Does the Day Matter?

As with anything regarding Scripture, there is controversy.  Sabbath keeping is certainly no exception.  I discovered Sabbath quite simply.  Although I became what would be called a believer or Christian when I was 10, I didn't enter covenant with our Creator until I began to truly follow Messiah, many years later.  To follow Messiah means we must live as He lived while on earth.  That's not to say, I'm perfect, but rather, have the Instructions written on my heart which means Torah is my life . . . Messiah is The Word of G-d in the flesh.  Galatians 2:20 describes it perfectly.     I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of G-d, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Many in America truly do try to do the right thing, even those who do not seek G-d, honor much of Torah.  Torah would actually better be translated "Instruction," rather than "law."  Even though many do tend to leave much of Scripture open to personal interpretation, which of course varies, most agree that murder, theft and adultery are wrong.  Even unbelieving parents want a certain level of honor or obedience from their children.  As for not bearing false witness against a neighbor, that gets a bit murky.  Many interpret that to mean "do not lie," yet most of our society acknowledges a great deal of dishonesty from our leadership on down.  Since we have so much debt and credit, I think we, as a country, don't even consider what coveting is any more.  We do tend to try, according to our interpretive definition, to do and expect "the right thing" regarding the last six commandments.

The fourth commandment is the only one that begins with the word:  Remember.  Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Sabbath is mentioned nearly 100 times in the Old Testament and over 50 times in the New.  Keeping the Sabbath didn't change between "Testaments."  The book of Acts confirms repeatedly that Sabbath was not changed at Calvary.  History indicates it was Constantine's Nicene Council that established Sunday observance to separate Christians from the Sabbath keepers.  Our 24/7 society has sort of taken the "special" out of every day, much less a specific one.  I've heard people, devout people, claim that it really doesn't matter which day as long as you make one day special.  Scripturally speaking, there's no Scripture to back that, but I do know from personal experience, if one truly sets aside a day to seek YHWH; in that day, He'll tell you which one He has set aside.  We can worship Him every day, and we should, but one day is set apart.

We know from the book of Deuteronomy and throughout Scripture, there were jobs and businesses other than just agriculture, but G-d's people did not do business on Sabbath.  They didn't even collect manna.  We may dress up the reasons we choose to think we are so valuable and special as to receive special dispensation for working on Sabbath, but that's a Scriptural miss also.  Genesis indicates YHWH specifically created the world to keep running while He rested, so who on earth is so indispensible?  The reality is, unless it's an emergency, which means unscheduled, and we meet that need at no charge; we are disregarding Sabbath, which is disobedience, a.k.a. sin.

Many in America refer to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath and Saturday as the Jewish Sabbath, so it was easy for me to seek without a time conflict.  I could attend synagogue Friday evening and Saturday morning and church Sunday.  Not only did this afford me a way to learn how Messiah actually did live, but in further study, I discovered a passage that instructs the people of YHWH to not kindle a light on Sabbath.  Without being fully sure how much of the week-end was involved, I discovered two days without a cigarette made quitting very easy.

It was actually in studying the week of creation, that led me to understand our Creator calls the seventh day of the week His Sabbath.  Sabbath is not a Christian thing, or a Jewish thing, it's a G-d thing.  The seventh day was created for the specific purpose of being different from the rest of the week.  Scripture tells us G-d, Himself rested!  With that information, I gained a new perspective.  If YHWH is resting on Sabbath; any regular activity I might choose, could render me unprotected and on my own!  That was not some place I wanted to be.  Considering the state of humanity; extra rest, no work, no travel, and no buying and selling, does reduce the opportunity for sin.  He literally created a seven day week, specifically to have the seventh day for rest.  He didn't create a thing that day, He simply spoke a seventh day.

In the accounts of the Gospel, Messiah said Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, and that He is Lord of the Sabbath.  Many use that to disregard the seventh day of the week, but it hits me differently. Why would I not want to set Sabbath aside from the regular schedule?  It was made for us, for that purpose.  Our Creator could have gotten all done creating things and then just declared a six day week with no day of rest . . . If Messiah is my Lord, shouldn't I honor and set apart the day in which He refers to Himself as Lord?

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