Our Jewish Sabbath*

 

Both men and the Church have interpreted the Sabbath, and in doing so, have separated themselves from the blessed concept and truth of God. Generally, it is considered a day of rest and perhaps, relaxation. However, the rest into which God invites us is more powerful than that understanding implies. The observance of the Sabbath is so vital that it is one of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God:

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thy labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days, the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore, the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."   Ex. 20:8-11

The sabbath is first mentioned earlier as the children of Israel murmured about their lack in the wilderness, and felt resentment towards Moses and Aaron for their condition. The LORD heard their murmurs and tested Israel in their faith in His word, and in His provision for them. In the evenings, the LORD promised that He would provide flesh (quail) for them to eat, and in the mornings, He would "rain bread from heaven" for them encompassed in the dew. As the dew evaporated, the bread was left behind. It would be "bread to the full", that would well satisfy their need for the day. Each day for six days, they could collect an omer portion per person of the bread (manna: "What is it?"). If they collected more or less than the omer commanded, when they went to measure it, it measured to be an omer anyway. If they tried to keep part of that omer portion for the next day, not believing God's promise of new provision, the bread would become wormy. On the sixth day only, they could collect a double portion to have on hand for the seventh day, when there would be no bread provided for their collection on the sabbath (Ex. 16:1-26):

"Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?"  Ex. 16:26-28

The symbolic power of the miraculous provision of the manna, and its incorporation into the sabbath blessing, was so important to God's people, that an omer of the manna was collected to be placed in the ark of the covenant. It represented covenant provision, and covenant rest in faith.

The sabbath also played a crucial role in the blessings of the Feasts of the LORD. The Day of Atonement created a sabbath, for example. "It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever." (Lev. 16:31). The Day of Atonement is a prophetic foreshadow of the atonement work of Christ on the cross, and written this way:

"And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments..."  v. 32

The priest made the atonement for the holy sanctuary, the tabernacle, the altar, the priests, and for all the people of the congregation. This was to be an everlasting statute (v. 33-34).

The Book of Hebrews tells us that Christ is our High Priest who makes the atonement for us with His own blood. This created and fulfilled a sabbath for us, as the Day of Atonement did for Israel.

Psalm 92 was written as a song for the sabbath day. In it, the psalmist thanks and praises God for all of His works: "For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands." v. 4. The works of the LORD for which the psalmist remembers and praises Him on the sabbath day, includes a personal and eternal work in the soul of the individual: "I shall be anointed with fresh oil...The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him." v. 10,12-15
This is the sabbath blessing for us: the completion of God's wonderful work for us and in us, as well as in all creation. This is what makes the sabbath a holy thing in God's sight, and in ours. The prophets told us that faithfully honoring the LORD's Sabbath would complete a wonderful work in us. Isaiah wrote that we would be called "The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isa. 58:12). We would be caused to ride upon the high places of the earth, and be fed with the heritage of Jacob, our father (v. 14). Honoring the Sabbath is not about relaxing in our leisure and entertainment for the day, finding our own pleasure and going our own way. Honoring the Sabbath is about understanding the honor due His Word, and calling His sabbath a delight (oneg-exquisite delight, delicate life, to be soft and pampered) (v, 13).
Jeremiah connects the honoring of the sabbath directly to the establishment of the kingdom of the Messiah:
"Then there shall enter into the gates of this city (Jerusalem) kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. And they shall come...bringing sacrifices of praise into the house of the LORD."  Jer. 17:25-26
Although religious legalists would interpret the keeping of the Sabbath in a burdensome manner, Jesus taught that this was not the intention of God for this day. The sabbath celebrates the holiness and completion of God's work, and Jesus did just this. He made it a point to heal on the sabbath. Though the religious leaders sought to persecute and even kill Jesus for "working" on the sabbath, Jesus answered: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (Jn. 5:16-17). The true meaning and holiness of the sabbath encapsulates the Lordship of Jesus Christ: "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." (Mt. 12:8). We see Jesus elaborate on this connection: The benefit of the observance of the sabbath in Spirit and in truth, as Jesus taught, which included His Lordship as a completed work of God, was meant as a benefit to man, rather than a benefit to God: "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."  (Mk. 2:27-28).
The sabbath rest is a benefit for the land, and for man, according to the word of God. We miss our sabbath blessing when we fail to honor it as the holy day of completion of all of God's wonderful works. 

*The above is based upon the 6/23/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.

 

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https://everlastingcovenant.sermon.net/main/main/21320220
 

Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.

 

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Last Days Priesthood Continued-Is There Yet A Zadok Remnant in America?

 

The above is a portion of a quote by French writer and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, from his book "Democracy in America" (De La Democratique en Amerique), published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, after he visited America for nine months to perform a study for the French government. This is the full thought:

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”  

 

De Tocqueville went on to write that the democracy existing in America was very unique, unlike the democracy found in Europe. He thought this was because American democracy was birthed from Puritan seeds of faith and scriptural truth, which were integrated into our earliest government. As the full quote above states, he found that America's continued greatness was still very much connected to the uncompromising Spiritual truth coming forth from pulpits at the time of his study.

Scripture established this connection between the preaching of righteousness and the condition of the land even before de Tocqueville revealed it. Scripture warns that the lack of goodness, or righteousness coming from the "pulpit", the priesthood, will cause loss of righteousness and create great woes throughout the land. The LORD gave His word to Ezekiel saying:

"The conspiracy of her prophets...is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things...Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean;...Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain...The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy..."      Ezekiel 22:25-29 (excerpt)

Ezekiel notes above that the profane, unclean, unholy condition of the land began with the corruption of the prophets, then the priests, then the princes (government), and then, finally, the people. It started with the spiritual gatekeepers of the land, and continued to progress from there.

The LORD sadly continues in v. 30:

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

The Prophet Isaiah also describes the woes of God's judgments that would come upon the land:
"Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope;
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,...Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man!...Therefore, the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people..."     Isa. 5:18-25 (excerpt)
What is the attitude of those involved in this cycle of unrighteousness? It is an attitude of mockery and scoffing towards the LORD, and His judgment:
"Woe to those...that say, "Let Him (God) make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it." (v. 19).
The Psalms and Proverbs also mourn the effect of unrighteousness upon the land:
"Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men."    Ps. 11:3, 12:1-4, Prov. 29:18
These are the same spiritual conditions found in our own nation today.
However, the LORD has not left us in this desolate condition. He teaches us a remedy. The remedy will not be found in a political candidate, but in a remnant:
"How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem...Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out...surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways, and their doings...And they will comfort you when you see their ways and their doings..."  Ez. 14:21-23 (excerpt)

and



"But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood...they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge...whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall put on linen garments...And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."                   Ez. 44:15-17, 23 (excerpt)

Unrighteousness, uncleanness, and the failure to teach the people the difference between the holy and unholy marked the prophets and priests of Ez. 22, and the effects of these things trickled down to the governing princes, and eventually to the people as a whole, corrupting the whole land. Now, however, in the verses above, we see the opposite happening. The Zadok priesthood, that remnant, is coming forth to bring the righteousness of the blood (of Jesus), the righteousness represented by their linen garments (Ps. 132:9, Rev. 19:8), the righteousness from faithfully teaching the people the difference between the holy and the unholy. Here we see the effect of that righteous Zadok priesthood upon the land.
As corruption trickled down from a corrupt priesthood to all the people of the land, righteousness now trickles down from a righteous priesthood. This is a priesthood that stands in the gap. This is a priesthood that humbles itself, prays, seeks God's face, and turns from its wicked ways, embracing not their own righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ, and teaching that righteousness to others. They not only teach it, but they live it. That righteousness trickles down, like the oil of anointing poured upon Aaron's ("Light Bringer") head in Psalm 133. It continues to trickle down his beard, and down his garments. That righteousness is like the dew ("covering") over Mt. Hermon ("dedicated for destruction, extermination") that continued downward. The righteousness of this priesthood is like the righteousness of our High Priest, Jesus, that trickled down from His pierced head to His pierced feet and beyond. In the same manner, this Zadok priesthood's righteousness  trickles down to cover a nation.
Does this Zadok priesthood still stand in an America that has turned its back on its Puritan beginnings, whose people are no longer taught the difference between the holy and the unholy? Will this priesthood rise up and cause the pulpits of America to once again be "aflame with righteousness" as de Tocqueville described, a flame that transforms a nation?
These are the priests spoken of by the LORD to the Prophet Joel:
"Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD..."     Joel 2:17


Recommended Reading:  "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville
                                           http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/815?msg=welcome_stranger

                                          George Washington's Third Vision of America
                                          http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/Washington.html