Sabbath, 6of9

 ~ God Required Worship On The Sabbath ~

 

Introduction  ~  In the Old Testament the Sabbath was established as part of The Law.  The Sabbath is observed from sundown Friday evening through sundown Saturday evening.  In the New Testament the law of God is written on believers’ hearts (Romans 2:12-16) rather than on tablets of stone.  It is the heart’s attitude which now supersedes outward obedience (Romans 10:10).  Following Christ’s resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week, the Disciples and later the Church have observed their day of rest on Sunday in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7). 

 

Passages  ~  “Thus says the Lord God: ‘The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.  The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost.  The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings.  He shall worship at the threshold of the gate.  Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.  Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons.  The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil [about 1.5 gallons or 5.7 liters] with every ephah.  On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish.  He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.  When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way’” (Ezekiel 46:1-8). 

 

“Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony.  And we were staying in that city for some days.  And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.  Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us.  She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’  So she persuaded us” (Acts 16:11-15). 

 

Comment  ~  Once we see the concept of a day set aside – apart – from normal activities to reflect upon our God.  

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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