Establishing the Faith to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
Greetings, Wayne, a servant of God, by the grace of God, teaching truth under the authority of Jesus Christ to any who are willing to receive it, or as Jesus put it, to any who have ears to hear. I will be the words in green. Purple highlights in the scriptures are key words of truth.
We will begin with the truth about the seventh day of the week, Saturday, the Sabbath Day, a day that was created for man as a day of rest as well as a day to worship God.
Rule of Thumb
The bible, the word of God, interprets the bible; therefore God teaches and gives understanding, wisdom, and knowledge to all who pray and seek Him with all the heart.
Notice God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah:
Jer 29:12 Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And when does this happen?
Jer 29:13 And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
Now let us go to the prophet Isaiah for instruction about knowledge and understanding:
Isa 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
This of course requires time and study.
Isa 28:10 For precept [a command or principle] must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
And we will be going here a little and there a little.
The more time you spend in the books of the bible, the more you begin to recognize common themes or teachings, along with certain revelations which I like to call “hidden gems of truth”.
Jesus said scripture can not be broken, which means, in the original Greek that the New Testament was written in, it can not be destroyed.
Notice an example here from Jesus Christ:
Joh 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
One of the reasons the scriptures cannot be broken or destroyed is because they contain many prophecies, some already fulfilled, like the ones Jesus Himself fulfilled during His ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.
Here are a couple of verses from Jesus to keep in mind about the Old Testament, a name given by men which can cause one to think that what is written therein has no relevance for us today; nothing could be further from the truth. Notice:
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets [Old Testament]: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil [to fulfill prophesy].
Mat 5:18 For verily [truly] I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, [why?] till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
And this is important because the Pharisees were the highest authority claiming to be of God at that time, who Jesus Himself called out for not following the will of God, a common theme with religious authorities that has occurred throughout the generations right up to our present time.
If I had to sum up the importance of Christ’s teachings it would be with these eight words: “embed the words in red into your head”. They are the words of God; they are the words of truth.
Notice, from Jesus, about words of truth while praying to God the Father:
Joh 17:17 Sanctify [set apart to make Holy] them through your truth: your word is truth.
With that last scripture in mind, let us continue into the next section:
Establishing Faith
Faith is mentioned 247 times in the bible, only twice in the Old Testament, 245 times in the New Testament. Here are the two from the Old Testament:
Deu 32:20 And he [God] said, I will hide my face from them [the people of God, the twelve tribes of Israel, the house of Israel], I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward [perverse; turned away from what is right or good; corrupt] generation, children in whom is no faith.
It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for faith in Deu 32:20 includes the meaning “established” and “truth” so we see that the cause of their lack of faith was as a result of not being established in the truth by staying close to God which would have cemented their faith.
Here is the second verse from the Old Testament regarding faith:
Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Here the Hebrew word for faith includes the meanings “firmness” and “truth”, so the just shall live by his firmness in the faith, brought about by the truth that he has taken the time to prove.
The apostle Paul understood this. Notice:
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
This requires taking time to study to come into the knowledge of the truth:
2Ti 2:15 Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Can we trust God’s words of Truth? King David of the house of Israel sure did. Notice the confidence here:
Ps 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Is it better to trust God’s words of truth over the words of men who introduce their own doctrines?
Ps 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
Coming into the knowledge of the truth requires a readiness of mind, putting God first above all, and searching the scriptures to prove all things, which builds faith. However, being established in the truth will not be without trials.
Notice here from the Apostle Peter:
1Pe 4:12 Beloved [speaking to those who repented or turned back to God and His laws, got baptized, and became committed followers of Jesus Christ], think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Because that exceeding joy will come from receiving eternal life.
Now let’s look at faith in the New Testament which was written in Greek. Here is the first time Jesus mentions the word faith in the New Testament. It comes during His “be not anxious for basic needs” teaching:
Mat 6:30 Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Now remember, the people He is talking to are the descendants of the house of Israel mentioned in Deu 32:20 who, if you remember, were also described as lacking in faith.
Here is the second time He mentions the word faith after being impressed with the faith of a Roman Centurion:
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Not to be confused with the Jewish state of Israel which was proclaimed on May 14, 1948, but speaking of the people or descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel or house of Israel in which Judah (the Jews) were only one tribe. I will cover that in the future, God willing, under another topic.
Again it is interesting to note that the context of faith in the second mentioning of faith from Mat 8:10 lines up with the second faith mentioning in Hab 2:4 where it says the just shall live by his faith – firmness in the faith. In Mat 8:10, Jesus marvelled at the Centurions firmness of faith.
Let us look at the original Greek for both the first and second use of the word faith in the New Testament:
In the first verse, Mat 6:30, the Greek word means “lacking confidence” and in the second verse, Mat 8:10, the Greek word means “persuasion; moral conviction; believe”.
Again, the exact opposite of the first which was lack of faith. Here are some words of God the Father on the importance of believing in Jesus the son:
Jn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But in order to believe in Him, you first have to learn of Him.
See here, Jesus’ own words:
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls.
And truly, firmness of faith is rest unto the spirit.
The Sabbath Day
Now that we have learned that faith is established by diligently studying the scriptures, being persuaded and morally convicted by them, and holding firm to the truth, let us look at God’s fourth commandment which is to remember the seventh day, the Sabbath day, and to keep it Holy.
And looking at any calendar, we see that the seventh day is Saturday. Is the seventh day the day that God sanctified (made Holy)? Let us see:
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
We have a day of the week established. Now all we need is scriptures to tie it to the Sabbath. These should do, speaking of the fourth commandment:
Exo 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shall you labour, and do all your work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates:
Tying the seventh day to the Sabbath. And again:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it [made it holy].
Tying the seventh day sanctification to its intended purpose –keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.
Now we have to see if the seven day cycle has ever been changed at any time in history. Ask any search engine on the internet and you will discover that the seven day cycle has never changed.
But is this the day we should actually be worshipping God? Yes it is. Here God speaks to anyone who has ears to hear through the prophet Isaiah:
Isa 66:23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the LORD.
Now let us make sure that Jesus did not intend to do away with that law, the fourth commandment, to Keep the seventh day Sabbath Holy.
Jesus refers to Himself as Lord of the Sabbath so I guess He should have the final say about the Sabbath.
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath Day
Mar 2:27 And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man [all mankind], and not man for the Sabbath:
Mat 12:8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you worshipping God on the day Jesus is Lord of? It is important that we understand that the Old Testament laws are still considered to be in effect by Jesus Himself, and that they were not nailed to the cross with Him at His crucifixion.
Let us have a review of what He said about the law, the Old Testament law, the only law that existed at that time:
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Some bibles will have a star or some other symbol next to a verse in the Old Testament to show that it is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. At the end of the verse is usually a small New Testament reference to see how Jesus fulfilled it, just as the prophecy said He would.
Notice here what Jesus said to His disciples, after His crucifixion and resurrection:
Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Jesus Himself telling us where those prophecies are found.
In time, God willing, you will come to see that Jesus was the God of the Old Testament and that He introduced God the Father in the New Testament - two beings.
Notice the plural use of the word “us” and “our” in the following scripture:
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
Write these scriptures down for a personal study if you like on how the Word, Jesus Christ, was with God, and was God, and became flesh: Jn 1:1-18 for the Apostle John’s account; and 1Co 10:1-4 to see that the Apostle Paul understood the same as the Apostle John.
And if you would like to see the truth of the fourth commandment, to keep the Sabbath Day Holy, you can read it among God’s Ten Commandments given in Exo 20:1-17 and again in Deu 5:1-22.
Now we will go back to the New Testament to see Jesus, who said He was not going to destroy the law, confirm the Ten commandments were still in effect. We will go to the rich young man example in the book of Mathew:
The Rich Young Man
Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why call you me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the commandments.
Is He referring to the Ten commandments given in the Old Testament? Next two verses:
Mat 19:18 He said unto him, Which? Jesus said, you shall do no murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness,
Mat 19:19 Honour your father and your mother: and, you shall love your neighbour as yourself.
Mat 19:20 The young man said unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If you will be perfect, go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Fulfilling the following teaching from Jesus:
Luk 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Remember, God calls those who seek Him with the whole heart. And yes, it is God the Father who does the calling and then He places them into the hands or authority of Jesus the Christ when they are baptized.
Here, confirmed by Jesus:
Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which has sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Speaking of a resurrection or awakening to eternal life at Christ's return:
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that has heard, and has learned of the Father, comes unto me.
And here again:
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
It is a gift of God.
If you are seeking God the Father with your whole heart, you will find Him. I know because, first of all He says so (Jer 29:13), and secondly, I did seek Him with my whole heart, letting nothing stand in my way.
And so, I did find Him and learned of Him, and I am now in the hands of Jesus Christ teaching about Him.
Continuing with the rich young man:
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Here is an example of all things being possible with God, from Jesus himself, dealing with a tax collector who was rich, partly no doubt, by defrauding his neighbors as we will see.
We go to the book of Luke:
Jesus and Zacchaeus
Luk 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
Luk 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans [tax collectors], and he was rich.
Luk 19:3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press [a large number of people], because he was little of stature.
Luk 19:4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at your house.
He was about to set an example of how all things are possible with God, even concerning the rich:
Luk 19:6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
The right attitude for starters:
Luk 19:7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, that he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner.
A very interesting point, but consider this teaching from Jesus while bringing Mathew, who was also a tax collector into His fold. Notice:
Mat 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from there, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Mat 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Mat 9:11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners?
Mat 9:12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Mat 9:13 But go you and learn what that means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Jesus Himself confirming His role for sinners of the world, along with repentance being a requirement before baptism.
Now continuing with the rich man example:
Luk 19:8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
Luk 19:9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
A son of Abraham, meaning a descendant from the twelve tribes or sons of Abraham’s grandson Jacob whose name God changed to Israel (Gen 32:28).
Luk 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
A deep study in the Old Testament of the covenant God made with the house of Israel and the breaking of that covenant (see the teaching on "Repentance"), involving betrayal and turning away from God’s laws, is required to understand that saying because it was the descendants of the house of Israel whom Jesus was working with when He first started His ministry.
Then later after His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God the Father, salvation or a place in the Kingdom of God was made available to the Gentiles. Notice:
Ps 98:3 He has remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
And another:
Isa 45:17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: you shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
Again, including the Gentiles:
Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob [Israel], and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the end [ends] of the earth.
Lost Sheep
Jesus referred to the descendants of the house of Israel as lost sheep. Notice:
Jer 50:6 My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray [from the truth and commandments of God] , they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.
And what did Jesus say about these lost sheep of the house of Israel during His ministry?
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And these were they who the disciples were instructed to go to first. Look here:
Mat 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not:
Mat 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It was not until the book of Acts that God revealed, through the Apostle Peter, that salvation or entrance into the Kingdom of God was now being made to the Gentiles – the whole world.
You can read about the account in Acts 10 beginning in verse 9 and continuing through to verse 48. But here are a few summary scriptures:
Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision [descendants of the house of Israel] which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost [Spirit].
And here, the Apostle Paul confirming in his letter to the Roman brethren or called of God who were Gentiles:
Rom 3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only [Judah, one of the 12 tribes of the house of Israel]? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
And confirming God doing the calling:
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Again, regarding salvation to the Gentiles:
Rom 15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing unto your name.
Again, regarding both Gentiles and the house of Israel:
Rom 15:10 And again he said, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people [the house of Israel].
Rom 15:11 And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; and laud him, all you people.
Rom 15:12 And again, Esaias [Isaiah] said, there shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
A prophecy speaking of Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of the whole world. Will you trust Him?
Let us go back and finish up with the “rich young man” account in Mathew 19 beginning with verse 27 where Peter asks Jesus what the reward of His followers would be:
Mat 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That you which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And for the rest?
Mat 19:29 And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Mat 19:30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
In conclusion, I will leave you with some verses to meditate on regarding the Sabbath day, which is kept or observed from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday – even to even, or evening to evening.
The first verse will be an example of the same time period of worshipping God on a Sabbath day – in this case, a High Sabbath or High day, the Day of Atonement, which is a day of fasting, which will be, again God willing, covered in a future teaching on God’s Holy Days:
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and you shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even [sunset], from even unto even [a 24 hour fast in a 24 hour period from sunset to sunset], shall you celebrate [keep] your Sabbath.
And reminders of the weekly seventh day Sabbath:
Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Exo 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy.
Lev 19:30 You shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
Deu 5:12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD your God has commanded you.
Isa 56:2 Blessed is the man that does this, and the son of man that lays hold on it; that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
Jer 17:22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do you any work, but hallow the Sabbath day [keep it Holy], as I commanded your fathers.
Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them [set them apart for a Holy purpose apart from the rest of the world].
Here is a final "gem of truth" concerning faith from the Apostle Paul:
Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Which is the truth of God [Joh 17:17]. Do you now have the faith, based on the truth of God, to keep the Sabbath Day Holy?
Now you know when and how to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. Is this what God is looking for? From Jesus:
Joh 4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.
Freely I have received, freely I have given.
Farewell,
Servanthood