REMEMBERING THE SABBATH DAY
The word Sabbath in Hebrew denotes sacred periods of time: a) "shabbath" - meaning intermission (refers to the Weekly Sabbath and all Sabbaths); (b) "shabat" - means to repose, desist from exertion, cease, celebrate, keep, put away or down, make to rest; (c) "shebeth" - means rest, cessation or cease, sit still; and (d) "shabbathown" - means a sabbatism or special holiday. YHWH instituted Sabbaths to be special days for His people. Sabbaths play a major part in YHWH's plan of salvation and are written about throughout the Bible. "And YHWH spake
unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying,
Verily my sabbaths, ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am YHWH that doth
sanctify you." Exodus 31:12-13 YHWH made Sabbaths to be "signs" between Him and His people. Sabbaths indicate an individual serves the Elohim of the Universe who instituted them. Sabbaths require actions be performed to convey this idea. They foretell of future events and are evidence of universal laws. "And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them." Ezekiel 20:11-13
"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day YHWH ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And YHWH blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which YHWH created and made." Genesis 2:1-3 The Weekly Sabbath links YHWH to the creation of the world. Many misunderstand this link, consequently the Weekly Sabbath is the Sabbath most often broken. Some break it because they do not know they are to observe it (Hosea 4:6). More break it through misinterpretations because they assume wrong assumptions like: 1) YHWH did not mean for them to observe the Sabbath on such a stringent basis; 2) YHWH blessed them with jobs that require working on the Sabbath, so they must break the Sabbath; 3) YHWH will continually forgive them for breaking the Sabbath; 4) YHWH knows though they do not look for a way out of situations that cause them to break the Sabbath, they would accept one if given to them; 5) YHWH knows that they want to obey Him even though they do not; or 6) YHWH does not require them to plan for the Sabbath by performing all of their work in 6 days to prevent breaking it. As the eyes of YHWH roam to and fro throughout the earth, He looks for His sign of Sabbath keeping. He sees the very elect being obedient every Sabbath. The very elect make no exceptions to get out of doing what is required. Sabbath keeping points out that YHWH's very elect are different from the rest of the world (set apart or sanctified). When people work on their jobs, go about their business, seek their own pleasures and run their own errands they say within themselves: "YHWH said not to do any work, but He didn't really mean that because He knows I have to work on the Sabbath. If I refuse to work, my boss will fire me. Then how can I take care of my family? After all YHWH was the one who blessed me with this job working on the Sabbath. I get overtime pay and everything." It is laughable to assume that YHWH would bless people who are serving Him, with jobs in which they would be required to break His Sabbath by working on it. They think YHWH should say to Himself: "Poor Joe has to work on the Sabbath or his boss will fire Him. What I will do is change the Sabbath to a day when Joe can work so his boss won't fire him if he doesn't. Then Joe will not have to stand up for what I said in My Word about working on the Sabbath." Be real. YHWH, the Elohim of the Bible, would never say that. His ways are not Joe's or any other man's ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). His universal laws of which the Sabbaths are a part, are not arbitrary "do's and dont's". YHWH knows exactly what He is doing. He has planned everything down to the last detail. Keeping the Sabbaths-keeping requirement is to give more intimate understanding of the framework for His plan of salvation. Sabbaths keeping is a way for YHWH to bless people. "If thou wilt turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of YHWH, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, or finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; Then shalt thou delight thyself in YHWH; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of YHWH hath spoken it. Isaiah 58:13-14 Wishful thinking on the people's part makes them not put the word of YHWH into action. They end up valuing their jobs and their pleasures more than serving YHWH. Their actions show they are not sure YHWH will provide their needs if they go out on a limb and refuse to work on the Sabbath. If they lose their jobs, they are not sure what will happen next. As they continually break YHWH's Sabbaths they trash the sign that He has given them that they belong to Him. Sabbaths are opportunities to obey YHWH and to be recognized by Him as an exceptional servant, worthy of all of His blessings. Names are being written into or blotted out of the Book of Life all the time. The Book of Remembrance is recording those who are Sabbaths keepers and remembering the Sabbath through complete obedience to YHWH's commands regarding it. Are you among them? For more information on YHWH's Sabbaths, come to YHWH and Yahshua's Temple, 725 1/2 Howard Street, Evanston, Illinois 60202 or call us at: (800) ITS-YHWH or (800) 487-9494. Classes: Fridays 7:30 p.m., Saturdays: 10:30 a.m. |
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