Sabbath is a special gift from YHWH to all of His people.
Find out what you have been missing and why you want to incorporate this gift into your life right away.
What is Sabbath really? Why should I care? What does it mean to me? What does it mean to YHWH?
– So the Hebrew name is Shabbat.
– It is intended to be a day of rest to reconnect with YHWH
– It is a gift from YHWH to us because He knows we need rest
– And because He wants to reconnect with us from our busy days and week
– He created the world and everything in it in six days and rested on the seventh day.
– He said it was good.
– What Shabbat isn’t?
– A yoke of bondage.
– It’s a day of joy, rest, eating, enjoying scriptures, and fellowship
– A day that followers look forward to, to rest in Him.
If YHWH needs to rest, why would we think we don’t need to? I’ve heard people tease and say I can rest when I die. That’s not His plan for us.
Think about it: There are so many people on anti-depressants, anxiety meds, high blood pressure meds, have become alcoholics or drug addicts, having heart attacks, and all sorts of health disorders, trying to deal with the stresses of life. Why? Because we are running the rat race on the hamster wheel going round and round hardly catching our breath trying to finish one thing to get to the next trying to check off our to-do lists only to realize we didn’t finish. Try to grab some sleep, then start all over again. There’s got to be more to life, right?
Your Heavenly Father has a purpose and a plan that He created you for. He can’t give you your assignment if you don’t spend any time with Him. He needs you to rest and connect. It’s a gift. Just one day a week. And guess what? It’s actually fun and enjoyable! Not only are you catching your breath and recharging your batteries so to speak, you are getting to know YHWH, Your creator, Your Heavenly Father. As you get to know Him thru your connections and quality time with Him you are getting gifts from Him. Gifts like: Joy, Peace, Hope, Love, Courage, Relationship, and the list goes on.
Sabbath is an immeasurable gift that He created for us and commanded us to observe.
Sabbath…let’s dig a little deeper into this to get a better understanding
The first time the Israelites were taught about the Sabbath was way before the stone tablets were written with the flaming finger of YHWH in Exodus 20-32, with Sabbath ranking at #4 on the list. The Israelites learned about Sabbath first in Exodus chapter 16 when God was feeding them after their exodus from Egypt. Check out that chapter.
Incidentally, the 2nd and 4th commandments from God are the largest and longest on the list. All commandments are important, but those two bear deep diving into why they are so important to YHWH. If they are important to Him we need to understand why.
It says in Exodus 16 verses 23-26:
23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” 24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. 25 Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the Lord. There will be no food on the ground today. 26 You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.”
That was the first time the Israelites learned about Sabbath, but do you remember when it was created? If you said, Genesis 2:2-3, you would be correct!
“On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.”
Sabbath (Shabbat) is a day of rest that is commanded by God in the Bible. And while it may seem old-fashioned or impractical, it is actually an incredible gift from our Heavenly Father to all His followers. It is so important to Him that He commands it in His Torah, and all throughout the Bible 172 times. When does the Father repeat Himself? When it’s important! In Exodus chapter 20 God listed it as the 4th commandment, second only in importance to the 2nd commandment to have no other gods before Him. In the Sinai Covenant, the laws He re-wrote for Moses after he broke them when Israel sinned by making the golden calf, Sabbath, was first out of the gate on that list that Moses shares with the Israelites.
If Sabbath wasn’t important to God for us to observe, why did go into such depth to explain repeatedly it in the Bible and in the Commandments?
Even Yeshua observed it during His time on earth. Yeshua did not come to change God’s plan but to observe it and show others the importance of observing God’s laws and appointed feasts.
Let’s take a look at the Ten Commandments for a refresher
Exodus 20 (CJB)
(The Hebrew numbers are next to each with the first commandment beginning with verse 2.)
1Then God said all these words:
א 2 “I am Adonai your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery.
ב 3 “You are to have no other gods before me. 4 You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. 5 You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot (commands).
ג 7 “You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God, because Adonai will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.
ד 8 “Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
ה 12 “Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which Adonai your God is giving you.
ו 13 “Do not murder.
ז (14) “Do not commit adultery.
ח (15) “Do not steal.
ט (16) “Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.
י 14 (17) “Do not covet your neighbor’s house; do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
See how the second and fourth commandments are four verses of instruction? God thought it was necessary to be specific to help us understand so that there would be no question what He meant. He is gracious like that.
What is the Sabbath day and why is it important to all of YHWH’s followers?
God has given us an incredible gift in the Sabbath day, a time for us to reconnect with YHWH and fill up on His love and truth. When we use this day to rest, recharge and study God’s Word, it strengthens our faith and allows us to gain knowledge of God’s great power as we dig deeper into His Word and grow in relationship with Him.
Consider each part of Scripture as your food – every piece is relevant in feeding you bites of the whole story and find answers that God has provides through His word. Yeshua our Messiah says in Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Sabbath is the crux of the whole law; the glue, the ribbon on the box, the sauce to the pizza, the foundation of our relationship, our life source.
This day of rest was so important to God that He instructed Moses that they were to stop the work of His commanded Tabernacle in the desert to observe this day of rest. So if we are His temple now, and according to His Word, we are, then we must still follow this command and rest and reconnect with Him. Sit in His presence.
1 Corinthians 3:16, Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
The Sabbath is a gift from the Father just for us.
By observing it, we believe and show others that we have been set apart and we honor Him for that precious gift.
When we observe Sabbath we honor God by saying our salvation/sanctification is important to us.
By observing Sabbath we are telling the world that we recognize God as our creator, who rested on the 7th day of creation and instructed His followers to also.
It reminds us that our creator is our source of hope and peace, not the world or worldly pursuits and successes.
Levitical priest sacrifices ended with exile and destruction of the stone Temple, but Sabbath remained for ALL time!
Consider our weekly Sabbath rest getting us ready for the eternal Sabbath, Believers eternal rest with Him.
Look at Sabbath as a taste of Heaven that God gives us each week. A preview of what is to come.
Why do we not want that? Why do we fight it and say we are to busy for God’s gifts to us?
It is a gift that prepares us for the eternal version, the eternal Sabbath Rest!!!
When is Sabbath and does God really care if I don’t observe it?
Unbelievers like to criticize and demean the Sabbath trying to justify why they’re not observing it or in trying to shame others into not observing the commanded day of rest given as a gift to God’s followers. In part of the unbelievers ploy to deter people from observing Sabbath, they argue that it’s not really sundown to sundown and it doesn’t matter what day you observe it. Well, I always say, line it up with the Word and find out what is truth. Let’s take a look at God’s Word and see just one of many places He references His feelings about it, and see if we can get some answers.
The Word says in Nehemiah 13:15-22,
In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day. 16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that!17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”
19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke sharply to them and said, “What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.
After receiving the Ten Commandments from God in Exodus 20 – 32, Moses comes down the mountain with them in chapter 32 and knows that the Israelites have already broken one of the commandments. God is angry, Moses is anger, and as a result of Moses anger he throws the tablets and they crumble into pieces. Through a series of very interesting events that are well worth the read, Moses intercedes for the Israelites seeking forgiveness of their sins, God shows His unfailing mercy and redeems them, and calls Moses back up the mountain for a new set of tablets. This time though it would not be so easy. Moses was going to have to cut the stone himself and carry them alone up the mountain.
After another 40 days and 40 nights, Moses descends the mountain, his face glowing from being in the presence of the Lord, and he gathers the people. The first commandment he mentions, right out of the gate was what? You guessed it, OBSERVE THE SABBATH!!! Why? Because it’s IMPORTANT to God!
Exodus 35:1-3 Then Moses called together the whole community of Israel and told them, “These are the instructions the LORD has commanded you to follow. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the LORD. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death. You must not even light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath.”
So His Holy Word pretty much sums it up. Questions? Talk to the Father and do your research in the Bible, not the internet. You don’t need people’s opinions, you need God’s truth.
How can we make the most of this special day each week?
God’s truth is present in the Torah, and studying each section of the Torah can help us to uncover God’s answers for our lives. Each week, let us take this special day to focus on God’s loving character, as revealed through Torah scriptures. The Torah are the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
When you complete the Torah books, start over and study them again each Sabbath. Your Heavenly Father will teach you something new every time you study them. These books are our instruction books for life. They have been here the whole time and we were never told.
What are some things we should do on the Sabbath day in order to honor it properly?
Pray and ask the Father what is His plan for you. Your Sabbath may not look like other people’s Sabbath traditions. You can Google and find local Sabbath/Shabbat groups so that you can learn and grow together. You can observe with your family. Or God may want your to follow His advice in 1 John 2:27 “As for you, the Messianic anointing you received from the Father remains in you, so that you have no need for anyone to teach you. On the contrary, as his Messianic anointing continues to teach you about all things, and is true, not a counterfeit, so, just as he taught you, remain united with him.”
If you spend Friday night or Saturday afternoon of Sabbath with friends or family in fellowship and study, then you get to spend the rest of the Sabbath with the Father communing with Him. It’s a glorious gift from our good good Heavenly Father.
What a delightful thought!
I invite you to search the Truth yourself. Test it. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Please go to your Bible and study the entire story. See firsthand what His word says and what He wants to show you. I always check several versions to allow the Spirit to show me the difference and truth. I recommend you do the same.
Enjoy pondering that thought today!
God bless you