Jehoshua is on the throne of David in New Jerusalem and He is the King of a New Israel
In this study we will try to determine whether the Sabbath is still binding on new covenant believers. Also, whether or not Sunday now has significance as either a new Sabbath or a special day of gathering for the saints in the new covenant. This study will be primarily focused on new testament scriptures but we will start in the old testament and go back to it from time to time.
All Christians acknowledge without controversy that the Sabbath was a sign between Jehovah and old covenant Israel and that it was the 4th commandment of the decalogue given to Moses at Mt. Sinai. The controversy arises when we bring up whether or not the 10 commandments and the Sabbath in particular continues into the new covenant. Let's start from the beginning: Genesis 2:1-3 (KJV) 1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Jehovah God rested or "sabbathed" on the seventh day as an example to mankind and for mankind's good (Mark 2:27). Of course God Himself didn't need the rest but did this as an example to us. Verse 3 of Genesis 2, God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, thereby setting it apart and making it holy as a creation ordinance. It is telling that many in Christendom today call the Sabbath a bondage yet Jehovah blessed it. Can you imagine calling something Jehovah blessed a bondage? That's treading on dangerous ground. God put His stamp of approval (blessed) on this day. The establishment of the Sabbath at creation shows that its moral obligation was not limited to the law of Moses but abides as long as creation. Its important to keep in mind that there was no Hebrew people or Israelite nation at this time so the idea of the Sabbath is not necessarily inherently connected to them. Those that disagree with the Sabbath say that there is no scripture that shows anyone keeping it before the nation of Israel. While that may be true it is merely an assumption to say that proves that no one kept it before Israel. Let's look at Genesis 26: 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Abraham is lauded as the father of the faith and was deemed righteous by faith i.e. believing in the promises of God. Yet Abraham still kept the commandments of God. "My charge, my commandments, my statutes, my laws" all four Hebrew words are used of the law of Moses, for God's moral law doesn't change. The question here is, was the Sabbath part of the commandments that Abraham kept? This is where we will go to the new testament and cite a verse that very possibly gives us the answer. Mark 2:27-28 (KJV) 27And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Man was created first, and then the Sabbath was instituted for him to benefit from its holy rest. Jehoshua doesn't say the Sabbath was made for Jews but rather made for man. This includes all mankind. Jehoshua was not abolishing the Sabbath, for He called it a creation ordinance, but He did oppose man-made legalism that made it a burden rather than an opportunity for spiritual delight in Jehovah (Isaiah 58:13-14). So if the Sabbath was made for man not just Jews and it was sanctified at creation, it is reasonable to conclude that it was among the commandments that Abraham kept. Remember, that the word "Adam" is the very definition of "man or mankind". We could say that the Sabbath was made for Adam (man). Nehemiah 9:13-14 (ASV) 13Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,14and madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them commandments, and statutes, and a law, by Moses thy servant, On this day of fasting, the Levites praise the God of Israel beginning in verse 4 of Nehemiah 9 for His works of creation and faithfulness to Abraham and the Israelites during their red sea deliverance. They then bring up Mt. Sinai and the giving of the law. Its noteworthy that in verse 13 of Nehemiah 9, that the Levites say that the ordinances, statutes and commandments were right and good and true. This refutes the idea that the Sabbath was a burdensome bondage or any of the 10 commandments for that matter. This is agreed to by Paul who says: Romans 7:12 (ASV) 12 So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. Paul cannot be used as a tool to abolish the 10 commandments because He actually says they are holy, righteous and good. He says this in the present tense, which in his time was after the new covenant had been established. In verse 14 of Nehemiah, we see that Jehovah made known to Moses and the Israelites His (Jehovah's) holy (set apart at creation) Sabbath. This shows us that the Sabbath was already Jehovah's prior to Mt. Sinai. It was already something that existed prior to the giving of the law at Sinai. The Sabbath was not just a day of physical rest but also a day in which the Israelites were to gather together to worship Jehovah. Leviticus Chapter 23:1-4 (ASV) 1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, The set feasts of Jehovah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.3 Six days shall work be done: but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work: it is a sabbath unto Jehovah in all your dwellings.4 These are the set feasts of Jehovah, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. A few things to note here is that the Sabbath is considered a feast day, a weekly one. The word feast is taken from the Hebrew word "mow'ed" (Strongs 4150) and means "festival, congregation, assembly, an appointment, a fixed time or season, place of meeting, solemnity". When you study the feasts you see that the Israelites worshipped Jehovah God in song, reading Torah, prayer, offering sacrifices, fellowshipping and eating together. Since the Sabbath falls under the feasts then we know these same things were also done on the weekly Sabbath. The way the feasts were kept in the sense of fellowship and breaking bread together is very reminiscent of Acts 2: 46And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Back to Leviticus 23, verse 3 calls the Sabbath a holy (consecrated, dedicated) convocation. Convocation comes from the Hebrew word "miqra" (Strongs 4744) and means "something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: - assembly, calling, convocation, reading." So we see that without a shadow of a doubt the Sabbath was a day where the Israelites would gather together in a public meeting which today we call "going to Church". The same things that the old covenant Israelites did on the Sabbath is what many Christians do today in Church on Sundays such as: Worship God in song, read the bible, eat meals together and offer sacrifices albeit spiritual ones. In verse 4 of Leviticus we do see a distinction between the seventh day Sabbath and the other feasts as the others are proclaimed in their seasons according to the monthly/yearly calendar whereas as the weekly Sabbath was a continual cycle of rest every seventh day the counting of which began at creation. Now lets head to the new testament and look at some passages that talk about the Sabbath as well as Sunday. I'll actually be referring back to the old testament as we look at the new testament Sabbath passages. The purpose of this will to dispel some myths that people have about the Sabbath. Luke 4:14- 21 14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and a fame went out concerning him through all the region round about. 15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written,18The Spirit of Jehovah is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,19To proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah.20And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.21And he began to say unto them, To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears This passage in Luke 4 details the beginning of the gospel preaching of the Son of God and it officially began on the Sabbath day (verses 16 and 21). This event in the synagogue was a fulfillment of bible prophecy as Jehoshua quoted Isaiah 61 to let His countrymen know that He (Jehoshua) was the Savior and King of Israel that would preach the gospel of the Kingdom. This particular Sabbath was the day that the Kingdom of God had arrived as the Son of God announced the fulfillment of its arrival by His citation of Isaiah 61. Its very significant that the Messiah's gospel of the Kingdom preaching began on the Sabbath showing us Jehovah God's high regard for the seventh day of the week. Sunday keepers never mention the significance of this and yet will take every opportunity to lift up Sunday whenever there is something in scripture that mentions it. John 5:8-10 (ASV) 8Jesus saith unto him, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.9And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. Now it was the sabbath on that day.10So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed. This was likely on the feast of trumpets (verse 1) so it could have been a yearly Sabbath or the weekly Sabbath that this healing took place on. Jehoshua healed a man who had infirmity and told him to take up his bed and walk. The man was healed and did that very thing. The Jews told the man that he was breaking the Sabbath by taking up his bed. Many use this verse to prove that Jehoshua broke the Sabbath by telling the man to do this yet this was not a violation of the Sabbath. The man merely broke the traditions of the Pharisees who had added numerous man made rules to Sabbath keeping. Its amazing that many Christians immediately cling to the accusations of the Pharisees when it suits their doctrine. Lets now go to verses 16-20 of John 5: 16And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.18For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.20For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. The Jews in their zealously for their own man made traditions wanted to kill Jehoshua for breaking their version of the Sabbath. Verse 17 is one of those verses that Sunday keepers badly mangle in order to uphold their man made traditions. Jehoshua's response to the Jews was that His Father (Jehovah) had been working (since creation) until that point and He Himself had been working (likely since the beginning of His ministry). Again, this is one of those verses that Sunday keepers rip from its context and justify the breaking of the Sabbath. They say that both the Father and Son work on the Sabbath so therefore its done away with and now we can work our secular jobs on the Sabbath and its no longer a binding commandment. This is honestly one of the most violent ripping of scripture from its context. Of course the Father is constantly working as He is the sustainer of creation. Remember Jehovah God didn't keep the Sabbath because He needed rest but rather as an example for mankind. Also, its ridiculous to think that the kin of work God and Jehoshua were doing wasn't for the Kingdom. People act like God and His Son were working at McDonalds. Yes the Father and Son work on the Sabbath but its not the kind of work we do when we go to our secular job but rather it is work to heal, restore and execute justice and ultimately advance their Kingdom. People ignorantly think that Jehoshua was breaking the Sabbath by healing the man at the Bethesda pool. They think this because they fail to study for themselves and learn what the heart of Sabbath keeping is. Isaiah 56-58 detail how Jehovah wants us to keep the Sabbath: Isaiah 56:1-3 (ASV) 1Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.2Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that holdeth it fast; that keepeth the sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. The heart of Sabbath keeping is to do justice and righteousness. The man who does this as part of his Sabbath keeping is blessed. Ask yourself, did Jehoshua do righteousness by healing the man at Bethesda? Absolutely, because everything Jehoshua did during His ministry was righteous and pure. In order to refute the false accusations of Sunday keepers who side with the Pharisees in saying that Jehoshua broke the Sabbath, here is a verse destroys their ideas: Matthew 12:12 (ASV) 12How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days This is another passage that we will touch on later. This verse is in context of the Pharisees asking Jehoshua if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? Jehoshua's answer in verse 12 destroys the false teaching that Jehoshua broke the Sabbath by healing the man at the Bethesda pool. Jehoshua without any confusion says it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day and healing is one of the good things that are lawful. Many Sunday keepers even go so far as to say it is a sin to keep the Sabbath yet the Messiah said it is lawful to good on the Sabbath day. Ask yourself this, is it good to read the bible, pray, fellowship, worship in song and do works of mercy to others? If your answer is yes then these are things that can rightfully be done on the Sabbath in the eyes of Jehovah God. Matthew 12:1-12 1At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat.2But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath.3But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him;4how he entered into the house of God, and ate the showbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests?5Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless?6But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here.7But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.8For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.9And he departed thence, and went into their synagogue:10and behold, a man having a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? that they might accuse him.11And he said unto them, What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?12How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day. This is another passage that many use to do away with Sabbath keeping. Jehoshua and His disciples were going through a field on the Sabbath day and plucked ears of corn to eat. The Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath however Jehovah's law permitted handpicking food from a neighbor's field but not harvesting with a sickle or container (Deuteronomy 23:24-25). The Pharisees tried to impose their man mad traditions on Jehoshua. The Son of God referenced David and His men eating the shewbread from the holy place in the temple. According to the law the shewbread was only for the Levitical priests. Many anti-Sabbatarians fail to go back to the story regarding the time when David did this. David and his men didn't just go into the temple randomly and eat the shewbread, they actually had permission from the priest after proving they had been pure from sexual relations for a number of days. Below is the description of what took place with David eating the shewbread: 1 Samuel 21:1-6 (ASV) 1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.3Now therefore what is under thy hand? give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatsoever there is present.4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?6So the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the showbread, that was taken from before Jehovah, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. David asked the priest for the loaves or bread that were in his hand. The priest told David that the bread he had was hallowed bread (the shewbread). The priest asked David if he and his men had kept himself from women. David responded that he and his men had been kept from women for three days thereby their vessels (bodies) were holy. Notice David's words in verse 5, he says that even though the bread was sanctified it was in a manner common. David was comparing his men being holy with the holiness of the shewbread. The inference is obvious that David was esteeming the need of his men who were holy above the holiness of the shewbread. He was stating that the need of man supersedes ceremonial law. David was stating that man was better (greater) than bread even the sanctified shewbread. This would be restated by Jehoshua in his dialogue with the Pharisees here in Matthew 12. Even at this, David had to show the priest that he and his men had been pure from women for a number of days. What David was asking the priest to do was not a light thing. Those who read Matthew 12 without going back to 1 Samuel 21 miss out on the moral of the story of Jehoshua and His disciples plucking corn on the Sabbath day. Those who read Matthew 12 without the context of 1 Samuel 21 could mistakenly think that Jehoshua was making light of the importance of the Sabbath. Actually, the opposite is true as Jehoshua was magnifying the true heart of Sabbath keeping. The Priest gave David the holy bread that was put before Jehovah in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. Now back to Matthew 12, in verse 5 Jehoshua then mentions the Levitical priests in how they worked on the Sabbath day and yet were guiltless. We as kings and priests (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:5-6) are also allowed to work on the Sabbath day yet only for the service of Jehovah's temple which in the new covenant is the Church. The Levitical priests did no secular work but rather work of a divine service in the earthly tabernacle and temple. In verse 7 of Matthew 12, Jehoshua makes it clear that mercy trumps sacrifice showing that the Sabbath was intended as a day of healing and justice not stringent unreasonable legalisms. In verse 8, Jehoshua says that He is Lord of the Sabbath. This doesn't mean that Jehoshua is the one that instituted the Sabbath as some think but rather that He has authority over the Sabbath day and how it is to be kept. In verse 10 of Matthew 12, the Pharisees ask Jehoshua if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath day. Their intention was to trap Him in His words. In verses 11 and 12 Jehoshua gives an answer that exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees as they would not hesitate to pull their sheep out of a pit on the Sabbath because it directly benefits them monetarily. Jehoshua says that man is of far more value and that to heal man on the Sabbath day is lawful. Jehoshua then concludes it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. Never once in His dialogue with the Pharisees does Jehoshua do away with the Sabbath day. John 5:15-21 (ASV) 15The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.16And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.17But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work.18For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.19Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.20For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel.21For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will. This is the same man that was healed at the Bethesda pool. In verse 16, the Jews persecuted Jehoshua because He did this healing on the Sabbath day. Verse 17 is one of those verses that anti-Sabbatarians use to disregard Sabbath keeping. Jehoshua stated that His Father works as does He (Jehoshua) on the Sabbath day. This is actually one of the silliest attempts by anti-Sabbatarians to dismiss the continuing validity of the Sabbath. Clearly Jehoshua is not talking about secular work, the work that the Father and Him do is not going to McDonalds or 7 Eleven for a swing shift or working at a law firm. The work that the Father and Son do is described by the Son in the verses following verse 17. In verse 19, Jehoshua states that whatever He does has been shown to Him by the Father. In verse 20 Jehoshua says that they will see even greater works than what just happened at the Bethesda pool and these works will be from the Father doing them through the Son of God. One of these greater works is mentioned in verse 21 and that is the raising of the dead. Jehoshua raised Lazarus and others from the dead and ultimately will raise all humans from the dead at the last day. So this is the type of work done by the Father and Son on the Sabbath day not secular work. In verse 18 of John chapter 5, the Jews sought to kill Jehoshua for breaking the Sabbath and calling God His Father. Many use this verse as a proof against the Sabbath because they say that John even stated Jehoshua broke the Sabbath. John is simply stating the perspective of the Jews not agreeing with them. Remember, in Matthew 12:12 Jehoshua said it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, so He Himself said He did not break it by healing the man with the withered hand. Also the accusation of Jehoshua making Himself eqaul with God was a false accusation as Phillipians 2:5-11 attests as well as His own words in John 14:28: "Ye heard how I said to you, I go away, and I come unto you. If ye loved me, ye would have rejoiced, because I go unto the Father: for the Father is greater than I."
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