"Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep It Holy"
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November 02, 2014 |
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 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you" (Exodus 20:8-10).
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
The Sabbath Day is the day to comfortably take rest in the Lord. The origin of the Sabbath Day is seen in God's six-day-creation. God created the heavens and the earth and all things, and He rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:3 says, "Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."
The Sabbath in the Old Testament time was actually Saturday which is the seventh day. But in the New Testament times it changed to Sunday. Why did Sabbath change to Sunday from Saturday? And what is it to keep the Sabbath holy?
1. How did Sabbath change from Saturday to Sunday?
Even today, Jews keep Saturday as the Sabbath, but God's children who are saved with belief in Jesus Christ keep Sunday as the Sabbath. We also call this day 'the Lord's Day'.
It's because Sunday is the day we can truly take rest in Jesus Christ. What does it mean in detail to take true rest and have peace because of Jesus Christ?
After Adam's fall, all mankind became sinners and had no true rest. Becoming the servants of the enemy devil and Satan, they lived difficult lives and were laden with the burden of sin. So, God sent Jesus Christ to the earth to redeem us from our sins.
Jesus who is the Son of God came to the earth in flesh, and to fulfill His duty as the Savior, He was scourged, wore the thorny crown, was nailed through His hands and feet, and hung on the wooden cross even though He was sinless. He shed all His water and blood and then He died. But on the third day He overcame death and resurrected.
Anyone who believes this and accepts Jesus Christ can be freed from sins, gain true peace in heart, and by extension, they can dwell in Heaven. It was on 'Sunday' that Jesus was resurrected after the crucifixion and thereby gave hope, true rest, and joy to all mankind who were sinners. That is why God's children, who were saved by Jesus Christ, should keep Sunday as the Sabbath Day.
Even in the Old Testament, it foreshadows that Sunday would be kept as Sabbath day. Leviticus 23:10-12 reads, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD."
God told the sons of Israel to offer sacrifice with the first fruits of their harvest after they went into Canaan, the God-given land flowing with milk and honey. This day of the sacrifice was the day after the Sabbath.
The 'first fruits' here symbolize the Lord who is the firstfruits of the resurrection. Also, 'a male lamb one year old without defect' also stands for Jesus Christ who is spiritually the Lamb of God. Therefore, this Scripture indicates that the Lord will be offered as atoning sacrifice, become the firstfruits of the resurrection, and give resurrection and rest to all people who believe in Him.
2. What does it mean 'to keep the Sabbath holy'?
1) We should have spiritual rest in the Lord
To have spiritual rest doesn't mean that we take a rest doing nothing at home or enjoying ourselves recreationally. This kind of physical rest can help us relax but can't give us life.
The rest God wants us to have is spiritual rest—true rest. It is not to engage in worldly pursuits, but instead, to go to church, worship in spirit and truth, listen to the Word of God, have fellowship with other believers, earn true joy and peace in truth, and pursue spiritual growth.
We also have to keep whole Sabbath by attending both Sunday Morning Service and Evening Service. Only when we communicate with the Lord who is Lord of the Sabbath this way can we have true rest.
When we keep the Lord's Day holy with acknowledgement of God's spiritual sovereignty God gives us blessings as He promised. He protects believers from trials, afflictions, and danger of accidents and diseases during the weekdays and causes all things to work together for good.
2) We must not buy or sell things
In Nehemiah 13:15-18, Nehemiah was telling the Israelites that because they violated the commandment of God by working, buying, and selling things on the Sabbath, they were not protected by God and were inflicted with misfortune.
Nehemiah strictly prohibited them from working or having commercial transactions with the Gentiles on the Sabbath, and even drove away those merchants who were sleeping outside the city wall on the Sabbath to remove even the slightest chance of his people violating the Sabbath.
Then if we do not work on the Sabbath or buy or sell things to keep it holy, will we suffer loss or damage? No, we won't. God who is almighty gives more blessings to His dear children who keep His commandment during the other six days.
But there are some special cases where it is allowed to buy or sell even on the Sabbath day. For example, the church should provide the meals for choir members since they practice even after the services at church. But if this is not possible, they may buy meals outside. Also, the church bookstore and the snack bar in the church are open on Sundays, too, for the convenience of the church members, but this is not violating the Sabbath either because the profit does not go to any individual. It is spent for missionary works, charitable works, or other forms of good works in the Lord.
When a believer with little faith gets married on Sunday, you may attend the wedding only after you attend Sunday Services. During the wedding, you can still communicate with God in heart to keep the Lord's Day holy and congratulate the bride and groom. It is not to violate the Sabbath but rather to consider the soul more precious than the world and not to hurt him.
In Matthew 12, some Jews questioned Jesus, asking, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?" to accuse Him. Then Jesus said, "What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
Doctors and nurses act in goodness for the sick, and soldiers and police officers maintain the country's security and order. Their works belong to goodness. So it is not sin for them to work on Sunday after attending services. I hope you will enjoy freedom in truth in the Lord who fulfilled the Law with love.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy are a basic tenet of a Christian life and recognition of God's spiritual sovereignty. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will accept Jesus Christ, keep the Lord's Day holy, and receive great blessings as God's children.
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