To start this, it only right to start in Genesis 1:1-2, which reads,
"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth. The Earth was with out form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
Now, What we do on an everyday basic, would you say is easier or harder then what God was about to accomplish, easier right? The other thing I want to go into is understanding what a day is. To man we run and operate off time. In our minds, the way we are programed, midnight carries us over into a new day. Lets read Genesis 1:3-5,
"The God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day."
Take a close look at what that verse is saying, Days are divided by sundown to sundown. Not 12 o clock to 12 o clock. Now one might say, what about day light saving? Did God create time, No, he said Evening and the morning were the first day. Now the next question you might ask is, what does this have to do with the Sabbath. On the day of the sabbath it begins sundown of Friday night and ends sundown of Saturday night. Wait! How do we know that it is Saturday that is the Sabbath? lets look at Genesis 1:31,
"Then God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good, So the evening and the morning were the sixth day."
Later on I will explain how days actually got their names. But lets look at this verse, it clearly states that God finish all his work on the sixth day. The same thing he wants us to do, work 6 days, now lets see what God did on the seventh day. Genesis 2:1-3 reads,
"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them were finished. 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. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all his work which God had created and made."
This day God created for worshiping, he had already created the world in the previous 6 days. But he created one day for worshiping. Some people will go on about they are too busy, or they have bills and they cant afford to miss work. Really think about what you are saying when you say these things. What you are saying is I am too busy for God. Or I have no faith in God that he will help me with my bills. Or Money to me is more important then setting aside a day for God. Now this is not just something God said, He made a point to make it a Commandment. Exodus 20:8-11 reads,
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holly. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the Seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord you 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. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
Growing up as a seventh day adventist, we had to repeat this Commandment every Sabbath. Look at how much detail he went into describing what is and what is not to be done on the Sabbath. Now later on I will explain when Jesus further more explains what work can be done on the Sabbath. But look at what these verses are saying. He said not even the animals you own can do work on this day. That is how important the day is, but you have people who will look at the day very casual. Why is that? Why do we look at the day as an option. No one said this is the only day you can worship, but this is the day set aside to do just that. God has said work 6 days, but the seventh day is mine.
Now lets go into how we know the seventh day is Saturday. I am first going explain how the bible determine that, then I will explain where the days got their names. As a Christian we really are not suppose to celebrate Easter, but I am going use it as an example. Easter is referred to as Easter Sunday, the day God raised from the dead. Take a look at Matthew 28:1.
"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb."
Now you can continue to read the rest of that verse. But it is clear as day that Jesus rose from the dead the day AFTER sabbath. Jesus rose from the dead on SUNDAY...so would that not make Saturday the day of the Sabbath.
Now there was a man by the name of Constantine who is responsible for a lot of Paganism stuff that is involved in our everyday lives. This was the man who changed the Sabbath to Sunday and was adapted by Catholic churches in321 A.D. He did this to bring order between his eastern and western halves of his empire. I could go into more detail about how the bible predicted this, but I am am going leave this to my readers to do more research on Constantine.
Now when the days of the weeks were given their names, they were named after Roman God's and they adapted the names from Egyptians. The first day of the week was Sunday which was also refer to as the day of the sun. Even then Sunday was looked at as the first day of the week. The first day of the week. Am I saying it is wrong to worship on Sunday? No, a person can worship 7 days of the week, but they must respect the Sabbath day as the rightful day of worship. That is something else I will leave to ya to dig deeper.
Now, There are some jobs that can be performed on the Sabbath, which Jesus made known on his days of walking on earth. He let it be known that a person could heal or help another person on the Sabbath. People question if he was really the Son of God because he performed these acts on the Sabbath. Matthew 12:1 reads.
"At the time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him,'Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!'"
As you see in this verse, they questioned Jesus' motives of allow his disciples to do this type of work on the Sabbath. Now look at his response in Matthew 12:3-8,
"But He said to them, 'Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him; hos he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priest in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? Yet I say to you that in this place there is one greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means,'I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.'"
Now further down Jesus explains more that doing Good is accepted on the Sabbath. As he is questions by the people in Matthew 12:9-10,
"Now when he had departed from there, He went into their synaogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked him, Saying, 'Is it lawful to heel on the Sabbath/'--That they might accuse Him."
Now Jesus responds to them in Matthew 12:11-12,
"The he said to them, 'What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man then a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.'"
Now think of what job fields are able to work on the Sabbath. Can you honestly say that you job falls under that field. Should you be working on the Sabbath or should you be worshiping.Now lets go back to Exodus 35:2-3,
"Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day."
Now when I read the old testament I thank God everyday that I saw another day. I have committed many sins that were suppose to result in death. But as you can see through time some sins do result in that when God can no longer have mercy on a person who refuses to change. But that is another message, but you see how serious keeping the Sabbath is. Now going back to the times of Jesus, there was a time when Jesus gives sight to a blind man on the Sabbath. Once again classified as healing someone on the Sabbath, or doing good for someone on the Sabbath. Now look at John 9:3-5,
"Jesus answered. 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the work of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'"
Notice also in the verse that Jesus says he must work before the sun goes down. He did not say that I must work before midnight. He said before night comes. Now in John 9:16 people started once again questioning Jesus because of the work he has done on the Sabbath,
"Therefore some of the Pharisees said, 'The Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?' And there was a division among them."
Once again was people were in raged because Jesus healed or helped someone on the Sabbath. Now one might try to dig deep and justify what they are doing for their job is helping someone. Are you healing a person. From the passages I have read the only Jobs qualify for working on the Sabbath are the ones in the Hospital and the ones in the police department.
Now to further look at the importance of the Sabbath, lets look at Nehemiah 13:19,
"So it was, at the gates if Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must nit 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."
Now lets also look at Jeremiah 17:21-22,
"Thus says the Lord: 'Take heed to yourself, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your house on the Sabbath day, Nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."
Both verses speak of not bring burdens into the day. Which is also something a Christian should not do to begin with. If one has faith in the Lord, one has no burdens or stress. But both verses point out that it is important to rejoice in this day and be happy. Be happy that you have seen another blessed Sabbath day.
But lets go back again where Jesus once again ask the question, whether is ok to heal on the Sabbath. Take a look at Luke 14:1-6
"Now it happened, as He went into the house of one of the Rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely. And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' But they kept silent. And He took him and healed him, and let him go. Then He answered them, saying, 'Which of you. having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?' And they could not answer Him regarding these things."
Once again Jesus is basically saying it is unlawful to watch a person die on the Sabbath, or see someone need help on the Sabbath and not do it. As you see once again he compared a human life to one of an animal. I suggest that you do more research beyond what I have provided, but the important thing is knowing when the Sabbath is, Recognizing it the way God intended, and actually knowing what type of work a person should do with in this day.
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