I pray in Jesus' name, that your body will be made whole, that you will be able to keep food down, and that no more complications will arise. I pray for everything to be restored to normal. Amen
Don't be sorry! Your reply is a blessing to me because this show is a tool of the devil to destroy souls. The show is suppose to be about the life of Christ but the lead actor who, plays Jesus, who has become very famous and very well admired, is of a very false religion. He is promoting his false doctrines of idolatry to the world on a YouTube post. I know I'm telling on myself that I do watch a little tv and YouTube but I like to keep up with the conservative news and what is going on. especially the war in Israel right now. Anyway, I started to watch this evil TV program, because I wantedd to see how Hollywood would present it and, they failed miserably, except for satan. He is deceiving souls with false doctrine that can get a big hold on them thus deceiving very, very many people. I watched about the first 45 minutes of the first episode and couldn't watch any more. Again, I an thrilled to know the dear Christians on this website are probably oblivious to it. No believer should having any part with it.
Mat. 7:15 Talks about wolves in sheep's clothing, false prophets. I was attending a non-denominational church. I loved the church. They were very loving, caring and fun to be with. The pastor seemed to be of the same spirit toward me. The sermon on Sunday morning was broadcast by our head pastor from another city on large screens but we did the service locally before his sermon. At the Wednesday night service my pastor, Pastor Bob, brought the sermon or a lesson. I wasn't as impressed with Pastor Jim's preaching as I was with my pastor and I always kind of wanted him to preach on Sunday mornings. Pastor Jim seemed a little arrogant. I had been a KJB user in all my walk with the Lord and these Pastors used the NIV. At the time I followed along in my KJB and paid close attention to what was being preached. One Sunday the musicians began singing the song "Reckless Love." I was disturbed by this song to me it was putting our righteous God in a negative light. I made a polite comment on a comment card that perhaps it wasn't a good song for us to be singing about our sovereign God but I wouldn't be offended if we sang it. Then I noticed that Pastor Bob began to shun me and finally I asked him aside to quietly talk to him before a Wednesday night service why he was treating me this way. He said my comment annoyed him because he loved the song. The wolf had revealed himself, loving a song more then me. He was cold and unfriendly, he then said he was going to read a scripture and I asked him to use the KJB version. He scoffed at me and as he walked away he said "That isn't even written by God!" I left the service immediately without a word to anyone. After much prayer, I never went back. The song was a mute point, how could I sit under this man's preaching who had thrown God's inspired Word out the window. I didn't say anything except to my Christian children so they would know why I stopped going. I pray God will bring Pastor Bob back to to the light.
"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. for the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if we will hear his voice. O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord all the earth, sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. for the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods."
Hi Momsage , I know many Christians who do not watch T.V. at all , I watch a little bit , maybe one hour a day , so please don't be surprised if no one on here knows what you are talking about , I don't , sorry :( .
Hello Everyone: I'd like to ask what the opinion out there is of the TV show The Chosen. This subject may have alread been discussed but I'm new so I haven't seen any. Anyway, I'd like to see what the consensus is if it's a good thing, bad thing, or doesn't matter if it's watched or not thing? God Bless :)
HI GiGi: What a wonderful testimony of your life with Christ and your continual love for Him. Your dedication to reading and studying His word shows your great love for Him and how, because your heart was always seeking, He kept you on through the years. I love your testimony it is such a blessing to me. God Bless :)
Christ as the brightness of glory witnessed in his body. The logos aspect of the Son is the Witness so he explains, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."( John 5:19). So we shall see what this cloud consists of. Jesus in his prayer made clear of those whom his Father had entrusted before the worlds began. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me."( John 17:16)
Jude in his epistle refers to them, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,/To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed." They are witnesses as the Son is appointed to judge the ungodly. (Jude vv.14-15) In short this cloud of witness are created from the Father Son relationship. The eternal Law serves the proof of their disobedience and as God is just their witness shall stand outside what Satan may bring up against. Also refer De.33:2.
We see them in the Book of Daniel, as witnesses, "And they brought him near before him./ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Dan.7:13-14)
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us"(He. 12:1-2)
My most wonderful friend is Jesus. He's always there to listen, encourage, comfort and show His great love for me. I love Him beyond words and He loves me beyond imagination! Oh to be blessed by Him and know Him as Savior. To be able to live in this world without being a part of this world. God is a good, good, good God!
You might consider the possibility of having a parasite in the digestive system. I believe ivermectin helps get rid of such things with little to no side effects. So even if its not the cause, no harm is done in most people.
God sent forth his word before the worlds began so St Paul refers to it that the sounds of it has been heard. "Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."(Ro.10:18). So we have clouds as accompaniment to the Son where he is a sign as well as heard as the Word become flesh. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."(Matt.24:30) What we read in Re.1:7 is the same and from the standpoint of St John.
It is thus the Spirit gives the word its density where space and time holds no meaning. So judging the verse literally leads the interpreter to dead ends. Either we read with the Spirit or lose the thread of the divine Will altogether. No more egregious error we need to cite than the manner Israel and elements of the Law of Moses have taken hold great many Christians despite of their new birth and the fact that they are new creation. They are riding a dead horse.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."(Re.2:7) The Spirit is referring to the ear of faith. This spiritual underpinning on the scaffold of eternal word is what we need here. Those who made excuses in the Parable of the Marriage for the King's Son heard the call but did not hear well. Their ear of faith was intended. It is thus foolish teachers have taught them and their literal interpretation certainly fell short. The message to seven churches is universal and seven place names are but a handle for local churches coming together for common worship.
The Spirit refers to God as He "who maketh clouds his chariot". (Is.19:1; Ps 104:3) Singularity of the Spirit renders the clouds as visible form of the invisible aspect of God. This also serve as witnesses an in the vision of Daniel, " I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."( Dan 7:13)
(See entry under B: Behold)
We have another instance where the clouds serve as witness. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him."(Re.1:7).
Whenever a voice from heaven testified Jesus as 'my beloved Son' symbolic presence of God was in a bright cloud. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.(Matt.17:5) ( Mark 9:7). When the rider on the white horse finally appears in Re.19 the cloud is conspicuous by absence. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."(Re.19:11). Instead we have an army of saints in white.
2.
Cloud is the glory of God when manifested. His strength is in the clouds (Ps.68:34). Stephen "looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,"(Ac.7:55-56) This Father Son relationship is transcribed into tokens explain the spiritual significance of the clouds. Clouds a natural phenomena doubles as a sign.
Glory of the word that stretched the skies was present at the dedication of the Temple.(Is.40:22) In order to instruct us the Spirit sets the cloud as a sign there. God set His approval when King Solomon dedicated it to him.", that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,/ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud."(1 Ki.8:10-12)
Hi Momsage , I understand and respect your passion for this subject , I too can get very emphatic about certain things :) . My personal belief is that I wish I could have one day a week , to myself entirely , to be totally alone with my Heavenly Father and do nothing other that meditate on His Word , that would be bliss . As you are no doubt aware , we women always have things to do ( no offence meant to the guys on here :) ) , the brunt of housework cooking cleaning etc falls on us , even if we work outside the home . I try to keep God and His Word in my heart all day every day , that's not to say that I succeed but I do try . My personal belief is that the Sabbath of old testament times is a foreshadow of the one thousand year reign of Christ on earth as I've stated before . I'm in no way offended by anyone who wishes to try to keep it in the here and now and I do wish I could have that privilege . Let's all look forward to that time when we shall live and reign with our Saviour , only doing the works that God wants us to and not doing any of our own , we will then truly be living our entire lives only to serve Him , what bliss . Thy Kingdom Come .
Hi Oseas and thank you for your reply to me , I enjoyed it and I do see your point about natural Israel . There does seem to be a lot of evidence in scripture to back up your opinion , such as : the cursed fig tree that will never bear any fruit , the winepress that will be given to others etc , so I can see why you believe that . Paul does talk about us being grafted on to the natural branches , he doesn't say that the natural branches are to be destroyed and also the father ( God ) of the prodigal son ( who represents the new covenant of forgiveness in Christ ) still loves his firstborn son ( the first covenant of circumcision natural Israel ) , so there is evidence on both sides and plenty for us to argue about if we choose to do so :) . I always think of Zechariah and the Jews at the return of Christ : looking upon him whom they pierced and mourning as if for a firstborn son . I respect and understanding your belief on this matter . We shall know all things when Christ returns , I think that we both agree that it seems like it's going to be soon , the sooner the better ! Let us all be found to be serving our God as best as we can and not averting our eyes to our duties as Christians . May God continue to bless you . Thy Kingdom Come .
This word carries much more depths than it sounds. "Behold he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him" is fulfilment of divine Will. (Re.1:7). Consequently seeing not simply a matter of optics but the sovereign aspect of the Word. It was sent forth by God and it shall not return to him in void. So what was according to the divine Will shall certainly come to pass. It was Isaiah who predicted, "Behold a virgin shall give birth" and it came to pass, (Is.7:14).It marked the fullness of time. St John similarly sets what is foreknown in the mind of God, and it marks the latter days. So space and time are pendent to the word. The same density makes the usage of clouds carry significance.
(See entry under C-clouds)
To draw an analogy from Physics the word 'behold' expresses the singularity of the Spirit and we have several examples scattered throughout the Bible.
What a great read. Thank you so much for sharing this. You bring up a great point about the man being stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. And yes, the Sabbath was given to the children of Israel as a sign between them and God. Have you ever noticed that out of all the 10 Commandments given in the Old Testament (Exodus Chapter 20), only 9 of them are given emphasis in the New Testament ( Matthew 19:18, Romans 13:9).
The commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy seems to be left out of the New Testament. I see no such commandment given to the church. There is no such commandment given to the church to keep the Sabbath day the way the Jews were to keep it. The Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant Law between God and Israel. The church was not in existence when this command was given. As Christians, are we under the Old Covenant law, or are we under God's grace? This is just a general question, no need to provide an answer as I'm sure I know your answer to this one.
To us today, it would seem quite extreme to see someone put to death for something as simple as picking up sticks on the Sabbath. Some say that we must keep the Sabbath day holy, but also say that it's okay to do certain things (even more than just picking up sticks), and that's justified if it's something they need. I wonder how many of today's Sabbath Keepers would be stoned to death today for the things they do on the Sabbath day, if they were to do those same things if they lived during the time the command was given?
We as believers have freedom in Jesus Christ. We are not to judge others regarding their view on keeping the Sabbath, regardless of which view one takes ( Colossians 2:16). And yes, our rest is in Christ Jesus, Amen!
Again, thank you for sharing this. I have been following along in this topic for the past week or so but chose to stay out as it seems to be a very sensitive subject with some. I'll just leave it at that.
The concept of "rest" is important in Scripture, and it has a deep spiritual meaning for Christians. As Christians, we understand that our rest is in Christ, who is our Sabbath. When we rest spiritually in Christ, we present ourselves as the people of God before his presence in continuous sacred assembly. We are always the church, in his presence every day of the week, not just one.
In conclusion, for most Israelites, the Sabbath was a day to rest at home, not a day to travel long distances and attend a worship service. The annual harvest festivals were the time for Israelites to enjoy communal worship and fellowship. Here is what the Expositor's Bible Commentary (volume 2, page 623) says about Leviticus 23:3:
[There is an emphasis here that the Israelite rested at home. There were special offerings given in the tabernacle (e.g., a double burnt offering), but the ordinary Israelite and his whole family rested. Presumably here was an opportunity for family worship and instruction in the law of God, but this is not specifically enjoined. What a boon a weekly rest must have been to the ancient laborer and farmer in his weary round of toil! ]
As did the Jews in their synagogue system, Christians find that regular fellowship and communal instruction is an important foundation of their religious life. As Christians, we are free to meet together at any time of the day, any day of the week, and any season of the year. We are not limited to meeting on just one day, since no day has been specifically set aside by God for Christian fellowship and worship. We are always in the presence of God and worship him continually because he and Christ reside in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. At the same time, we can gather weekly and seasonally in small groups or in larger communal situations to praise God, to recall Christ's work of salvation and to fellowship in the Spirit.
Is worshipping God on any given day breaking the Sabbath?
Part 6.
LEVITICUS 23:3
Let us look at Leviticus 23:3 directly: "There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord." The verse emphasizes rest.
Since the passage is about resting and not working, it seems that the expression "day of sacred assembly" is a parallel to "Sabbath to the Lord" and refers not so much to official communal worship on the Sabbath but to the day itself as being a "sacred assembly."
The phrase "day of sacred assembly" can be understood as a "sacred day of celebration" or a "sacred occasion," as well as a "sacred assembly" or convocation. The weekly Sabbath, as well as the annual festivals, were occasions to worship and praise God for the abundance of his physical blessings and for saving Israel from bondage in Egypt. But this worship and praise could be given to God in the Israelites' participation in rest itself (thus experiencing the blessings of Yahweh through rest), as well as in contemplation and conversation at home.
By resting from their labor and self-interests on the weekly Sabbath, the Israelites were presenting themselves before God through rest. Resting was a way of being in the presence of God and fulfilling his sacred purpose. The only people who were commanded to come to the Temple for worship were the Levites and priests. On behalf of the entire nation, they performed
the prescribed ceremonies. There was no command for people to watch them, or for them to teach the people. It was simply not possible for very many people to be there.
Is worshipping God on any given day breaking the Sabbath?
Part 5.
The synagogue system allowed Jews to meet together in local towns and villages for prayer, the reading of the Holy Scriptures and for fellowship. The synagogue became a miniature sanctuary to replace the loss of the Jerusalem Temple. We do not know when the synagogue system originated. Neither the Old or New Testaments provide any information about this development. It is generally believed that the synagogue system developed when worship at the Temple in Jerusalem became impossible and when Jews were dispersed into other nations.
Jews added the synagogue worship system, not based on biblical command, but on a sociological need, due to the loss of the Temple and the scattering of the people far away from the Promised Land. Nowhere in the Old Testament will you find a command to have local worship sites.
There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the Jews setting up synagogues. They became an important center of fellowship and instruction in the Jewish faith. The New Testament does not condemn the practice; it is taken for granted. It is nowhere commanded.
Regarding the day on which Jews had their worship service, it's natural that it should occur on the Sabbath. The people worked the other six days and the Sabbath was a good time for them to meet. But there is no biblical command to set up local worship sites and to make the weekly Sabbath "holy convocations." The Old Testament does not indicate that the Sabbath is kept holy through a meeting. Rather, it was kept as holy through rest.
Is worshipping God on any given day breaking the Sabbath?
Part 4.
It would be strange, then, to have one phrase in Leviticus 23:3 refer to a weekly worship service commanded for all Israel, and then claim that this was just as important as resting as a way to keep the Sabbath. It would be a mistake to assume such a teaching from a single and vague phrase in one verse when the entire witness of the Old Testament does not mention worship service attendance in conjunction with the Sabbath.
There is no indication in Scripture of Israelites going to worship services of one kind or another in their local towns and villages. They could travel to worship services at the Tabernacle only for the annual festivals.
SYNAGOGUE SYSTEM.
One might point to the New Testament and say, "But Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. Doesn't this indicate that worship services were an essential part of God's command to keep the Sabbath holy?"
So far as we know from Scripture or Jewish history, there was no national system of Sabbath-day worship sites or places of communal instruction throughout Israel's history in the Promised Land up to the captivity of Judah in the 530s B.C. and the return of a remnant to Judea a few decades years later. There were no synagogues before the exile; there were no local meeting places in Israel before the exile, because there was no command for weekly meetings.
Thank you
God Bless :)
God Bless :)
"O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. for the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if we will hear his voice. O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord all the earth, sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. for the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods."
Christ as the brightness of glory witnessed in his body. The logos aspect of the Son is the Witness so he explains, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise."( John 5:19). So we shall see what this cloud consists of. Jesus in his prayer made clear of those whom his Father had entrusted before the worlds began. "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me."( John 17:16)
Jude in his epistle refers to them, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,/To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed." They are witnesses as the Son is appointed to judge the ungodly. (Jude vv.14-15) In short this cloud of witness are created from the Father Son relationship. The eternal Law serves the proof of their disobedience and as God is just their witness shall stand outside what Satan may bring up against. Also refer De.33:2.
We see them in the Book of Daniel, as witnesses, "And they brought him near before him./ And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Dan.7:13-14)
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us"(He. 12:1-2)
You might consider the possibility of having a parasite in the digestive system. I believe ivermectin helps get rid of such things with little to no side effects. So even if its not the cause, no harm is done in most people.
God sent forth his word before the worlds began so St Paul refers to it that the sounds of it has been heard. "Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."(Ro.10:18). So we have clouds as accompaniment to the Son where he is a sign as well as heard as the Word become flesh. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."(Matt.24:30) What we read in Re.1:7 is the same and from the standpoint of St John.
It is thus the Spirit gives the word its density where space and time holds no meaning. So judging the verse literally leads the interpreter to dead ends. Either we read with the Spirit or lose the thread of the divine Will altogether. No more egregious error we need to cite than the manner Israel and elements of the Law of Moses have taken hold great many Christians despite of their new birth and the fact that they are new creation. They are riding a dead horse.
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."(Re.2:7) The Spirit is referring to the ear of faith. This spiritual underpinning on the scaffold of eternal word is what we need here. Those who made excuses in the Parable of the Marriage for the King's Son heard the call but did not hear well. Their ear of faith was intended. It is thus foolish teachers have taught them and their literal interpretation certainly fell short. The message to seven churches is universal and seven place names are but a handle for local churches coming together for common worship.
The Spirit refers to God as He "who maketh clouds his chariot". (Is.19:1; Ps 104:3) Singularity of the Spirit renders the clouds as visible form of the invisible aspect of God. This also serve as witnesses an in the vision of Daniel, " I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."( Dan 7:13)
(See entry under B: Behold)
We have another instance where the clouds serve as witness. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him."(Re.1:7).
Whenever a voice from heaven testified Jesus as 'my beloved Son' symbolic presence of God was in a bright cloud. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.(Matt.17:5) ( Mark 9:7). When the rider on the white horse finally appears in Re.19 the cloud is conspicuous by absence. "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."(Re.19:11). Instead we have an army of saints in white.
2.
Cloud is the glory of God when manifested. His strength is in the clouds (Ps.68:34). Stephen "looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,"(Ac.7:55-56) This Father Son relationship is transcribed into tokens explain the spiritual significance of the clouds. Clouds a natural phenomena doubles as a sign.
Glory of the word that stretched the skies was present at the dedication of the Temple.(Is.40:22) In order to instruct us the Spirit sets the cloud as a sign there. God set His approval when King Solomon dedicated it to him.", that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,/ So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud."(1 Ki.8:10-12)
This word carries much more depths than it sounds. "Behold he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him" is fulfilment of divine Will. (Re.1:7). Consequently seeing not simply a matter of optics but the sovereign aspect of the Word. It was sent forth by God and it shall not return to him in void. So what was according to the divine Will shall certainly come to pass. It was Isaiah who predicted, "Behold a virgin shall give birth" and it came to pass, (Is.7:14).It marked the fullness of time. St John similarly sets what is foreknown in the mind of God, and it marks the latter days. So space and time are pendent to the word. The same density makes the usage of clouds carry significance.
(See entry under C-clouds)
To draw an analogy from Physics the word 'behold' expresses the singularity of the Spirit and we have several examples scattered throughout the Bible.
No I am not offended, so don't worry. I will reply as soon as I have some free time, maybe today. Have a blessed day.
What a great read. Thank you so much for sharing this. You bring up a great point about the man being stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. And yes, the Sabbath was given to the children of Israel as a sign between them and God. Have you ever noticed that out of all the 10 Commandments given in the Old Testament (Exodus Chapter 20), only 9 of them are given emphasis in the New Testament ( Matthew 19:18, Romans 13:9).
The commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy seems to be left out of the New Testament. I see no such commandment given to the church. There is no such commandment given to the church to keep the Sabbath day the way the Jews were to keep it. The Sabbath was part of the Old Covenant Law between God and Israel. The church was not in existence when this command was given. As Christians, are we under the Old Covenant law, or are we under God's grace? This is just a general question, no need to provide an answer as I'm sure I know your answer to this one.
To us today, it would seem quite extreme to see someone put to death for something as simple as picking up sticks on the Sabbath. Some say that we must keep the Sabbath day holy, but also say that it's okay to do certain things (even more than just picking up sticks), and that's justified if it's something they need. I wonder how many of today's Sabbath Keepers would be stoned to death today for the things they do on the Sabbath day, if they were to do those same things if they lived during the time the command was given?
We as believers have freedom in Jesus Christ. We are not to judge others regarding their view on keeping the Sabbath, regardless of which view one takes ( Colossians 2:16). And yes, our rest is in Christ Jesus, Amen!
Again, thank you for sharing this. I have been following along in this topic for the past week or so but chose to stay out as it seems to be a very sensitive subject with some. I'll just leave it at that.
Blessings!!!
The concept of "rest" is important in Scripture, and it has a deep spiritual meaning for Christians. As Christians, we understand that our rest is in Christ, who is our Sabbath. When we rest spiritually in Christ, we present ourselves as the people of God before his presence in continuous sacred assembly. We are always the church, in his presence every day of the week, not just one.
In conclusion, for most Israelites, the Sabbath was a day to rest at home, not a day to travel long distances and attend a worship service. The annual harvest festivals were the time for Israelites to enjoy communal worship and fellowship. Here is what the Expositor's Bible Commentary (volume 2, page 623) says about Leviticus 23:3:
[There is an emphasis here that the Israelite rested at home. There were special offerings given in the tabernacle (e.g., a double burnt offering), but the ordinary Israelite and his whole family rested. Presumably here was an opportunity for family worship and instruction in the law of God, but this is not specifically enjoined. What a boon a weekly rest must have been to the ancient laborer and farmer in his weary round of toil! ]
As did the Jews in their synagogue system, Christians find that regular fellowship and communal instruction is an important foundation of their religious life. As Christians, we are free to meet together at any time of the day, any day of the week, and any season of the year. We are not limited to meeting on just one day, since no day has been specifically set aside by God for Christian fellowship and worship. We are always in the presence of God and worship him continually because he and Christ reside in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. At the same time, we can gather weekly and seasonally in small groups or in larger communal situations to praise God, to recall Christ's work of salvation and to fellowship in the Spirit.
End.
God bless.
Part 6.
LEVITICUS 23:3
Let us look at Leviticus 23:3 directly: "There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the Lord." The verse emphasizes rest.
Since the passage is about resting and not working, it seems that the expression "day of sacred assembly" is a parallel to "Sabbath to the Lord" and refers not so much to official communal worship on the Sabbath but to the day itself as being a "sacred assembly."
The phrase "day of sacred assembly" can be understood as a "sacred day of celebration" or a "sacred occasion," as well as a "sacred assembly" or convocation. The weekly Sabbath, as well as the annual festivals, were occasions to worship and praise God for the abundance of his physical blessings and for saving Israel from bondage in Egypt. But this worship and praise could be given to God in the Israelites' participation in rest itself (thus experiencing the blessings of Yahweh through rest), as well as in contemplation and conversation at home.
By resting from their labor and self-interests on the weekly Sabbath, the Israelites were presenting themselves before God through rest. Resting was a way of being in the presence of God and fulfilling his sacred purpose. The only people who were commanded to come to the Temple for worship were the Levites and priests. On behalf of the entire nation, they performed
the prescribed ceremonies. There was no command for people to watch them, or for them to teach the people. It was simply not possible for very many people to be there.
See Part 7.
Part 5.
The synagogue system allowed Jews to meet together in local towns and villages for prayer, the reading of the Holy Scriptures and for fellowship. The synagogue became a miniature sanctuary to replace the loss of the Jerusalem Temple. We do not know when the synagogue system originated. Neither the Old or New Testaments provide any information about this development. It is generally believed that the synagogue system developed when worship at the Temple in Jerusalem became impossible and when Jews were dispersed into other nations.
Jews added the synagogue worship system, not based on biblical command, but on a sociological need, due to the loss of the Temple and the scattering of the people far away from the Promised Land. Nowhere in the Old Testament will you find a command to have local worship sites.
There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the Jews setting up synagogues. They became an important center of fellowship and instruction in the Jewish faith. The New Testament does not condemn the practice; it is taken for granted. It is nowhere commanded.
Regarding the day on which Jews had their worship service, it's natural that it should occur on the Sabbath. The people worked the other six days and the Sabbath was a good time for them to meet. But there is no biblical command to set up local worship sites and to make the weekly Sabbath "holy convocations." The Old Testament does not indicate that the Sabbath is kept holy through a meeting. Rather, it was kept as holy through rest.
See Part 6.
Part 4.
It would be strange, then, to have one phrase in Leviticus 23:3 refer to a weekly worship service commanded for all Israel, and then claim that this was just as important as resting as a way to keep the Sabbath. It would be a mistake to assume such a teaching from a single and vague phrase in one verse when the entire witness of the Old Testament does not mention worship service attendance in conjunction with the Sabbath.
There is no indication in Scripture of Israelites going to worship services of one kind or another in their local towns and villages. They could travel to worship services at the Tabernacle only for the annual festivals.
SYNAGOGUE SYSTEM.
One might point to the New Testament and say, "But Jesus and Paul attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. Doesn't this indicate that worship services were an essential part of God's command to keep the Sabbath holy?"
So far as we know from Scripture or Jewish history, there was no national system of Sabbath-day worship sites or places of communal instruction throughout Israel's history in the Promised Land up to the captivity of Judah in the 530s B.C. and the return of a remnant to Judea a few decades years later. There were no synagogues before the exile; there were no local meeting places in Israel before the exile, because there was no command for weekly meetings.
See Part 5.