All Jesus asks for is one day out of His seven day week, to completely focus on Him. Seeing how he sacrificed His life for us, we should be willing to make any necessary sacrifice for him. Not to mention, God’s Sabbath is necessary for our physical/spiritual rejuvenation, peace of mind, and eternal salvation.
So why wouldn’t we “delight” in God’s holy sabbath?
Isaiah 58
King James Version (KJV)
13 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 HONOR HIM, NOT DOING thine OWN WAYS, nor finding THINE OWN PLEASURE, nor speaking THINE OWN WORDS:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to RIDE UPON the HIGH PLACES of the EARTH, and feed thee with the HERITAGE of JACOB thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
The “Heritage of Jacob” mentioned above is the future rest or eternal salvation which God promised to Abraham and his descendants:
Genesis 48:3-5
King James Version (KJV)
3 And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,
4 And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an EVERLASTING possession.
You cannot possess something forever if you do not live forever. In order to live forever or obtain eternal life, we must do as Jesus said in Matthew 19 and keep the commandments. Keeping the sabbath day holy is the fourth commandment.
Exodus 20:8-11
King James Version (KJV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Mainstream Christians and those that try to belittle the significance of the sabbath do not realize that God’s seventh day Sabbath points to the time where he will rule on the earth for 1000 years and the world will be at peace. This time period is when the children of Jacob will inherit the land promised to them for an everlasting possession. It is also the time all the true believers and saints will get eternal life and reign with Christ. Thus the sabbath is for everybody that believes in Jesus and keeps his commandments:
Hebrews 4
King James Version (KJV)
4 For he (Jesus) spake in a certain place of the SEVENTH DAY on this wise, And God did rest the SEVENTH DAY from ALL HIS WORKS.
7 Again, he (Jesus) 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.
8 For if JESUS had given them (the children of Jacob) rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of ANOTHER DAY.
11 LET US LABOUR THEREFORE to enter into THAT REST, LEST ANY MAN FALL after the same EXAMPLE of UNBELIEF.
The Sabbath was given to the children of Jacob, but it is necessary for all people who want eternal life! If you are not worshipping God according to the laws that he gave the children of Israel, then you cannot get eternal salvation because our salvation is contingent on the covenant God made with his chosen people:
Isaiah 56
King James Version (KJV)
5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
8 The Lord God, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
Nothing has changed in our day. This is why Jesus told a non-Israelite:
John 4:22
King James Version (KJV)
22 Ye worship ye know not what: WE KNOW what WE WORSHIP: for SALVATION is of the JEWS.
This is why the Bible reveals that Jesus, Paul, and the early church (which included Gentiles) remembered the Lord’s seventh day and kept the sabbath holy. They rested, assembled with the church, preached, and learned the Word of God on the sabbath. If we are true followers of Christ, then we will do the same thing. By doing so, we show that we are in sync with God’s plan of salvation for us all.
We must keep in mind that there is punishment for not keeping God’s sabbath and his laws in general. Contrary to popular belief, it takes works and knowledge to know God and to please him. God is fair and will give the majority of us all, a chance to know and please him. However, if we choose not to know and please God, then we will face God’s wrath:
Ezekiel 20:20
King James Version (KJV)
20 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.
1 John 2:3-4
King James Version (KJV)
3 And hereby we do know that we KNOW him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I KNOW him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is NOT in him.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9
King James Version (KJV)
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that KNOW NOT God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
For more on God’s Holy sabbath, watch the following lessons:
The 7th Day Sabbath (His Rest Shall Be Glorious)
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