The Attributes of the Sabbath

Now there are so many misconceptions about the Sabbath, especially in the Christian faith. This is due to a lack of knowledge and listening to mans interpretation of Scripture instead of going to the Scripture itself. Though The Christian faith is not the only faith that has misconceptions about the Sabbath.

The Christians believe that the “Jewish Sabbath” is not relevant to them anymore, or that it does not matter which day you keep as the Sabbath, as long as you keep it once a week. Also they do not keep to the rules of the Sabbath as Scripture commands us to, as I have seen the majority of the church members and even the pastors and ministers in the Shopping centers on their so called “Sabbath day” (the first day also known as Sun-Day), then having a barbeque with friends etc. This is clearly not allowed according to the Word of the Almighty.

One of the biggest reasons why the Christians do not keep the Sabbath, or at least do not keep it on the Seventh Day, is because the Seventh Day is a day of sport and leisure in the world. If they were to obey the Scriptures, they would have to give up watching or even doing their favorite sports and activities, as that is usually the only time that the sports are played! And likewise, that is usually the only day they get to visit with certain friends, and it is too much of a burden to loose such friends.

There is a church that does have their sermons on the Sabbath day instead of the first day (Sun-day), The Seventh Day Adventists. The problem with this is that just changing the day you go to church to the Scriptural Sabbath Day is NOT keeping the Sabbath.

On the other extreme, let us look at the Jewish Sabbath. When I talk about the Jewish Sabbath, I am referring to the Rabbinical rules concerning the Sabbath. Now if you go to Israel today, the most shocking thing that you will realize is how many Jews do not observe the Sabbath anymore. This is because of all the EXTRA laws that were added to the Sabbath by the Rabbi’s that makes it literally impossible to keep all these laws of the Sabbath.

These Rabbinical laws were present even in the days of Y’shua Mashiyach. When the Pharisees tried to accuse Y’shua for breaking their traditions of the elders, Y’shua rebuked them for nullifying the Word of YHWH by their traditions (see Mark 7:1-8).

So it is very clear that we are still to keep the Sabbath of YHWH according to what the Scriptures teach us, as we will see below, nothing more and nothing less! So let us have a look at what the Scriptures (the Word of YHWH) teach us about the Sabbath:

Sabbath on the Seventh Day

“Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה (YHWH) in all your dwellings” (Lev 23:3)

“but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה  your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, so that your male servant and your female servant rest as you do” (Deut 5:14)

The Sabbath is a Commandment

“Guard the Sabbath day, to set it apart, as יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim commanded you” (Deut 5:12)

“nor take a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work. And you shall set apart the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers” (Jeremiah 17:22)

The Sabbath is set apart

“For in six days יהוה (YHWH) made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה (YHWH) blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart” (Exodus 20:11)

“Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart” (Exodus 20:8)

“And they are to stand as judges in a dispute, and judge it according to My right-rulings. And they are to guard My Torot (plural of Torah) and My laws in all My appointed festivals, and set apart My Sabbaths” (Eze 44:24)

You do no work on the Sabbath

“but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim. You do not do any 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” (Exodus 20:10)

“Work is done for six days, but on the seventh day it shall be set-apart to you, a Sabbath of rest to יהוה (YHWH) Anyone doing work on it is put to death” (Exodus 35:2)

“Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה (YHWH). Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death” (Exo 31:15)

No food is to be prepared on the Sabbath

“And יהוה  said to Mosheh, “See, I am raining bread from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, in order to try them, whether they walk in My Torah or not.

And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily” (Exodus 16:4)

“And when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath” (Mark 15:42)

Do not kindle a fire on the Sabbath

“Do not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day.” (Exodus 35:3)

Do not do your own pleasures on the Sabbath

“If you do turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My set-apart day, and shall call the Sabbath ‘a delight,’ the set-apart day of יהוה  (YHWH) ‘esteemed,’ and shall esteem it, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words” (Isaiah 58:13)

The Sabbath is a set apart gathering

“Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה (YHWH) in all your dwellings” (Lev 23:3)

The Sabbath is a sign

“And you, speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה (YHWH), am setting you apart” (Exodus 31:13)

“And I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, to know that I am יהוה (YHWH) who sets them apart” (Eze 20:12)

“And set apart My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, to know that I am יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim” (Eze 20:20)

Do good on the Sabbath

“Then יהושע (Y’shua) said to them, “I ask you, is it right to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (Luke 6:9)

“And He said to them, “Is it right to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent” (Mark 3:4)

“And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, shall not take hold of it and lift it out?

Mat 12:12 “How much more worth is a man than a sheep! So it is right to do good on the Sabbath” (Mat 12:11-12)

What happens if you profane the Sabbath

“And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people” (Exodus 31:14)

“And while the children of Yisra’ĕl were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day

And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Mosheh and to Aharon, and to all the congregation.

And they put him in under guard, because it had not been declared what should be done to him.

And יהוה (YHWH) said to Mosheh, “The man shall certainly be put to death, all the congregation stoning him with stones outside the camp.”

And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, as יהוה (YHWH) commanded Mosheh, and he died” (Num 15:32-36)

“In those days I saw in Yehuḏah those treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Yerushalayim on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day they sold food

And men of Tsor dwelt there, bringing in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Yehuḏah, and in Yerushalayim.

Then I contended with the nobles of Yehuḏah, and said to them, “What evil matter is this that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Yisra’ĕl by profaning the Sabbath” (Neh 13:15-18)

Who is the Sabbath for?

“And when the Yehuḏim went out of the congregation, the gentiles begged to have these words spoken to them the next Sabbath” (Acts 13:42)

“So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim” (Hebrews 4:9)

 “And pray that your flight does not take place in winter or on the Sabbath” (Mat 24:20)

The Sabbath is a rest day

“For in six days יהוה (YHWH) made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה (YHWH) blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart” (Exodus 20:11)

“Work is done for six days, but on the seventh day it shall be set-apart to you, a Sabbath of rest to יהוה (YHWH) Anyone doing work on it is put to death” (Exodus 35:2)

“Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה (YHWH). Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death” (Exo 31:15)

“Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה (YHWH) in all your dwellings” (Lev 23:3)

Now, as you can see, the Sabbath is a delight for the children of YHWH. It is a day of rest and replenishment in Scripture. It is also a sign that we are the Children of YHWH. Do you really want to profane it?