Exodus 31:12-17 (ASV)
12 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily ye shall keep my sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to Jehovah: whosoever doeth any work on the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
The Sabbath is a sign between Jehovah and the children of Israel throughout their generations. This indicates a continual covenant. We know from scripture that Israel is no longer of the flesh but rather of the Spirit, being those that accept the Messiah Jehoshua (Jesus Christ). Israel which was once 12 tribes and a Geopolitical Theocratic Nation, which at times fell under the rule of other nations, is now a congregation of believers in Christ Jesus. Gentiles who believe in the Son of Jehovah are grafted into the Israel of God. Jews of the flesh who reject the Messiah are outside of the Israel of God (Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 6:16), however Jehovah has not cast them off (Romans 11:2) and if they accept His Son Jesus they will then be grafted back in (Romans 11:23).
See there is no longer a seperate dispensation for Jews and Gentiles and there is only one Israel and it has nothing to do with a piece of land in the middle east or a Geopolitical nation. How do we show this by scripture? Look at: Ephesians 4:4-6 (KJV)
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
That's it! The people of Jehovah and Jesus are ONE not two, meaning there are not two separate camps of God's people (Gentiles and Jews). Let's look further:
Galatians 3:28-29 (KJV)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
In the new covenant there is no longer a distinction made between Jew and Gentile. In the new covenant the distinction is now made between those who accept Christ as the Son of God and those who don't.
Colossians 3:10-11 (KJV)
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Again we see that there is neither Greek nor Jew anymore but Christ is all and in all who accept Him as their Saviour. Verse 12 confirms that elect of Jehovah God are those who have His Son as their Lord and Saviour and it has nothing to do with the flesh. So the elect of God is anyone who is a Christian regardless of being a Jew or a Greek.
So if the Sabbath was to be a sign between Jehovah and the children of Israel throughout their generations what does this mean for today's believer in Christ? From the above passages, we see that Israel is now made of Jews and Gentiles who accept Christ as their Saviour. So now instead of the Sabbath being a sign between Jehovah and Israel of the flesh it is a sign between Him and the Israel of God (the Christian Congregation).
When we come to Christ, we inherit the privilege of the perpetual covenant made between Jehovah and Israel which is the Sabbath. We know this because anyone who is in Christ is now part of the Israel of God. Many churches minus the Dispensationalists, acknowledge that the Israel of God is no longer of the flesh and is indeed the church, however they don't to accept the responsibility given to the children of Israel to keep the 10 commandments especially the 4th which is the Sabbath. They freely accept the grace of Jehovah and taking on the beautiful promises made to Israel however they willfully disregard the law that was also given to Israel. You can't claim the promises and blessings given to Israel yet disregard the obedience required of Israel. In other words, you can't have your cake and eat it too, at least in this case.
In verse 14, Jehovah states that we shall keep the sabbath as it was made Holy (set apart) unto us. Jehovah set the sabbath aside for us at creation before there ever was a Jew or a nation of Israel. Some strong language here in verse 14 regarding those who profane the sabbath. One way of profaning the sabbath is by working on it. Of course, now we don't put people to death for profaning it, we are no longer under the civil part of the law of Moses which enacted penalties for violating the law. There is though an application to the statement about death in relation to breaking the sabbath and the soul that works on it being cut off from his people. Those who have been given the light of the Sabbath and reject it, may be subject to the second death at the judgment after the resurrection of the unjust. The soul (living being) who works on the Sabbath thereby profaning it will be cut off from the children of Jehovah and not be granted eternal life in paradise where men and women will worship Jehovah from sabbath to sabbath (Isaiah 66:23). Again, I want to make it clear that those in times past who have not been given the light of the sabbath will be judged according to that light as Jehovah is a meriful God.
Verse 15 clarifies that it is only the Seventh day that Jehovah made Holy. Today's churches in Christendom try to shoe horn the first day of the week as a holy day but scripture now where justifies this. The Seventh day is confirmed by Jehovah to be a day of solemn rest. This rest refreshes us, yet many in Churchianity have been deceived into thinking that Jehovah's holy day is a bondage. Jesus even said that men who violate the least of the commandments and teach others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of God:
Matthew 5:19 KJV
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Jehovah calls the sabbath a day of solemn rest, meaning in our rest there is a reverence towards our God. This is not just a day for rest but also a day of undistracted devotion and worship of Jehovah and Jesus. We are not to be about our own thoughts, words and pleasures on the sabbath but rather in communion with our creator. We are promised that if we turn our foot to the Sabbath we will feed with the heritage of Jacob (Isaiah 58:13-14). What an awesome promise by our Father Jehovah!! This is available for all those in Christ.
Verse 16 confirms the permanence of the Sabbath and the continuance of it throughout all the generations of Israel which is now made up of Jews and Gentiles who accept Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The Sabbath is a perpetual covenant!!!
In verse 17, Jehovah confirms that it is the Sabbath that is the sign between Him and His people, the children of Israel which is the Christian Congregation in the new covenant. Jehovah God Himself rested on the Seventh day Sabbath and He was refreshed!! Look at that, even our Almighty God Jehovah rested and was refreshed on the Sabbath. Yet, today's world of Christendom doesn't think they need to rest on this day, making themselves wiser that the Omnipresent, Omnipotent God Almighty who still observes the sabbath. This is the day Jehovah and Jesus commune with us undistracted. If Jehovah was refreshed on this Holy day then all the more we need it.
And just to slam dunk the point of the Sabbath being from Jehovah himself and not Moses, He wrote with His very own fingers (verse 18).
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