Week 25: June 18th, 2017

Topic: Keep the Sabbath Holy –Part 4

Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 5: 1-14

The study continues with the benefits reserved for the people who keep the Sabbath. 

Benefits

Christians must realize that whatever work done or the number of hours you spent at your work is immaterial as long as you keep the Sabbath, you will be blessed. The Bible confirmed that the blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow with it Proverbs 10: 22. If you want riches without sadness and regret, keep the Sabbath of the Lord.

Blessed are those who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it: Christians that God desire to take to high and esteem positions in the world, if they fail when tested with smaller posts, will God be eager to permit them to control bigger things physically and spiritually? When they are in control of small offices and they cannot find time to worship Him and keep the Sabbath day holy, don’t you know that He will either put a hold on their promotions and progress or give them to their neighbours who are better than them?

It was written that “Blessed is the one who does this, the person who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without defiling it and keep their hands from doing any evil” Isaiah 56: 2. If you want the blessings of the Lord to come upon you, keep the Sabbath faithfully. Do not pollute it and refrain from doing any evil.

God will give you everlasting name: Our God is impartial, says the Bible Romans 2: 11. Therefore, anyone from any race, colour and gender who pleases the Lord and commit their lives to Him shall be blessed. Those people who keep the Sabbaths of the Lord, obey Him completely and remain loyal to His covenant will be fruitful.

God will set up monuments in His holy temple with the names of such people written on them. In manners that will make it better than having children because these monuments will stand eternally. God will give such people in His house and within His walls a place and a name better than sons and daughters; He will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off but endure forever Isaiah 56: 3-5. If you want your name to be written on the memorial walls in the temple of the Lord, keep the Sabbaths. If you want an everlasting name which is better than having children, remain loyal to His covenant.

Your offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable: God will bless the people who commit themselves to the Lord; those who serve Him and love His name shall multiply exceedingly. The people that does not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, but hold fast to His covenant will be promoted. The unquantifiable blessings of the Lord shall come upon those who bind/join themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love His name and be His servants who will never defile the Sabbath, but hold firmly to His covenant.

God will bring them to His holy mountain and fill them with joy in His house of prayer. He will accept their offerings and sacrifices because His house will be called a house of prayer for all nations Isaiah 56: 6-7. If you want to be among the blessed of the Lord, do not defile His Sabbath. If you want your offerings and sacrifices to be acceptable, hold firmly to His covenant.

You will be fed with Jacob’s heritage: Christians should consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying “what shall we eat?” or “what shall we drink?” or “what shall we wear?” Matthew 6: 28-31. Instead of bothering yourself, keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your interest on this day, but the interest of the Lord. Do things that are right and acceptable to the Lord, speak of the Sabbath with delight as the Lord’s holy Day. Honour the Sabbath in everything you do on this day and do not follow your own desire or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight. He will make 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 has spoken Isaiah 58: 13-14. Do not worry yourself about what to eat, drink or wear, but keep and honour the Sabbath, and then you will ride on the high places of the world. You will be blessed abundantly to the extent that you will wine and dine with the movers and shakers of the world.

Your nation shall be established and prosper: Take heed and beware of covetousness because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things you possesses. Your life is neither measured by how much you own nor determined by your possessions Luke 12: 15. Since you cannot edify your life by your earthly possessions, beware and keep the Sabbath day holy.

Examples

Christians must learn from the examples to be discussed before it is too late. If Christians are obeying the law of their Lands/Countries, then it is inevitable to obey the statutes of the Lord concerning the Sabbaths.

Performances of Jesus Christ on the Sabbath: Christians should emulate the performances of Jesus Christ our Lord on the Sabbaths. They must know that it is their good health conditions that make them to be working on the Sabbath, which is against the commandment of God. So it is not fair to disobey the gracious and merciful God that has given us sound health by working on the Sabbath day. We must remember that “Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission is better than offering the fat of rams” 1 Samuel 15: 22. Therefore, obey the Lord by observing and keeping the Sabbath holy, else you have rebelled against the Lord. The Bible stated that “rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness is a bad as worshipping idols” 1 Samuel 15: 23.

Jesus Christ said it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, so emulate Him by praying, fasting, evangelizing, healing, helping and winning souls for the Lord on the Sabbath Matthew 12: 12. Follow the examples laid by the Lord Jesus Christ and do good things that will be the pride of Christendom on the Sabbaths. Jesus Christ performed many miracles on the Sabbaths and some of them are the following:

· Healing of the man with withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath Luke 6: 6-10.

· Healing of the woman with a spirit of infirmity in the synagogue on the Sabbath Luke 13: 10-16.

· Healing of the man who had dropsy at a ruler’s house on the Sabbath Luke 14: 1-4.

· Healing of the bedridden man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath John 5: 1-11.

· Restoration of sight to the man without eye-socket on the Sabbath John 9: 1-16.

· Healing of the man with unclean spirit at Capernaum on the Sabbath Luke 4: 31-35.

· Peter’s mother-in-law healed at the evening on the Sabbath Luke 4: 38-39.

· Many people were healed after Sabbath sunset.  Luke 4: 40-41.

Finally, return to God against whom you Christians have deeply revolted, by observing and keeping the Sabbath holy Isaiah 31: 6.

The Seal: Isaiah 66: 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.