Shabbat
The celebration of Shabbat is a wonderful gift from God. After six days of creation God rested.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:2-3 (KJV)
God blessed this day and made it a holy time. It was part of Gods time to rest and enjoy his creation.
Shabbat existed long before the law was given on Mount Sinai. Shabbat was there from the very beginning in Genesis, even before Abraham. Therefore Shabbat is not just meant for Jews, but for all mankind. On Mount Sinai Shabbat is part of the Ten Commandments, the main decrees of God and become part of his covenant with Israel (Exodus 20:8-11). Later Shabbat becomes one of the main pillars of Judaism and also for the first disciples of Yeshua.
On Shabbat we remember creation and the how God created all things beautiful. He even said on the 6th day about man: “It is good”, so on Shabbat you can know that you are enough for him, and can rest in him. He is our Shabbat rest. It is a special time with God, which comes back every week. It is also a reminder of Passover, and how God saved us and how through Yeshua’s blood we are restored to Eden and rest on the 7th day (Deuteronomion 5:12-15). Shabbat is mentioned in Leviticus 23 as the first feast of the Lord, which we always keep for him.
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:2,3.
Shabbat is a privilege and also a choice to obey God: to be obedient and live on his time. God’s time is cyclic and shabbat returns every week to remind us to rest with Him and spend time with the Father and return to Eden. It is also weekly reminder of the feasts and a preparation of the marriage of the lamb, of the Messiah, a wedding between man and God, the spirit of God and the bride.
Yeshua and Shabbat
Yeshua celebrated Shabbat and spent much of his time on Shabbat praying or teaching in the synagogues.
“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.” Luke 4:16
By giving His own blood for us, Yeshua paid for our sins and opened the way to the Father for us. Yeshua restored Eden for us and through Him, we could spend time in God’s presence again, like in Eden.
On Shabbat we can rest, knowing that Yeshua paid the price for our sins, and we can come to the Father and rest in Him.
As the Messiah, Yeshua even called Himself the Lord of Shabbat and the rest He gave us, was compared to the rest of Shabbat (Hebrew 4).
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