The Sabbath

A bit more than 7 years ago, Heavenly Father called me to a scriptural restoration. The first thing that was revealed to me was the 7th day Sabbath, the 4th command. I learnt about the 10 commandments when I was +- 8 years old. I never up to 7 years ago questioned the content or the purpose of the 4th commandment. Neither did anyone explain to me what the 4th command really meant. I was taught all through my life that the 10 commandments were Father's laws and that we need to keep them.

I remember Sunday's when I was in boarding school, we had to go to church in the morning, have lunch after church and then stay in our rooms all afternoon and be quiet until 5 o'clock.  I remember in those days, all shops were closed and nobody really worked on this day, I understood that Sunday was a Holy day.

At different occasions, priests talked about the 10 commandments but very few details was given on the 4th commandment, I even remember one time when a pastor went into detail on each command except the 4th command.

It also did not cross my mind to ever ask the pastor what the 4th commandment meant or to study the scriptures myself to find out what it is about.

I realize now we as normal people rely so much on other people like the priests/pastors to teach us the scriptures and the will of our Creator, but we forget to ask Him, who made us to teach us, as this is what He wants.

I would like to share my experiences, of the anger, the shock, the fear, the search for truth and the inner peace I went through in the last 7 years regarding the 4th commandment.

When I leant that the Sabbath day was actually the 7th and not the 1st day, my reaction was anger, anger towards the people I trusted to teach me the truth and anger at myself for not seeing this.

At the same time I was shocked to the core, realizing that all my life I have being living a lie and was disobedience towards my Heavenly Father.

I took drastic steps to correct this disobedience which caused a major eruption to my life and close family. I was so afraid of disappointing my Creator that I became a bulldozer and bulldozed everything and everybody within my path, including my wife to correct the situation.

I made an appointment with pastor at my church to discuss the Sabbath issue. The pastor could not give me a clear answer and said he would get back to me within a week; he never did get back to me.

I wanted to know the truth and therefore read many books on the Sabbath day. I spoke to another pastor and to people I believed were close to Father. The answers I got were: 1) it is nailed to the cross. 2) We keep it now on any day. 3) We can choice which day we keep it. 4) Jesus is now lord of the Sabbath. 5) Sunday is now Sabbath.

I asked these same people if we still had to keep the 10 commands and all answers were "Yes." I was totally confused.

I knew that the 10 commands had to be kept but how come this excludes the 4th command. I asked Heavenly Father if I really need to keep Sabbath, that He should give me answers as to me keeping the Sabbath day or not. I did not want to do something that Father did not approve of!

My search for truth continued.

The 4th command: "Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart (keep Holy). 6 days you labour and shall do all your work, but the 7th day is a Sabbath of Yahuah (Heavenly Father) your Elohim (God). You do not do any work - you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. "For in 6 days Yahuah made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested the 7th day. Therefore Yahuah blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart. Exodus 20:8-11.

I knew that the only way I could get to the truth was to study the scriptures from the beginning to the end with the Spirit of Messiah's guidance.

Many people also told me that the Sabbath keeping is a Jewish thing and not a Christian thing. The very first word of the 4th command is "Remember the Sabbath", this meant 2 things: 1) at the beginning of creation Father rested on the 7th day and blessed it and made it set apart. So this could not be a Jewish thing as in the beginning there was no Jew (Adam was not a Jew), therefore we had to remember it. 2) The language of Hebrew is concrete and active where English is abstract and passive (including Africans). Therefore "Remember" in Hebrew means you must take action were in English we may believe that we supposed to think about these things. In English it is primarily a mental exercise, were in Hebrew it is an action word. I also realized that when Father said "He blessed this day and made it set-apart" that this day meant a lot to Father and that this particular day meant to be a very special day. 

In the New Testament it is mentioned in various places that the commands are important. 1 John 2:3-7: verse 4; the one who says, "I know Him" and does not keep His commands, is a liar and the truth is not in him. Verse 5; if you keep His Word than His love has been perfected in you. Verse 7; says that these commands are not new but have been given from the beginning.

James 2:10-11: if you break one command than you break all the commands. According to the above verses, all the commands are applicable and if we break the 4th command we break all the commands.

If we no longer require keeping the 4th command, we no longer have to keep all the commands. If we keep the 4th command on any day or anytime like Sunday, than we may murder when we feel like or we may/may not respect our parents. If the 4th command is nailed to the cross, so than adultery, murder or stealing, in other words we are free to do what we want too.

Really, that is satan's lie.

At this point I know that Messiah did not nail the commands to the cross because He said so in Matthew 5:17. We have being deceived by our forefathers and satan for many years. The 7th day Sabbath was changed by the Roman Catholic Church to 1st day (Sunday) and one of the reasons was to be separated from the Jews. Note I said it is one of the reasons, there are many other reasons but I suggest you do your own search for truth. The RCC does not deny it; according to them they have the right to change the Sabbath day.

I read through the complete scripture and the following verses tell me that I have to keep the 7th day Sabbath;

The Sabbath day was blessed and set apart by the Almighty at creation. Later on it was instituted as the sign of the everlasting covenant between Almighty Father and His people, a sign that He sets them apart, an everlasting sign - Exodus 31:13-17 & Ezekiel 20:12-20.

This sign is everlasting, which means it applies still today. Sabbath keeping is one of the 10 commandments, standing forever, settled forever in heaven and founded forever - Psalms 89:34, Ps 111:8-9 & Ps 119:89.

Our Messiah kept the Sabbath - Luke 4:16 & John 15:10.

The women who were taught by Messiah kept the Sabbath - Luke 23:56.

Paul kept the Sabbath - see Acts 13:14, Acts 13:42-44, Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4 & Acts 18:11.

In Hebrew 4:9 we are reminded of the necessity of keeping the Sabbath.

At the end of this age, the Sabbath shall still be kept - Isaiah 66:23.

In Matthew 24; the Messiah is speaking to His apostles about the end time signs. In verse 20; and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath, verse 21; for then there will be great tribulations........ Remember that Messiah is talking about what is going to happen at the end of this age (the end of this world as we know it) and we all can agree that this has not happen yet, still coming, very soon. Messiah is saying at the end, when this happens, we must pray that it does not happen on a Sabbath. If the Sabbath is no longer required, why is the Messiah mentioning it still in the future and which Sabbath is He talking about, it can only be the 7th day Sabbath. The Messiah is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, He never changes.

After many hours of studying the scriptures and many hours of praying for guidance, I have no doubt that we have to keep the 7th day Sabbath - Saturday not Sunday. I believe that the scripture is true and the Almighty Creator has given it to us for guidance.

I did not find in all of scripture a verse that says that the Sabbath is now the 1st day (Sunday). Man cannot decide to keep the Sabbath on the 3rd, 4th or 1st day, the Creator said the 7th day, and if you love Him you will obey Him.

Father has placed laws in the universe to insure that for example the sun does not collide with earth so has He given man laws to insure there is guidance for right living.

The Sabbath is a very important sign between Elohim (Almighty God) and His people; it is a sign that shows Him that those that keep the Sabbath are His children. The Sabbath is not a Jew thing, Adam, and Noah + his family were not Jews and they all kept the Sabbath. The Orthodox Jews (Pharisees) have created so much extra laws to the Sabbath, which was the reason Messiah criticized them for their traditions.

My intension is not to convince you to keep the 7th day Sabbath; we are all free to make our own choices. But I must say this as I have being there where many are now today, the truth has being distorted.

Ask the people that are keeping the Sabbath, it is a day of rest and a day that you get to spend with the Creator, not just 2 hours but a whole day. The inner peace I have by keeping the Sabbath is indescribable; it is not a burden to me. After a week of work and craziness in this rush world, the Sabbath is always something to look forward too. I feel refreshed after a Sabbath, remember Father personally blessed and set this day apart, that is why it is so special.

 The sign of YAH’s people