HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH • • • • The 25th study in the series. Studies written by William Carey. Programming by Michael Salzman. All texts are from the New King James version. • All rights reserved. 1-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Can man make something holy? Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 1-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH The essential thing about keeping the Sabbath is to remember to KEEP IT HOLY. No matter how strictly anyone may keep the first day of the week, Sunday, he really cannot keep it holy, because God has never hallowed or made holy the first day of the week. 1-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH The seventh day is the only day of the week which God has ever hallowed or made holy (Gen. 2:1-3); SO THE SEVENTH DAY IS REALLY THE ONLY DAY ANYONE CAN EVER KEEP HOLY. 1-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH When God makes anything holy-- a day, a place, or any object -- He expects us to be particular how we treat it, and to make a proper distinction in our actions between the holy and the common. 2-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH When does the day start? Genesis 1:23,31 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 31- Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good: So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 2-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH God measures the day of twenty-four hours from evening to evening, that is, from sunset to sunset. THIS MEANS THAT GOD’S HOLY DAY IS FROM SUNSET FRIDAY EVENING TO SUNSET SATURDAY EVENING. 2-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Proper observance of the Lord’s day means that we recognize and treat this portion of each week as God’s holy time, and that we devote that time to him. 3-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH When does the Day of Atonement begin? Leviticus 23:32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” 3-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH The “EVEN” in the King James version mentioned here means SUNSET (see Mark 1:32). This rule which the Lord laid down in reference to the ceremonial Sabbath of the Day of Atonement also applies to His weekly Sabbath of creation. The Sabbath is to be observed from evening to evening, that is FROM SUNSET TO SUNSET. 3-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH We should follow the practice of having special prayer to the Lord at sunset Friday evening and at sunset Saturday evening, so as to mark off the Sabbath in our lives as the Lord’s holy day. 4-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH When is the preparation day? Mark 15:42 Now when the evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, The day before the Sabbath, FRIDAY, IS THE PREPARATION DAY, WHEN WE ARE TO PREPARE FOR THE SABBATH. 4-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH On preparation day, we should take care of the cleaning, sewing, washing, ironing, and cooking (Ex. 16:22-23), so that when the Sabbath begins at sunset Friday night, we are PREPARED TO KEEP IT HOLY. A SAFE RULE IS NOT TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO DO ON THE SABBATH THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF DURING THE SIX WORKING DAYS. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Should a person conduct business on the Sabbath? Nehemiah 13:15-22 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH In those days saw I people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that ye do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 18 “Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came they no more on the Sabbath. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. 5-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH THERE IS TO BE NO BUYING OR SELLING ON THE SABBATH DAY. 6-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH What will happen if you keep the Sabbath? Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy of the LORD, honorable; and shall honor Him, 6-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words: 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD hath spoken.” 6-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH On the Sabbath day we are not to pursue our business, and we are not to find our own pleasure, which means that we are not to use the Sabbath for pleasure outings. This text also says that on the Sabbath we are not to speak our own words, 6-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH which means that we should not use the Sabbath for worldly conversation or business discussion, secular reading, or worldly writing or business mail. THE RADIO AND TV SHOULD BE OFF. 6-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH NEWSPAPERS AND SECULAR MAGAZINES SHOULD BE PUT AWAY. ALL THOUGHTS SHOULD BE ON GOD AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF HIS KINGDOM. 7-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Can you be too busy to keep the Sabbath? Exodus 34:21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. 7-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH No matter how busy we are with our work or business, we are to devote God’s holy day to Him. God gives us six days for our business and pleasure. EACH SEVENTH DAY IS TO BE DEVOTED TO THE LORD’S SERVICE. 8-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH • How did Jesus keep the Sabbath? • Luke 4:16 • So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 8-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Jesus Christ, when He was here on earth, went to the house of God to worship the Lord every Sabbath day. AN ESSENTIAL PART OF KEEPING THE SABBATH IS TO ATTEND THE SABBATH SCHOOL AND THE CHURCH SERVICE ON THE SABBATH. 9-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH • What should be done on the Sabbath? • Matthew 12:10-12 • And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” -- that they might accuse Him. 9-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 11 Then He said to them, “What man is there be among you who has one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12 “Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 9-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Acts of mercy are lawful on the Sabbath. 10-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH • What does Sabbath keeping show? • Ezekiel 20:20 • “hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. 10-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH If we really keep the Sabbath holy, HALLOW GOD’S SABBATH, IT WILL BE HIS SIGN UPON US, THAT HE IS OUR GOD AND THAT WE ARE HIS PEOPLE. 11-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Is the Sabbath just for life on earth? Isaiah 66:22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD. “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 11-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH 23 And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 11-KS HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH Let us make the Sabbaths, as they come and go each week, lights along the way which leads to that glorious eternal home, where all the redeemed will come to worship the Lord face to face each Sabbath day throughout the eternal ages. HOW TO KEEP THE SABBATH What are you going to do with the Sabbath of the LORD? End KS