Exodus 20:8-11 8 “Remember the day, Shabbat (Sabbath), to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
What better place to start then Scripture? Shabbat, or Sabbath, is something near and dear to me, and I'd like to share this with all of you. First and foremost we need to have the same foundation on what scripture says of Shabbat, and then I'd like to share how our family commemorates this time and include some activities, symbology and even my challah recipe (At the bottom)! To kick it off lets look openly at the passage I've already shown, Exodus 20:8-11. As we can see the very outline for Sabbath is within the foundation of the world, creation itself. A model given to us by Adonai's own actions. It also clearly outlines that this day is not only for rest, but for Elohim. A holy day, set apart for his Glory. Of course going right back to Genesis 2:3, 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce. Sabbath is to stand as a sign between God and Us, forever, as it says in Exodus 31:13, 13 “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am Adonai, who sets you apart for me.
This day is even one of the 'ten commandments', so whether you follow Old Testament Law or not it is among the very laws that are still taught within the majority of churches today. So why has it been left behind? It was never forgotten, even after the death and resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus, and we can see in Acts 18:4 that Paul still observed the Sabbath, 4 Sha’ul (Paul) also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks. Indeed, we see them observe the Sabbath 80 times in Acts alone! Are we not told to do things as Christ did and as the Apostles did?
Hebrews 13:8 says 8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever. and 1 John 1:1 says The Word, which gives life! He existed from the beginning. We have heard him, we have seen him with our eyes, we have contemplated him, we have touched him with our hands! So from these and so many other scriptures we know that Y'shua is Elohim, and Elohim is Consistent through all time. He is unchanging, and so why would he remove one of his commandments, plucking it from even among the ten? So let us review a few passages often used against keeping the Sabbath. First by looking at Colossians 2:16-17, 16 So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh (New Moon) or Shabbat (Sabbath). 17 These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah. But is this really saying not to do the Sabbath? It says do not let people pass judgement on you for doing them, not for not doing them, and that these things are a shadow to what Is coming, not what Has come. So it is not in reference to the first coming of Christ, but the second! Should we not then continue to do these things which point to the next coming of our Messiah?
In fact, in review of the book of Hebrews there is too much scripture for me to even post! For if I where to pluck a few key passages I'd be accused of removing them from context and twisting them, and so I encourage you to review all of Hebrews on this statement - All of the book points to us following the seventh day Shabbat until the second coming of Christ, when it speaks of our permanent rest in him it does not mean today, but the Millennial Kingdom and afterwards. Do we not still need physical rest? A break for our own health? Why then should we reject what God has given us for these things? But lets look specifically at Hebrews 4:1-11 as it alone has been plucked often for those arguing that Jesus is our Sabbath alone, and see how this can not be.
Hebrews 4:1-11, This time I will inject notes within the passage, Therefore, let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering his rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it; Can we not see here that the 'Promise of entering his rest remains'? If the promise remains that it has not met completion yet and thus we are not yet in his rest. 2 for Good News has also been proclaimed to us, just as it was to them. But the message they heard didn’t do them any good, because those who heard it did not combine it with trust. 3 For it is we who have trusted who enter the rest. It is those how trust who enter the rest, those who believe and follow Christ. Now, it says they enter the rest, not they have entered the rest, and so again, showing that it is not in place Yet. It is just as he said , “And in my anger, I swore that they would not enter my rest." (Psalms 95:11)[a]He swore this even though his works have been in existence since the founding of the universe. 4 For there is a place where it is said, concerning the seventh day, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." (Genesis 2:2)[b] Showing here that the foundation of the Sabbath goes back to the seven day Creation. 5 And once more, our present text says, “They will not enter my rest." (Psalms 95:11)[c] 6 Therefore, since it still remains for some to enter it, and those who received the Good News earlier did not enter, 7 he again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David, so long afterwards, in the text already given, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts."(Psalms 95:7-8)[d] 8 For if Y’hoshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another “day.” Again we are shown that this is something to be done. This is showing that this is either for the end of time or that he is speaking of his rest as Heaven, not a physical rest available to believers now. 9 So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people. 10 For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience. And here is where all confusion comes out of the passage. There remains a Sabbath for God's peoples! For those who entered his rest, in that future sense written in the rest of the passage, will rest from his works as Elohim did from his. Again I reinforce, this can not be now as we have not rested from our Works. We still have work to do don't we? Sharing the gospel, making disciples, laboring for our livelihoods, etc. It then goes on to say that we have to do our best to enter the rest, and that we can fall short from disobedience. If we are already in a rest with Y'shua there is no effort to be put in place, for that would be a work, nor is there an ability to be disobedient as we'd already be obeying naturally. Instead we Can be disobedient by not keeping the Sabbath and entering That day of rest in looking to the future rest with Yeshua HaMashiach.
What about passages commonly used to say that Sunday is now the Sabbath? Let's go off of CARM's 11 Points for a Sunday Sabbath, Which sadly is in reference against Seventh Day Adventism, but functions for the purpose of this segment.
Hebrews 4:1-11, This time I will inject notes within the passage, Therefore, let us be terrified of the possibility that, even though the promise of entering his rest remains, any one of you might be judged to have fallen short of it; Can we not see here that the 'Promise of entering his rest remains'? If the promise remains that it has not met completion yet and thus we are not yet in his rest. 2 for Good News has also been proclaimed to us, just as it was to them. But the message they heard didn’t do them any good, because those who heard it did not combine it with trust. 3 For it is we who have trusted who enter the rest. It is those how trust who enter the rest, those who believe and follow Christ. Now, it says they enter the rest, not they have entered the rest, and so again, showing that it is not in place Yet. It is just as he said , “And in my anger, I swore that they would not enter my rest." (Psalms 95:11)[a]He swore this even though his works have been in existence since the founding of the universe. 4 For there is a place where it is said, concerning the seventh day, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works." (Genesis 2:2)[b] Showing here that the foundation of the Sabbath goes back to the seven day Creation. 5 And once more, our present text says, “They will not enter my rest." (Psalms 95:11)[c] 6 Therefore, since it still remains for some to enter it, and those who received the Good News earlier did not enter, 7 he again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David, so long afterwards, in the text already given, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, don’t harden your hearts."(Psalms 95:7-8)[d] 8 For if Y’hoshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later of another “day.” Again we are shown that this is something to be done. This is showing that this is either for the end of time or that he is speaking of his rest as Heaven, not a physical rest available to believers now. 9 So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people. 10 For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Therefore, let us do our best to enter that rest; so that no one will fall short because of the same kind of disobedience. And here is where all confusion comes out of the passage. There remains a Sabbath for God's peoples! For those who entered his rest, in that future sense written in the rest of the passage, will rest from his works as Elohim did from his. Again I reinforce, this can not be now as we have not rested from our Works. We still have work to do don't we? Sharing the gospel, making disciples, laboring for our livelihoods, etc. It then goes on to say that we have to do our best to enter the rest, and that we can fall short from disobedience. If we are already in a rest with Y'shua there is no effort to be put in place, for that would be a work, nor is there an ability to be disobedient as we'd already be obeying naturally. Instead we Can be disobedient by not keeping the Sabbath and entering That day of rest in looking to the future rest with Yeshua HaMashiach.
- Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1-7, Mark 16:2, 9, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). - Now, from other locations we know that Jesus rose on First Fruits. So this is more of a call to be obedient to celebrating First Fruits than any reason to change the Sabbath, and none of these passages say to change the Sabbath for this reason. This is a "substitute reason" Something trying to cause justification but holds no biblical footing.
- Jesus appeared to the disciples on the first day of the week (John 20:19). - Again, what reason is this for changing the Sabbath? The passage does not reference this being of any validity to the argument but instead reinforces point one, that First Fruits is a very Biblically grounded and important day for Christians.
- Jesus appeared inside the room to the eleven disciples eight days after the first day of the week. The Jewish way of measuring days meant that it was again Sunday(John 20:26). - This repetition of days that Jesus did things is again useless, they gathered many days of the week and this is in no way a reason to substitute this day for Sabbath as it not once tells us to do so.
- The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, the first day of the week (Lev. 23:16, Acts 2:1). - Should this not be reason to follow Pentecost? It certainly isn't a reason to move the Sabbath, as it not once makes this claim and Pentecost has always been, and will always be, a Holy Day held on a Sunday.
- The first sermon was preached by Peter on the first day of the week (Acts 2:14). - Peter preached on a lot of days, including the Sabbath proper. There are numerous passages through Acts which confirm Saturday preaching as well as passages which mark no day and could have been any day of the week. And similar to what I say in the next point, since when does one man's actions change the mandate of God Almighty?
- Three thousand converts joined the church on the first day of the week (Acts 2:41). - Okay I'm going to say something that should have been obvious to those at CARM, who I have a high respect for although I pick on some of their stuff fairly often. Since when does what people do affect what God mandates? And besides that, people get saved every day of the week. People get preached to every day of the week and we should be sharing the gospel every day of the week. So how is this applicable to changing the Sabbath?
- The three thousand were baptized on the first day of the week (Acts 2:41). - See Number 6
- The Christians assembled broke bread on the first day of the week. - CARM is missing the scripture reference so I'll give it. Acts 20:7. This is the first verse that could almost be used for their claim as communion, the breaking of bread, is primarily a Sabbath activity. But to be consistent you'd have to prove that it was Only a Sabbath activity and that can't be done. See, it was also done on all the Holy Days, and we already marked out that two of them are Sundays. Matthew 26:26 marks when Jesus formed the formal communion, but the breaking of bread and drinking of wine was nothing 'new' to the Apostles. And when he did this at Passover that year it was on a Wednesday night! We also see in Acts 2:42-46 that 'Day by Day' they where breaking bread, giving it no formal assigned day. So seeing that they did this with more occasion that Sunday strictly it can not be used as an argument for a Sunday Sabbath.
- The Christians also heard a message from Paul on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). - In reading this passage this is because they where gathered for Pentecost! Again, a mark that we should be following God's Holy Days, not a mark to change the Sabbath.
- Paul instructed the churches to put aside contributions on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:2). - Again we see a tie to First Fruits, which is the big day of tithes within the Holy Days. A function for simplicity on that day of gathering. Now, some have said that if you are gathered that must be the Sabbath but it couldn't be further from the truth! As we have seen, preaching happened throughout the week, and as the Tabernacle has become a hub of activity historically so to did the home churches become like this. People where fellowshipping throughout the week, so to set a weekly tithe day would make sense as a reminder and keeping it off the Sabbath would be wise. As the transaction of money was culturally (Not scripturally necessarily) deemed inappropriate for the Sabbath.
- Jesus gave the apostle John the vision of Revelation on the first day of the week(Rev. 1:10). - That actually is not what is being said in this passage at all! He says Day of the Lord in some texts and the Lord's day in others. As we can agree he is not speaking of it being the Day of the Lord in the sense of the second coming he must be speaking of what is most commonly said as the Lord's Day, Sabbath. this term is not One applied to a Sunday unless in reference to a Holy Day which are also his day. Making it inconsistent to try and apply it to a random Sunday.
Some would then go to the original language use with Verses such as Mark 16:1,2 and 9, Luke 18:12, John 20:1 and 19, 1 Corinthians 16:2 and Acts 20:7. This is because it uses the term Motza’ei-Shabbat, Which has Sabbath in it, so this can mean a change! But the literal meaning is Coming out of the Sabbath, the Day after the Sabbath! So how then can this be a change to the day?
So what are the restrictions on the Sabbath? As Exodus 20:8-11 already stated it begins with not doing any work and not making anyone else, or even your animals, work on that day. What then is work? Often this has been mistakenly interpreted as 'labour', but the word in Hebrew used is melakah. Which more accurately is about the persons employment or occupation. So the issue is not primarily the manual labor, but the focus on making money above honoring Elohim. Exodus 35:3 comes into question often on if fire is a restriction on the Sabbath, as it seems very plainly to state so. But we can not remove it from the context with verse 2. Together they say, On six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest in honor of Adonai. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. 3 You are not to kindle a fire in any of your homes on Shabbat. This shows that the fire is in relation to work being done, melakah. Which is good, as fire is a lifesaving tool for a furnace or wood stove in a Canadian winter! Primarily this is viewed to go towards a cooking fire, and as cooking is viewed as a standard work I have to agree. Thus we do need to be being aware and avoiding cooking on the Sabbath proper, that is why we have prep day!
So what are the restrictions on the Sabbath? As Exodus 20:8-11 already stated it begins with not doing any work and not making anyone else, or even your animals, work on that day. What then is work? Often this has been mistakenly interpreted as 'labour', but the word in Hebrew used is melakah. Which more accurately is about the persons employment or occupation. So the issue is not primarily the manual labor, but the focus on making money above honoring Elohim. Exodus 35:3 comes into question often on if fire is a restriction on the Sabbath, as it seems very plainly to state so. But we can not remove it from the context with verse 2. Together they say, On six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you, a Shabbat of complete rest in honor of Adonai. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. 3 You are not to kindle a fire in any of your homes on Shabbat. This shows that the fire is in relation to work being done, melakah. Which is good, as fire is a lifesaving tool for a furnace or wood stove in a Canadian winter! Primarily this is viewed to go towards a cooking fire, and as cooking is viewed as a standard work I have to agree. Thus we do need to be being aware and avoiding cooking on the Sabbath proper, that is why we have prep day!
With this and more my family has returned to the Word of Elohim and following his seventh day Shabbat, which true to the order of scripture starts at sundown on the Friday, to sundown on Saturday, based upon Creation in Genesis 1 which speaks of Evening and then Morning. This gives all of Friday to prepare for the weekend, ensuring that my house is extra clean so I can rest the next day, all the chores are done, preparing a large dinner and being sure that dinner will have enough leftovers for the next day. My kids and I also make a point to bake Challah on this day together.
As I go into this next section about us keeping the Sabbath as it should be allow me to use more scripture first, Mark 2:27, 27 Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat; and Galatians 5:18, 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not in subjection to the system that results from perverting the Torah into legalism. That while we honor and keep the Sabbath, it is not to delve into legalism, adding to God's Word, or twisting his word. It was made for us, for our benefit, and for honoring God.
With those passages in mind Shabbat doesn't always go as well as I'd like. We live on a farm, so things come up! Sometimes rest simply isn't available, and so we make a point that if the proper day isn't usable we will dedicate another day that week to worshiping God, but always have his set aside day as the priority and not the secondary factor, as he told us to. But I'd like to walk you through an ideal weekend, which actually is far more common than I'd have expected when I started this walk! It's not near as intimidating as it sounds.
Friday is the big clean, I want my house ready for the weekend so I don't have to think to much or stress over a messy house on my break day. Who doesn't love a break, especially as a homemaker? This day for me starts a little early, I'm the kind who would rather rush and rush and then BREAK than do it in spurts. So my morning is my mega clean with almost no breaks, and a lot of music! Then after lunch I can start on my challah, the recipe I'll include at the end. That way when it's rising I can rest if I'm done, or finish up and be resting by the second rising! It gives me a break between cleaning to refresh before cooking dinner when the challah is in the oven. Baking the challah is also a time with my kids that they look forward to all week, as it's a part that they get to help with! And I always make more than enough supper so that I have the leftovers, who wants to cook on their day of rest? Plus, french toast Shabbat morning with Challah is amazing. I've even heard of friends using disposable dishes on Sabbath to avoid a pile up from occurring (be sure to research eco friendly options like bagasse and bamboo) in their kitchens of dirty dishes.
Then by dinner time we can sit down and relax when my husband gets home! Now, for those who are studied in Rabbinical Sabbaths etc you'll notice differences, but we have gone off of what is Scripturally Mandated, and only used the extras that we felt fit our family. So the table is set, but something a little more unusual is in the middle, a plate with the challah, a covering over it, two candle sticks and a cup of red wine. As we gather around, before we pray, I light the two candles. My kids love this because it's their special reminder and interaction, as I light them they get asked what they mean and have to answer. I've heard many explanations for their symbolism, but the one that we use is Creation and Redemption, another common one is Elijah and Moshe. As Yeshua gave us a light when he created light, he also have us a light when he sent his Son to save us. Then my husband leads us in prayer and we have dinner. Early into filling our plates we have a moment of communion, as it says in 1 Corinthians 11:26, 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes. Historically Sabbath was always a time of breaking bread and sharing wine and so this has become a weekly reminder for us. Breaking the challah, and sharing it with our dinner with butter and honey, and sharing the cup of wine as my husband leads us in communion. Only once that is done do we really settle in to eat. And once everyone is done and the plates are cleared away the kids get to happily blow out the candles. Along side this we do use a messianic siddur for some of the prayers, bringing liturgy into the ceremony of opening Shabbat is likened to showing us the Ruach's presence and reminding us to be welcoming to Him during this Holy Day. Likewise, we close with the havdalah ceremony of wine, incense and candle light to finish the Holy Day of Shabbat.
Then its family time, we are making a point for this to be our games night. When we all get to gather around a set time every week to enjoy each other. After bedtime devotionals for the kids and their off to slumberland then my husband and I both settle in first to our Scripture reading for the week, which may or may not be that weeks Torah Portion. Don't get me wrong, we read scripture regularly beyond this, but this is time that we get to do it together and talk about it together. Afterwards it's cuddle and relax time.
Come Saturday morning we get to sleep in! The kids are even learning at their young ages to stay and play quiet in their room and what they can take for breakfast if we're feeling extra lazy. One thing I absolutely love the next morning if I feel like it is a breakfast of french toast made with the larger challah loaf! It's a relaxed day, with family bible time, worship songs, and general chilling out on the farm. Family time and learning about Adonai. Rejuvenating for the next week! Often we'll end up going somewhere for something family based after our time with Elohim. Again, like the earlier passages stated, it isn't about legalism. It is about respecting that it is a day God gave us for our benefit and to be used to his Glory!
I promised you my challah recipe didn't I? Well here it is! Be forewarned, if you're not careful it may not make it as far as the dinner table.
You will need:
- One packet Rapid Rise Yeast
- 1 1/4 cup Hot water
- 1/2 cup honey plus 1 Tablespoon
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- About 4 cups whole wheat flour or all purpose flour (I use whole wheat)
Start in a large bowl by putting in the hot water and sprinkling the rapid rise yeast over it. While that does it's thing you can separate the eggs, in a small bowl you need one whole egg, and three yokes. This can be tricky for me with farm eggs, but the biggest ones work best! Keep your whites in another cup, and add the tablespoon of honey to the whites, putting this away for later. In your egg bowl add the olive oil and salt and fork beat it all together Then check the yeast bowl to see if all the yeast has set in and changed from it normal powder. When it has, add the egg and oil mix and fork beat it all together again.
With that wet blend start then to beat in the flour, one cup or half cup at a time, until you are kneading the bread instead. Knead and add flour until the tough is elastic and not sticky. Form it into a ball then, keeping it in the bowl, cover it with a warm and damp cloth and put it in a warm place. Here in the winter that means the wood stove, but summer time you want a bright window, anywhere to get that yeast working overtime! In about an hour it'll have risen to double it's size, turn it out on a floured board and punch it down.
Now divide it in half, it's braiding time! With the first half I braid it into a Three, the three parts to the Trinity, and this is the loaf that we use in our communion. It's a straight forward braid. The other half becomes my Seven loaf, representing the seven Holy Days that God has given us. This loaf is wider so it's great for sandwiches or my personal favorite, french toast! With seven equal parts of dough all rolled out to cords attach them at the top point. Then starting on either side take the outside cord and go over two, under one. Repeat for the other side, over two and under one towards the inside. Go back and forth on this and you'll get a neat wide seven braided loaf.
Put both loaves onto a buttered baking sheet and then cover again with a warm damp cloth and back to a warm space it goes! Let it rise again for about 45 minutes to an hour, Then preheat your oven to 375F. While it preheats take your loaves and get that cup of egg white and honey yous set aside earlier. You'll want to fork blend it again and then brush it generously over both loaves. Once the oven is ready put in your loaves on a middle rack and let them back for twenty minutes. At that point add tin foil over them loosely tented and let it bake for another twelve minutes.
Pull out, and enjoy! Honey and butter make it irresistible.
I hope this post has helped you learn about the Shabbat and how to incorporate it into your own lives! And if nothing else, enjoy the deliciousness of fresh baked challah!
An edited version of this Post was Published at Radical Christian Woman
An edited version of this Post was Published at Radical Christian Woman
