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Remember The Sabbath Day To Keep It Holy -By Joe Dauda

The purpose of God in instituting the Sabbath is for it to serve as a memorial of creation; and it is creation that gives God the right to make laws. God wants you to rest — one day every week. This does not mean you slumber in absolute inactivity.

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Some misguided and overzealous (or innocently ignorant) Sabbath keepers do not cook on Sabbath days, condemning themselves to eating cold or even stale food prepared on Fridays before sundown. Some go as far as skipping food altogether, thereby turning that happy day into a perpetual fast.

During the time of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees had, over centuries, turned the Sabbath day into a burdensome tradition that made it a source of anguish. Without abolishing the Sabbath (which He had several opportunities to do if He had wanted to) Jesus Christ unburdened Sabbath keeping from these man-made rules by showing that you can do the needful (including entering a farm) to eat on the Sabbath day. His healing of the sick on that holy day was also targeted at freeing the people from the false teachings of the Pharisees who forbade any sort of activity on the Sabbath day — including acts of mercy imposed by circumstances, like having to tend to a sick or depressed person. Interestingly, these Pharisees only used the Sabbath day to bind the people. They were hypocrites! If any of their animals mistakenly fell into a pit on the Sabbath day, they immediately pulled up that animal. This was so well-known in the land of Israel that Jesus Christ felt comfortable reminding the Pharisees that this was the norm — Sabbath-keeping did not forbid the saving of animal life. If that was the case (and it was) how much more does Sabbath-keeping not forbid the saving of human life!

Some people have been turned away from Sabbath-keeping because of the ignorance of many Sabbath keepers who do not read clear statements like the one below from the Bible:

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Exodus 12:16
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

In the instructions above for keeping one of the ceremonial Sabbath days, God shows how much respect He has for the satisfaction of basic human needs like the need for food by leading Moses to state (just in case) that His commandment to do no work on the Sabbath day does not include work meant to prepare food. For those so poor they have to even search for the food on the Sabbath day, the experience of the disciples of Jesus Christ entering a corn field on the Sabbath day proves that even that is permissible. If you can afford it, avoid going to the market on Sabbath days. But what if you were paid on a Friday evening and there is no food in the house? My understanding of the scripture is that you can buy enough to feed yourself on the Sabbath day. And if you can only buy a bag of semovita due to budget constraints, then I see nothing wrong if you buy that bag within Sabbath hours. This is the sort of genuine case where we can truly say God understands. So the issue is not just in guarding against teachings that result in the trampling of the Sabbath day (by ignoring it) but also teachings that make the Sabbath a burden beyond God’s commandment. Both of these are dangerous and not scriptural. The purpose of God in instituting the Sabbath is for it to serve as a memorial of creation; and it is creation that gives God the right to make laws. God wants you to rest — one day every week. This does not mean you slumber in absolute inactivity.

If you read Exodus 20:8-11, you will discover that the main thing is to cease from work. What type of work? The Bible says he that does not work should not eat. So we are talking about that work that earns you money. Works of charity and mercy are not only permitted but encouraged, as was the case in the life of Jesus Christ. Physical rest, I believe, should also form part of the Sabbath because the Bible repeatedly says so.

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James 2:10-11
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

If God did not intend that all the Ten Commandments be perpetually kept, why include the above word in the New Testament? And since there are several Sabbath days in the Old Testament, why did God include just one of these in the Ten Commandments?

People saying that the Sabbath day has been changed or that the need for its observance has expired may be risking their entrance into the gates of the New Jerusalem. Be sure about this issue so you don’t end up like the totally disappointed Christians in Matthew 7:21-23 who were active, very productive, confident of their salvation, yet denounced by the Master as workers of iniquity. Iniquity is same as lawlessness. So beware!

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Revelation 22:14
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Humbly, honestly, what Commandments do you think the Bible is referring to in Revelation 22:14 above? Of course it’s the Ten Commandments. Remember that Revelation is a New Testament Book — the last Book of the Bible. And that Book (written for last day Christians like you and me) is warning you about the Ten Commandments. Don’t later blame God! The Ten Commandments are your passport to the New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:14. If anyone says that is salvation by works, tell that person that it was after Israel had been delivered from Egypt that God gave them the Ten Commandments. The deliverance from Egypt is equivalent to the born-again experience. That means the Ten Commandments is not for sinners but for the children of God! Knowing it does not save you — just like having a mirror cannot fix your unkempt hair. But having a mirror enables you to fix your unkempt hair. Breaking the Sabbath day dishonours God and anyone who believes in the Ten Commandments knows this so that, when he breaks that commandment, he repents and receives forgiveness. But those who do not believe the Ten Commandments do not have this mirror. Or they are ignoring this mirror. And they will be shocked on the last day. Revelation 22:14; Matthew 7:21-23.

It is the Antichrist that changed the Sabbath day. And God told Daniel about this. Furthermore, Jesus Christ said you need to pay attention to Daniel to understand His message in Matthew 24, which focuses on the end-time. Matthew 24:15.

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Daniel 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:

The only law of time in the Ten Commandments is the Sabbath Commandment. And it has been changed. This change is the only reason why Christians do not keep the Sabbath. But in light of Daniel 7:25, what are you going to tell God was your reason for not obeying His Commandment on the Sabbath? Don’t you know that God has 10 Commandments? Why are you upholding just 9? I know you believe that stealing or committing adultery or bearing false witness is sin. Then why should breaking the Sabbath day not also be sinful? James 2:10.

Do you think God will be swayed by the fact that 99% of Christians keep a different day? A day he never commanded?

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Do you know how many Israelites entered the land of Canaan?

Just two out of the men of war who were above 20 during the exodus from Egypt.

Two men only?

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Two out of what number?

Exodus 12:37
And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. Also see Numbers 1:45-46.

Remember Noah; remember Lot; Remember Caleb and Joshua.

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Compared to the billions and billions that have lived on this earth, it’s only a very few people that will enter the New Jerusalem. And one of the reasons for this is because you — yes, you — will never accept any biblical truth except your Pastor or General Overseer agrees with it or except that truth is so popular it does not make you look odd. But popular things become traditions yet the commandment of God is the only true basis of acceptable worship. Christmas is popular but God is neither honoured by it nor did He ever command it. You think He forgot?

Matthew 15:3,9
[3]But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
[9]But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

But how is it possible to worship God in vain?

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By ignoring His Commandments, such as the one that separates the days of the week by divine authority and declares the seventh day as holy and sanctified. Genesis 2:2-3.

May God have mercy on all of us.

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