Why We Celebrate the Biblical Feast Days: Part 2

Hello readers!  Me again.  Today we are going to focus on the 7th day Shabbat (Sabbath).

   
     Our family keeps the 7th day Sabbath, which we call in Hebrew, Shabbat.  A lot of people wonder why we do such, and are always asking for scriptural references that support our beliefs.  Here are some of them, and our explanations for them.

     Let's start in Genesis 2:1-3 --

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them.  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.  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."

     Now read Deuteronomy 5:12-15 --

"Observe the day of Shabbat, to set it apart as holy, as Adonai (Yahweh) your God ordered you to do.  You have six days to labor and do all your work, 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 ox, your donkey, or any of your other livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property - so that your male and female servants can rest just as you do.  You are to remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Adonai your God brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.  Therefore Adonai your God has ordered you to keep the day of Shabbat."  

     "...so He rested on the seventh day from all his work which He had made." -- "...You have six days to labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God."  My goodness!  Not even the foreigner in your gates can work.  If the foreigner (Part 1) can't work, why should we?  If you look up Leviticus 23:4-8, you see that the first and last days of Passover are 'holy convocations' and you are not to do 'any kind of ordinary work.'  Same with Shavu'ot (Numbers 28:26), The Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1), The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-28),  and The Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-36).

"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.  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 (Jacob), for the mouth of Adonai has spoken"                       Isaiah 58:13-14

     When I read this, I wondered why God said "if you hold back your foot on Shabbat..."  Very confusing.  But then I read it again, and again, and soon I realized that it said ON Shabbat.  Not from.  It's kind of like this:  If you hold back your foot FROM the world, and hold back your foot ON the Shabbat, call it a delight, and honor it, then you will find delight in Adonai (Yahweh).


     Okay, so, maybe you're the person sitting by the computer, reading this, and saying, "okay, this makes sense, but where did the Sunday Sabbath come into play?"  Well, dear reader, I'll tell you.

     "Once upon a time during the third century, there was a man, a Roman Emperor to be exact, named Constantine the Great.  Emperor Constantine ruled from 306 A.D. - 337 A.D.  During his reign, Emperor Constantine was said to have converted to Christianity.  Prior to that Constantine was a pagan.  A lot of people, including myself, believe that Constantine's conversion was strictly political.  You might ask, "What do you base these beliefs on?"  Here's your answer:  His empire was going haywire because the pagans were constantly executing those who refused to practice their Imperial Cult.  Why?  Because it was law in Rome for those who refused to participate in Imperial Cult worship to have their homes torn down and burnt, as well as their Holy Books gathered and burned, and for themselves to be executed.  It wasn't uncommon for them to be arrested, mutilated, burned, tortured, starved, and condemned to gladiatorial contests to amuse the spectators.  I believe that he reasoned, and brilliantly so, that if he could shimmy his actual religion (which was of the pagans) into Christianity, his country would prosper, while still pleasing the 'gods.'  Therefore he exercised the Edict of Milan, and insisting tolerance of Christianity, though not returning their property (even though such motives were not worth praising, Praise Yahweh for using it to save His people!).  After the Edict was passed, Constantine sent edicts all through his empire containing this:

"On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed."

     Now, if you weren't already aware, venerable means 'accorded a great deal of respect, because of age, wisdom, or character.'  They were instructing all of the Roman empire to participate in sun worship!  Of course, there were exceptions, such as for harvesters, Sunday was the perfect day to harvest their crops.  Therefore, they wouldn't have to participate in the regular Sunday worship.  But even this changed over 200 years later.  In 538 AD, it was made law that all throughout the Roman empire EVERYONE, including harvesters and such, were required by LAW to participate in the regularly practiced Sunday worship.  So. Emperor Constantine not only succeeded in his scheme to shimmy his way into Yahweh's truth, and confusing us all and separating us from it, but his scheme has still veiled us for thousands of years.  It's time to remove the veil!


     Still, after all this, you can present to me some verses that might possibly contradict what I'm showing you.  I've found these coming from the opposite party.

"And on day one of the week, the taught ones having gathered together to break bread, Sha'ul (Paul), intending to depart the next day, was reasoning with them and was extending the word till midnight." 

     Day one indicates Sunday, doesn't it?  Well yes.  It does.  But breaking bread doesn't necessarily mean attending Sabbath.  Breaking bread can mean what it says.  Which means they probably got together to eat their fill.  Also, if you go back to Isaiah 58:13-14, which is shown above, you will see that you're not supposed to pursue or speak of your interests on the Sabbath.  Paul, who truly strove his hardest to follow God's laws, wouldn't reason with his taught ones about his departure the whole day.  That would be 'pursuing AND speaking of his interests.'

     And here's the second one.

"Every day one of the week let each one of you set aside, storing up whatever he is prospered, so that there are no collections when I come."

     When God explains the laws of the Sabbath, he explains that you are NOT to do business or financial related things (unless there's a donkey in the ditch) on the Sabbath.  Every day one of the week you're supposed to store up whatever you have prospered, so that there are no collections when He comes.  Translate:  "Every day one of the week let each one of you set aside, storing up whatever you have earned, so that there are no debts when I come.  He's telling us to set aside one day of every week to organize our funds so that we won't have to use our credit cards, or take out a loan.  And what better time to do it than when we have a fresh start, and a refreshed spirit from our long Sabbath REST.

"Therefore, since a promise remains of entering into His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.  For indeed the Good News was brought to us as well as to them, but the word which they heard did not profit them, not having been mixed with belief in those who heard it.  For we who have believed do enter into that rest, as He has said, "As I swore in My wrath, if they shall enter into My rest..."  And yet His works have come into being from the foundation of the world.  For somewhere He has said thus about the seventh day, "And Elohim rested on the seventh day from all His works," and in this again, "If they shall enter into My rest..."  Since then it remains for some to enter into it, and those who formerly received the Good News did not enter in because of disobedience, He again defines a certain day, "Today," saying through David so much later, as it has been said, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."  For is Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.  So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim.  For the one, having entered into His rest, has himself also rested from his works, as Elohim rested from His own.  Let us therefore do our utmost to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.  For the Word of Elohim is living, and working, and sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through even to the dividing of being and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him with whom is our account.  Therefore since we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua that Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a High Priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was tried in all respects as we are, apart from sin.  Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of favor, in order to receive compassion, and find favor for timely help."                                                         Hebrews 4

     I hope I have been helpful in some way.  If you have any questions for me, please, please, please feel free to ask, and I will answer them as soon as I can.  Thank you!

Hannah & Sophia