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Sabbath Pictures

The Forgotten Commandment 

Late one particular night, as I was driving home, I was lost in thought about a life threatening crisis my thirteen-year old son was in at the time.  As I drove into a small town I began looking for speed limit signs, but not quite fast enough. In the oncoming lane, I saw a police officer just as he made a U-turn, turned on his lights, and pulled in behind me. I realized immediately that I probably was going to get a ticket for speeding. 

He came to the window and said, “Ma’am you were going 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.” I said something about missing the sign and proceeded to pull my driver’s license out to hand to him. “Are you sleepy?” he asked. It was near midnight, but actually I was not falling asleep. I was just distressed about what was going on with my son. I mumbled something to him about my son and his crisis situation, and he asked how old my son was. Then he took my license to scan it. I knew I deserved a ticket, but I still didn’t want it. I had enough to worry about right now. Coming back to the window, he stated simply, “This looks good, but slow down so you can take care of your son. You have a good night, ma’am.” 

Grace, I was experiencing grace.

Experiencing Grace

I knew what I had done was wrong, the law hadn’t changed, but I had been forgiven.  Now, every time I drive through that small town, I am a very law abiding citizen. I always go the speed limit. I will never forget the kindness of that police officer to a mother in distress.  We too are under grace.  Christ died to make up for the fact that we have all broken the law; we were a planet in distress.  The law could not be changed, but he died in our place to satisfy the claims of the law.

We should never forget that sacrifice for us, and when we encounter the law of the heavenly kingdom, we, with thanksgiving in our hearts, should be good commandment keeping citizens.

James 2:10 says, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  

The fourth commandment is like God’s seal, it reminds us that he is the Creator and the rightful owner of this world.

This commandment states that the seventh day is the Sabbath.  The Sabbath had its origin in Eden, being made on the seventh day of Creation week.  God rested on that day, blessed it, and sanctified it—setting it apart for holy and sacred use. (Gen. 2:1-3, Ex. 31:17)

The keeping of God’s law, and particularly the Sabbath, is a special sign between God and His people. (Ezekiel 20:11,12)  

 Ezekiel 20:19,20  I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

Christ Himself, who made the Sabbath, gave us an example of Sabbath keeping.  Luke 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 

In the time he was here on earth, Jesus taught us about the Sabbath.  Mark 2:27,29  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. He also anticipated that the Sabbath would continue to be observed following his ascension.  He warned the disciples of a time of trouble saying,  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: Matt. 24:20 

The Bible lets us know without a shadow of a doubt that the commandments of God and the Sabbath will forever be kept by God’s people.

Until the end of time here on earth-- Revelation 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 

And even in the new earth-- Isaiah 66:22,23  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 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, saith the LORD.

So, why do many Christians worship on Sunday?

Daniel 7:25 tells us of a kingdom represented by the little horn of the fourth beast, who defies God and tries to change times and laws.   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…In an effort to unite paganism and Christianity, Constantine did just this in the early part of the fourth century.  “Unquestionably, the first law, either ecclesiastical or civil, by which the Sabbatical observance of that day [Sunday] is known to have been ordained, is the edict of Constantine, AD 321.”  –Chamber’s Encyclopedia, article “Sabbath”

The Catholic Church carried on this blending of paganism and Christianity and recognizes the unbiblical nature of Sunday worship.

“Sunday is a Catholic institution , and it’s claim to observance can be defended only by Catholic principles… From beginning to end of Scripture there is not a single passage that warrants the transfer of weekly public worship from the last day of the week to the first.”   Catholic Press, Sydney, Australia, August 1900

They claim to have the authority to change God’s law.  “Of course, the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act;…And the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters.” Cardinal Gibbons, letter dated July 7, 1895.

With not a shred of biblical evidence for the observance of Sunday, and multiple Bible texts supporting the Seventh day Sabbath--Saturday, we then have a choice to make. Do we obey God’s law or follow the traditions of man. Colossians 2:8   Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9 

A gift from his own hand. Let us strive to enter into that rest, remembering the price of the grace exercised toward us, the death of God’s dear son, our Savior, who died to satisfiy the claims of the law.

 He asks but one thing in return.      If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

It's all in the Hebrew Name! 

Most people understand the Abba, Father part of the word S-abba-th.

Mark 14:36  "And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." 

Romans 8:15  "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." 

Galatians 4:6  "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." 

In the Hebrew alphabet the different letters have literal meanings. 

The English "T" or "TH" is called "Tav" in Hebrew and it looks like this "ת". It's literal meaning is "Mark, Sign"

In Hebrew, the English "S" is called "Shin" or "Shem" and it looks like this "ש". (Although there seems to be some disagreement among sources as to whether it is "shin" or "shem".)

If you look up this name "Shem" in Strong's concordance, it lists it as number H8034 and it's meaning is "an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character...name"

I choose to go with the word "Shem" because that meaning for the word "Sabbath" agrees with the scriptures.

Ezekiel 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."

Exodus 31:13  "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."

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We also see that the seventh-day Sabbath was instituted and set aside as holy at Creation as a sign or memorial of God's work and His creative power.

Genesis 2:2-3 "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested [shâbath] on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested [shâbath] from all his work which God created and made. 

Exodus 31:17  It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

We also see that as the spiritual "children of Israel" we still keep this day as a sign of our allegiance to the Creator!

 Hebrews 4:4-9  "For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." 

We will even be keeping it in heaven!

Isaiah 66:22-23  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the    LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 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, saith the LORD. 

 The Four Gold Rings 

In the Hebrew sanctuary there were 4 gold rings on the Table of Shewbread, 4 gold rings on the Ark of the Covenant,  and 4 gold rings on the breastplate.

The ephod was made like the veil in the sanctuary (see Ex. 26:31 & 28:6)

The ephod represented Christ just like the veil represented Christ (Heb. 10:20)

The breastplate contained stones with the names of each of the twelve tribes engraved on them (Ex. 28:21). So the breastplate represents God's church.

The connection is His seal, the Sabbath, in the heart of the Law of God!

"The Sabbath is a golden clasp that unites God and His people."  Testimonies for the Church vol. 6 p.351

Rings were used by kings as a seal of their government. When official documents were drawn up, the king would put melted wax or clay on them and then press his ring into it to make an impression. This was considered the king's seal. The Sabbath is God's official seal of His authority.  And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.  Ezekial 20:20

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The Seal of God 

All official seals contain three parts - Name, Title, Territory. Example: The seal of the president contains all three.

George Bush - President - United States of America

Barrack Obama - President - United States of America

Just as man made seals contain these three parts, so the Seal of God contains them.

It is placed in the very center - the heart - of the Law. 

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Science Confirms the Sabbath

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.  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.  Genesis 2:2,3

Our bodies have designed on the seven day cycle since Creation. Just as the body has a natural daily clock (circadian rhythm) it also has a weekly clock (circaseptan rhythm). Circaseptan rhythms are just that: body rhythms that run about 7 days in length. Medically, some that have been identified include, heart rate, swelling after surgery (more on the 7th & 14th day), and rejection of transplanted organs.  

In France during the French Revolution, they experimented with a ten-day (metric) week.  It had disasterous results. Their mental institutions filled rather quickly to capacity and then some.  At various other times in history different weekly cycles have been tried, but all have reverted back to the 7 day week.

Author, Kevin Trudeau says resting Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is the best time to rest.  "Resting during this time promotes the optimal rejuvenation of cells." 

This is interesting because God says, "...from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."  Leviticus 23:32

Truely,  ... The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:  Mark 2:27

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"It's Jewish"