For those who are new to the idea of Torah*, you will see us every Saturday posting the term “Shabbat shalom.” "Shabbat" is Hebrew for “Sabbath” and it refers to the Seventh Day Rest that God created in the very beginning.
On our Gregorian calendar, the "seventh day" happens to fall on "Saturday" – and it is our weekly “date” with our Awesome Creator – a complete 24 hours of REST/ceasing from work, which starts at Sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening.
(*A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THE WORD "TORAH": For those who are new to the idea of "Torah", it refers to the first five Books of the Bible that contain all of our Creator’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness, without which we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living.)
Anyway, the Seventh Day Sabbath is not only the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11), but also “a sign” between YAHWEH-ELOHIM* and His people (which includes ALL who accept Him and His Divine Messiah, Yeshua!)… See Exodus 31:16 -17; Ezekiel 20:11-12; Exodus 20:8-11.)
*A NOTE ABOUT YHWH: Before I go on, I need to mention that you will see me referring to the actual Name of God, which is, as mentioned above, YAHWEH, often seen written simply as YHWH, the Name He revealed to Moshe/Moses, as seen in the following passage:
Exodus 3: 13 And Mosheh said to Elohim, "See, when I come to the children of Yisra'el and say to them, 'The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His Name?' what shall I say to them?" 14 And Elohim said to Mosheh, "I am that which I am." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Yisra'el, 'I am has sent me to you.'" (ISR)
NOTE: The Hebrew text reads: ’eyeh ’asher ’eyeh, the word ’eyeh being derived from hayah which means to be, to exist, but the Aramaic text here in v. 14 reads: ayah ashar ayah. This is not His Name, but it is an explanation that leads up to the revelation of His Name in v. 15, namely: .
Exodus 3:15 And Elohim said further to Mosheh, "Thus you are to say to the children of Yisra'el, ' Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Yitsh'aq, and the Elohim of Ya'aqob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance to all generations.' (ISR)
The English transliteration of the Hebrew letters "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey" is YHWH. Thus, God Himself revealed His Name to us, and man has had access to it all along; but, ironically, traditional Jews refuse to utter his Name for fear of mispronouncing it or misspelling it, etc.; while, on the other hand, you'll never hear the Father's Name mentioned in most Christian churches as they are all concentrating on "Jesus" whom they erroneously believe came to replace the Father and abolish all his original Divine instructions/ teachings in the Torah.
NOW, BACK TO THE EXPLANATION OF THE SEVENTH DAY SHABBAT: YAHWEH our Elohim – the creator of the universe and everything and everyone in it - established the Seventh Day as a Holy Day of REST for all. It is a day to cease working and just relax, refresh and enjoy life, and glorifying Him.
This was never an option, but one of the Ten Commandments, something that Yeshua (whom Christians call Jesus) never abolished! (Yeshua’s Hebrew Name means “YHWH is Salvation.”)
We can see the Sabbath mentioned throughout the entire Torah and the rest of what is erroneously referred to as "The Old Testament." Take a look. (All references are from the Complete Jewish Bible):
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. 2 On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce.
Exodus 31:16 The people of Isra'el are to keep the Shabbat, to observe Shabbat through all their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the people of Isra'el forever; for in six days ADONAI made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and rested.'"
Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them my laws and showed them my rulings; if a person obeys them, he will have life through them. 12 I gave them my shabbats as a sign between me and them, so that they would know that I, ADONAI, am the one who makes them holy.
Exodus 20:8 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property. 11 For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.
Isaiah 56: 2 Happy is the person who does this, anyone who grasps it firmly, who keeps Shabbat and does not profane it, and keeps himself from doing any evil. 3 A foreigner joining ADONAI should not say, "ADONAI will separate me from his people"; likewise the eunuch should not say, "I am only a dried-up tree." 4 For here is what ADONAI says: "As for the eunuchs who keep my Shabbats, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant: 5 in my house, within my walls, I will give them power and a name greater than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
6 "And the foreigners who join themselves to ADONAI to serve him, to love the name of ADONAI, and to be his workers, all who keep Shabbat and do not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant, 7 I will bring them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
Isaiah 58: 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, ADONAI'S holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in ADONAI - I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya'akov, for the mouth of ADONAI has spoken."
Isaiah 66: 23 And it shall be that from one New Moon to another New Moon and from one Sabbath to another Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 17: 21 Here is what ADONAI says: "If you value your lives, don't carry anything on Shabbat or bring it in through the gates of Yerushalayim; 22 don't carry anything out of your houses on Shabbat; and don't do any work. Instead, make Shabbat a holy day. I ordered your ancestors to do this, 23 but they neither listened nor paid attention; rather, they stiffened their necks, so that they wouldn't have to hear or receive instruction. 24 However, if you will pay careful heed to me," says ADONAI "and carry nothing through the gates of this city on Shabbat, but instead make Shabbat a day which is holy and not for doing work;
...And YES, the Sabbath WAS mentioned throughout the New Testament as well. See Matthew 11:28; 12:1–14 and 23:4; along with Mark 2:27, to mention just a few.
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