Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 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.
My notes: So this is a creation ordinance and not just an institution from the Mosaic law which was given to the Israelites. This ordinance set forth here in Genesis was made long before there were Jews or before Moses recorded the 10 Commandments (which are commands that we still live by today as most Christians would state, but there is a controversy about the 4th command). The giving of the fourth commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 is a restating of the holiness of the Sabbath Day. So what does it mean when it says "God blessed the seventh day"? Blessed=barak (Hebrew) which means to kneel, to bless God as an act of adoration, to bless man as a benefit, salute, greet, it's derived meaning is to bless someone ir something. So when we keep the Sabbath, we bless God as an act of adoration. God gave it to us as blessing for our benefit. Why wouldn't we want to bless God and also at the same time receive the beneficial blessing of a rest day? Isn't this better than working for more money and isn't better than being mindful of secular things? This is a rest day that is used for worship of Jehovah without secular distractions and also to give us much needed rest from the week we had.
What does it mean when it says God sanctified the Sabbath? Sanctified=qadash (Hebrew) which means clean (ceremonially or morally), appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, hallow, keep, proclaim, purify, sanctify, to be set apart, to be holy, to be treated as holy, to declare holy or consecrated. We see here that the Sabbath was set apart as holy by Jehovah from creation. He declared it and pronounced it. The Sabbath is to be a day of purification and sanctification in a spiritual sense. Even though we serve the Lord every day, it's the Sabbath with it's rest from worldly entertainment and our secular jobs that allows us to be purified spiritually from all worldly distractions that we had during the work week. Also, we enter a rest on the Sabbath that allows our cups to be filled physically so we don't burn out. And most important, by entering this rest we can devote fully to Jehovah the worship he deserves without having to do anything or go anywhere. The distractions and cares of the world so easily beset the Christian, so God has given us a day of rest for us to adore him and for our benefit as well.
Exodus 16:22-34 KJV
22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
My notes: in verse 23 Moses told the elders of the congregation that the Lord had said that tomorrow which was the seventh day (Saturday), (is the rest, special holiday and time of rest) of the Holy (dedicated, hallowed, holiness, holy, sanctuary, sacred place or thing, consecrated), Sabbath (to be set apart to the Lord and kept holy, officially established by Jehovah, set aside at creation). This set apart holy day of rest established by Jehovah at creation and restated in the 10 Commandments is to be kept unto the Lord. It is day of rest for us as a gift from Jehovah and also a day of undistracted worship and devotion to him which is our gift to him but it also blesses us as we draw closer to him and delight in him.
Verse 25 restates that the seventh day is a day of rest unto the Lord, meaning we are to rest not only from our labours but also to rest in Christ by giving him full devotion that day without worldly distractions. This devotion can be manifest in prayer, worship, fellowship, ministry.
Verse 26 confirms that the seventh day (Saturday on our calendar) is the sabbath.
Verse 28- The Lord asks Moses how long will the Israelites refuse to keep (be circumspect, take heed (to self), mark , look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), wait for, watch (man), his commandments (law, ordinance, precept). Even having this Law proclaimed by Jehovah didn't stop the Israelites from disregard for the rest day called the sabbath. We can all learn from this today and remember the Sabbath as told to us in the fourth commandment. Let's not be like those Israelites who were disobedient and out of greed and wantoness, disregarded God's Holy commandment.
Verse 29-See=raah (Hebrew) which means advise self, appear, approve, behold, certainly, consider, discern, (make) to enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, to see. To see so that one can learn to know, whether it be another person or God.
God is saying to Moses to "See" in other words discern and behold that he himself has given the sabbath to him and the people of Israel. That's why they were commanded to gather two fold the amount of bread on the sixth day (Friday).
Exodus 20:8-11 (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 theLord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Sabbath=shabbath (Hebrew) means Sabbath, day of atonement, Sabbath week or year, weeks. The Hebrew wors shabbathown comes from shabbath and means to rest, sabbath, a sabbatism or special holiday, a day of rest, a time to rest, a Sabbath feast.
God says in verse 8 to remember the Sabbath day and to keep it Holy which has the same meaning in Hebrew as sanctified which was described above after the Genesis passage. In verse 10, Jehovah makes it clear that the seventh day is his holy consecrated rest (sabbath) day. No one in the household, whether children or servants or animals of burden are to do any work. In verse 11 we see that even Jehovah rested on the seventh day after all his work in creating the heaven, earth, sea and all that is in them.
What can we learn from this as Christians? If even God rested on the seventh day from his labor, why do we as mere creation refuse the command and benefit of resting after our work week. Are we more able than Jehovah to not rest after a week of labors? We see that God blessed the seventh day, the Hebrew meaning of blessing was described above after Genesis passage. Most importantly Jehovah hallowed the seventh day. The Hebrew word and meaning for Hallowed is the same as Holy and Sanctified which is described above after Genesis passage. So we see that Jehovah takes this day very seriously and we have also learned that this command to keep the Sabbath was not just for the Israelites and not just one of the 10 Commandments, but for creation as stated in Genesis 2:2-3, as it was sanctified by him.
Deuteronomy 5:12-15 (KJV)
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
Verse 12-It is commanded to keep the Sabbath day as holy (sanctify) unto Jehovah. Keeping the sabbath day is resting from your labor (no working at secular job or at home) and setting that day apart for devotion strictly to Jehovah (by partaking of fellowship with the saints, prayer, worship, bible study, evangelism, other God centered activities). Commanded=tsavah (Hebrew) which means to appoint, bid, charge, command, send a messenger, put, set in order, to direct, to be ordered, to be commanded, to direct someone. There doesn't seem to be any wiggle room for disobedience when God gives a command. In verse 13, we are told that all labour should be done during the six othet days of the week which are Sunday-Friday. Verse 14- Again, it is restated that the seventh day is the sabbath of God. The Sabbath means to rest and set apart as Holy (consecrated). Saturday is to be a day of rest from all forms of labour for the believer and also a day set apart for strict devotion and adoration of Jehovah. Versr 15-Note where it says "therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." Keep=Asah (Hebrew) which means to do or make, accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal with, labour, maintain, execute, exercise, hold, observe, be occupied, perform, practice, prepare, provide, put, sacrifice, serve. Commanded by God to keep the Sabbath day.
After reading the Hebrew meanings of these words, it is clear that Jehovah takes observance of the sabbath day seriously. In order for the requirement of sabbath observance to be undone, one would then have to argue that we no longer have to keep the 10 Commandments or that the Sabbath day was changed from Saturday (the seventh day) to Sunday (the first day). For either of these scenarios to be true, there would have to be clear scripture to indicate so. We will find it in the New Testament? You may be suprised but I'll hold off on my conclusion.
Isaiah 58:13-14 (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 honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in theLord; 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.
My notes: Verse 13, turn away=shuwb (Hebrew) which means to retreat, to turn back (hence away), again, (cause to), carry again (back), answer, in any case, at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), cease, certainly, come again (back), consider, continually, convert, deliver (again), deny, drawback, fetch home again.
Here in verse 13 it says, if you turn away your foot from the sabbath (turn away meaning to drawback, bring your foot home again to the keeping of the sabbath) from doing your pleasures on the day Jehovah made Holy. In this passage Holy is translated qodesh in Hebrew which means a sacred place or thing, consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (most holy day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary, sacredness, holiness, a holy thing, something consecrated and set aside for sacred use only, not to be put into common use for if it is, it becomes profane and common, not holy.
Unfortunately, the Church has made God's Sabbath day common thereby removing the holiness of it. They have profaned it, by using it as a day of labour and/or a day of turning their feet TO their pleasures. This verse states that if we turn away (drawback to keeping the sabbath) our foot from the sabbath and from doing our pleasures on Jehovah's Holy day and call the sabbath a delight which is the Holy of the Lord. Holy in this case translated qadosh in Hebrew which means sacred (ceremonially or morally), God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary, Holy (One), it denotes someone or something that is inherently sacred or has been designated as sacred by divine rite or cultic ceremony. It designates which is the opposite of common or profane.
The Sabbath has been designated by God as inherently sacred and holy which should give us a very strong appreciation for the command of keeping the seventh day as a day of rest and adoration to Jehovah. Any use of this day that conflicts with Jehovah's divine rite in sanctifying the sabbath, is making common and profane what was inherently made Holy.
The word Inherently is key here: see the below definition
inherent
[in-heer-uh nt, -her-]
adjective
existing in someone or something as a permanent and inseparable element,quality or attribute; inhering :
This my brethren is what they call a game Changer regarding if sabbath keeping is still for today.
So if we keep the Sabbath as commanded by Jehovah and call it a delight (meaning we enjoy it) and also call it honourable (acknowledging the holiness of it) we will be honoured by our Lord. Shall Honour in this text is translated kabed in Hebrew which means to be heavy, to weigh heavily, to be honoured, to be made heavy, to multiply, to harden, to let weigh down, to get honour, to make dull, to make weighty, glorify, be (make) heavy, be heavier, lay heavily, prevail, promote (to honour), be rich.
The weightiness and heaviness and dullness in the meaning of Shall Honour is one of being strengthened. This is what we are promised by Jehovah if we keep the Sabbath holy by not doing our own ways, pleasures or speaking our own words.
Verse 14-When we keep the Sabbath, we are promised that we will delight ourself in the Lord. We are then told by Jehovah that by keeping the sabbath we will ride upon the high places. High places= bamah (Hebrew) which means elevation, height, high place, wave, this word may, refer to a physical high place like a mountain or a place of worship.
Do you see how much of a blessing keeping the sabbath is? We are promised to enter a high place of worship of Jehovah upon the earth. Earth=erets (Hebrew) which means common, country, earth, field, ground, land, it refers to the whole earth under God's dominion. So by keeping the sabbath, Jehovah will cause us to ride upon the high places of worship of the earth which is under his dominion. We will be blessed by our sabbath keeping, experiencing a closer relationship with our saviour than ever before. This high place of worship upon the earth for the believer is a spiritual gift and blessing of initmate worship of Jehovah which brings us to that high place. Upon the earth which means we will reign with Christ here and now as Kings and Priests of a Holy Nation. We will have power to cast out and bind devils as members of a royal priesthood.
We will be fed with the heritage of Jacob thy father by keeping the sabbath. Heritage=nachalah (Hebrew) which means something inherited, occupancy or (concrete) an heirloom, an estate, patrimony or portion, heritage, to inherit, possession, property, inheritance, the word implies property that was given by means of a will or as a heritage.
As Gentiles grafted into Israel, we have the inheritance promised to the ethnic Jews. We now are part of the Israel of God (spiritual Israel). By keeping the sabbath, we are fed along with the heritage of Jacob (Israel) therby being granted the inheritance originally given to ethnic Israel. This heritage of Jacob is no longer ethnic Israel but the Israel of God (spiritual Israel). The command to keep the Sabbath day as Holy is for Israel. However in the new covenant, Israel is made up of Christian Jews and Gentiles. This means all Christians are required to keep the Sabbath day as Holy as we are the Israel of God which is now spiritual not ethnic or national.
Note the last part of verse 14, "for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it". That should be enough to not only believe by mouth what was decreed in the above passage of Isaiah but also to believe in deed by keeping God's hallowed sabbath day.
Exodus 16:22-34 KJV
22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
28 And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.
34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
My notes: in verse 23 Moses told the elders of the congregation that the Lord had said that tomorrow which was the seventh day (Saturday), (is the rest, special holiday and time of rest) of the Holy (dedicated, hallowed, holiness, holy, sanctuary, sacred place or thing, consecrated), Sabbath (to be set apart to the Lord and kept holy, officially established by Jehovah, set aside at creation). This set apart holy day of rest established by Jehovah at creation and restated in the 10 Commandments is to be kept unto the Lord. It is day of rest for us as a gift from Jehovah and also a day of undistracted worship and devotion to him which is our gift to him but it also blesses us as we draw closer to him and delight in him.
Verse 25 restates that the seventh day is a day of rest unto the Lord, meaning we are to rest not only from our labours but also to rest in Christ by giving him full devotion that day without worldly distractions. This devotion can be manifest in prayer, worship, fellowship, ministry.
Verse 26 confirms that the seventh day (Saturday on our calendar) is the sabbath.
Verse 28- The Lord asks Moses how long will the Israelites refuse to keep (be circumspect, take heed (to self), mark , look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), wait for, watch (man), his commandments (law, ordinance, precept). Even having this Law proclaimed by Jehovah and part of his 10 Commandments, didn't stop the Israelites from disregard for the rest day called the sabbath. We can all learn from this today and remember the Sabbath as told to us in the fourth commandment. Let's not be like those Israelites who were disobedient and out of greed and wantoness, disregarded God's Holy commandment.
Verse 29-See=raah (Hebrew) which means advise self, appear, approve, behold, certainly, consider, discern, (make) to enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, to see. To see so that one can learn to know, whether it be another person or God.
God is saying to Moses to "See" in other words discern and behold that he himself has given the sabbath to him and the people of Israel. That's why they were commanded to gather two fold the amount of bread on the sixth day (Friday).
Verse 30- The people rested on the seventh day. Rested=(shabath) which means to desist from exertion, (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.
So we clearly see above what the word rest means. The Israelites in keeping the sabbath ceased from work and activities that brought on exertion. This wasn't to put a burden on them but actually to bless them with much needed rest. Physically, emotionally and spiritually. Notice in the above Hebrew definition it says to put away (down) meaning putting down and away those tools and objects of labour.
Verse 32-Moses said that this is what the Lord commandeth which we saw earlier means in Hebrew to bid, appoint, charge,. (Set) in order, to constitute enjoin. They were to fill an omer of manna as a remembrance of Jah's righteous command to keep the Sabbath as a day of rest. This remembrance is to be kept for all future generations. Generations=dowr (Hebrew) which means a revolution of time, an, age or generation, also a dwelling, age, x-evermore, ever, posterity, period of time, setting of life, indicates the time from birth to death.
This remembrance was twofold. To have a memorial of Jehovah's bringing the Israelites out of Egypt and also the command to rest on the seventh day. Notice a generation in above definition means from life to death and in the verse it talks about current and furture generations having this memorial, meaning it is to be kept from the time of birth to death for all generations from that point forward until Heaven and Earth passa away. Some will say this was just for the Israelites but they ignore clear Bible teaching that as the Church whether Jew or Gentile, we are the Israel of God and we are Jew's. Galatians 6:16 and Romans 2:28-29.
Verse 33 restates the command by Jehovah to keep the memorial of deliverance from Egypt and to keep the sabbath as a day of rest and worship. It is also restated that these this memorial and sabbath command is to be kept for generations of which there is no end until Heaven and Earth pass away.
Verse 34-the Lord commanded that this sabbath and memorial of deliverance from Egypt be laid up before the Testimony to be kept. Testimony=eduwth (Hebrew) which means "testimony, witness, precept, warning sign. It is always used in connection with the testimony of God. The stone tablets containing the 10 Commandments are identified as God's testimony. In time, this term came to stand for the laws or precepts that God had delivered to humanity".
So the sabbath is the testimony of Jehovah and they are precepts not just for the Israelites but also for humanity as this is a creation ordinance. If there was any doubt as to whether God also wanted humans to rest on the seventh day then this would have never been restated here and also in the giving of the 10 Commandments. If you say that this command to keep, remember and make holy the sabbath was only for the Israelites remember according to Galatians 6:16, we as the Church are the Israel of God. So not only was God giving a command to rest on the seventh day but he commanded that it be laid up before the Testimony to be kept. By laying this up in the testimony, it seals the permanence of the sabbath command as it is now of divine precept and part of God's Law which cannot be changed by human hands. It also says to be kept which means it is never to be removed from the testimony of Jehovah and inferring to be kept literally as a memorial by the Israelites and all their future generations which we as the Church are part of, being grafted into the olive tree according to Romans 11:24.
Exodus 31:15-17 KJV
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to theLord: whosoever doeth any work in 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 the Lordmade heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
Verse 15- So, it's restated that the seventh day is the sabbath of rest. Rest in this context in the Hebrew means a special holiday, a time to rest, it is a requirement of God's people to rest on the seventh day. Noted in the above scripture that the sabbath is holy to the Lord. Holy meaning consecrated, set apart.
Verse 16-This was a call for the children of Israel to keep the sabbath and to observe it. Observe=asah (Hebrew) which means to accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, commit, to make, to complete. This frequently used Hebrew verb conveys the central notion of performing an activity with a distinct purpose, a moral obligation or a goal in view.
So, here we see the clear command of the children of Israel to accomplish with moral obligation the keeping of the sabbath day. No work is to be done and it is a holy day set apart for worshipping Jehovah. They are to observe this holy day throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. Perpetual=owlam (Hebrew) which means time out of mind (past or future), I.e. (practical) eternity, always, continuance, eternal, beginning of the world without with end, lasting, long time, ancient (time), forever.
Contrary to traditions of men, this command to oberve and keep the Sabbath is one of a practical eternal nature hence forever. Meaning until Heaven and Earth pass away confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 5:18.
Covenant=briyth (Hebrew) which means treaty, alliance, agreement, confederacy, covenant, league. It denotes an alliance, ordinance or agreement between persons. This word is used to describe God's making a covenant with humankind.
So according to verse 16, this is an alliance between God and the Israelites to be kept forever. You may say, well we are not Israelites so we have no need of keeping the sabbath. However scripture plainly tells us that the Church is the Israel of God and that we are grafted into the olive tree. It also says, that true jews are not ones who are Jews outwardly but those who are Jew's inwardly. The Israel of God is made up of Jews and Gentiles as there ia no more ethnic distinction in God's Kingdom, neither Jew nor Greek. Why as Christians are we so scared to claim what's ours? which is that we are spiritual Jew's and spiritual Israel which is the true Jew and the true Israel. Scripture clearly states that not all Israel is Israel which defines those as messiah rejecting Jew's which is the synagogue of Satan according to Revelation 2:9 and Revelation 3:9.
Galatians 6:16 (KJV)
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Romans 2:28-29 (KJV)
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
Romans 11:24 (KJV)
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
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.
Colossians 3:10-12 (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;
My notes- Verse 12 above clearly states that as the Church, we are the elect of God not ethnic Jew's or national Israel. We are spiritual Jew's and spiritual Israel.
Revelation 2:9 (KJV)
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Revelation 3:9 (KJV)
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
The above describes Messiah rejecting Jew's and their ungodly Synagogues.
Why would Jehovah state that the sabbath is to be kept and observed forever by Israel throughout their generations if he knew that one day he would send his son to die on the cross? Remember, Jesus dying on the cross was always the plan and it was not some alternative plan B in case the Jew's rejected Messiah. He stated the command of perpetual observance of the sabbath day for the Israelites because he knew that one day there would be an Israel made up of Jew's and Gentiles to honor his Holy day. Jehovah would not make an eternal command like this if it would eventually be nailed to the cross. Jah is all knowing so it makes sense that the sabbath command is now for the Israel of God (The Church) to keep.
Verse 17- This is a sign between Jah and the children of Israel forever which in this text, forever is the same word in Hebrew as perpetual=owlam. The reference to the creating of the earth and heaven confirms that this was a ordinance of a sabbath day was set forth at creation. God exampled the rest day for us and he was refreshed. If God kept the sabbath day and was refreshed, then the same blessing of refreshing applies to us when we rest on the sabbath from our labours. If it is good enough and needed for Jehovah then it is good enough for us his precious children and very much needed. We also set apart this day as Holy and bless God with undistracted worship and devotion.
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