THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

Time with Jesus - Friday, 15 March 2013

Phyllida in Haifa

Phyllida in Rome

Hi all,

Today’s meditation focuses on the Sabbath. Let’s start by looking at God’s Sabbath commandment.

⁸ "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:8-11 NLT 

From the above, it is very clear that God specified the Sabbath as the seventh day of the week.  There is nothing in this commandment which suggests we have any right to change the day to suit ourselves.

Today, only the Jews and Seventh Day Adventists celebrate the Sabbath Day on Saturday. Men have changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday. We need to know if this is acceptable to God. Let’s look at this briefly. The “church” changed the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday.

The first Sunday Law in history, a legal enactment by Constantine 1 (reigned 306-331): "On the Venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits; because it often happens that another day is not so suitable for grain-sowing or for vine-planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost--Given the 7th day of March, A.D. 321, Crispus and Constantine being consuls each of them for the second time."

How then do Christians deal with Sabbath requirements? Perhaps the best comment we can read is the one Jesus made in Mark’s Gospel. ²⁷ And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. Mar 2:27 ESV

My understanding of this is that God wanted us to take off one day in seven, as a day of rest on which to relax and fellowship with God and with each other. We can choose that day. The real issue is having a day of rest. We need it to “rest from our labours”. It was God’s idea. He is never wrong. We need a day off in seven. The old proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” seems to be more Godly than we realise.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 15 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	The Lord of the Sabbath
How do you see the Sabbath? For the Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), it’s a Holy day. That’s the day they assemble to worship God. We also have a day of rest. At least we’re supposed to have one. The pressure of modern business has just about removed the day from the weekly cycle. Those who can, take their Sabbath on Sundays. Is this acceptable from God’s perspective? Should we go back to celebrating the Sabbath on Saturday? After all, the Lord told the Children of Israel, 8 "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Exodus 20:8 NLT. It follows that observation of the Sabbath is a command, rather that a useful suggestion. Indeed the Lord gave ten commandments, not ten recommendations. So we should be asking the Lord which day we should have as our Sabbath? Historically, the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week. i.e. technically, from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday. We know Jesus’ resurrection was on a Sunday, the first day of the week. It’s possible that after the death of the apostles, many formerly Gentile, Christians preferred to observe Sunday as their day of rest rather than Saturday. What we do know is that on 7th day of March, A.D. 321, Constantine I issued a decree proclaiming Sunday the official Sabbath of the Christian Church. Is this change from Saturday to Sunday acceptable to God? The SDA say No! That God commanded it should be on the seventh day and that’s it’s cast in concrete. What to do with this view is something I’m not in a position to deny or endorse. We all must decide this for ourselves. The bottom line is whether or not men have the authority to change the day of rest from Saturday to Sunday. It’s interesting to note that agricultural workers were permitted, under Constantine’s law, to change to another day if necessary. Was this human expediency? We don’t know. In the 21st century we have many essential services working 7/24. Electricity suppliers and hospitals can’t close for the Sabbath. Plants and animals do not have a Sabbath. Dairy farmers must milk their cows every day! Families would not be amused if they could not eat on the Sabbath. A mother can’t tell an infant to wait 24 hours for the next feed! These “excuses” are very real reasons for difficulties associated with Sabbath Day observation. In the 21st century we have a different problem. In the West, life has become more and more secularised. Most people don’t care what day we should have for our Sabbath. The shops are open every day of the week. There is no official celebration of the Sabbath. Rest, relax and go to church if you want to go. If not, who cares? I confess I’ve fallen into this trap on many occasions. I expect the shops to open seven days of the week, especially when I want to go shopping. It’s not very God, or your neighbour honouring! But to go shopping after a church service seems to be unchristian. Others must work so I can shop! In today’s meditation, I’ve tried to take us all on a journey from where the heavens are declaring His glory, to resting in Him and trusting Him. I’ve assumed that the Sabbath Day was made for His people and not His people for the Sabbath. I’ve painted the Sabbath as a day when we can rest, relax and enjoy fellowship with Him and with each other. Sadly, in today’s world, few of us have time to observe the Sabbath in the beautiful way He intended. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			11 For in six days GOD made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore GOD blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day. Exodus 20:11 MSG To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Psalm 19:1 ESV 6 The heavens were made by the word of the LORD and all the stars by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the water in the sea like a dam and puts the oceans in his storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD. Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him. 9 He spoke, and it came into being. He gave the order, and there it stood. Psalm 33:6-9 GW 15 No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand. Isaiah 40:15 NLT 3 We have faith. So we understand that everything was made when God commanded it. That's why we believe that what we see was not made out of what could be seen. Heb. 11:3 NIrV 3 I think about the heavens. I think about what your fingers have created. I think about the moon and stars that you have set in place. 4 What is a human being that you think about him? What is a son of man that you take care of him? Psalm 8:3-4 NIrV	The heavens declare God’s glory. The stars come out at night, To twinkle out their special song, in bursts of glowing light. Together in a symphony of praises to the King, Who spoke the Word and thereby, has created everything. How long did all this take Him? We’re told it took six days. He rested on the Sabbath; our God of timeless ways! We think of the rotation of our planet here below. But four and twenty hours? We really do not know. Could each “day” be an epoch, of many, many years? It really isn’t stated and so is not too clear. It’s also not important. Not from the Lord’s high view. A day is as a thousand years; and to the Lord that’s true. So was the time specific? Perhaps it was that way? But when was it the Lord defined the length of just one day? So please don’t let us argue. A day, a month, a year, What difference will it ever make, when Jesus Christ is here? And this we know for certain, God made the Sabbath Day. It wasn’t a suggestion, about a way to pray. A day of rest, He stated, was made for everyone. A day to take things easy. A day when work is done. A day for recreation; and Holy fellowship, With Jesus and His people. When He can reequip; His people for the battle which they face every day. To worship the Almighty, do it His Sabbath way. “Refresh yourself” He told me, in nineteen eighty one. “Drink deeply from My Spirit. Then you may carry on”. I can’t forget what happened. It’s forged into my brain. Each time I think about it, it settles all the pain Of working for a living, so I could earn a wage; To take care of my family, until another stage, When I could focus on Him and give to Him my all. Doing what He wanted and answering His call. In those past days of blessing, some thirty years ago. He told me that He loved me and wanted me to know, That He had made a Sabbath wherein I could delight. And in His Wholesome presence, could learn to do things right. Now when I think of Sabbath, I think of taking time. Of resting in the spirit with Jesus Christ Divine. So if you’re feeling jaded and cannot stand the pace, Here’s the one solution that you can put in place! Think of all the blessings of putting all aside, And spending time with Jesus as if you are His bride. Give Him your weekly Sabbath. Make Him your all in all. You won’t be disappointed. In fact you’ll have a ball. Include all of the family so all may be at rest. Relax and be with Jesus and see how you’ll be blessed. Jim Strickland – Written 15th March 2012