Should I Keep The Sabbath Day Holy?

This article serves as a continuation of the main article:” SHABBAT DAY” in which the meaning of the word “Shabbat” was explained and different Shabbat days listed.

A lot of people today avoid keeping the Shabbat day holy and buttress their point on Colossians 2:16-17 while backing it up with the claim that our savior resurrected on the first day, as such, the Sabbath day has changed. Some go forward to claim that there’s no day upon which a man should be tied to. Let us look at these. An issue to comprehend is that Colossians 2:16-17 is saying the same thing as Hebrews 10:1.

The make-up of the Law (Torah) was referred to as the shadow and not the reality. For more comprehension about the make-up, take a look at the article on “The Grace,subtitled: the Law vs. the Grace”.

A good look into the Torah reveals the fact that the 7^th day Sabbath remains special and different in many ways from the other Sabbaths aforementioned. It is in the following ways:

1.       The 7^th day Sabbath was instituted right from the creation of the world, even before the emergence of sin and the subsequent conception of the Torah and then, the Grace.

2.       The 7^th day Shabbat serves as part of the Ten Commandments (the Covenant/ testament of God). The Ten Commandments/ the Covenant, also known as the Royal law (see Love- the ten commandments), is shown to be special in that though it is in the Law but it stands outside the Law. Taking a look at the following points:

a.       In the design of the tabernacle (of which the Covenant is the major reason of its existence), the Torah, after it was written, was placed beside the Ark of the Covenant (Deut. 31:26). The tablet containing the testament still occupied its position inside the ark though it (the Ten Commandments were written in the Law).

b.      Yehoshua, our savior, made it vivid in Mathew 22:37-40 that the Torah and the Prophets hang upon the two great commandments of Love (which by extension is the ten commandments, explained in the articles “Love” and “Love- the ten commandments”). This means that the existence/ essence of the Torah and the prophets and even the Grace is because of the Ten Commandments. The article-“Sin” elucidated on this.

c.       The Ark of the Covenant still remain intact in heaven as seen in Revelation 11:19. Moses built a pattern of the heavenly one using physical materials (that is why Hebrews 9:1-28, a precursor to Hebrews chapter 10, referred to the tabernacle, as built by Moses, as that made with hands and also as pattern, vs. 23). A great insight to gain is that:

i.                     The Torah served as the ordinances of the divine service for the Covenant (Hebrews 9:1)

ii.                   Just like the covenant for which it exists, the Torah is also physical (Romans 8:3), a pattern/ plan/ image and not a reality.

iii.                  As the Law is towards the Covenant, so is the Grace towards the Covenant. That is, the grace serves as the ordinances of divine service towards the Covenant. Note well that the Covenant associated with the Torah was the one referred to as the old Covenant while that of the Grace is the new Covenant in Yeremayahu (Jeremiah 31:31 and Hebrews 8:13; both containing the same ten commandments unaltered.

Seeing the specialty of the Ten Commandments and subsequently the 7^th day Sabbath, we will take a look into the fact that a school of thought lay claim that the Christ rose on the first day and thus, this event changed the eternal covenant of God. A truthful inquiry into the bible shows vividly that our savior did not resurrect on the first day. Such misconception about the resurrection stems from the fact that the day following the day of his death was Sabbath. Such people who propagated the idea dwelt only on the 7^th day Sabbath but it is well noted that our savior died on the day of Passover. The next day, which follows the Passover, is the first day of the Unleavened bread, which as stated, is a Sabbath! It is well to note that from the 6^th day of the week (referred to as Good Friday to the First day of the week (Easter Sunday) is not three days and three nights as our savior, as written, stayed in the grave three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40; Mark 8:31). When did the women prepare the spices the brought for his body?

Finally, one fact we should have in mind that Yehoshua with the Grace given through him, just like Moses with the Torah, served as the mediator of the Covenant and not to change the Covenant of God. The 7^th day Sabbath remains true, unaltered and should and must be kept holy.