"The Sabbath Rest" Part 5
The Sabbath: Moral or Ceremonial?
When Sha'ul/Paul speaks of "the works of Torah/Instructions in Righteousness written on our hearts", he is not referring to specific laws or commandments, but rather to eternal principals inherent in the law/light such as justice, mercy, love, etc., all of which are inherent in the Sabbath commandment.
This brings us to the question of whether or not the Sabbath is moral or ceremonial. First, who is to say what commandments are moral and which are ceremonial? If I decide the commandment to baptize new converts is ceremonial, does that give me grounds to abolish baptism? Just as baptism goes so much deeper than a mere outward physical ceremony, so, too, the Sabbath goes so much deeper than a mere day of rest. Love is the highest type of morality. Yahushua haMessiYah said the two greatest commandments were to love Yahuweh with all your heart . . . and to love your neighbor as yourself. "On these two commandments [Instructions in Righteousness] hang all the law and the prophets [which is the Tanakh/the Old Testament]" (Mt 22:36-40 with emphasis added). Obedience to whatever Yahuweh commands is an expression of love, Amein; "For this is the love of haElohim, that we keep His Instructions in Righteousness/Light of Torah/Commandments; and His Commandments/Instructions in Righteousness are not grievous" (1 Jn 5:3). So if love of Yahweh and our neighbors is the framework upon which all the law and prophets hang, then love is the underlying reason for every prophecy, every law, every commandment, etc. Every bit of instruction ever issued by Yahuweh has love as its motivational beginning, including the Sabbath. Obedience to the Sabbath is not only an expression of love towards our Heavenly Father, but His giving of the Sabbath to man is an expression of love and mercy towards mankind. In His mercy and love towards us, He knew man would need a day of rest. He also knew animals would need rest and so He provided it. When we follow His example of resting on the seventh day, we demonstrate our love and mercy towards those under our control; our sons and daughters, our servants, and our animals (Ex 23:12). (See also Ex 20:11).
Mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law (Mt 23:23). Mercy is also one of the greatest expressions of love and morality. Since mercy and love are intrinsically tied into the Sabbath, Yahuweh included it among the other nine commandments which are rightly called 'Yahuweh's moral law [The light of Torah, and the Instructions in Righteousness].
Shabbat Shalom
"Zaquaine" Mufasa Abda Kalil TsidekiYahu
When Sha'ul/Paul speaks of "the works of Torah/Instructions in Righteousness written on our hearts", he is not referring to specific laws or commandments, but rather to eternal principals inherent in the law/light such as justice, mercy, love, etc., all of which are inherent in the Sabbath commandment.
This brings us to the question of whether or not the Sabbath is moral or ceremonial. First, who is to say what commandments are moral and which are ceremonial? If I decide the commandment to baptize new converts is ceremonial, does that give me grounds to abolish baptism? Just as baptism goes so much deeper than a mere outward physical ceremony, so, too, the Sabbath goes so much deeper than a mere day of rest. Love is the highest type of morality. Yahushua haMessiYah said the two greatest commandments were to love Yahuweh with all your heart . . . and to love your neighbor as yourself. "On these two commandments [Instructions in Righteousness] hang all the law and the prophets [which is the Tanakh/the Old Testament]" (Mt 22:36-40 with emphasis added). Obedience to whatever Yahuweh commands is an expression of love, Amein; "For this is the love of haElohim, that we keep His Instructions in Righteousness/Light of Torah/Commandments; and His Commandments/Instructions in Righteousness are not grievous" (1 Jn 5:3). So if love of Yahweh and our neighbors is the framework upon which all the law and prophets hang, then love is the underlying reason for every prophecy, every law, every commandment, etc. Every bit of instruction ever issued by Yahuweh has love as its motivational beginning, including the Sabbath. Obedience to the Sabbath is not only an expression of love towards our Heavenly Father, but His giving of the Sabbath to man is an expression of love and mercy towards mankind. In His mercy and love towards us, He knew man would need a day of rest. He also knew animals would need rest and so He provided it. When we follow His example of resting on the seventh day, we demonstrate our love and mercy towards those under our control; our sons and daughters, our servants, and our animals (Ex 23:12). (See also Ex 20:11).
Mercy is one of the weightier matters of the law (Mt 23:23). Mercy is also one of the greatest expressions of love and morality. Since mercy and love are intrinsically tied into the Sabbath, Yahuweh included it among the other nine commandments which are rightly called 'Yahuweh's moral law [The light of Torah, and the Instructions in Righteousness].
Shabbat Shalom
"Zaquaine" Mufasa Abda Kalil TsidekiYahu
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