Is the Sabbath Day only a day of commanded rest- or is it also a commanded day of “coming together” to worship God, like in Church- a place where God is formally worshiped?
There seems to be some confusion on this, but only because people are letting their own personal views get in the way.
What does God’s Word have to say about this?
Lev 23:3 – “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, AN OFFICIAL DAY FOR HOLY ASSEMBLY. It is the LORD’s Sabbath day, AND IT MUST BE OBSERVED WHEREVER YOU LIVE. (NLT)
Lev 23:3 – …No matter where you live, YOU MUST rest on the Sabbath AND COME TOGETHER FOR WORSHIP. This Law will never change. (CEV)
Clearly, God not only commands us to rest on His Sabbath Day from our works- but He ALSO commands that we hold a SACRED ASSEMBLY and “COME TOGETHER” TO WORSHIP Him ON THAT DAY as well.
And YES, in Church- or a Synagogue… a formal place where God is worshiped and the Holy Scriptures read and taught “EVERY” Sabbath (Acts 13:27; Acts 15:21; Acts 18:4).
Granted, if there’s no Sabbath Church near you, assembling together with others anywhere else on the Sabbath to worship God, will suffice.
And for the record, Christ DOES NOT replace- nor is He a substitute for the Sabbath.
This distorted view that we no longer have to keep the Sabbath Day holy because Jesus is our Sabbath Rest- is an idea that is not scriptural, and therefore, is never mentioned or practiced in that manner in the bible.
The Sabbath may be an anti-type, or illustration of the future rest in Christ that we will have with Him in the Millennium, BUT WE ARE NOT IN THAT REST YET!
People are still suffering, scared, getting diseases, being sad, lonely, and crying, being oppressed, being beaten and robbed, being hungry and thirsty, getting sick, getting killed, dying, dying unsaved, etc…
If this is ALREADY being in Christ’s rest (it is not), then it is no different than being without it. Being, that one way is indistinguishable from the other- and, therefore, neither has an advantage of true rest over the other.
But, of course, we’re not in the Millennial Reign of Christ YET!
God’s Holy Day is well documented in Scripture as NEVER CEASING and CONTINUOUSLY being kept after the death and resurrection of Christ.
As a matter of fact, it will even be kept in God’s New Heavens and New Earth:
Isa 66:22 – “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD, “So shall your descendants and your name remain.
Isa 66:23 – And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to ANOTHER, All flesh shall COME TO WORSHIP before Me,” says the LORD.
No one has ever been able to show me one- JUST ONE verse that EXPLICITLY states that we no longer have to physically come together for worship on the Sabbath, because, supposedly, Jesus is now our Sabbath?
Why is that?
That’s right, because that verse doesn’t exist!
This is God’s Law as it stands today in regards to His Holy Day:
Exo 20:8 – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
Exo 20:9 – Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
Exo 20:10 – 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 male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.
Exo 20:11 – 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.
God has spoken, and as professing Christians, we must genuinely do all we can to abide by His word, even resting and coming together for worship on his Sabbath.