Henry Wiebe .com

Sabbath

The feast of the Passover occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month. The fifteenth day was the feast of unleavened bread. The first day was a Sabbath and the seventh day of this feast was a Sabbath. (read Leviticus 23)

These were special Sabbaths sometimes referred to as high Sabbaths.

This was the special Sabbath referred to at the time Christ was crucified. John 19:21 … The bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day.) … That year it happened to fall on the fourth day of the week (our Wednesday) and the seventh day was the normal weekly Sabbath when he arose from the dead. Matthew 28:1 … In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week (our Sunday) … The women which came were told by the angel at that time (the end of the Sabbath) he is not here; for he is risen.

So Jesus was exactly right when he said, “As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights so also shall the son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” He entered the Tomb on a high Sabbath (middle of the week) and arose after three days and nights which was a regular Sabbath. Our redemption was finished and Jesus completed his work of redemption and rested. He entered his Father’s rest from before the foundation of the world. Knowing this will help us to understand Jeremiah and Daniel’s “70 week” prophecy.

We see in Romans 6 that we have been crucified with Christ and risen to a new life with Him. Just as He entered God’s rest on His resurrection Sabbath, there remains therefore a rest to the people of God. The same day He hallowed and sanctified and rested on the seventh day. We are a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away and all things are now of God for us.

Knowing this will also help us going through Hebrews, chapter 3 and 4 and further as we look at the continuing priesthood of our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

I’ll present more teaching on the festivals at a later date.

Let’s examine a few key points in Hebrews, chapter 3 and 4.

(1) They could not enter His rest because of unbelief. Their heart’s error was in failing to believe God’s promise regarding entering into His rest (3:19). Let’s look at the promise as it is stated in 4:3-4. God’s works were finished in six days and the seventh day he rested. This day was hallowed and sanctified (Genesis 2:1-3) from the foundation (creation) of the world.

(2) This makes it clear that their unbelief related to keeping the Sabbath.

The Sabbath was not only for their physical rest and spiritual rejuvenation, but also included a rest for the earth over which God gave man authority. Let’s look at this commandment along with its promise. Read Leviticus 25 and take note of God’s promise of abundant provisions as a reward for keeping His Sabbath. They were to farm the land six years and leave it fallow on the seventh year (vv 1-7). After repeating this cycle seven times, there was to be a special Sabbath (Jubilee) which meant that for two years in succession they would not work the land. God’s promise was safety and abundance (vv18-19).

The natural question for the carnal mind of unbelief (v 20) is “What shall we eat the seventh year?”

God’s answer: “Here is the promise regarding this rest which they failed to believe.” (vv 21-22) Lev 25 said, “I will command the blessing on you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years….”

Wow, what a deal! I chose to believe it, I’d much rather rest than labour.

This was a subject Jesus dealt with in the Sermon on the Mount. “Take no thought to what ye shall eat or drink.” Again, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you.”

Now look at Exodus 16 to see how they violated God’s Word to them. Violation #1. During the week they tried to keep the manna over until the next day. It bred worms and stank. Paul quotes this example in 2 Cor. 8 in teaching the importance of sharing with the poor in the times of our abundance.

Violation #2. God said that they should gather enough for two days on the sixth day, because they were not to gather the manna on the Sabbath.

Verse 27 … some of the people on the seventh day went out to gather … The Lord said … “How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?”

Study Exodus 31:12-17. What are some points regarding keeping the seventh day Sabbath?

1. It was a sign of their sanctification.

2. Its violation required the death penalty.

3. By working, a person defiled God’s Holy day.

4. It was a perpetual (everlasting) covenant.

5. Why was it to be a sign forever? “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”

These points, however, related only to the original Sabbath and not to the Sabbaths that were added because of transgression, such as the Passover Sabbath. Christ fulfilled these and they were nailed to His cross. He fulfilled every law and ordinance and those which related to redemption were taken out of the way – nailed to His cross.

So those special Sabbaths which were added because of transgression, those which were relating to the seven festivals and including the fiftieth year Jubilee Sabbath were fulfilled and taken out of the way. No longer needed as a token of covering sin yearly, Christ became and is the end of the law for righteousness. Christ is the Jubilee. The fulfillment to forever set us free from the law of sin and death.

The Sabbath God established in Genesis was not added because of sin. It was a forever Sabbath established from the foundation of the earth.

Scripture refers to the Sabbath (singular) about four times more than the (plural) Sabbaths or Sabbath days. When plural it refers to the special Festival Sabbaths or to a combination of all the Sabbaths.

Paul’s reference in Colossians is plural Sabbath days. Since it is included with his reference to meats, and drinks, and moon changes, these all can be associated with the Sabbaths of the seven festivals, but not with the regular Sabbath day from the creation.

With these facts in mind, let’s continue in Hebrews 3 and 4.

Chapter 4, verse 4, makes it plain that the rest to which he refers is the original Holy day, the Sabbath God sancitified at creation. This means the seventh day of every week, that which we call Saturday, renamed that by man after Saturn. Just as the first day is named after the sun (Sunday). Some have made the foolish accusation that to worship on Sunday is in essence worshipping the sun. Nonsense!

The sin on any day is not worshipping Jesus. I worship every day and I keep the Sabbath by not working and concentrating all my heart on worship praise, thanksgiving and fellowship with God on his hallowed day in order to keep it Holy.

Hebrews 4:9 makes it clear that the Sabbath day still remains as a rest to the people of God. Verse 11 makes it clear that you will face much resistance when you decide to remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy.

“Let us labour to enter into that rest.”

Regarding the children of Israel

What did God say regarding their final dispensation and being driven from their homeland? What was one of the reasons for Jeremiah to prophecy of the 70 years captivity?

II Chronicles 36:21

To fulfill the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept her Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

So they had a total of 490 years to pay for the sin of breaking the Sabbath (as well as many other sins).

In Luke 4:18-19, Jesus read from Isaiah 61 a prophecy concerning himself. The Sabbath law brought liberty to the captives. The Jubilee Sabbath as well as all Sabbaths were at specific intervals. They were not given the option of substituting another day.

Luke 4:19 (Jesus) preached the acceptable year of the Lord.

Those days God sanctified and hallowed were the acceptable days and year of the Lord.

Do we then have the right to take it upon ourselves to choose our own day of rest and refuse the day which he sanctified and set apart for us?

Is the Sabbath rest for the land more important than for us, his beloved people?