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| The Sabbath Part 2 |
The Sabbath receives a lot of attention in the New Testament. In the centuries
since Nehemiah, the Pharisees and others had made meticulous rules about
what was permissible on the Sabbath and what was not. As the creator Yeshua
designed the Sabbath and is the L-rd of the Sabbath. As Lawgiver, He wrote
the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11). As a man on earth, He experienced the
law and fulfilled it. He carried out every Sabbath during His earthly life. As a
teacher, He clarified what the law meant.
Luke 4:16 tells us that it was Yeshua’s custom to attend synagogue every
Sabbath. He honored that day as His Father commanded. He had to confront
those meticulous rules set up by man and their heart attitudes head-on. One of
these confrontations is recorded in 3 of the Gospels (Matt. 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-27
and Luke 6:1-5). As Yeshua and His disciples pass through a grain field, they
picked some of the grain and ate it. The Pharisees saw this as harvesting or
working and therefore unlawful. Yeshua reminded them of the story of David
and his men when hungry had eaten the showbread set aside for the priest.
Yeshua quoted Hosea 6:6 about G-d’s desire for compassion or mercy more than
ritualistic sacrifice. Observances or sacrifices are meaningless without the right
attitude. G-d looks into our hearts. The purpose of the Sabbath was to give
rest from man’s work to benefit him not to enslave him to rigid rules.
In Matt. 12:9-14 Yeshua is confronted in the synagogue by the Pharisees. They
\were trying to trap Yeshua with their questions about healing on the Sabbath.
He quickly reminded them of their own practices. They would be quick to
retrieve their property or sheep because of its value. He pointed out that a
man is more valuable than a sheep. G-d always wants us to take care of our
animals and our neighbors. Yeshua was angered that the Pharisees cared
nothing for the man with the withered hand, they just cared about their
broken rules. Yeshua’s confrontation filled the Pharisees with rage and they
wanted to destroy Yeshua.
In John 5:1-18 Yeshua had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. He goes to
the Pool of Bethesda. There He sees multiple sick, lame and blind waiting for
the waters to stir, in hopes of being healed. He approaches a man who has
been ill for 38 years and asks him if he wishes to get better. The man spoke of
how he had tried to get into the pool all these years. Yeshua told him to get
up, pick up his bed and walk. This created two problems according to to the
rules added 1) Yeshua had healed on the Sabbath and 2) the man picked up his
bed, it was illegal to carry anything heavy. When the Pharisees confronted
Yeshua, He confidently declared that this healing work was His Father’s doing
and that He was joining His Father in that work. Now the Pharisees were really
angry Yeshua was breaking the Sabbath and making Himself equal with G-d.
At another feast, the Pharisees sought to seize Yeshua. John 7:1-24 tells us
Yeshua openly confronted them about their misuse of the law and their desire
to kill Him. He questions them with a clear example of circumcision on the
Sabbath. The law required that on the eighth of birth, a son was to be
circumcised, even if the 8th day fell on the Sabbath. Yeshua was causing them
to think through the process of what they say and what they do. G-d was not
concerned with external observance of the Sabbath but the heart and attitude
of man.
In Luke 13:10-17 Yeshua is teaching in a synagogue. He sees a woman bent over
and unable to stand upright. He responds with compassion and heals her. She
begins to give all the glory to G-d. The sexton becomes indignant and speaks to
the congregation that healing should happen on the other six days of the
week. Yeshua rebukes him for his hypocrisy. He reminds them they would care
for their animals on the Sabbath, why not set a daughter of Zion free from the
bondage of Satan that she has endured for 18 years. They are humiliated as
they are caught in their duplicity. Dozens of rules were crafted to keep people
from caring on the Sabbath. These rules made up by man dictated that care for
others could wait until a work day in the interest of keeping the Sabbath rules.
Some of these rules in Yeshua’s time included only carrying a bed if it contained
a living body, spitting on the ground was not permissible because that might
cause an indentation in the dust, which would be the same as making a furrow
in the ground for planting. But you could spit on a rock. You could not carry a
coat because that would mean carrying a burden, but you could wear one. A
burden was defined as anything that weighed as much as a dried fig, but half of
a fig’s weight could be carried twice. There are 24 chapters of Sabbath
regulations recorded in the Talmud. This book gives us clues as to the thinking
of first century Jews. The meticulous external measures intended to guarantee
rest on the Sabbath violated the true purpose of the 4th commandment.
In Matt. 11:28-30, Yeshua says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." He offers rest from the oppressive burdens of legalism,
man made traditions and empty regulations, to those who would believe in Him
and learn from Him.
since Nehemiah, the Pharisees and others had made meticulous rules about
what was permissible on the Sabbath and what was not. As the creator Yeshua
designed the Sabbath and is the L-rd of the Sabbath. As Lawgiver, He wrote
the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:8-11). As a man on earth, He experienced the
law and fulfilled it. He carried out every Sabbath during His earthly life. As a
teacher, He clarified what the law meant.
Luke 4:16 tells us that it was Yeshua’s custom to attend synagogue every
Sabbath. He honored that day as His Father commanded. He had to confront
those meticulous rules set up by man and their heart attitudes head-on. One of
these confrontations is recorded in 3 of the Gospels (Matt. 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-27
and Luke 6:1-5). As Yeshua and His disciples pass through a grain field, they
picked some of the grain and ate it. The Pharisees saw this as harvesting or
working and therefore unlawful. Yeshua reminded them of the story of David
and his men when hungry had eaten the showbread set aside for the priest.
Yeshua quoted Hosea 6:6 about G-d’s desire for compassion or mercy more than
ritualistic sacrifice. Observances or sacrifices are meaningless without the right
attitude. G-d looks into our hearts. The purpose of the Sabbath was to give
rest from man’s work to benefit him not to enslave him to rigid rules.
In Matt. 12:9-14 Yeshua is confronted in the synagogue by the Pharisees. They
\were trying to trap Yeshua with their questions about healing on the Sabbath.
He quickly reminded them of their own practices. They would be quick to
retrieve their property or sheep because of its value. He pointed out that a
man is more valuable than a sheep. G-d always wants us to take care of our
animals and our neighbors. Yeshua was angered that the Pharisees cared
nothing for the man with the withered hand, they just cared about their
broken rules. Yeshua’s confrontation filled the Pharisees with rage and they
wanted to destroy Yeshua.
In John 5:1-18 Yeshua had gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast. He goes to
the Pool of Bethesda. There He sees multiple sick, lame and blind waiting for
the waters to stir, in hopes of being healed. He approaches a man who has
been ill for 38 years and asks him if he wishes to get better. The man spoke of
how he had tried to get into the pool all these years. Yeshua told him to get
up, pick up his bed and walk. This created two problems according to to the
rules added 1) Yeshua had healed on the Sabbath and 2) the man picked up his
bed, it was illegal to carry anything heavy. When the Pharisees confronted
Yeshua, He confidently declared that this healing work was His Father’s doing
and that He was joining His Father in that work. Now the Pharisees were really
angry Yeshua was breaking the Sabbath and making Himself equal with G-d.
At another feast, the Pharisees sought to seize Yeshua. John 7:1-24 tells us
Yeshua openly confronted them about their misuse of the law and their desire
to kill Him. He questions them with a clear example of circumcision on the
Sabbath. The law required that on the eighth of birth, a son was to be
circumcised, even if the 8th day fell on the Sabbath. Yeshua was causing them
to think through the process of what they say and what they do. G-d was not
concerned with external observance of the Sabbath but the heart and attitude
of man.
In Luke 13:10-17 Yeshua is teaching in a synagogue. He sees a woman bent over
and unable to stand upright. He responds with compassion and heals her. She
begins to give all the glory to G-d. The sexton becomes indignant and speaks to
the congregation that healing should happen on the other six days of the
week. Yeshua rebukes him for his hypocrisy. He reminds them they would care
for their animals on the Sabbath, why not set a daughter of Zion free from the
bondage of Satan that she has endured for 18 years. They are humiliated as
they are caught in their duplicity. Dozens of rules were crafted to keep people
from caring on the Sabbath. These rules made up by man dictated that care for
others could wait until a work day in the interest of keeping the Sabbath rules.
Some of these rules in Yeshua’s time included only carrying a bed if it contained
a living body, spitting on the ground was not permissible because that might
cause an indentation in the dust, which would be the same as making a furrow
in the ground for planting. But you could spit on a rock. You could not carry a
coat because that would mean carrying a burden, but you could wear one. A
burden was defined as anything that weighed as much as a dried fig, but half of
a fig’s weight could be carried twice. There are 24 chapters of Sabbath
regulations recorded in the Talmud. This book gives us clues as to the thinking
of first century Jews. The meticulous external measures intended to guarantee
rest on the Sabbath violated the true purpose of the 4th commandment.
In Matt. 11:28-30, Yeshua says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." He offers rest from the oppressive burdens of legalism,
man made traditions and empty regulations, to those who would believe in Him
and learn from Him.
Ministry of Gates of Praise Ministries, Inc. Copyright Gates of Praise Ministries 2007