Week 24: June 11th, 2017

Topic: Keep the Sabbath Holy –Part 3

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 5: 1-14

The study continues with the commandments of the Lord concerning the Sabbath day. As previously discussed that the Sabbath day is the Lord’s Day, we will be using them interchangeably.

The Commandments of God

Though, it is the commandment of the Lord that says we must eat from the sweat of our brows till we die and return to dust Genesis 3: 19. It is not right to work on the Sabbath day, in which God Himself rested from His work because it is a covenant between God and the believers. Therefore, keep and observe the Lord’s Day; do not destroy the covenant of God, but honour and respect His covenant at all times.

Emulate Nehemiah: If you do not go to church first to worship God, whatever job/business that you do on the Lord’s Day will not prosper. If you make money on this day, it will not be spent judiciously because you have disobeyed God and you did not keep His covenant.

Emulate Nehemiah and do not trade or transact any business on the Lord’s Day unless you go to church first to worship the Lord. If your business associates bring merchandise on the Sabbath day, do not accept them Nehemiah 10: 31. It is your duty to warn people who are transacting business on the Lord’s Day without going to church first. If such people did not listen to your warnings, you must rebuke them so that the wrath of God reserved for those people who profane the Sabbath day may be pacified Nehemiah 13: 15-19. Henceforth, make a resolution to worship God first on the Sabbath day before engaging in any business deal.

Keep the Sabbath and honour your parents: It is the duties of Christians to honour their parents and keep the Sabbath. If you keep the Sabbath, but disrespect your parents you have broken the law of the Lord. In order for you to be rewarded for observing and keeping the Sabbath, you must honour your parents. It is stated in the Bible that “Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God” Leviticus 19: 3.

Keep the Sabbath and honour the Temple: Christians that are keeping the Lord’s Day by going to the church to worship the Lord their God must neither defile nor disrespect the sanctuary of the Lord. The mere fact that you obey the commandment of the Lord to keep the Sabbath is not an excuse for you to desecrate His holy sanctuary. It is written that “You shall keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary: I am the Lord” Leviticus 19: 30; 26: 2. Christians beware whenever you are in the church, do not misuse or disrespect the holy place.

Consequences of not keeping the Sabbath

Working on the Sabbath day is one of the strategies of Satan to lure Christians into sin and make them to stumble in the presence of the Lord. The temptation is very pronounced because the people working in organizations/establishments will be paid extra money and better rate to work on the Sabbath, while the traders will be considering the money they will make if they open their shops/markets/offices on the Sabbath. Never ignore the consequences of profaning the Lord’s Sabbath.

Miseries await them: Many Christians think that they are smart. Instead of worshipping God on the Lord’s Day, they will go to their jobs/works because of the extra income to be made. Such people are foolish because they are using carnal wisdom which is foolishness in the presence of God to judge the spiritual things of the Lord. The scripture stated that ‘For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”’ 1 Corinthians 3: 19. This group/set of people are not smart, but foolish.

Miseries await anyone who goes to work/job on the Sabbath instead of church because Satan will create a spiritual drain-pipe to siphon whatever money that is made by profaning the Lord’s Day. The Bible stated that “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” Isaiah 5: 21. Working and not going to church on the Lord’s Day is not smartness, but foolishness. Therefore, abstain from this misconduct.

They will be cut off: One of the consequences of profaning the Lord’s Sabbath is to be cut off from among the chosen people of God. Whoever does any work on the Lord’s Day shall be cut off from the community of saints Exodus 31: 14. Many Christians always think that if they continue to work on the Sabbaths and become rich, they will be reinstated or readmitted into the community of God’s people, but they are wrong. Even if they are readmitted into the church, they will not inherit the heavenly kingdom until they repent and start keeping the Sabbath.

Numerous Christians always work overnight, so on the Sabbath day fatigue will set in, and they won’t be able to concentrate in the church. If church service is delay, countless Christians will be impatient to go to work/home and they will not wait for the service to end before they leave the presence of God. Such people should change their schedule where possible or they should be more accommodating.

Such people must remember the Bible passage which stated that “In the presence of God there is fullness of joy” Psalm 16: 11.

They will be put to death: Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death Exodus 31: 15; 35: 2, Numbers 15: 32-35. Christians may say such things cannot happen in this age; it is true, but God has the power to make such people who profane His Sabbath to die spiritually instead of physical death. Therefore, Christians must not learn the ways of the gentiles by profaning the Sabbath day.

Warning from the Lord: God warned the Israelites by saying “Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers” Jeremiah 17: 21-22. Christians, pay attention to the warning of the Lord and seek the Lord God on the Sabbath day (Lord’s Day): the Special Day that God blessed and sanctified. Call on the Lord during the congregational service of the Lord’s Day and He will answer; because He is near and prepare to solve your problems. It is written that “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” Isaiah 55: 6. God is waiting for you on the Sabbaths in His sanctuary, so do not miss this great opportunity.

Their establishments will be consumed: God will consume the establishments and treasures of people who did not heed the warnings of the Lord to hallow the Sabbath day. He will use unquenchable fire to devour their earthly possessions because they do not keep the Sabbath, but continue to profane it by working on the Lord’s Day Jeremiah 17: 27. If you don’t want your treasures to be consumed physically or spiritually, stop working on Sabbaths.