📖 What Is the Sabbath? Why Did YAH Give It? What Are We Doing When We Keep It?
✅ 1. What Is the Sabbath?
- The Sabbath is the 7th day of the week, which is what we today call Saturday (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset).
- It is a day that God set apart (made holy) from creation.
“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 2:3)
- Sanctified means set apart for a special purpose — made holy.
- God rested on the 7th day after creating everything, and He gave this day as a memorial (reminder) of His creation power.
✅ 2. Why Did YAH Give the Sabbath?
- To remind Israel (and all who follow Him) that He is the Creator and the one who sanctifies them (makes them holy).
- To give them rest from their work, to focus on Him, His Word, His ways.
“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.”
(Ezekiel 20:12)
“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.”
(Exodus 31:17)
- The Sabbath is a sign that YAH is our God, and that He is the one who makes us holy, not ourselves.
- It also points to the future rest in the Kingdom of God, which is still to come.
✅ 3. What Are We Doing When We Keep the Sabbath? (Isaiah 58)
When we keep the Sabbath:
- We stop doing our own work.
- We stop doing our own pleasure.
- We call the Sabbath a delight, not a burden.
- We honor YAH by putting aside our ways and focusing on Him.
“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:”
(Isaiah 58:13)
- Turn away your foot from the Sabbath means stop trampling over it or treating it like any other day.
- Doing your pleasure means doing your own business, hobbies, shopping, games, or anything that distracts you from focusing on God.
- Honoring Him means dedicating the day to worship, prayer, study, fellowship, and good works (like helping the poor — see Isaiah 58:6-7).
Isa 58:6 (KJV) Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Isa 58:13 (KJV) If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
⚠ Why is this important?
- It shows we obey YAH as our God.
- It shows we are different from the world who does not rest or worship on His day.
- It helps us remember who made us, who saved us, and that our life depends on Him alone.
- It is also a test of obedience. God gave Israel the Sabbath to prove them:
“That I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.”
(Exodus 16:4)
🔥 What does YAH promise if we keep it?
“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth…”
(Isaiah 58:14)
- He will bless us, honor us, and give us joy and peace.
- But if we refuse to keep it, we dishonor Him and will fall short of entering His future rest.
✅ Summary (At 9th Grade Level):
| What Is the Sabbath? | Why Was It Given? | What Are We Doing When We Keep It? |
| The 7th day of the week (Saturday) | As a sign to know YAH is God and Creator | Stop our work, stop our pleasure, focus on YAH |
| A day to rest, set apart by God | To remind us He is our sanctifier and provider | Honor God by worshipping, studying, doing good works |
| A sign of God’s covenant | To prepare us for the future Kingdom rest | Trust YAH fully, obey Him, and show faith in His Word |
📖 Precept Lesson: The Sabbath Remains — Hebrews 4 Explained
🎯 Theme:
To prove by precepts that Hebrews 4 does not abolish the 7th-day Sabbath, but confirms its continued observance as a sign of the future rest (the Kingdom of God), and warns both the sinner and the believer to fear transgressing God’s commandment, especially the Sabbath law.
🔹 Key Scriptures: Hebrews 4:1, 8-11 (KJV)
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”
(Hebrews 4:1)
“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.”
(Hebrews 4:8-9)
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
(Hebrews 4:11)
🔹 Precept 1: The Sabbath Was Established at Creation
“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 2:3)
- The Sabbath was sanctified by God Himself before there was an Israelite, showing its perpetual sanctity.
🔹 Precept 2: The Sabbath Commandment Is Part of God’s Law
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God…”
(Exodus 20:8-10)
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever…”
(Exodus 31:17)
- The Sabbath is a sign forever. Hebrews 4 does not declare this law abolished.
🔹 Precept 3: The Sabbath Is a Shadow of the Future Rest (Not Abolished Yet)
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Which are a shadow of things to come…”
(Colossians 2:16-17)
- The weekly Sabbath is a shadow of the coming Kingdom rest — meaning it still stands as a sign until the fulfillment comes.
- Hebrews 4 affirms this — it does not remove the shadow but confirms it remains.
🔹 Precept 4: Hebrews 4 Warns of Missing the Coming Rest (Kingdom)
“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
(Hebrews 4:7)
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
(Hebrews 4:11)
- Literal lesson:
Hebrews 4 warns that believers must labor (work, strive, obey God’s laws) to enter the future rest (Kingdom rest). - Laboring includes obeying the Sabbath commandment, which remains as a sign of that rest (v. 9 — sabbatismos = Sabbath observance).
🔹 Precept 5: The Sabbath Remains (Hebrews 4:9)
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
(Hebrews 4:9)
- Greek word ‘sabbatismos’ = Sabbath-keeping.
- Meaning:
Sabbath observance remains for the people of God until the Kingdom rest is fully entered (Revelation 20-21).
🔹 Precept 6: Warning to the Unrepentant and the Believer
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
(1 John 3:4)
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
(Hebrews 10:26)
- Breaking the Sabbath commandment is still sin.
- Those who willfully transgress after knowing the truth will be judged.
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”
(Acts 17:30)
🔹 Precept 7: The Future Rest (The Kingdom) Is Still to Come
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power…”
(Revelation 20:6)
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth… and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain.”
(Revelation 21:1-4)
- This is the ultimate rest Hebrews 4 refers to — the 7th-day Sabbath is the earthly sign until that day comes.
❗ Conclusion (Literal, Law-focused, Warning included):
- Hebrews 4 does not abolish the 7th-day Sabbath.
- It confirms that Sabbath-keeping remains for God’s people (Hebrews 4:9).
- The believer must labor to keep the Sabbath holy, as it is the sign of the future Kingdom rest.
- Unrepentant sinners who despise the Sabbath will not enter into God’s rest (Hebrews 4:1, 11).
- Believers are warned: Do not fall into unbelief or disobedience by neglecting the Sabbath or any of God’s laws.
✅ 1. When Is the Sabbath?
“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God…”
(Exodus 20:9-10)
- The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week.
- According to Scripture, this is the day following six days of labor, which is what we now call Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
- It is always the seventh day, never the first.
✅ 2. When Does the Sabbath Start and End?
“It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.”
(Leviticus 23:32)
- This is a precept showing God’s reckoning of a day — from evening to evening.
- Evening means sunset.
- Thus, the Sabbath starts at sundown on the sixth day (Friday evening) and ends at sundown on the seventh day (Saturday evening).
✅ 3. Supporting Precepts: Days Begin at Evening
“And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
(Genesis 1:5)
“And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
(Genesis 1:8)
- Throughout creation, God counted the day starting at evening first, then morning.
- This is how biblical days are counted — evening to evening, not midnight to midnight.
✅ 4. Nehemiah Showed the People Closing the Gates Before Sunset (End of the Sixth Day)
“And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut…”
(Nehemiah 13:19)
- Nehemiah had the gates shut before sunset to guard the Sabbath.
- This shows they understood Sabbath begins at sunset on the sixth day.
✅ 🔥 Summary (Scripture Only, Plain Sense):
| What day is the Sabbath? | When does it start? | When does it end? |
| The 7th day of the week (Saturday) | At evening (sunset) on the 6th day (Friday) | At evening (sunset) on the 7th day (Saturday) |
Biblical day = Evening (sunset) to Evening (sunset)
Sabbath = Friday evening to Saturday evening
📖 Lesson Title: The Two Rests — Israel’s Land Rest and the Future Kingdom Rest
🎯 Objective:
To prove by precepts that:
- YAH gave Israel a physical rest in the land of Canaan.
- That rest was not the final rest — the ultimate rest is the coming Kingdom of God.
- Both the unrepentant and the believer are warned to fear falling short of entering the future rest by transgressing God’s laws, especially the Sabbath, which remains as a sign of that coming rest.
🔹 Precept 1: YAH Promised Physical Rest to Israel in Canaan
“And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them…”
(Joshua 21:44)
“And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them…”
(Joshua 22:4)
- This rest was physical peace from enemies and possession of the land.
- It was conditional on obedience (see Deuteronomy 28:1-15).
🔹 Precept 2: Disobedience Would Remove That Physical Rest
“Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee… and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.”
(Deuteronomy 28:48)
“Therefore I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”
(Psalm 95:11)
- The generation that sinned in the wilderness did not enter at all.
- Later generations lost their rest by defiling the land and forsaking the Sabbath (Ezekiel 20:12-24).
🔹 Precept 3: That Land Rest Was Not the Final Rest (Hebrews 4)
“For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
(Hebrews 4:8-9)
- The rest Joshua gave was incomplete.
- David (Psalm 95) spoke of another day of rest, showing the final rest was still future.
🔹 Precept 4: The Final Rest Is the Kingdom of God (Future)
“There remaineth therefore a rest [sabbatismos] to the people of God.”
(Hebrews 4:9)
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth… and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…”
(Revelation 21:1-4)
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power…”
(Revelation 20:6)
- This is the ultimate rest — eternal life in the Kingdom.
- The Sabbath remains as a sign of that rest until it is fulfilled.
🔹 Precept 5: The Sabbath Is a Sign of That Coming Rest (Still in Effect)
“It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever…”
(Exodus 31:17)
“There remaineth therefore a sabbatismos [Sabbath-keeping] to the people of God.”
(Hebrews 4:9)
- Sabbath still points to the future Kingdom rest.
- It is not abolished — it remains as a warning and sign of obedience.
🔹 Precept 6: Warning to Unrepentant and Believers Not to Fall Short
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”
(Hebrews 4:1)
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
(Hebrews 4:11)
“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”
(Hebrews 10:26)
- Both the unrepentant and careless believers are warned:
- If you disobey as Israel did in the past, you will not enter the Kingdom rest.
- Disregarding the Sabbath is rebellion.
❗ Conclusion (Literal and Warning-Focused):
| Israel’s Past Rest in Canaan | Future Rest (Kingdom of God) |
| Physical rest from enemies (Joshua 21:44) | Eternal rest from all enemies, sin, death (Revelation 21:4) |
| Lost by disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:48) | Cannot be entered by the rebellious or unbelieving (Hebrews 4:11) |
| Pointed toward a greater rest (Hebrews 4:8) | Fulfillment in the Kingdom — still to come (Hebrews 4:9, Revelation 20:6) |
| Sabbath was part of the covenant law (Exodus 31:17) | Sabbath remains as sign and warning until the future rest is entered (Hebrews 4:9) |
✅ Closing Admonition:
- Do not be as the rebellious generation.
- Keep the Sabbath holy.
- Fear lest you fall short of the future rest by willful transgression.
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
(Revelation 22:14)
📖 Lesson Title: Does Resting in Jesus Remove the Law, the Sabbath, and the Commandments?
🎯 Objective:
To prove by literal scripture (KJV) that:
- Resting in Jesus does NOT abolish the law, the Sabbath, or the feast days of YAH.
- Love does NOT replace obedience to God’s commandments, but is fulfilled by keeping them.
- Those who disregard Torah while claiming to love God are deceived, lawless, and in danger of missing God’s rest and His Kingdom.
🔹 Part 1: The False Claim — We Only Need to Rest in Jesus, Not Keep the Law
False View:
- Many claim “I rest in Jesus” and that is enough.
- They claim “I have Jesus, I don’t need to keep the Sabbath, feasts, or Torah.”
- They often say Jesus fulfilled the law, so all I need to do is believe and love.
📖 Scripture Correction:
“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
(Hebrews 4:11)
- Even those claiming to “rest in Christ” are told to labor (obey) to enter His rest, or they will fall like Israel in the wilderness.
- Rest in Christ does not cancel the need to obey.
📖 Believers must keep God’s commandments AND have faith in Jesus:
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
(Revelation 14:12)
- Saints do BOTH:
- Keep God’s commandments (Torah).
- Have faith in Jesus.
📖 Jesus rejects those who live lawlessly, even if they call Him Lord:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
(Matthew 7:21)
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
(Matthew 7:23)
- Literal meaning:
Jesus will reject lawless Christians, those who think faith or feelings of “rest in Jesus” alone will save them.
🔹 Part 2: The Misuse of Matthew 22:37-40 — Love Is NOT Enough Without Torah
False View:
- Many say “All I need is love” based on:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…
And… thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
(Matthew 22:37-40)
- They ignore that Jesus was quoting the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18).
- They misuse this to say the rest of the law is no longer necessary.
📖 Scripture Correction:
“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
(Matthew 22:40)
- Literal meaning:
The whole law depends on these two, but they do not replace the rest of the Torah. - The Torah explains HOW to love God and neighbor.
📖 How do we love God?
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
(1 John 5:3)
- Keeping His commandments IS how we love Him.
- The first four commandments tell us how to love God — including keeping the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11).
📖 How do we love our neighbor?
- The remaining six commandments tell us how to love our neighbor — do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, etc. (Exodus 20:12-17).
- Leviticus 19 gives more details (do not oppress, judge fairly, care for the poor).
📖 Love is not feelings — Love is obeying God’s law
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
(1 John 5:2)
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me…”
(John 14:21)
- Love does not erase Torah — love fulfills Torah by obedience.
- Without Torah, love is undefined and becomes lawlessness.
🔹 Part 3: The Sabbath and Feast Days Still Stand as Signs and Tests
“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.”
(Exodus 31:17)
- The Sabbath is still a sign and commandment, never abolished.
“These are the feasts of the LORD… holy convocations…”
(Leviticus 23:4)
- The feast days are God’s appointed times, still required, still holy.
➡ Hebrews 4:9 confirms the Sabbath still remains:
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
(Hebrews 4:9)
- Greek: sabbatismos = Sabbath-keeping.
- Literal meaning:
The Sabbath remains until we enter the final Kingdom rest.
YAH declared protection over Israel during His appointed times — the Sabbaths and Feasts. While no single verse uses the phrase “no enemy shall attack you on the Sabbath or feast days,” the principle is clearly stated by YAH in His covenant promises, especially regarding the three pilgrimage feasts, when the men of Israel were commanded to leave their homes and go up to Jerusalem.
Let’s look at the exact scriptures (KJV) that show YAH’s promise of supernatural protection during His appointed times:
📖 1. Exodus 34:23–24 — No Man Shall Desire Your Land
“Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.”
(Exodus 34:23–24, KJV)
🔹 Literal meaning:
- This refers to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Feast of Tabernacles (see Exodus 23:14–17).
- YAH promised to prevent any enemy from even desiring (planning to take) their land during the feasts — despite all the men leaving their borders to gather in one place.
- This implies supernatural protection, especially from invasion or war during His appointed times.
📖 2. Leviticus 25:18–22 — Sabbath Year (Land Sabbath) Protection
“Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety…”
(Leviticus 25:18–19)
“…Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.”
(Leviticus 25:21)
🔹 Literal meaning:
- In the seventh year (Sabbath year), Israel was to rest the land — no planting or harvesting.
- YAH promised to protect and bless them so they wouldn’t lack or be attacked during the Sabbath year.
- The pattern shows that obedience to His Sabbaths (weekly or yearly) brings divine covering.
📖 3. 2 Chronicles 20:29–30 — Enemies Fear When YAH Fights for Israel
“And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries, when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.
So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about.”
(2 Chronicles 20:29–30)
- Though not directly tied to a feast or Sabbath here, it proves the pattern: when YAH is with Israel and they walk in His ways, He causes the enemy to fear, and gives them rest.
✅ Conclusion: Protection During YAH’s Holy Days Is Scripturally Promised
| Holy Time | Scripture | Promise |
| Pilgrimage Feasts | Exodus 34:23–24 | No enemy will even desire your land |
| Sabbath Year (Yearly Rest) | Leviticus 25:18–22 | YAH will provide and protect for 3 years |
| General Obedience to YAH | 2 Chronicles 20:29–30 | Enemies fear and Israel has rest |
⚠ If Israel is attacked on a Sabbath or Feast Day, it is often because:
- They had broken covenant (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28).
- YAH withdrew His protection due to disobedience.
✅ ❗ Conclusion (Scripture Only Summary):
| False Claim by the Church | Scriptural Correction (KJV Literal) |
| “We only need to rest in Jesus” | Labor to enter His rest, or fall like Israel (Hebrews 4:11) |
| “We only need to love, no Torah” | Love is keeping God’s commandments (1 John 5:3) |
| “Jesus gave only two commandments” | All the law hangs on those two, they do not replace Torah (Matthew 22:40) |
| “Sabbaths and feasts are abolished” | They are forever, and still signs of obedience (Exodus 31:17, Leviticus 23:4) |
| “Jesus fulfilled everything, I only believe” | Only those who do the will (law) of the Father enter the Kingdom (Matthew 7:21) |
⚠ Final Admonition:
- Those who claim rest in Jesus while rejecting the law are deceived.
- The Sabbath, feasts, and Torah remain.
- Resting in Jesus does not give license to break God’s laws.
- True rest is in obedience, not lawlessness.
- All who refuse to repent and obey will be rejected (Matthew 7:23).
The words of the Messiah Himself in the New Testament, which ties obedience to the Sabbath even in times of distress or danger
.
Let’s examine this strictly by scripture (KJV), literal and with precepts, and without Christian tradition:
📖 Yahshua (Jesus) warned not to flee on the Sabbath
“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:”
(Matthew 24:20)
✅ Literal meaning:
- Jesus warned His disciples (and Israel) to pray that they would not have to flee on the Sabbath day.
- This is future prophecy — referring to the time of great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
- This shows that the Sabbath will still be in effect at that time, and that fleeing on the Sabbath is viewed as undesirable, even dangerous spiritually, and possibly disobedient.
- Yahshua’s words confirm that in times of trial, the Sabbath remains holy and must not be trampled, even under the pressure of fleeing from enemies.
- This also shows the law of the Sabbath has not been abolished, as many wrongly claim.
✅ Supporting Precepts from Torah
“Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.”
(Exodus 31:15)
“Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.”
(Exodus 35:3)
- Literal meaning:
- The Sabbath is a complete rest from regular work, including preparations, travel, and warfare (which is the ultimate form of work and burden).
- God set the Sabbath apart from man’s emergencies and man’s battles.
- Even though human nature would say “I must flee to save my life,” God teaches that the Sabbath is still holy, and He expects His people to respect it even in distress.
- Fleeing on the Sabbath is contrary to trusting YAH fully as our deliverer.
⚠ Summary (Scripture-only conclusion):
| Scenario | Scripture Commandment or Warning |
| Israel tried to go up against enemies on their own timing (Numbers 14) | Presumption and rebellion (Numbers 14:41) |
| Yahshua warned us to pray our flight not be on the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20) | Sabbath still binding even in tribulation; respect its sanctity |
| Sabbath is a day of complete rest (Exodus 31:15) | No work, including acts of war or travel in fear |
| Even survival actions are secondary to obedience to YAH | We are to trust YAH, not violate His Sabbath even under pressure (Exodus 16:28-30, Matthew 24:20) |
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