EP 48 - What is The Sabbath ? (Part 1)

We strip Sabbath back to Scripture and trace it from creation to the Ten Commandments, showing why the seventh day is blessed and set apart. We challenge Sunday tradition by walking through biblical timing, covenant purpose, and the difference between grace that saves and obedience that flows from love.

Transcript

Welcome And Why Sabbath Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Shalom, shalom saints, and welcome back to the Unfiltered Christian podcast. It's your girl CeC. I have a little bit of a cold, so bear with me. Today we're gonna talk about something, something that's I've actually never researched, I just did it. And we're gonna be going from the beginning to talk about Sabbath. What is it? Where does it come from? What day is it on? And how scripture actually tells us to keep it. So this isn't about church tradition, it isn't about denominations, this is about understanding. Especially if you're like me, because I'm stripping it down to the beginning. If you're new, we're gonna strip back everything and put it down to the Bible. Not what anybody else has said, just what Yah has written. So let's start at the beginning.

Sabbath Begins At Creation

SPEAKER_00 1:03

We're gonna look at where Sabbath started. So Sabbath didn't start with Israel and it didn't start with Moses, it actually starts in the beginning, the first book of the Bible, which is Genesis. So in Genesis 2, verses 2 to 3, it says, On the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made. So here we can see that the Sabbath is the seventh day, a day y'all blessed, a day y'all set apart. So this was before Israel existed, this was before the law was written, this was before any nation and any calendar system. So the Sabbath is woven into creation

The Commandment And What Sabbath Means

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itself. So we're gonna look at Exodus 20 verses 8 to 11. The actual word Sabbath means to stop and to seize. So remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt labor and do thy work. But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahweh, thy Elohim. In it thou shalt not do any work. But in six days Yahuwah made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Wherefore Yahuwah blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. So the Sabbath is not just a church day, just about attending something, just about rules. It's about resting in Yah's rhythm. So we're gonna look at how does it work?

Sunset To Sunset Timing

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So it works from evening to evening. This is where many people get confused. So let's be clear. In Genesis 1 verses 5, Elohim called light day and darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. So that's in Genesis 1 to 5. If we go to Leviticus 23 verses 32, it says, From evening unto evening shall ye celebrate your Sabbath. So biblically, a day starts at sunset, not midnight, not sunrise. So a biblical day is sunset to sunset, about 24 hours. So breaking the time down simply, let's make it really plain. When the sun sets on Friday, you have entered Saturday, which is the Sabbath. The Sabbath continues through the night and day, and when the sun sets on Saturday, you have entered Sunday. So Friday sunset equals Saturday, Saturday sunset equals Sunday. That's why Sabbath is kept from Friday evening to Saturday evening.

Israel Covenant And Outsiders Invited

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So another question is the Sabbath only for the Israelites? This is a big question. This Sabbath was given to Israel as a covenant in Exodus 31, verses 16 to 17. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a prophetal covenant. It is the sign between me and the children of Israel forever. But scripture doesn't stop there. So if you go to Isaiah 56, verses 67, it says, Also the sons of a stranger that join themselves to Yahuwah, everyone that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, even them I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. So Israel was entrusted with it, and foreigners were invited into it. The Sabbath is a gift, not a restriction.

Yahshua Kept The Sabbath

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So did Yahshua keep the Sabbath? We're gonna go to Luke 4 verses 16. And for those who don't know, Yashua is the Hebrew name for Jesus. So in Luke 4, verse 16, it says, And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as his customers, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath was never changed by Yahshua, it was kept,

How Sunday Worship Took Over

SPEAKER_00 5:10

not replaced. So when did Sunday worship start? The Sabbath goes back thousands of years to creation. Sunday worship developed centuries later. It became official under the Roman rule in 321 AD and was influenced by the emperor and culture, not scripture. So Luke 24 verses 1 says, Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came onto the sepulcher. Bear with me with these words. The Bible never calls Sunday the Sabbath. And for those that's wondering what does AD mean and why it matters, when we talk about dates like 321 AD, it's important to understand that AD actually means an anodomini, which means in the year of our Lord. This dating system was created by men, not scripture. Biblical writers never used AD or BC, which is before Christ. They measured time by kings' reigns, generations, pointed times, and seasons. So when we say Sunday worship became official in 321 AD, we're saying this change happened under the Roman authority, not biblical authority.

Constantine And A Political Shift

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So what happened in 31 AD and why did Constantine changed it? In 321 AD, the Emperor Constantine Constantine, I'm saying Constantine, Constantine issued a civil decree making Sunday the official day of rest. This decision wasn't spiritual, it was strategic. At the time, Constantine ruled over a mixture empire. Pagan sun worship was already widespread. Sunday was known as a vulnerable day of the sun. He needed unity and control, not covenant or obedience. By shifting worship to Sunday, he aligned Christianity with a popular Roman culture. He reduced distinction between believers and pagans. He strengthened political unity under his rule. He made faith easier to govern and standardize. This was for his gain, not Yah's instructions. In Daniel 7 verses 25 it says, And he shall think to change times and laws. Now contrast to what that scripture actually says, believers are called to be. And in Leviticus 20, verses 26 it says, And ye shall be holy unto me, for I am Yahuwah. I am holy, and I have severed you from other people that you shall be mine. In Romans 12, verses 2 it says, And be not confirmed of this world, but be ye transformed. And John 17, 16 says, There are not of they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. So the Sabbath sets us apart. Sunday worship blended believers into the world system, and that difference matters. So did Scripture ever authorize change? No. Malachi 3 verses 6 says, For I am Yahuwah, I change not. Psalms 89 verses 34 says, My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. If Yah does not change and Scripture records no Sabbath change, then the shift came from man. Mark 7 verses 7 to 8 says, Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines and commands of men.

Grace Versus Obedience

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Some people say keeping the Sabbath won't save me, so I'll just go to church on Sunday. So let's address something many people say, keeping the Sabbath won't save you. That part is true. Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9. For by grace are ye saved through faith, not of works, least any man shall boast. But the Sabbath was never about salvation through works. It was always it's it has always been about relationship and obedience. In John 14 verses 15, it says, If you love me, keep my commandments. And here's the key, Sabbath is not about a building. Acts 7 verses 48. The Most High dwelleth not in the temples made with hands. John 4 verses 23 says, The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Before churches existed, there were homes. Before pulpits, there were families, before denominations, there was obedience. Keeping Sabbath begins at home, resting from labor, honoring Yah's time, teaching your household, trusting him as a provider. This is not about finding denomination. It's about walking in a covenant relationship.

No Denomination Required

SPEAKER_00 9:58

So you might be thinking, do you need a denomination to honor the Sabbath? Let's address another common idea. Some people believe that to keep the Sabbath properly, you must belong to a specific denomination, often pointing to Seven-day Adventists. Let me say this clearly and respectfully. The Sabbath exists existed before Seventh day Adventism, before Christianity, before Judaism as a formal religion, before churches, before denominations. Genesis 2 verses 2 to 3 shows the Sabbath was sanctified at creations. So when other churches claim it as theirs, it is not. It is yours. And the other churches just are following what Yah has said in keeping the Sabbath. So you can honor the Sabbath without joining a denomination, without taking on a label. 1 Corinthians 1 verses 12 to 13 says, Every one of you saith, I am of Paul. Is Christ divided? Joshua 24 15 says, As for me and my house, we will serve Yahuwah. Notice house, not institution. Denominations may offer structure, but they are not the source of the truth. Always read, always go back to your Bible, always question everything, especially the fact that we're living in the end times now. Psalms 118 verses 8. It says it's better to trust in Yahuwah than put confidence in man. This walk is about relationship over religion, obedience over labels, truth over tradition. Because right now churches will be broken down and it's all about your relationship with Yah.

Practical Sabbath Rest And Preparation

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So how do we keep the Sabbath? So we're going to be looking at Leviticus and the book of Jubilees. So the Sabbath is not about fair or perfection, it is honoring rest. So Exodus 20 verses 10 says, But on the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahuwah die Elohim. In it thou shalt not do any work. In Exodus 16, verses 23, it says, Tomorrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath unto Yahuwah. And Leviticus 23 verses 3 says, Six days you shall work be six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest. Biblically, Sabbath rest includes no regular work, no buying and selling, no business as per usual, and preparing your day before that before the sun sets. In Mark 2 verses 27, it says the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. So if you have any more questions, you can email in. But I just wanted to just go back because I haven't studied this before. I just followed it. Um when I became Seven Day Adventist, I just followed it. But I know that Yahoo led me to that because as I said in previous um episodes, that I was brought up Church of England, and then I went to Ruat, and it it just didn't seem right. And my calendar started on a Sunday. So all of these things, Yah will lead you and pray, pray about it. And one thing that I also wanted to add as well, um, about also when you're doing Sabbath to Sabbath, when I said no regular working, no buying or selling, um, no business as usual, preparing beforehand. I just wanted to highlight preparing beforehand is um due to the fact that you can't cook and clean on the Sabbath, you would prepare your meals um on Thursday or Friday, depending when the sun is setting, because in the winter the sun sets earlier, and in summer you have more time to prepare your meals. And if you're going to church, put an eye on your clothes or just preparation.

Final Encouragement Prayer And Part Two

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So, my final encouragement to you is if you're new to this, head is clearly. You do not need to know everything today, you don't need a title, you don't need to be perfect, you just need a willing heart, a desire for truth, a space to rest. The Sabbath is a gift, and I would like to pray. Father Yahuwah, we thank you for your grace, for your salvation that comes through faith, not works. Teach us to walk in obedience from love, not fear. Strip away tradition, confusion, and man-made doctrines. Lead us back to your truth and your appointed times. Help us to honor your Sabbath as a place of rest, intimacy, and trust. Let our homes become places of peace. Let our hearts slow down to recognize you as a provider. Give us grace as we grow, wisdom as we learn, and humility as we walk this path. We thank you for your patience, your mercy, and your covenant. In the mighty name of Yeshua Havash. Amen. So this is part one. There'll be a part two where I break down how you actually keep the Sabbath, what happens if you're working, etc. etc. etc. So thank you for listening and stay tuned for part two.