Last week we looked at the origins of the Sabbath and can conclude that it was important they we take time to rest and reflect on God’s greatness as God had commanded us to do so. We are going to stay in the Old Testament today. Let’s take a look at these verses.
Exodus 31:13 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 the LORD that doth sanctify you.
Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD : whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Exodus 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
Here we see four consecutive verses saying the same thing about keeping the Sabbath. Anytime the Bible repeats itself. We should pay extra attention to it.
Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
Deuteronomy 5:14 but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou
Jeremiah 17:22 neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers
Leviticus 26:2 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD
Throughout the Old Testament we will find verses like these. God was serious about the Sabbath and for the Israelites to keep it Holy. In Exodus 16, When God was providing manna for the Israelites, He instructed them to only pick what they would eat for the day and no more, unless it would spoil and get worms. But on the 6th day they were instructed to gather enough for two days, for they were not to gather on the seventh day which was the Sabbath.
We also see in the Old Testament many who did not obey the Sabbath.
Let’s Look at Numbers 15:32-36
(32)And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. (33)And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. (34)And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. (35)And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. (36)And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Now not everyone who broke the Sabbath was put to death, but God made it clear the consequences could lead to that. It’s an obedience ordeal, and our lack of being obedient can cause death or separate us from others or from God, which is death in itself.
Nehemiah 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
Nehemiah 13:16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
If you read more in Nehemiah, you can clearly see that those who broke the Sabbath were often shunned, cut off and even threatened.
When you read in the Old Testament all the passages about the Sabbath, which are so many, there are no hidden meanings, it is pretty simple. Take a day to rest and reflect on God. To bring us closer to Him. God is our creator, we should be taking time to honor Him, reverence Him, remembering Him, Thank Him. The main thing is to be obedient to His word. We will continue with more on the Sabbath next week.
COMMENTS
[ posted by Cindy, 01/30/2024 08:27 AM ]
Isn't it interesting that when the Israelites gathered for their daily manna, told only gather for a day. If you gathered too much, it would spoil and get worms. But...on day 6 they are told to gather for 2 days, to cover the Sabbath...and yet the manna would not spoil at all!! What made that happen? Why would it not spoil then, but only on those other days?Because God provided if they honored the day of rest. God made sure it did not spoil, so those that kept the day of rest had food. And gathered according to what was allowed. There is no other explanation for it. Mike says it must be important if God repeats it. Absolutely! God made the Israelites different than the other people, by their worship of their God. Pagan gods were celebrated in crazy ways, golden images, parties, drunkenness etc.....How were the Israelites told to honor God? Take a day of rest, use that time for rest, prayer and praise and fellowship among your family and friends. Make it about remembering what God has done. Being thankful for God has done and given to you. The path to their (and ours) holiness comes from spending time with God and His word. A day of rest shouldn't be sad, but joyful. Look around you and all that God has provided. A person does not need much to be happy. That is the truth. Man has complicated that with society's expectation and what social status means. Remember after the exile, they start complaining.... well at least when we were slaves we ate better....the same people who desperately wanted to be freed of slavery, now say the food aint good enough after being freed and having to provide and fend for themselves without the rulers help or orders. Can you imagine what God thought? In Old Testament times they were expected to obey the sabbath. It was greatly frowned upon if you toiled and did things on that day. Like Mike said, you would be scorned, shunned, etc. and other serious consequences. The Sabbath should be a day to remember that God is the source of all your blessings. If He says to remember it, keep it holy, honor it, and rest in it, you know He has a purpose for it with us and our relationship with Him. Remember when God tells Moses " say to the people of Israel, you shall keep my sabbath, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generation, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you." (Ex 31:13 as Mike quoted at the beginning of this study) Last week we showed that sanctify means: to set something apart as holy, to make something legitimate by religious sanction, to free from sin or purify. God wants to sanctify US thru Him and His day of a Sabbath. We have to give God our time or He can not work thru us and for us. The more we choose to go to and trust God the less we have to worry about sins and temptations of the world we live in. He provides the comfort and protection for us. But we have to make that time to rest in Him and trust Him and let Him lead us on the path He chooses for us. Our purpose for being created was what? To give God glory. Til we ruined it..lol After death and going to heaven what is our purpose? To glorify God forever. It will be all we know to do.