Why dont we keep the Sabbath again?

Hank,

"The law" refers specifically to the decrees found in the first five books of the Bible. This whole body of law was given the name Torah. You know this.

The 10 commandments are only a portion of the law. You are trying to do away with "The Law" including the 10 commandments which is incorrect. All 10 are still binding but yes, you can do away with the rest of the Torah. We are not judged in the same manner as the Jews, but the 10 commandments are still binding. All 10 commandments are repeated again in the NT in some way, shape or form. If you wish me to provide scripture for each one, I'll have to wait until later.

I rode hard today and feel exhausted at the moment.

We know we aren't obligated to follow the Lev. diet yet we know that diet is THE BEST diet to follow to this day because the Lord assigned it to the Jews. He wouldn't want the Jews to be unhealthy.

 

Joe, the law includes the 10 commandments:

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.​

The children of God are not under the Law, not even the 10 commandments.

Do this and you will not have to be concerned with the 10 commandments:

Galatians 5

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.​

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.​

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.​

The first fruit of the Spirit is love.

We should be keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ not Moses.

John 15

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.​

If we are filled with the Spirit, walking in the Spirit and the words of Christ abide in us and we are in fellowship with God and His children we will be producing the fruit of the Spirit and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (They are listed above).​

If we love God and our fellow man how could we possibly hurt someone we love? we won't lie to them, steal their goods or spouse because love can't do that.​

The law is for the those who have not the Spirit.

true, some wander off from the leading of the Spirit, but one way or another our heavenly Father will restore them (or even bring them home).

Now as to the dietary laws

Acts 10

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.​

Mark 7

15 "There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
16 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"​

17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
18 So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
19 "because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"
20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.​

Joe, you are a man of faith, walking in the Spirit and this discussion is mostly about semantics and understanding than motives.

Of course you want to keep the commandments.

Romans 7:12

2 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.​

That is the Spirit of Christ within you.​

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:​

But sooner or later the law will bite you. An unclean thought, coveteousness, an unkind word to your spouse...

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.​

For this reason we have :

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.​

This is not a license to sin (we were born with that) but a promise of cleansing to keep us walking in His Spirit and to enjoy unbroken fellowship with Him.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.​

1 John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.​

Then as we walk in Spirit and behold His glory we become more and more like Him.​

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.​

2 Corinthians 4:5
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.​

This the Law can never do.​

And because you are resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ Joe, you are keeping the Sabbath 24/7 whether you know it or not.

That's all I have to say Joe. May God continue to bless you.​

HankD​

 

Joe, I'm interested in knowing where you find the 4th commandment in the N.T. when you get back around.

 

I was giong to ask that exact same question JD.

 

This is probably one of the most well exegeted statements concerning the Sabbath that I have heard in a long time.

The Sabbath was a picture of a "better thing to come"---that is, it is a picture of our "Rest" in the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus made the statement---"Come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest"----those stubborn Jews should have caught on. Every "finger" that Sabbath celebration had in the Old Testament was pointing to the "better thing to come"---to Jesus---its funny how they rejected "the real Sabbath" isn't it??!!

Yes we do enjoy Sabbath as HankD says----"24/7"

We will enjoy Sabbath in "GloryLand" 24/7 eternally!!!!

 

Just the same question from a different angle to make sure you're being consistent in your thinking. You appear to be.

You're wrong. If I may borrow a hermenuetic from Christ, from the beginning this was not so . . . God created a day of rest for man in the beginning, and therefore anyone who requires work from their servants or employees 24/7 are not just in God's sight. If God gave man one day in seven to rest, who is man to begrudge his brothers that privilege?

 

But here's the rub . . . Saying that the Sabbath is 24/7 is saying that we still commanded to observe the Sabbath in it's true form, and that we are not to be about our own business 24/7. This I agree with, however this is not the sense taken by those who usually argue that there is no longer any Sabbath Day.

One of Christ's arguments that has been ignored throughout this debate is in Matt. 12:1-8. Have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? The priests who are about God's business are blameless, which the Pharisees already knew. What was radical to them was the implication of Christ's statement, and that is that the place of worship has shifted. The Temple is no longer the stone structure in Jerusalem. The temple is now Christ and His circle of disciples. When calling Himself "the Lord of the Sabbath," He removed all doubt from the minds of the Pharisees who He was claiming to be, and the implications.

Among of host of other things, this also teaches us the cost and character of discipleship. Though we have now entered into Sabbath Rest through Christ, it is not a rest that allows us to do our own pleasures.

If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isa. 58:13-14.

Just as this is repeated in Hebrews, For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his, Heb. 4:10.

But this is so far from the tenor of many who argue that we are no longer under a Sabbath Day, it is almost profane to post it.

 

Great, then show me scripture from Genesis (before the Law was given to Israel in Exe) this command that was 'from the beginning':

Oh that's right, it is ONLY a presupposition that is brought into the scriptures to maintain the view. Also in Ex where it is commanded, it is not so commanded just to sit back a be at leasure but to worship God under and in accordance with the confines of the Law. You need to study ALL the Sabboths to understand the meaning of the Sabboth. (Saturday, Sabboth year, Seven Sabboth years and what was done in those times and what those times revealed). Your scope is to narrow and misses the mark in great measure (IMO).


If it ain't in Gen it wasn't so "in the beginning" but set forth in the Law.

 

I don't have to have an explicit command in Genesis. The words of Christ are sufficient. He said the sabbath was made for man, but you say that one man can justly deny another what God has created for him. You might as well say that one man can justly deny another one food.

Genesis records the creation of the sabbath, and Christ expounded upon the purpose of its creation. That's all that's needed.

 

Sanctify

I can agree with you, Aaron, that God did indeed rest on the seventh day.

Ge 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Interestingly, the writer of Hebrews does indeed refer back to the week in Genesis when speaking of our rest in Christ...the writer of Hebrews doesn't go back to the Ten Commandments.

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Are we, therefore, to keep the Sabbath sanctified?

The Old Covenant, of course, did ask Israel to keep the Sabbath sanctified, and do no work on it.

What we need to remember, though, is that the priesthood of that Covenant was levitical. God chose one of Jacob's first sons, Levi, to be the line through whom the priesthood descended. And even more specifically, the High Priest needed to be a direct descendant of Aaron. Only he, Aaron, could go behind the veil once a year to the Holy of Holies.

In the New Covenant, God created a new priesthood, not of the line of Levi. He gave us a High Priest who did go behind the veil...in fact, that veil was wrent at His Death on the Cross. And, even more amazingly, He IS the Veil.

Mt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
Mr 15:38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Since the priesthood is changed, God decreed that, of necessity, there must also be a change in the law.

Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

In context: 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
11 ¶ If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

Aaron, the Old Covenant is still present. It is old and obsolete, it is fading away. Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. It hasn't vanished away, it is fading though.

This is what Jesus meant when He said what He did about every jot and tittle.

Mt 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Not until God's plan of salvation is completed by the end of the Great White Throne Judgment will the law disappear...it will disappear when the old Heaven and Earth are burned up.

1 ¶ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

The word for pass away is the same....heaven and earth passing away and the jot and tittle passing away when all is fulfilled.

3928 parercomai parerchomai par-er’-khom-ahee

from 3844 and 2064; TDNT-2:681,257; v

AV-pass away 12, pass 10, pass by 3, pass over 1, transgress 1, past 1, go 1, come forth 1, come 1; 31

Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The Old Covenant law is in effect for the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who are under the Old Covenant will be judged by the Old Covenant.

And herein is the essence of the Good News. We all deserve the second death, which will be meted out to many at that Judgment. Transgressing the law merits the death penalty...the second death. Since the Old Covenant defines, so to speak, sin, God will judge according to that law. The court of law has its written statutes. Those who are Christ's are set free...we are NOT guilty because Christ took that punishment for us....He took our guilt and nailed it on the cross.

Colossians 2:13 ¶ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

I disagree with many who say that Christ nailed the Ten Commandments to the cross....that contradicts Scripture. He nailed our GUILT to the cross, our inability to keep the law. He kept the Old Covenant law flawlessly, He had no sin Himself, yet became SIN for us!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Romans 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

I really hope you look into these Scriptures yourself....reading books written by Sabbatarians will only serve to mislead and confuse you.

 

That's correct Beth and according to Numbers 28, on every Sabbath Israel was to ratify that Sabbath with sacrifices.

Biblical Judaism ended in AD70 when Titus destroyed the Temple, the Holy Place, the Holy of Holies and killed the High Priest..

Talmudic Judaism is not biblical Judaism.

Therefore, according to Numbers 28 given to Israel, the Sabbath cannot be kept not even by the Jews the only peoples who were commanded to keep it.

If some of the brethren want to "honor" the earthly Sabbath by faith, let them do so, IMO we have that liberty in Christ, but it is not an obligation for anyone today (apart from the New Covenant Sabbath, the heavenly Sabbath).

Jesus Christ is our High Priest and Sabbath rest having offered a perfect and eternal sacrifice with sinless hands.

Hebrews 9

24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.​

HankD

 

Beth, if you'll read post #87 carefully, I think that you'll see I didn't post anything that disagrees with you. Christ is our Sabbath Rest, but the natural aspects of the sabbath are being ignored.

For example, I can say truly that in Christ there is no more male or female. Now, if I take that and run with it, I'll be committing the error of the Corinthians who allowed women to remove the signs of their gender and rank and pray and prophesy in the assembly. But Paul corrected their error with an appeal to the created order of things. In nature there is male and female, for God made them male and female, and not only that, God created rank, for Adam was first formed then Eve. Even as Christians, we are still bound by Creation Order.

God created the sabbath day in the Beginning. It's part of nature just as being male and female. He made it for man, so man has a claim on it, and no one can justly deny another that claim. It's as simple as that.

 

While there is instruction concerning the natural "rank" of male and female there is no place in the NT which instructs us to keep the 7th day of the week.

Sacrifices were offered from the beginning.

The answer as to why we don't offer blood sacrifices anymore is the same answer as to why we don't keep the earthly 7th day as the Sabbath.

It was a picture of things to come concerning Jesus Christ.
He came. He completed the work of salvation and we now rest in Him.

We don't offer blood sacrifices anymore because the picture has been fulfilled in the Blood Atonement of Christ.

We don't keep the 7th day Sabbath anymore because we have entered into His rest.



HankD