Shabbat, Saturday or Sunday?
The following is a message by H. Michael Wiener On Shabbat Which Will Help You Understand More About Why We As A Messianic Congregation Worship On Saturday And Not Sunday
Matt 13:51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old." NKJV
So, what’s this about? Isn’t one day as good as another? Isn’t this just our way of keeping track of time? Doesn’t Paul write…
Rom 14:4-5 - Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. NKJV
Most Christians observe Sunday and those who do think we who observe Saturday are eccentrics trying to convert them. I’m not preaching against Sunday, but for Saturday. Can’t God be worshipped every day?
What was the Sabbath God gave to Israel? How is it to be celebrated in this era? How was it celebrated in ancient Israel and after Yeshua’s resurrection? Does the NT do away with the celebration of the Sabbath day? Has the original Sabbath day changed? What is the biblical “Sabbath” experience to be like? Lastly, how do we deal with those who have no background at all in the Sabbath and those who do?
Of those who come from Jewish backgrounds, only a small percentage observe the Sabbath rabinically. Most Jewish people don’t observe the Sabbath at all. The work-a-holic wants to know why God didn’t put 8 days in a week. Lazy people make every day a Sabbath.
The historical orthodox church observes Sunday, fundamentalists observe Sunday, but recognize Saturday is still the Sabbath. A small group of “Christians” make no recognition of any day. The Sabbath is introduced in Scripture in Gen 2
Gen 2:1-3 - 1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. NKJV
God bless and sanctified the Sabbath. Is this clear? Is there any question?
The first century church didn’t celebrate Sunday. In the early 2nd century Igatious of
Antioch wrote to the Magnesians…“Those who live according to the old order have found new hope. They no longer observe the Sabbath, they observe the Lord’s Day.”
History doesn’t bear this out. I’ve been asked, “Why must you be different from all other Christians? What keeps me from asking the same question? Is this majority rules? It’s majority rule that is keeping many Jewish people away from the Messiah. How could all those learned Rabbis be wrong?
Israel was a minority people who worshipped the true God. The deciding vote was cast by God in Gen 2. Long ago Israel celebrated the Sabbath day… Do you remember the big 9?
Ex 20:8-10 - 8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no 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. NKJV
Isa 58:13-14 = 13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken." NKJV
According to history Israel did not keep the Sabbath and was sent into exile. Then they returned from captivity without learning much.
Neh 13:15-17 - In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. NKJV
Neh 13:17-18 - 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath." NKJV
Then what did he do?
Neh 13:19-21 - So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 So I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. NKJV
Well that is the Old Testament…I live in the new…So what do we read?
Mark 2:27-28 - And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, (does this say the Sabbath is no longer needed for man?) and not man for the Sabbath. (then we read what Yeshua says about himself) 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." NKJV
We read Yeshua is the one who originated the Sabbath,
John 1:3-4 - All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
So don’t you think He knows how it is to be celebrated?
What is the new creation spoken of in the Bible?
Gal 6:15 - For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
So what matters is not if you’re Jewish or non-Jewish, what matters is the new creation. God is the author of a new creation, better blood, better sacrifices, better temple.
There was a great work in finishing this new creation…
John 17:4 - I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
Yeshua is the author of both the old and the new…What were Yeshua’s last words from the cross?
John 19:30 - So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
He completed the work which He began. There is another Sabbath belonging to the new creation. When the work of the new creation was finished, God instituted another Sabbath, only it is not another day. The new Sabbath has nothing to do with a day. Not Saturday and not Sunday. It is a new Sabbath…
Heb 4:9-10 - There remains therefore a rest (Sabbaton) for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Heb 4:11-12 - Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
You and I must come to the end of our six days of man’s work and begin to live the Eph 2:10 life…
Eph 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
1 John 3:15 - Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
John 3:15-16 - that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 10:10-11 - I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
1 John 5:13 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Rest in THAT!
So given these facts of the new creation… Not a new day, but a new way! So here is a leap of faith… The old 24 hour Sabbath is now obsolete. That day that Yeshua declared himself Lord over is now no longer made for man because we don’t need it. England tried once a 9th day of rest, but they went back to a 7th day because illness increased and productivity suffered.
So, does the NT do away with the 7th day Sabbath of creation? We’ve just talked about the NT Sabbath which is eternal. Does this do away with the 7th day Sabbath? Let’s check the scriptures for answers…
Luke 4:16-17 - So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
That’s before the cross…
Acts 17:2 - Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Was Paul just witnessing?
Luke 4:16-17 - So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Acts 17:2 - Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
Acts 18:21 - but took leave of them, saying, "I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing."
Paul, why are you going to keep a feast?
Acts 20:16 - For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.
Some three times a year every good Jewish boy wanted to be in Jerusalem…
Acts 27:9 - Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,
What fast? Yom Kippur. Paul kept the fast then went on to do other things…Paul is the most misunderstood man in the Bible. Let’s see how Paul answers for himself when accused falsely by the Rabbis.
Acts 25:7-8 - while he answered for himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all."
Is Paul a liar or an example for us to follow…What else does Paul have to say?
Rom 3:28-29 - Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:31 - Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Isa 42:21 - The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness' sake;
He will exalt the law and make it honorable.
Matt 5:17-20 - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Some say He fulfilled the Law so I don’t have to…
1 Tim 1:7-9 - But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully,
Matthew 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The Sabbath is just one part of the Law and you can see Yeshua nor Paul thought it was done away…
Rom 8:3-5 - For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit Himself who makes our observance possible…The real problem with the teaching that does away with the Sabbath is a misunderstanding of the relationship of the Hebrew Scriptures to the New Testament.
Heb 10:1 For the law, having a shadow (greek-skeeah) of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things,
Behind me is the shadow. The Church says way behind, but the reality has them connected.
Mal 4:2 - But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings;
When His sun shines on us we have both the shadow and the reality, not to confuse one with another. This is the earnest of our inheritance of 6,000 years of man into the 1,000 year millennial reign of the Messiah.
Joel 2:2-3 - A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
The Garden of Eden is up ahead…
Gen 3:17 - Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
Rev 22:3-4 - 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.
Every Sabbath day we celebrate the finished creation of God. We also celebrate the New Creation rest we have in our spirits every day. We celebrate the final victory of Yeshua. Your weekly Sabbath can be just this important if you’ll grab hold of the revelation…
All Scripture References Are New King James Version