The Sabbath Command in Genesis
The Eternal began teaching mankind the future that He had in store for them from the beginning of his creation of the Earth and all that surrounds it. The Father gave to mankind an accounting of His creation.
We must ask ourselves, who put the act of creation, the genealogies, and the lives of the people of Genesis into the words that we read today in the Scriptures? Was it handed down from the first man Adam through the generations, passed to Noach and his sons? If we think logically about these questions we realize that the words we read in Genesis are ancient, and that the account of the creation of the heavens and earth is not a story conceived many years after the death of those who lived during that time. The Eternal gave Adam and his offspring the creation information. He gave them precise and detailed information so that they would understand that they and those who came after them would know the Father and His awesome abilities. Adam and those that followed kept track of genealogy and longevity using the timing given to them by the Eternal.
Genesis 1:14-19
14And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years, 15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so. 16And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. 17And Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. 19And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fourth day.
Genesis 5:1-10
This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that Elohim created man, He made him in the likeness of Elohim. 2Male and female He created them, and He blessed them, and called their name ‘Adam’ in the day they were created. 3And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and brought forth a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Sheth. 4And after he brought forth Sheth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years. And he brought forth sons and daughters. 5So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. 6And Sheth lived one hundred and five years, and brought forth Enosh. 7And after he brought forth Enosh, Sheth lived eight hundred and seven years, and brought forth sons and daughters. 8So all the days of Sheth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. 9And Enosh lived ninety years, and brought forth Qeynan. 10And after he brought forth Qeynan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and brought forth sons and daughters.
The Eternal gave mankind the moon and sun so they could reckon days, months, and years. Obviously the people used this set pattern that the Almighty gave them to determine the days of their lives. They used the only pattern they knew, which is the pattern given in the creation account.
Genesis 2:1-3
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. 2And on the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.
The Eternal provided mankind a physical understanding of His plans for them when he gave them their example to follow, which is to work six days and rest on the seventh day.
Whether lost or buried the Sabbath (day of rest) was reintroduced to mankind by the chosen people of the Almighty, the Hebrews.
Exodus 16:4-5
4And YHWH said to Mosheh, “See, I am raining bread from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, in order to try them, whether they walk in My Torah or not. 5“And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
Exodus 16:26-30
26“Gather it six days, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there is none.” 27And it came to be that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28And YHWH said to Mosheh, “How long shall you refuse to guard My commands and My Torot? 29“See, because YHWH has given you the Sabbath, therefore He is giving you bread for two days on the sixth day. Let each one stay in his place, do not let anyone go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
Here we see the reestablishment of the Sabbath Command, which had been forgotten or laid aside by mankind. A command that when kept by the Hebrew people set them apart from the rest of the world.
There are some who proclaim a different way of determining the weeks and months. Those who go against the continuous seven-day cycle that was given to mankind at creation. We have only to look to the counting to Pentecost to see the mistake that is made by these well-intentioned people.
Leviticus 23:15-16
15‘And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. 16‘Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to YHWH.
We do not need to be mathematicians to figure out that the counting to Pentecost involves counting seven, seven-day cycles. This is a continuous counting of seven-day periods; the same counting that was given to mankind at creation.
The majority of our modern world uses a continuous seven-day week calendar. You would be hard pressed to find a nation that doesn’t. Ancient Rome used an eight-day calendar for some time; we see that this was short lived.
The spiritual reality of the physical observance
The Eternal Creator has given mankind physical observances that point towards future realities. The reality of the seven-day week is to show mankind that it has six days (periods of time) to toil upon the earth and then there shall be a seventh day in which mankind will be relieved of this toil. At the end of this time will come perfection or completion.
When we relate this to the Eternals reckoning of time we see that a thousand years can be like one of our days to the Eternal.
Psalm 90:1-4
YHWH, You have been our refuge In all generations. 2Before the mountains were born, Or You had brought forth the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting You are El. 3You turn man back to dust, And say, “Return, O children of men.” 4For a thousand years in Your eyes Are like yesterday that has past, Or like a watch in the night.
Understanding this we can understand that mankind has been given six periods of time (six thousand years) to come to the understanding of the Truth.
Then the Father shall send Messiah Yah’shua to bring shalom to the earth for a thousand years (the Sabbath). The binding up of the adversary (sin) for this final period, which will be upon mankind soon will usher in a time of unprecedented understanding and shalom. After this seventh period comes the eighth period which is the time of judgment of mankind (the last great day). All will be judged by their acceptance or lack of acceptance of the Torah of the Father.
Conclusion:
The seven-day week and the seventh day Sabbath were given to mankind by the Eternal. This keeping track of time, and the day of rest were never done away with by the Father. Mankind in his selfishness almost certainly buried the Sabbath command because it reminded them that there is a creator of all, and that man is not in control of the world in which he lives. The first six periods are more than likely almost over; the seventh period of time will soon be upon mankind.
Messiah Yahshua did not do away with the Sabbath command; he knows that all of the Fathers days of physical observance point to spiritual realities. Doing away with such a command would effectively destroy the plans that the Almighty has taught mankind since his creation. We would have to ask ourselves why the Eternal would do such a thing? What possible reason would He have to create a master plan, knowing what the outcome would be, and then destroy it near the end of its completion? This makes no sense; only a continuous plan of creation is conceivable and understandable.
No one that the Father has sent has done away with His Laws and Commands. None of His servants, prophets, or Messiah himself has even vaguely hinted that they were against the Eternals laws or Commands, or that they were done away, changed, or replaced. If we see inference of this in articles, sermons, Scripture, etc. We are obliged to search out the Truth of the matter.
This is a time of testing, accept the Torah (Laws and Commands) of the Almighty, or do not. Since the first man and woman were created, the choice has been given to us, the choice to obey or disobey.
Shalom & Agape in YHWH's precious name
