by Messianic Rabbi Eric Carlson

"Shabbat Shalom"

Why do we celebrate Shabbat? Exodus 20:08-11 states: “ 8 Remember the day , Shabbat, to set it apart for God. 9 You have six days to labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work – not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates of your property.11 For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself.”

Isaiah 58:13-14 says “ 13 If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, Adonai’s holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things or pursuing your interests or speaking about them. 14 If you do, you will find delight in Adonai – I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with heritage of your ancestors Jacob, for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.”

Shabbat is the Hebrew word for “Sabbath”, the seventh day, and a day of rest as commanded by God (the forth command of the Ten Commandments). The word "Shabbat" comes from the root word Shin-Bet-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest. Shabbat is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, a day of rest, rejuvenation, and a day to pause and focus on the creator of the universe. With today’s extremely fast paced lives, how often to we take time to pause for rest and to reflect the universe that God’s mighty hand created? Shabbat is a time for families to come together for fellowship, to unwind, and to refocus on God. Unfortunately, the tradition of Shabbat is unknown to many Christians. Shabbat is a study of God’s plan for humanity and a wonderful time for families to come together. Shabbat is the most important biblically commanded observance because it was the first Feast Day commanded by God and is the most holy Feast Day since there are 52 Shabbats every year!. In ancient times, leisure was for the rich and the upper echelon only, never for the commoner. The very idea of rest each week was unimaginable. The Greeks believed Jews were lazy because we insisted on having a "holiday" every seventh day.

Shabbat was the first biblical festival outlined by God to Moses and was the first festival observed by God himself in the book of Genesis. Shabbat is a picture of the Bride (God’s people) resting with the Bridegroom Yeshua. Shabbat, like all biblical days, begins at sunset, because in the story of creation in Genesis 1:5, that says, "And there was evening, and there was morning, one day." From this, we learn that the day begins at sunset. It is a day of joy, rest, eating, and enjoying the scriptures, fellowship, ect…..not just a day of prayers as some believe. This is a day of spiritual and physical refreshment.

In an attempt to disassociate Christianity from Judaism, the “Council of Nycea” meeting in 325 C.E. Was ordered by the Roman emperor Constantine. It outlawed Judaic practices from the first Church, changing holiday dates (Passover, Christmas, Sabbath, ect…) and adding pagan holidays in order to consolidate his power over the Roman Empire. The text of Constantine's Sunday Law is: "One the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day is not suitable for gain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost."The Church of Rome: Canon 29, Council of Laodicea, 364 C.E., discouraged Judaizing and gave the following statement: “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, the Sabbath, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day (Sunday) they shall honor, 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.”

The early believers or first church celebrated Shabbat: “therefore the Christians for a long time together, did keep their conventions on the Shabbat, in which some portion of the Law were read: and this continued till the time of the Laodicean council." The Whole Works of Jeremey Taylor, Vol. IX, p416 (R. Heber's Edition, Vol.XII, p.416)

Athanasius states the early believers gathered and worshipped on Shabbat: “ not because they were infected with Judaism, but to worship [Yeshua], the [Master] of the Shabbat, Epiphanius says the same." Antiquities of the Christian Church, Vol.II, Book XX, chap. 3, Sec. 1, 66.1137, 1138. Ambrose, the celebrated bishop of Milan, stated that when he was in Milan he observed (Shabbat) Saturday worship, but in Rome he observed Sunday services. This gave rise to the common proverb “When you are in Rome, do as Rome does,' "Heylyn, The History of the Shabbat, 1613.

Everyday is to be Holy unto God. Father does not want us to be divided and split over such a topic as this (confusion is of the devil, not God). Father God wants us focused on Him and to be united as one body (Jew and Gentile as stated in John 17:20-23). Whatever day YOU observe as a day of rest, family worship, and focus on Messiah Yeshua is between YOU and God! Enjoy it as a day of Shalom with unity in your house and family. We celebrate both days! By keeping Shabbat we obey God's command to keep that day unto Him and are provoking our Jewish brothers and sisters to jealousy in Messiah Yeshua as Shaul (Paul) stated in Romans 11:15. Come and join us in Shabbat or our Sunday morning services at the World Outreach Worship Center