21-Sabbath Keeping - NIV

1. God Grants a Special Blessing to Those Who Keep the Sabbath.
Isaiah 56:2 Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the _Sabbath_ without _desecrating_ it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."

2. God Offers Blessing to Those Obedient to His Commandments.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2 If you fully obey the LORD your God and _carefully_ follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. [2] All these _blessings_ will come upon you and _accompany_ you if you obey the LORD your God:

Deuteronomy 28:15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not _carefully_ follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and _overtake_ you:

3. The Sabbath Is a Sanctified Day Set Apart for Rest.
Exodus 20:8-11 "_Remember_ the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or _daughter_, nor your _manservant_ or _maidservant_, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. [11] For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. _Therefore_ the LORD _blessed_ the Sabbath day and made it holy.

4. The Sabbath Is Called a Holy Convocation, Or Gathering, of God's People
it Is a Special Designated Day of Worship.
Leviticus 23:3 " 'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred _assembly_. You are not to do any work; _wherever_ you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD.

5. Jesus Kept the Sabbath.
Luke 4:16 He went to _Nazareth_, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the _synagogue_, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.

6. Paul Kept the Sabbath.
Acts 18:4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the _synagogue_, trying to _persuade_ Jews and Greeks.

7. Sabbath Begins at Sunset Friday Evening and End at Sunset Saturday Evening.
Leviticus 23:32 It is a sabbath of rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the _following_ evening you are to _observe_ your sabbath."

8. The Sabbath Is Not a Day for Secular Work.
Exodus 20:8-10 "_Remember_ the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work, [10] but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or _daughter_, nor your _manservant_ or _maidservant_, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.

9. The Sabbath Is a Day to Delight Oneself in the Lord. Sports, Secular Games, Or Entertainment Are Not in Harmony with the Holiness of the Sabbath.
Isaiah 58:13-14 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a _delight_ and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or _speaking_ idle words, [14] then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the _heights_ of the land and to feast on the _inheritance_ of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has _spoken_.

10. The Sabbath Is Defiled When We Buy, Sell, Or Trivialize the Sabbath with Ordinary Worldly Activities.
Nehemiah 13:15-22 In those days I saw men in Judah _treading_ winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. _Therefore_ I warned them against selling food on that day. [16] Men from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of _merchandise_ and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath to the people of Judah. [17] I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this wicked thing you are doing--_desecrating_ the Sabbath day? [18] Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this _calamity_ upon us and upon this city? Now you are _stirring_ up more wrath against Israel by _desecrating_ the Sabbath." [19] When evening _shadows_ fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I _stationed_ some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. [20] Once or twice the _merchants_ and _sellers_ of all kinds of goods spent the night _outside_ Jerusalem. [21] But I warned them and said, "Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. [22] Then I _commanded_ the _Levites_ to purify _themselves_ and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. _Remember_ me for this also, O my God, and show mercy to me _according_ to your great love.

11. Jesus Did Good on the Sabbath.
Matthew 12:11-13 He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more _valuable_ is a man than a sheep! _Therefore_ it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." [13] Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he _stretched_ it out and it was _completely_ _restored_, just as sound as the other.

12. Jesus Provided for the Physical Needs of His Disciples on the Sabbath.
Mark 2:23-28 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his _disciples_ walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. [24] The _Pharisees_ said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is un_lawful_ on the Sabbath?" [25] He answered, "Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? [26] In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he _entered_ the house of God and ate the _consecrated_ bread, which is _lawful_ only for _priests_ to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." [27] Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

13. God Rebuked Those Who Tried to Gather Manna on Sabbath.
Exodus 16:26-30 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any." [27] _Nevertheless_, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. [28] Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you _refuse_ to keep my _commands_ and my instructions? [29] Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. _Everyone_ is to stay _where_ he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out." [30] So the people _rested_ on the seventh day.

14. The Divine Invitation Is to Find Rest in Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am _gentle_ and _humble_ in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is _light_."

Next Bible Study: 22-Faith

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