beings and the Land. What it then means is that we have different occasions to observe Sabbath and two different creations that should observe Sabbath.
We have the regular seventh-day Sabbath and the special Sabbaths also known as the “High Sabbaths” which is observed by people. Then there is the seventh-year Sabbath which God commanded the land should observe.
SPECIAL SABBATHS (HIGH SABBATHS):
The special Sabbaths are statutory Sabbaths commanded by God beside the regular seventh-day Sabbath. They are also referred to as “High Sabbaths.” They are days or dates on which rests must be observed to commemorate special events or feasts as commanded by the Lord God. Not all feasts are observed as Sabbath.
Some high Sabbaths are observed by day and they occur on same day every time while some are observed by date and these do not occur on the same day every time since the date can fall on a different day from the previous day.
There are about seven of the high Sabbaths commanded by God which will be observed every year. They are also referred to as days of solemn/sacred assembly (holy meetings), a feasting day that rest must be observed for a complete dedicated worship of God.
These includes:
(1-2): The first day and the seventh day during the feast of Passover (Pesach) observed on the first month of the year.
(3): The feast of Pentecost (Shavuot).
(4): The feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah).
(5): The feast of Atonement (Yom Kippur) also known as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.”
(6-7): The first day and the eighth day during the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) observed on the seventh month of the year.
The regular seventh-day Sabbath and the seven feasts of the Lord when special Sabbaths will be observed are written in the book of Leviticus 23.
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” Leviticus 23:1-2.
“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.” (verse 3).
“On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’” (verse 5-8).
“And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.” (verse 15-17) ………… “And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” (verse 21).
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.” (verse 23-25).
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.” (verse 26-28) ………. “It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (verse 32).
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.” (verse 33-36) …………… ‘Also, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.” (verse 39).
REGULAR SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH:
God commanded that the regular seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord shall be one day out of the seven days and will come regularly on every seventh-day. Six days out of seven consecutive days shall be for labor and the seventh day which is the day immediately after six days of a consecutive seven days shall be the day the sabbath of the Lord should be observed.
“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:9-11.
What the command says is that the regular Sabbath of the Lord shall be observed on the seventh day after every six days of a consecutive seven days. This is not the seventh day of the week. It is the seventh day after six consecutive days of work. Hebrew calendar has only days and no weeks.
At the time of creation, days were not named and up till today, God does not refer to days by name other than by numbers. Days were only numbered as the first day, second day, third day, etc. There was nothing like week. The seven days mentioned in the Lord’s commandment was not taken as a week.
The people of Israel through whom the Sabbath command was given do not have name for days. They call days by numbers as stated above. The seventh day which is called the Sabbath day is the only day we can say that has a name in Hebrew. The seventh-day is called the Sabbath day because it is the day the regular seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord is observed. Beside the Sabbath day, all other days are identified with numeric numbers.
For example, in a month that has about 30 days, the beginning of the month is the 1st day and this day is observed as the new moon which is also a work-free day. The 2nd day of the month is the first day of work and counting from that day, the 8th day of the month should be the seventh day after six days of work. So, the first Sabbath day of the month should be on the 8th day of the month and the second Sabbath day will be on the 15th day of the month. Though Sabbath is statutory, there is no statutory day for Sabbath other than that it should be observed on the 7th day after six consecutive days of work. The seventh-day is not the 7th day of the week.
SABBATH DAY:
Sabbath day is any day the Sabbath of the Lord is observed. It is a day set aside to observe rest to honor and worship the Lord. The Sabbath of the Lord is one but has different days of observation. It has one purpose and same requirement even though observed at different occasions by humans and by creation.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8-11
The day the Sabbath of the Lord is observed is also a holy day because the whole day shall be dedicated for the Lord. We have a Sabbath day because Sabbath is for a whole day and that day is referred to as a Sabbath day. Sabbath days were calculated as dates because God used the lunar calendar in instituting Sabbath. Lunar calendar does not have weeks and is made up of only days and months. Each first day of the lunar month was commanded as a New Moon day which also is a day of rest but not a Sabbath.
CALENDAR:
Hebrew calendar is a lunar which is based upon the monthly cycles of the Moon’s phases and it has only days and months without weeks. It does not have a recurring cycle of weeks like today’s Gregorian calendar which was developed from the Roman calendar.
The Egyptian calendar which had a recurring cycle of weeks in those days has 12 months that makes a year. There are three weeks in each month and each week has ten days. So, each month of the Egyptian calendar has 30 days.
Then the Gregorian calendar which is widely used today as civic calendar. This calendar developed from the Roman calendar is a solar calendar which is based on the revolution of the Earth around the sun. It has a recurring cycle of weeks made up of seven days which are named after idol gods and heavenly hosts. It has 12 months in a year and each month of the calendar is also named after idol gods.
The names of the days of the week in Gregorian calendar originated from the Babylonians. They named Sunday from Sun and Monday from Moon. Tuesday through Saturday got their names from the five classical planets known to them. Other languages like English, etc., followed the system introduced by the Roman Empire to name each day of the week after their regional gods or deities.
Babylonian name for days of the week are:
Sunday for Sun,
Monday for Moon,
Tuesday for Mars,
Wednesday for Mercury,
Thursday for Jupitar,
Friday for Venus and
Saturday for Saturn.
English names for the days of the week:
Beside Sunday and Monday which remained assigned to Sun and Moon respectively and Saturday which also retained its name for Saturn the Roman ancient god of fun and feasting, the name of the other weekdays in English are derived from Anglo-Saxon names for gods.
Tuesday (Tiw’s day) comes from Tiw, the Norse god of war who was one of the sons of Odin, or Woden.
Wednesday (Woden’s day) comes from the supreme deity Woden also known as Odin.
Thursday (Thor’s day) comes from Thor, the god of thunder.
Friday (Frige’s day) comes from Frigga, Odin’s wife which stands for love and beauty.
Saturday (Saturn’s day) comes from Saturn retained from the name of Roman ancient god of fun and feasting.
SABBATH DAYS IN HEBREW CALENDAR
Following the Hebrew lunar calendar used during the days of Moses, the seventh-day regular Sabbath has regular dates and not regular days. It is observed on the same date of every month and was calculated on monthly basis rather than on weekly basis. Using the Hebrew calendar to calculate days of the regular seventh-day Sabbath will show it will definitely never always be on a recurring Saturday or Sunday because of New Moon and Full Moon which are taken out before calculating seven days.
Sabbath was commanded to be calculated on monthly basis. Counting of days starts from the New Moon day because a lunar month starts on the day when new moon is sighted.
- New Moon Day is the first day of the month. It is a day of rest and worship but not a Sabbath.
- The six days of work begins after the New Moon day. The 7th day after the 6 days of work is the 8th day of the month which is the regular seventh-day Sabbath.
- The next seventh-day Sabbath comes on the 15th day of the month which is the full moon.
- The 3rd seventh-day Sabbath of the month comes on the 22nd day of the month.
- The last seventh-day Sabbath of the month comes on the 29th day of the month.
- And after that comes another month which will begin with the next new moon. The days of the month are counted in the same way again.
If we count from the first day using the Hebrew calendar, the first day is the New Moon day which is a work-free day like a Sabbath day but not Sabbath. Work day begins on the 2nd day which is the day after the New Moon day. The 7th day after 6 consecutive days of work shall be on the 8th day of the month and that will be a Sabbath day.
The next Sabbath will be on the 15th day of the month because there is no week. The next Sabbath day after the 15th day of the month shall be on the 22nd day of the month. These dates will be the same for the next month because each lunar month starts with a New Moon day as the 1st day of the month and the months do not have weeks. So, Sabbath was not on the 7th day of the week, but on the 7th day after six consecutive days of work. With the Hebrew lunar calendar, regular seventh-day Sabbath has same dates and not same day.
If we use the early Egyptian calendar which has 10 days in a week, the Sabbath day will not be on the same day of the week because the seventh day after six days will not always be the same day in each of the week. If we count from the first day which will make seventh day the Sabbath day, then the next Sabbath will fall on the fourth day of the second week and not on the seventh day of the second week.
Even if the Egyptian calendar had name for the days of the week, the Sabbath of the Lord will never fall on the same day in each of the week, therefore, Sabbath will not compulsorily be on the seventh day of the week.
Present day Gregorian calendar which has 12 months and a recurring cycle of weeks consisting of seven days all bearing names of idol gods can never give us the accurate day for regular seventh-day Sabbath because it was not developed for the worship of God. Gregorian calendar is not a lunar calendar and was not in use when God instituted Sabbath. It is a solar calendar which is calculated based on the solar cycle.
Day’s Calculation:
God’s method of calculating days is different from the way days are calculated at the present time. The standard calculation for a day is the number of hours. A day has 24 hours and is calculated differently between God’s calendar and the other calendars. The intent of Sabbath has to be understood from its origin and not from the present-day method of calculating days.
A Day - By God’s Method:
God’s days run from evening to evening while Roman days run from midnight to midnight. God’s day has 12 hours of darkness as night and 12 hours of daylight as day. God’s day has one entire night and one entire day and it begins with the night and ends in the day. One night and one day makes one full day of the Lord.
“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years………. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.” Genesis 1:14, 16.
During creation, night was before the day because darkness which was called night existed before light which was called day came into existence. For that reason, night precedes daylight in God’s day.
Calculating a day by God’s method is done by starting with the night and followed by the day. Using the present day Gregorian calendar, a day by God’s method starts from the evening of the previous day and ends in the evening of the next day. It touches two Roman days.
Take for example how the observation of the Lord’s Sabbath is described in the Gospel. It starts from the evening of Friday and ends in the evening of Saturday to give 24 hours for a day. Sabbath was never one full Roman day.
According to God’s calendar, Sabbath observation falls between two days and not on one day of the Roman week. It runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday of the Roman week. Saturday could not be the Sabbath day because Sabbath was not observed throughout the whole day. It starts from the evening of the previous day which is Friday and ends on Saturday evening.
“It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” Leviticus 23:32
A Day - By Roman Method:
Roman calculation of a day is from midnight to midnight. A Roman’s day has two nights and one day. A day of the Roman calendar is calculated by adding the half night of the previous day, the whole daylight of the day and half night of the next day. Unlike a day of God which has 12 hours of darkness and 12 hours of daylight, a Roman day begins with 6 hours of darkness, 12 hours of day light and another 6 hours of darkness (6-12-6) to complete 24 hours.
A Roman day is not made up of a day and a night. It consists of a day and two half nights.
One Roman day is not the same as one day of the Lord because they are calculated differently. A day of the Lord is (12-12) 12 hours night and 12 hours day while a Roman day is (6-12-6) 6 hours of moon, twelve hours of Sun and another 6 hours of moon. So, the Lord’s Sabbath cannot possibly be observed in a single Roman day like Saturday.
The Lord’s Sabbath has statutory monthly observation dates and not days.
Social Structure (Ancient Time):
We can use the social structure of the people of Israel in the Promised Land to determine how possible it was for the people of Israel to observe Sabbaths together on the same day and at the same time.
The people of Israel were organized in the Promised Land as a mono-religious, mono-ethnic society that has one and same standard time schedule for the whole nation. They were a nation of one ethnic people that follows one religion and the nation was governed by religious laws.
They kept the same daytime work hours and the same worship time for the whole land. You work when everyone is working, worship at the same time when everyone is worshipping and rest when everyone is resting. No different time zones, no different work schedule and no independent work plan. Work days are the same for everyone and Sabbath was observed the same day by all. There was nothing like work time shifts or work day shifts where you can work any day you want and rest any day you want.
By this social arrangement, it was possible for them to observe Sabbath on the same day, the same date and at the same time. The nation of Israel in those days was able to have same Sabbath day and same Sabbath time for all due to the way the society was organized religiously but that does not mean God restricted Sabbath to a given day of the week. There was no week in the calendar used by the people of Israel.
This is the ancient time and how the social structure of the society made it possible for everyone to observe Sabbath of the Lord the same day and the same time even though the command was given as an individual responsibility.
Social Structure (Modern Time):
The core requirement of Sabbath is to work in six days and rest on the seventh day and dedicate the 7th day for the honor and worship of God. Sabbath was commanded to be everlasting till the new age comes.
Most of the nations of the world has become secular states which are not governed by any particular religious laws or principles. The work pattern and social structure of societies including that of Israel has changed in this modern time. Governments does not consider religious laws or requirements in making laws and policies. Six days of work is no longer the same for everyone, therefore, the Sabbath day will not be the same for everyone. How should people be able to observe the Sabbath of the Lord faithfully in view of the structure of the modern society?
SABBATH – AN INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY.
If regular seventh-day Sabbath is not an individual responsibility, it will be very difficult in this modern day for the regular seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord to be perfectly observed corporately.
We should always consider God’s attribute when seeking to understand His commands. God’s knowledge covers both ancient and modern times because He knows the end from the beginning. God is able to foresee the future and the changes that would occur in the world, so He gives commands in such a way that people will still be able to keep them till the end no matter what changes occurs in the society and the world.
Prophet Elijah once thought that nobody was keeping God’s covenant in Israel because it became difficult to publicly declare faith in the true God at that particular time, but God in refuting Elijah’s claim said He has 7000 men who still follows His covenant even though these were unknown to the public.
These 7000 men were not worshipping publicly but their faithfulness was known to God who commended them. Obedience and faithfulness to God is an individual responsibility. We are encouraged to stick to the truth even if the whole world has followed lies and falsehood. God will accept people based on their group identity. So, the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy is an individual responsibility which each person is required to observe according to their situation because God actually foresaw our time when it maybe hard to have a unified religious society. Apostle Peter clearly captured this.
“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” Acts 10:34-35.
Human laws and societal changes are not able to hamper observation of God’s commandments. God does not intend that people should become confused in the future about how to follow His commandments especially when there appear changes in the way the society is organized. His commandments cover both the ancient time and the modern time which is the reason He says His commandments will be observed forever.
God wants people to be able to keep His commandments even when they become separated from their traditional society or community. They will be able to work for six consecutive days and rest on the 7th day to observe Sabbath which may not fall on the same day as is obtainable in their traditional society or community.
God’s commandments are structured in a such a way that future changes in the world and in the society shall not render them outdated or hard to keep at any given time until their time of fulfillment is accomplished.
IS THERE A COMPULSORY SABBATH DAY?
This refers to the seventh-day regular sabbath which is the Sabbath that comes up every seventh day after six working days. We have to look at the origin of Sabbath and understand how it was observed in those early days in order to determine if God’s intention was that the regular seventh-day Sabbath must be on a compulsory day of the week.
There is no week in the calendar God gave to the people of Israel, so there are no regular weekdays as we have in the Roman calendar. This is not a surprise since the 7 days of the Roman calendar week are named or assigned to heavenly hosts and to idols gods. Roman calendar was never developed for the worship and honor of God.
There is no compulsory day of the week for Sabbath. What we rather have are compulsory dates for Sabbath. Regular seventh-day Sabbath is due on the 7th day after six days of work and not on the seventh day of the week. Sabbath can be observed on any day which the Sabbath date falls if we want to follow what God actually commanded. In the Hebrew calendar, the 8th day of the month which should be the first Sabbath of the month can fall on any day of the Roman calendar week. It can never be on the same day of every other week.
Saturday which is a day dedicated to Saturn god and Sunday which is a day dedicated to Sun god cannot be commanded by God to be the compulsory day for His Sabbath. God cannot share His glory or praise with idols. He always makes His ways to be different from that of idol gods. A Sabbath day is a Sabbath day and cannot be a Saturn’s day or a Sun’s day.
Many may wonder how any day can be a Sabbath day? It is assumed that there is a compulsory traditional day for the regular Sabbath. For instance, Jews observe Sabbath regularly on Saturdays while Christians observe it on Sundays. Both Saturday and Sunday are Roman days which are not recognized by God because God does not have name for days. Regular seventh-day Sabbath was not instituted to be on the 7th day of the week but on the 7th day after six days of work. Any day of the Roman week can be a Sabbath day because any day can be the seventh day which will depend on which day is the first day of work.
It is never possible to have one particular day of the Roman seven days recurring week as the Lord’s Sabbath day. The reason is because the 7th day for the Lord’s Sabbath is calculated as the days of the month and not the days of the week. There is also the commandment of the new moon day which is the 1st day of the month.
The compulsory day of the Lord’s Sabbath is the 7th day after six consecutive days of work and not on the 7th day of the week. Using Gregorian calendar, a solar based calendar which has recurring weeks of 7 days, the Christian religion has fixed Sunday on which Christ’s resurrection fell as the compulsory day for the regular seventh-day Sabbath.
The Scripture says that Jesus Christ rose on the 3rd day. The day of Christ’s resurrection is not a day but a date because Passover is a date and not a day. It can be on any other day in the following year. Human birthdays for instance does not have a fixed day because it is based on dates and the date falls on different days every year. For example, the 14th day of April of every year will not be on the same day of the Roman calendar.
If the work days are fixed and compulsory for everyone, then it is possible to have a compulsory day for the Lord’s Sabbath since the 7th day will always fall on this same day of the week. The thing is that there will be no New Moon day because first day of the month of the Gregorian calendar is not a new moon day since the calendar is based on solar revolution than lunar revolution.
HOW TO FULFILL SABBATH
People who live in the same community, have the same days of work can observe the regular seventh-day Sabbath on the same day which can be any day of the week that will be the seventh day after six consecutive working days. Sunday in this case can be the recurring seventh day for the Sabbath of the Lord if the work day begins on Mondays. Those whose work day begins on Sunday or includes Sundays cannot observe Sundays as the day of the Lord’s Sabbath as Sunday will not be the seventh day from their first day of work.
Let’s say for instance that about 30 persons live in the same community and their six workdays runs from Wednesday to Monday which will make Tuesday their seventh day, then their Sabbath will be on Tuesday which is the seventh day after six consecutive days of work.
Those who must work on Sundays must also observe their own seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord. If you must work on Sundays, your seventh day definitely will be any other day of the week other than Sunday. That you must work on Sunday does not mean you cannot observe the Lord’s Sabbath. Sabbath commandment is not that you should not work on Sundays, but that you must set aside a day within a seven days period as a day of the Lord’s Sabbath. A day out of seven days must be set aside to observe the Sabbath of the Lord no matter which day it is.
The regular seventh-day Sabbath was not made to be observed only on Saturdays or Sundays, but you must observe a day of holy rest whichever day it falls according to your timetable because the command is an individual responsibility.
Again, believers should not willingly position themselves to be at risk for the sake of truth. Jesus said that if we abide in him and his word abide in us, then we shall know the truth and the truth shall make us free. It offers freedom from persecution that will arise from wrongfully projecting our religious believe and obligation as basis of conflict in our community. Knowledge of truth helps us to escape persecution that is avoidable. It also empowers us to triumph over the obstacles the enemies of God would like to place on our faith route. Every commandment of God calls for wisdom. The truth is that you can work any six days of the week but must observe Sabbath of the Lord every 7th day after the 6 days of work.
If it is up to you to choose, you must choose your work days so that you could have the same Sabbath day with others. We’re encouraged to form the habit of gathering together with others if and where possible but not as a fulfillment of any of the commandments. The Lord’s commandments were given as an individual responsibility since everyone will render account to God individually.
We have to consider how days and time were calculated in the early days to know if one particular day such as Saturday or Sunday was divinely chosen by God as a compulsory day for Sabbath.
Sabbath Day & Work-Free Days:
Sabbath day is completely free from work free day known as holiday or weekend. Work free days such as holidays and weekends are days people are exempted from work. Like the Sabbath days, people are not obliged to work. Civic work-free days such as holidays and weekends have different purpose and intent from the Lord’s Sabbath.
The purpose of work free days is not to observe Sabbath but for people to rest from their conventional work and use the time for themselves. This is completely different from the purpose of Sabbath. Most holidays are days of commemoration but weekends are just 2 work-free days (Saturday & Sunday) that follows 5 consecutive working days of a week. In some countries, Sunday is among the working days while Friday and Saturday are observed as weekend.
Weekend does not have the same purpose with the Sabbath of the Lord. It is only fortunate that one of the days that make up a weekend is considered as the recurring seventh day for the observation of the Lord’s Sabbath. Jews consider Saturday as their day for the regular seventh-day Sabbath while most Christians consider Sunday as their day for observing the Lord’s regular seventh-day Sabbath. Using any of these days is right as long as the requirements of Sabbath are fully observed on the chosen day (a full 24 hours rest dedicated completely to the honor and worship of God).
Christians hold their services on every Sunday and many assume that’s what Sabbath is all about. Attending church service on a Sunday for few hours does not in any way represent observing the Sabbath of the Lord. The Sabbath of the Lord is observed for 24 hours in which no work and nothing of personal gain or pleasure shall be undertaken within that hours. It is not something of few hours but a whole day completely set aside by the entire household to honor the Lord God. A 24 hours period when we must not pursue our own interest or the interest of others for the purpose of making profit.
The scripture says “that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” The introduction of Gregorian calendar and the adoption of 5 days a week labor policy by many nations of the world is actually for the good of those that love God and who are called to observe the Lord’s Sabbath which is one of God’s purpose for mankind.
We can work for 5 days, have one day off for ourselves and observe the seventh day completely for the Sabbath of the Lord. Using part of the Sabbath day for ourselves or for any other person’s profit is one of the ways of taking part of the glory and honor due to God. Working for the whole seven days in a week or making people work for the whole seven days in a work is completely denying God His honor and glory. It is in view of this that Jesus said “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’ 32 (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.” Matthew 6:31-33 GNT.
There is no excuse for skipping Sabbath observation. Even the governments of the world do not support people working throughout a week or for consecutive seven days without a day off. Sabbath rest should not be confused with the civic intention of government’s instituted labor policy of weekly work free days. We should see the weekly work free days labor policy of governments of the world to be for our good and must seize the opportunity offered by the weekly work free days policy of governments to fully observe Sabbath of the Lord without excuse.
Sabbath is connected to the kingdom of God and is a commandment that will be terminated at the time of the fulfillment of the Promised Kingdom. Sabbath is not a law and is not connected to the old covenant. It is a commandment of God which is connected to the coming of the kingdom of God and must be observed till the kingdom come. The old covenant ended with the possession of the Promised Land. The new covenant is for the Promised Kingdom and not the Promised Land.
Furthermore, it is widely believed among Christians that anyone who fails to attend church service on a Sunday has failed to observe Sabbath. This is only true if Sunday is the person’s Sabbath day according to his or her working condition and timetable.
Sabbath is more than few hours of Sunday service and also Sunday is not a compulsory day for the Lord’s Sabbath because the day for the Lord’s Sabbath is dependent on each person’s working condition and timetable.
The encouragement is that every believer must observe a full Sabbath of the Lord one day out of seven consecutive days and every believer must endeavor to always attend fellowship which is the gathering together of brethren. Attending a fellowship is not by itself a Sabbath observation though it is part of Sabbath observation if the fellowship is on a Sabbath day.
PURPOSE & REQUIREMENT OF SABBATH:
Sabbath has a purpose and there are also specific requirements for its observation. As mentioned earlier, the Sabbath of the Lord is one and same even though it is observed at different occasions. The Sabbath of the Lord has one meaning, one purpose and same requirement no matter when it is observed.
We have discussed the meaning of Sabbath. Sabbath means rest observed as an honor and worship to God. It is rest from all form of work so that all the time (24 hours) shall be dedicated to the honor and worship of God by doing only the things He commanded to be done (Matthew 6:33).
The purpose and requirements of Sabbath are what set it apart from civic workfree days like weekends and holidays.
We know truly that understanding the purpose and requirements of Sabbath will help many to see what the Lord’s mind is. It will enable many of us to make amend and begin to observe Sabbath as the Lord required.
PURPOSE OF SABBATH:
The purpose of Sabbath is that human beings and all creation shall know they all belong to God and set aside a day dedicated to give honor and worship to the Lord God as the God of the entire universe. It is a 24 hours period that is dedicated to God alone, to appreciate and celebrate His works. It is the real tithe we give to the Lord.
Sabbath is not just a day of rest. It is a day we rest from work in order to dedicate ourselves, our thought and our focus on God. It is a day of solemn rest which is a rest of sober and earnest reflection. It is an occasion demanding of serious attention which has to be marked with seriousness showing sincerity of feeling towards God.
Sabbath is not a day of feasting or celebration. It is a day of solemnity, a day of serious reflection. It is not a day of self-pleasure or self-indulgence. God instituted High Sabbaths to be observed during the period of feasting, but the particular days High Sabbath is observed is not part of the feasting day. A day of High Sabbath during the feasting period is separated as a day of solemnity without feasting.
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.” Leviticus 23:33-36.
Sabbath is a day for the Lord and a day with the Lord. The highest aspect of Sabbath is keeping it Holy.
REQUIREMENT OF SABBATH
According to Matthew 6:33, Jesus said we should “be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of us.” The requirements of Sabbath of the Lord are the things the Lord required us to do. They are the concerns of God as Jesus told Peter at Matthew 16:23; Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
God said Sabbath is holy. So, the fundamental requirement of Sabbath is to keep it holy. The concern of God about Sabbath is keeping it holy. The commandment not to do any customary work on a Sabbath day is not just for us to have rest or a day off as in the secular society. The no work rule in a Sabbath day is to enable us keep it holy.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” Exodus 20:8.
As mentioned earlier, Sabbath is holy because it is meant to be dedicated to God’s honor and worship only. Sabbath is not holy because people are not supposed to work on that day. It is holy as an occasion and time when everyone should seriously be concerned with God and the things of God making conscientious effort and showing sincerity of feeling of honor and worship to the Lord.
The rest of the Sabbath day is a holy rest which is a rest dedicated to the honor and worship of God. It is not a party day or day of socialization. It is not a day that offers us the opportunity to indulge in immoral acts of sex, debauchery, orgy, etc. It is a day set apart by ourselves and within our family or community to think and discuss about God and act to show our relationship with Him.
We should not do customary work which is our usual business or work. We should not engage even in our usual life doing things that pleases our heart and our body. We should not make anyone do their usual work including our animals. Sabbath is for all creation including our lands and plants which we should not make to do their usual work on their Sabbath year.
“While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the Lord said to him, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. When you have entered the land I am giving you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath rest before the Lord every seventh year. 3 For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, 4 but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. 5 And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest.” Leviticus 25:1-5. NLT
The main requirement of Sabbath is to keep it holy. The things we should do to keep it holy are the things listed in the commandment. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should take absolute rest from our usual work, give absolute rest to everyone and everything which works for us and dedicate the entire day completely to the honor and worship of the Lord God.
It does not matter whether our workers are believers or not as long as we have control over them in regards to the work they have to do, we must make the Sabbath day a workfree day for them so that no work shall be done by us or for us. It is different in a situation where though we can benefit directly or indirectly from the work they do, but we do not have control to determine whether they should work or not.
We should ensure it is a day of peace without quarrel or fighting of any sort. We must avoid any gathering or discussion that would lead to argument, quarrel or fight. It is a family day of discussing about God, about the things of God and doing good things that brings honor and praise to God. It is a day to meditate and reflect on God’s plan of a new world and His Promised Kingdom.
The workfree rest required on a Sabbath is not to reward ourselves but to acknowledge God in our life as the one who reigns in our affairs. Keeping the Sabbath day holy draws us closer to God and creates in us the sincere feeling of His relationship.
“If you want to live securely in the land, follow my decrees and obey my regulations. 19 Then the land will yield large crops, and you will eat your fill and live securely in it. 20 But you might ask, ‘What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?’ 21 Be assured that I will send my blessing for you in the sixth year, so the land will produce a crop large enough for three years. 22 When you plant your fields in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the large crop of the sixth year. In fact, you will still be eating from that large crop when the new crop is harvested in the ninth year.” Leviticus 25:18-22 NLT.
Contentment is the major grace that will enable us to observe Sabbath as is required. The opposite of contentment is greediness and covetousness. Anyone who is greedy and covetous can hardly keep the Sabbath holy because it is the desire to have more and to satisfy our craving for taste and variety that leads us to pursue things the same way the people of the world does.
“For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8.
Pharisees regularly confronted Jesus on the issue of breaking the law about the Sabbath day. During one of the confrontations, Jesus seized the opportunity to explain the real purpose of Sabbath which is to keep the rest holy and not just to keep the Sabbath work-free day.
He said that Sabbath is not a law and is not against man. Sabbath is made for man and not man for Sabbath meaning that Sabbath serves the good of mankind being a practice that conditions our mind to receive the kingdom of God.
“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, (Mark 3:1-6).
Pharisees wrongly accused the disciples of Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law because they plucked the heads of grain while passing through the grain fields on a Sabbath day. Sabbath did not forbid eating or feeding the hungry which was what the disciples did, especially those who are doing the work of the Lord. Jesus pointed this out by referencing what David did when he was fleeing from king Saul.
The actions of the disciples of Jesus did not amount to breaking of Sabbath. Plucking and eating the heads of grain because they were hungry was not actual harvesting work and was not done for profit. It was satisfying the hunger of those who were doing the work of God just like David did when he and his men were hungry.
Doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord on a Sabbath day is actually the main requirement of Sabbath because what is right is what pleases the Lord and Sabbath is for us to learn what is right and pleasing to God and to do so.
CONCLUSION:
Finally, Sabbath is a commandment and not a law. It will be fulfilled on the day when the Tabernacle of God will be among men, when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ where He shall reign forever and ever!” unlike the laws, none of the commandments given in Exodus 20 will come to an end in this world. They will last to the end of the ages and keeping the Sabbath day holy is one of them.
Sabbath of the Lord does not have a compulsory day of the week when it must be observed. It must be on the seventh day according to one’s work schedule. It is structured by God such that anyone should be able to observe it in any society and in any generation no matter the calendar in use.
Meeting or worship service of the Christian religion which occurs regularly on Sundays is not part of Sabbath commandment. This meeting or fellowship can be observed on a daily basis where possible but should not be considered as keeping the Sabbath holy. Sunday meeting or worship service is very important and highly encouraged but should not be seen as all it means to keep the Sabbath holy. Sabbath is a whole day dedicated to the honor and worship of God and not just few hours of the day.
You do not break a law by failing to keep the Sabbath of the Lord holy. Whoever that fails to keep the Sabbath holy has failed to reverence and honor God which is more severe than breaking a law. Whoever that breaks the law is punished according to the law but whoever that fails to reverence and honor God will be rejected by God. Moses and Aaron did not break any law but God refused them to enter the Promised Land for failing to reverence Him before the people of Israel. Even under grace, we are required to reverence God by being holy and living holy as God is holy.
We should learn from what king Josiah and the Jews did when they discovered from the book of the covenant found in the temple that they were all the time doing the wrong thing while thinking they were keeping the Lord’s commandments (2 Kings 22 & 23).
“Now the king sent them to gather all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. The king went up to the house of the Lord with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the Lord.
Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.” 2 Kings 23:1-3.
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