Why do so few people keep the seventh day Sabbath?

[Muffled]

I believe it is because we don't live in old testament times, so we don't keep the Sabbath that they kept but we do keep a Sabbath.

 

[Muffled]

So few keep it because so few people are Jewish and required to keep it.

I believe Jews tend to go by tradition.

 

[Muffled]

Most people do relax on Sundays. It's just not a religious proscription, for them. I consider it all the more honest for that.

I believe for a retired person taking time off from work loses its meaning. As for taking time for God I do that every day.

 

[roberto]

The day of week.
The claim made is that it is "Friday" to "Saturday"

The last time he made the claim he referenced a verse that says "the ninth day of the month"....

Ok.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

Okay, so you're telling me I have an evil heart. That doesn't exactly make me want to have any further dialogue with you in the future. At any rate, I hope having insulted me made you feel good. In that case, posting wouldn't have been a total waste of your time.

Hi Katzpur. Sorry if you took offense. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 3:12 that an evil heart is one of unbelief. I'm sure many people take offense at such words, but this is what the Bible tells us.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

I wonder if you've noticed that not a single one of those depends upon the time being taken on one, single day of the week, by everybody.

I wonder if you've noticed that if everybody, in a large city for example, took their leisure on the same day of the week, that the parks and recreational spaces provided would be insufficient to contain them, and for 6 other days would be ignored and empty.

I wonder if you've noticed that some people's recreation actually depends upon the work of other people. Or that the health care of the sick, or the needy, is often necessary even on "rest days."

If you are going to argue that one day is intrinsically "holy,"' then do that, and make your case. But the case you make here does not do that.

Hi Evangelicalhumanist. Good afternoon. In terms of what you said about recreational spaces, I use recreational spaces during the working week although I have a Sabbath. Just because one has a resting day, doesn't mean that parks and recreational spaces wouldn't be used throughout the week. In terms of what you have said about the health care of the sick, Yahshua said it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath Day, saying, "And he saith unto them, Is it lawful on the sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? to save a life, or to kill? But they held their peace." Yahshua healed on the Sabbath. It is perfectly acceptable to look after the sick on the Sabbath Day, but the intended purpose of the Sabbath is for all to be able to rest, even the draft animals.

I did make my case in the original post that one day is holy, but I also made the case how a day of rest is supported scientifically.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

The Bible also says this, yet here you are with this thread:

Colossians 2:16:

Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days.

Hi 9-10ths_Penguin. Good afternoon. Collosians 2:16 does not validate the breaking of the Sabbath Day. My Bible says “Let no man judge you” regarding these things whether Sabbath or New Moon or feast day. The reason why is because only Yahweh and Yahshua should be judging us regarding these things. We shouldn’t allow people’s negative opinions of these Laws to circumvent us from keeping the Law. As you can tell from this thread, most people seem to be against keeping the Sabbath Day. Even Jews are saying non-Jews are not to keep the Sabbath. But the true worshipper is not to allow any man judge us on these things. Yahweh’s Law is good and we cannot let anyone judge us regarding keeping these holy observances properly.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Hi 9-10ths_Penguin. Good afternoon. Collosians 2:16 does not validate the breaking of the Sabbath Day.

That's right. What it does is condemn what you're doing: judging people about whether they keep the Sabbath.

The passage that validates breaking the Sabbath - for those who don't see it as necessary - is Romans 14:1-9:

Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.[a] 2 One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike.[c] Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The[d] one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Bible Gateway passage: Romans 14:1-9 - New English Translation

... and there seems to me to be an undertone in this passage: that rules around food and holy days are really a crutch for people who are weak in faith.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Why don't people want to keep the seventh day sabbath?

I don't know. Maybe because we have moved beyond Bronze Age religion and morality.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Hi Katzpur. Sorry if you took offense. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 3:12 that an evil heart is one of unbelief. I'm sure many people take offense at such words, but this is what the Bible tells us.

Then Hebrews 3:12 is wrong. Many people have been deliberately burned at the stake by those with hearts full of belief, and many hearts without belief (for example Medecins sans Frontiers operates "irrespective of religion" and many of its members have no faith).

 

[Messianic Israelite]

Hello. I appreciate where you are coming from brother. My only contribution here is just to highlight a bit of Christian history:

Council of Laodicea (circa 364 AD):

'Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that Day: but the Lord’s Day, they shall especially honour; and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ.'

Hi Regiomontaus. It's true that anti-Semitism and liberalism crept into what we now call Chr-stianity and countless hundreds of Sabbath keepers were killed but originally, Sabbath was kept by the apostles and the followers of Yahshua. The apostles never instructed the true worshippers to change the day of worship to Sunday. Many migrated to Europe so that they could continue to practice the true faith and keep the Sabbath day holy.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

I don't think Hebrews 4:9 is talking about the Sabbath as in the 7th day.

The verse before says: "3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world." which isn't talking about the Sabbath.

Then again... In Col 2:26 (Phillips translation which expresses it well)
PHILLIPS
In view of these tremendous facts, don’t let anyone worry you by criticising what you eat or drink, or what holy days you ought to observe, or bothering you over new moons or sabbaths. All these things have at most only a symbolical value: the solid fact is Christ.

When we accept Jesus we rest every day. Christ causes us to enter into rest. Some choose Sunday, some choose a Friday to Saturday... the doctor who works on Sunday chooses a different day.

Hi KenS. Good day. Hebrews 4:9 says in the ASV:
"There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of [Yahweh]"

It's quite clear that the subject is the Sabbath especially if you take verse 4 and verse 10, you can see that the subject is the Sabbath Day. You have said when we accept Yahshua we rest every day. I don't think that's a good way of thinking. We're not commanded to rest every day. We're commanded to work for 6 days a week. If we were to rest every day, no work would get done.

It's not up to mankind to choose which day is hallowed and sanctified. Only Yahweh can do that.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

With the backdrop that it is VERY healthy to take a day off...

If we go back to Adam and Eve, when fellowship with God was daily and intimate in the fullest sense, there wasn't a "one day" of a Sabbath. Every day, with God, is a Sabbath - a rest in God and with God.

Using some scriptures, I'm sure there are more:

Hebrews 4 :9-10 i, "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his."

Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

The Sabbath during the Mosaic law (for Christians) was simply a shadow that the coming of the person of Jesus Christ was casting. As the Lord of the Sabbath, we have entered into a complete communion with God as was with Adam and Eve. We rest from the efforts of keeping connected with God with the sacrifices through the shedding of blood, one day to spend with Him et al. Accepting Jesus, who is Lord of the Sabbath, we enter into a rest that is continual and without ceasing. We don't have to "try" to connect with God, we now boldly enter the Throne-room of Grace.

Thus, as Paul explained in Romans 14:6 VOICE If someone observes a day as holy, he observes it in honor of the Lord. If another eats a particular diet, he eats in honor of the Lord since he begins by giving thanks! If yet another abstains from that same food, he abstains out of respect for the Lord and begins his meal by thanking God too.

So... if you want Friday evening to Saturday evening to be your day of worship and you do it as unto God... then God says, "That's great!" If you want Sunday to be that special day, then God says "That's great!". If you are a doctor that worked the weekend shift and you want to make Monday a day for the Lord then "wonderful!" If every day you worship and dedicate it to God, then "amazing!"

Every day you are living with God and through God.

Hope that was clear... let me know.

Hi KenS. Good day. Um. I think you are putting words in to Yahweh's mouth. I personally wouldn't do that. I sure don't think that Yahweh agrees with any day you take as the Sabbath. We can't twist the law to suit us. Six days of work, the seventh day is a Sabbath. Once we know which day is the seventh day, we cannot choose to ignore this, we have to subject ourselves to Yahweh's will and keep it holy. You could rest on a Thursday, a Monday, a Wednesday - any day of the week other than Saturday - it wouldn't be keeping His Sabbath Day holy. And they are benefits to keeping a resting day, regardless what day it is, but Yahweh has chosen the Saturday to be His resting day for His people. This was the day when Yahweh finished all creation and this is the only weekly day that has been blessed and made holy.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

There is a simple pragmatic reason most people can’t keep the Sabbath as described in the Written Torah. It requires additional instruction from the Oral Torah in order to do that. The Oral Torah in not available to the non-Jew. In order to have access to it it is necessary to accept its authority. That is something Christians can’t do without undermining the authority of Christian sources including their New Testament, for example.

Hi Shaul. Shalom. The Bible is all we need to know to keep the Sabbath Day properly. It isn't difficult to keep the Sabbath.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

From a Christian perspective the Ten Commandments are not the standard.
In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus raised the bar of what was to be
expected of those serving G-d.

Hi PruePhillip. Do you remember when Yahshua was asked by the young man what good thing he should do to receive eternal life, and do you remember Yahshua's response? He began quoting from the Laws in the Bible, some of which came from the 10 commandments: "And behold, one came to him and said, Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him, Why askest thou me concerning that which is good? One there is who is good: but if thou wouldest enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? And Yahshua said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 19)

Yahshua's instruction was perfect and the sermon on the mount shows the perfect character that we should attain to, but that character cannot be obtained without keeping the commandments. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit that works within the confines of the Law as Galatians 5:22-23 shows.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

I really believe that Satan was so jealous of God and wanted to be worshiped like God that he found a way to take over the name of "Christian". Constantine was a PAGAN and never stopped his pagan beliefs. But Satan found a way to have him influence the early church and keep the pagan beliefs but called them "Christian" and forced those beliefs on people with the power of the Roman empire. Everything that God told people to do was eliminated. God's sabbath and holy days were said to be only for the Jews.The new so called Christians wanted nothing to do with them. But God said his rules were for all people. So by ignoring them, Satan got people to worship his false teachings.

I actually agree lostwanderingsoul. You put it well and succinctly.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

For an outsider like me, the Ten Commandments are a poor moral compass. None of my neighbors has servants, for example. Four of the ten rules are about keeping the priesthood in a job, Thou shalt not kill / murder is vague and ambiguous. Don't steal works reasonably well at the individual level but not at the corporate level. Slavery is silently condoned. There is little attempt to convey principles, no concept of fairness or reciprocity, no command to be honest, or to act with decency, kindness, inclusiveness.
The idea of the weekend is as a rule good for families with kids, and for schools, and for certain businesses but by no means all. God rested when [he] wanted to. Why shouldn't [his] followers do the same? Works for me.

Hi blü 2. Good afternoon. I would have to disagree. The 10 commandments are excellent commandments, but only if they are taken as a whole. If all kept the 10 commandments, society would recover quickly from it’s moral degradation. Whereas the first four to five commandments concentrate on properly worshipping Yahweh, the last five concentrate on our duty to our fellow men. The 10 commandments concentrates on who we worship, when we worship, what we think (you shall not covet) and how we act. All Yahweh’s commandments are good, but the 10 commandments are proof of the intelligence behind the Word. Only Yahweh could come up with a righteous law as perfect and good as what we find in the Bible. They are other excellent laws in the Bible which deal with kindness and some of the other things you mention.

In terms of whether we should be able to choose our own resting day, the 10 commandments clearly state in the first commandment “You shall have no other elohim before me”. If we accept Yahweh as our Elohim, we should accept that Yahweh should be able to choose which day we rest on and he has chosen. It is the seventh day Sabbath. Yahweh rested from his creation from Friday night to Saturday night after creating all this beautiful creation. The Word tells us He blessed this day and sanctified it as holy. Keeping another day as the Sabbath may benefit you in keeping some kind of rest, but we should not presume that this is pleasing to Yahweh.

 

[Messianic Israelite]

That's right. What it does is condemn what you're doing: judging people about whether they keep the Sabbath.

The passage that validates breaking the Sabbath - for those who don't see it as necessary - is Romans 14:1-9:

Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.[a] 2 One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike.[c] Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The[d] one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Bible Gateway passage: Romans 14:1-9 - New English Translation

... and there seems to me to be an undertone in this passage: that rules around food and holy days are really a crutch for people who are weak in faith.

Hi 9-10ths_Penguin. Good afternoon. I don't have to judge, Yahweh has already said what is right and wrong in His Word Penguin. The judgment is from Yahweh. The seventh day is to be a day of rest. When we're keeping the Law, we cannot allow people's opinions to deter us from keeping the Law. In terms of Romans 14:1-9, the subject is eating and drinking, and fasting. It doesn't relate to the Sabbath Day. Read the passage again, and you'll see this is made abundantly clear.

I fast sometimes, but to the person that doesn't, I don't tell them they have to fast like I do. There's no commandment in the Bible that one has to fast except for one day of the year, the Day of Atonement.

 

[Kenny]

Hi KenS. Good day. Hebrews 4:9 says in the ASV:
"There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of [Yahweh]"

It's quite clear that the subject is the Sabbath especially if you take verse 4 and verse 10, you can see that the subject is the Sabbath Day. You have said when we accept Yahshua we rest every day. I don't think that's a good way of thinking. We're not commanded to rest every day. We're commanded to work for 6 days a week. If we were to rest every day, no work would get done.

It's not up to mankind to choose which day is hallowed and sanctified. Only Yahweh can do that.

And yet, the very scriptures declares that "there remaineth therefor a sabbath rest for the people" saying that the regular Sabbath didn't accomplish it.

And the Pharisee Paul said it was just a shadow of things to come and therefore we no longer judge whether or not we observe the Sabbath or Holy days. I think, as a Jewish person, he would understand it better than us.

 

[Kenny]

Hi KenS. Good day. Um. I think you are putting words in to Yahweh's mouth. I personally wouldn't do that. I sure don't think that Yahweh agrees with any day you take as the Sabbath. We can't twist the law to suit us. Six days of work, the seventh day is a Sabbath. Once we know which day is the seventh day, we cannot choose to ignore this, we have to subject ourselves to Yahweh's will and keep it holy. You could rest on a Thursday, a Monday, a Wednesday - any day of the week other than Saturday - it wouldn't be keeping His Sabbath Day holy. And they are benefits to keeping a resting day, regardless what day it is, but Yahweh has chosen the Saturday to be His resting day for His people. This was the day when Yahweh finished all creation and this is the only weekly day that has been blessed and made holy.

No... I was just quoting scriptures.

It is written we labor to enter into Yahweh's rest. There was no specific day of rest until the Mosaic covenant came into being. Abraham didn't have a Sabbath recorded, did he? Maybe we should review what Yahweh mean we He said "He rested"?