Shabbat is the Hebrew word that translates as "Sabbath" and it means "to rest," the creation account in Genesis shows us that the Sabbath lasts from sundown on Friday evening to sundown on Saturday. God defined the days in the following order: "there was evening, and there was morning." The Hebrew calendar therefore begins a day at the sunset of the previous evening. In Leviticus 23:1-3 we read: The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. “‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord.
Genesis 1:31 tells us that "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." Again in Genesis 2:1-3 we read: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." God told the children of Israel that they were to also rest on the seventh day, they and all who lived in their household. That included their family, visitors, servants, workers and anyone that sheltered under their roof. Their animals were also to rest on the Sabbath.
Exodus 31:12-17:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “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. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
The command to keep the Sabbath was given to Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites who had come out of slavery in Egypt. It is the 4th commandment. Neither Abraham nor Noah were instructed to 'keep the Sabbath.' Abraham and Noah had trusted God deeply and by 'faith' they were obedient when God spoke to them and directed them.
An ancient sage called Rabbi Eliyahu wrote in the Talmud (Hebrew Biblical Commentary) long before Jesus' birth and ministry: "There are 7,000 years ordained for mankind. 2,000 years of desolation; 2,000 years of Torah; 2,000 years of Messiah, and then the millennium!" How prophetic his comment was, but sadly the Jewish leaders of the time didn't recognise the Messiah when he came and are still watching for the signs of his coming and waiting believing that sin is keeping him away! Abraham and Noah were close to God during the 'years of desolation' (without the Torah), their households were blessed and Abraham became the Father of many nations by seed and by faith. Noah's covenant with God became that covenant that all Gentile Christians are under, rather than the Mosaic covenant which was given to the Hebrew nation only; and which set them apart from other nations.
In the books of Acts chapter 15 in the New Testament we read that when the Council of Jerusalem met to discuss the issue of the number of Gentiles becoming followers of Jesus, and whether they should be bound under Mosaic Law or not, James the brother of Jesus said the following in verses 19-21:
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
God's instructions to Moses were quite simple - set aside the seventh day to rest. This would be a sign that set the Israelites apart from all other nations. When God provided manna for them in the wilderness, he provided a double portion on the sixth day so they wouldn't have to gather it on the seventh day; however if they gathered a double portion on any other day of the week, it would rot and become unusable. There were no further regulations concerning the Sabbath... only the command to do no work and to rest - to set the day apart as 'holy' to the Lord. However throughout the ages since, the Hebrew Sages, Rabbis and Lawyers have sought to add to the biblical rules to in effect 'place a hedge' around the commandments, so that no-one would inadvertently break the rules and sin by violating the Sabbath. This, they continue to do, even right up until this very day, and no doubt will continue to debate various issues and rules regarding the use of modern technology on the Sabbath. There are 613 Rabbinic Rules around the Ten Commandments, these cover regulations concerning every aspect of life. Some concern 'Kashrut' (the laws concerning 'Kosher' practices). Foods that are prepared according to the Biblical laws of clean and unclean species, the preparation thereof, the 'how to's and how not to's'
Genesis 1:31 tells us that "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." Again in Genesis 2:1-3 we read: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." God told the children of Israel that they were to also rest on the seventh day, they and all who lived in their household. That included their family, visitors, servants, workers and anyone that sheltered under their roof. Their animals were also to rest on the Sabbath.
Exodus 31:12-17:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “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. For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”
The command to keep the Sabbath was given to Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites who had come out of slavery in Egypt. It is the 4th commandment. Neither Abraham nor Noah were instructed to 'keep the Sabbath.' Abraham and Noah had trusted God deeply and by 'faith' they were obedient when God spoke to them and directed them.
An ancient sage called Rabbi Eliyahu wrote in the Talmud (Hebrew Biblical Commentary) long before Jesus' birth and ministry: "There are 7,000 years ordained for mankind. 2,000 years of desolation; 2,000 years of Torah; 2,000 years of Messiah, and then the millennium!" How prophetic his comment was, but sadly the Jewish leaders of the time didn't recognise the Messiah when he came and are still watching for the signs of his coming and waiting believing that sin is keeping him away! Abraham and Noah were close to God during the 'years of desolation' (without the Torah), their households were blessed and Abraham became the Father of many nations by seed and by faith. Noah's covenant with God became that covenant that all Gentile Christians are under, rather than the Mosaic covenant which was given to the Hebrew nation only; and which set them apart from other nations.
In the books of Acts chapter 15 in the New Testament we read that when the Council of Jerusalem met to discuss the issue of the number of Gentiles becoming followers of Jesus, and whether they should be bound under Mosaic Law or not, James the brother of Jesus said the following in verses 19-21:
“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
God's instructions to Moses were quite simple - set aside the seventh day to rest. This would be a sign that set the Israelites apart from all other nations. When God provided manna for them in the wilderness, he provided a double portion on the sixth day so they wouldn't have to gather it on the seventh day; however if they gathered a double portion on any other day of the week, it would rot and become unusable. There were no further regulations concerning the Sabbath... only the command to do no work and to rest - to set the day apart as 'holy' to the Lord. However throughout the ages since, the Hebrew Sages, Rabbis and Lawyers have sought to add to the biblical rules to in effect 'place a hedge' around the commandments, so that no-one would inadvertently break the rules and sin by violating the Sabbath. This, they continue to do, even right up until this very day, and no doubt will continue to debate various issues and rules regarding the use of modern technology on the Sabbath. There are 613 Rabbinic Rules around the Ten Commandments, these cover regulations concerning every aspect of life. Some concern 'Kashrut' (the laws concerning 'Kosher' practices). Foods that are prepared according to the Biblical laws of clean and unclean species, the preparation thereof, the 'how to's and how not to's'
Freedom from Human Rules
The Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament in Colossians 2:16-17:
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. And again in Galatians 2:20-21 he reminds us that Jesus is our Sabbath Rest: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
The Sabbath day (and therefore the sanctification of time itself) is now under the authority of Jesus the Messiah. For Gentile Christians to understand the meaning of the Sabbath, we must first of all look to Jesus as our teacher. Jesus said all of the following works were permitted – and indeed even recommended to be done on the Sabbath day:
Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day concerning all the rules and regulations they had added to God's word and in Luke 11:46 he said: "...And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry..."
Regarding the sanctification of time: Jesus said that He was the very "Lord of the Sabbath" and this was a title that could only be rightly applied to the LORD GOD of Israel Himself! It was on the Sabbath that Jesus said to the Pharisees, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
It was for this reason the Jews wanted to kill him; he was even calling God His own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:17-18). Some Christians refer to Sunday as the "Christian Sabbath" however, this is in error as Sunday is never called the Sabbath in the Bible. In Matthew 28:1 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 it is called "the first day of the week” Jesus' resurrection took place on "the first day of the week." The first part of Matthew 28:1 begins with "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week..."
The Apostle Paul instructs the believers in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:2) to take up a collection for God's people: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made..."
All the days of the week are counted in relationship to the Sabbath (Shabbat) - first day, second day etc., and this is the biblical way of counting the days of the week. In modern Israel the working week is five and a half days. Sunday is the first day of the working week. The 'weekend' is from Friday mid-afternoon until Saturday sundown.
Yom Rishon: First Day – Sunday
Yom Sheni: 2nd Day – Monday
Yom Shelishi: 3rd Day – Tuesday
Yom Revii: 4th Day – Wednesday
Yom Khamishi: 5th Day - Thursday
Yom Shishi: 6th Day – Friday
Shabbat: 7th Day - Saturday (Sabbath Day)
From the Resurrection of Christ, Christians have always worshipped on the first day of the week and never on the Sabbath. Sunday is not a 'Christian Sabbath' or a day of rest, it is the day that Christians gathered together to worship and eat the Lord’s Supper. (see Acts 20:7). In fact all days are 'Holy unto the LORD' and therefore sanctified. The New Testament church was “born” on a Sunday in that the resurrection of Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith" occurred on the first day of the week. The first day of the week was the day of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. In Hebrew it is called Yom HaBikkurim – The Day of First Fruits. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead (resurrection).
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God - Hebrews 4:1-10:
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.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
And how do we enter God’s rest?
By believing that Jesus is who He says He is, the Son of God, He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and by trusting in his sacrificial death and resurrection and repenting from our sins and asking him into our hearts, we enter into His rest. He fulfils the law regarding the Sabbath and He alone gives us rest!
The Apostle Paul wrote in the New Testament in Colossians 2:16-17:
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. And again in Galatians 2:20-21 he reminds us that Jesus is our Sabbath Rest: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
The Sabbath day (and therefore the sanctification of time itself) is now under the authority of Jesus the Messiah. For Gentile Christians to understand the meaning of the Sabbath, we must first of all look to Jesus as our teacher. Jesus said all of the following works were permitted – and indeed even recommended to be done on the Sabbath day:
- Saving a life (Luke 6:9)
- Healing others (Luke 6:1-10; Mark 3:1-5; John 5:1-9; 9:14; Luke 13:10-16)
- Conducting circumcision (John 7:23)
- Teaching (Mark 1:21; Luke 4:31; Acts 18:4)
- Serving at the Temple (Matthew 12:5)
- Rescuing an animal in distress (Matthew 12:11; Luke 14:1-6)
- Showing acts of compassion (Matthew 12:1-4)
- Caring for animals (Luke 13:15)
- Carrying a bed (John 5:9-16)
- Meeting the needs of others before fulfilling religious obligations (Mark 2:27-28
Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day concerning all the rules and regulations they had added to God's word and in Luke 11:46 he said: "...And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry..."
Regarding the sanctification of time: Jesus said that He was the very "Lord of the Sabbath" and this was a title that could only be rightly applied to the LORD GOD of Israel Himself! It was on the Sabbath that Jesus said to the Pharisees, "My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working."
It was for this reason the Jews wanted to kill him; he was even calling God His own Father, making himself equal with God (John 5:17-18). Some Christians refer to Sunday as the "Christian Sabbath" however, this is in error as Sunday is never called the Sabbath in the Bible. In Matthew 28:1 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 it is called "the first day of the week” Jesus' resurrection took place on "the first day of the week." The first part of Matthew 28:1 begins with "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week..."
The Apostle Paul instructs the believers in Corinth (1 Corinthians 16:2) to take up a collection for God's people: "On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made..."
All the days of the week are counted in relationship to the Sabbath (Shabbat) - first day, second day etc., and this is the biblical way of counting the days of the week. In modern Israel the working week is five and a half days. Sunday is the first day of the working week. The 'weekend' is from Friday mid-afternoon until Saturday sundown.
Yom Rishon: First Day – Sunday
Yom Sheni: 2nd Day – Monday
Yom Shelishi: 3rd Day – Tuesday
Yom Revii: 4th Day – Wednesday
Yom Khamishi: 5th Day - Thursday
Yom Shishi: 6th Day – Friday
Shabbat: 7th Day - Saturday (Sabbath Day)
From the Resurrection of Christ, Christians have always worshipped on the first day of the week and never on the Sabbath. Sunday is not a 'Christian Sabbath' or a day of rest, it is the day that Christians gathered together to worship and eat the Lord’s Supper. (see Acts 20:7). In fact all days are 'Holy unto the LORD' and therefore sanctified. The New Testament church was “born” on a Sunday in that the resurrection of Jesus "the author and finisher of our faith" occurred on the first day of the week. The first day of the week was the day of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour. In Hebrew it is called Yom HaBikkurim – The Day of First Fruits. Jesus was the first to rise from the dead (resurrection).
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God - Hebrews 4:1-10:
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.” And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
And how do we enter God’s rest?
By believing that Jesus is who He says He is, the Son of God, He is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and by trusting in his sacrificial death and resurrection and repenting from our sins and asking him into our hearts, we enter into His rest. He fulfils the law regarding the Sabbath and He alone gives us rest!
For information on the traditional Jewish celebration of Shabbat, the blessings, prayers, songs and a recipe for Challah (Sweet egg-bread baked for festive occasions), please go to this link: Biblical Festival pages and see 'Shabbat'. (Sabbath).
Hebrews 4:9-11: There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. This rest comes from trusting in the finished work of Jesus as our righteousness before the Father. The statement that “there is a rest for the people of God” does not refer to ‘ritualistic Sabbath keeping,’ however since the context clearly states that ‘whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from His.’
This therefore, is a revelatory moment, the moment we realise that God has fulfilled the law’s demand on our behalf through the gift of Jesus life and sacrifice, 2 Corinthians 5:21. Accepting the death benefits of the Messiah makes us heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven, Galatians 4:4-7. We are no longer ‘married’ to the former Mosaic arrangement of being in union with God; there is a better ‘cup’ and a better marriage contract (Romans 7:1-4). When we exercise our faith in God’s promises, we enter into this greater rest (Hebrews 4:1-3). This is the law of faith which precedes and underlies all that was given at Sinai to the Jewish people. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts through unbelief.”
The Apostle Paul states that we have ‘died’ to the earlier contract made at Sinai and are now married to the Messiah who is the Lord of the Sabbath. We are no longer slaves under Sinai, but free citizens of heavenly Jerusalem. We are made complete in our relationship with the Lord. The rest Jesus gives is true spiritual release.
Yes, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, however it is a greater rest from attempting to please God based on our own merits. We trust in the acceptance and love of God given to us in Jesus. We labour to enter that rest by exercising genuine faith in God’s salvation in His son. This is the work of God, that we believe in the one whom the Father has sent (John 6:28-29). In all things Jesus receives the pre-eminence, including the glory of our personal and corporate salvation. We do not merit salvation; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:10-18; Colossians 1:18).
This therefore, is a revelatory moment, the moment we realise that God has fulfilled the law’s demand on our behalf through the gift of Jesus life and sacrifice, 2 Corinthians 5:21. Accepting the death benefits of the Messiah makes us heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven, Galatians 4:4-7. We are no longer ‘married’ to the former Mosaic arrangement of being in union with God; there is a better ‘cup’ and a better marriage contract (Romans 7:1-4). When we exercise our faith in God’s promises, we enter into this greater rest (Hebrews 4:1-3). This is the law of faith which precedes and underlies all that was given at Sinai to the Jewish people. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts through unbelief.”
The Apostle Paul states that we have ‘died’ to the earlier contract made at Sinai and are now married to the Messiah who is the Lord of the Sabbath. We are no longer slaves under Sinai, but free citizens of heavenly Jerusalem. We are made complete in our relationship with the Lord. The rest Jesus gives is true spiritual release.
Yes, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, however it is a greater rest from attempting to please God based on our own merits. We trust in the acceptance and love of God given to us in Jesus. We labour to enter that rest by exercising genuine faith in God’s salvation in His son. This is the work of God, that we believe in the one whom the Father has sent (John 6:28-29). In all things Jesus receives the pre-eminence, including the glory of our personal and corporate salvation. We do not merit salvation; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:10-18; Colossians 1:18).
Thank you Father that we can indeed come into your presence with thanksgiving for the amazing gift of resting in You that we receive through your son Jesus the Messiah. Not by any works that we have done, or by rituals and laws we have kept but by your Grace and Your Grace alone which we can only receive by Faith. In Jesus Name. Amen.