Sabbath Devotional by Elder G Mordaunt
The day that we always look forward to is at Friday night to welcome in the Sabbath, because it is a special day. When we meet on Sabbath we generally say: “Happy Sabbath”. And it is His Holy Day, from Isaiah 58:13 which says:
Isaiah 58: :13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
Isa 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
This is a promise that God will bless us as we keep His Holy Sabbath a delight.
When God rested on the seventh day of creation, He did two things besides resting: 1: God blessed the seventh day. 2. He Sanctified it; made it for a holy use. In other words, it became a holy day to be kept by mankind. The Bible never calls it the Jewish Sabbath.
The reason why we are to keep the Sabbath is explained in Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. So we are to remember our God as the Creator of this world and everything we see here on earth and out in the cosmos.
The second reason is found in Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
The Sabbath is also a memorial of the deliverance from slavery in the land of Egypt. Does that mean that it was only for the Jews? The Jews were in slavery by Egypt.
Today we are in slavery to sin in spiritual Egypt and like Israel of old, God has promised to deliver us out of this sin soaked world.
In the mean time we are to be obedient to His Commandments. I think that it is a good idea that we practice keeping the Sabbath while down hear because we will be keeping it in the new earth.
Isaiah 66:And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. Notice it says that all flesh shall worship me. So it is not just for the Jews, it is for all mankind.
John had a vision of the New Heavens and the New earth:
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
God Himself said that He would create all things new: Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
The same God who at Creation Week initiated the Seventh Day Sabbath is the same God we serve and worship today. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
This is why we can put all our trust in Him. For Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus will never go back on His word. He has promised to save you and me. This is why he came to die for us sinners. Jesus also said that if you love me, keep my Commandments. John 14:15. This includes the seventh day Sabbath which is the fourth Commandment. When Jesus created this world He blessed the seventh day, so as we keep the seventh day holy we receive that blessing. Why not try it out, You Might be pleasantly surprised.
