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Sabbath observance is not a burden but a joy! Learn the secret to finding the Sabbath a delight. |
I’m glad WLC team members stay anonymous, because I have a confession to make and it’s embarrassing. Shameful, really. You ready?
Confession: Most of my life the Sabbath has been a burden.
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Curled hair, pretty dresses, and delicious foods made the Sabbath feel special, but they also created an expectation of what was considered necessary for proper Sabbath observance. |
I have kept the Sabbath from my mama’s womb. In other words, all my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved the Sabbath. As a little girl, Sabbath was very special. My mama set my hair in curlers the night before and dressed me in pretty dresses with lacy anklets to wear to church. (It was important to wear our best when going to Yah’s house.) The Sabbath meal was delicious, with specially prepared foods and a scrumptious dessert. For worship, we would sing, “Don’t Forget the Sabbath (The day our God hath blessed)” and “Six Days We Have for Work and Play (The seventh is for Jesus).” The Sabbath always made me feel a happy glow inside.
But, it was also a burden. After the Sabbath meal, the adults would actively participate in “lay activities”—their pun for taking a nap. If there were guests, they’d sit around and talk about things that were beyond my ability to grasp. The real highlight of the day came at sunset when the Sabbath was (finally!) over. That’s when the real fun began with popcorn and games.
And the older I got, the more of a burden the Sabbath became. As an adult, there were certain expectations of how Sabbath observance must be kept: food had to be prepared the day before; our home had to be pristine. As a mother, it was very difficult to get everyone bathed, the girls’ hair in curlers, food prepared, diaper bag packed, all ready to welcome the Sabbath with everything finished.
Try as I might, I could never quite get everything totally ready. The kids might be clean; the food might be prepared; the diaper bag packed. But the one thing I could never quite get done was the ironing. Wearing our best to Yahuwah’s house meant wearing special clothes that required special preparation. Ironing dress shirts and slacks for my husband and three sons, as well as dresses for my two daughters and myself . . . it was just too much and, after a long week at work, my husband was too tired to help.
One time, I tried doing the Sabbath ironing earlier in the week, but by the time Sabbath morning rolled round, the press of other clothes in the closet had left creases in my blouse and the girls’ dresses. Another time, I tried setting my alarm for very early, before the sun came up, but it just didn’t feel right to work up until dawn. So week, after week, after week, I’d find myself ironing our clothes after the kids had been tucked into bed. And week, after week, after week, I struggled with the guilt of not having everything finished in time to “guard the edges” of the Sabbath.
The worst guilt of all, however, was the dread I felt when the Sabbath came. With the knowledge of the lunar Sabbath and when a Biblical day begins, it became easier simply because the sacred time was shorter. That’s all.
I loved the Sabbath. I truly did. But it was simply so hard that, rather than a day of rest, it was the hardest day of the week for me! And the physical fatigue of such a difficult day was compounded by the guilt I felt for not having the ironing done and, even worse, for dreading the best day of the week!
The Sabbath is one of Yahuwah’s most precious gifts! How could something intended for our blessing become so twisted that it actually becomes a burden?
Sabbath observance is synonymous with the Jews. But even for them, the Sabbath became a burden. To this day, the most conservative of Jews will hire a “Shabbat goy” (a gentile) to come to their homes on Sabbath to turn on lights, turn on the stove, change hearing aid batteries, or other menial tasks that would be “work” (and thus breaking the Sabbath) for the Jew to do.
Most Christians would never take Sabbath observance this far, but the idea might seem to have merit: hire a neighbor kid to come in and make your life easier on the Sabbath. The problem is, doing so violates not just the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law as well. The fourth commandment clearly states: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahuwah thy Eloah: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.” (Exodus 20:8-10, KJV)
In a news article about the Lakewood, New Jersey Police Department stepping in to help perform menial tasks for the 60,000 Orthodox Jews living in their community, Hemant Mehta observed:
Even from a religious angle, what the Jews are doing violates the spirit of the law. If you’re not supposed to switch on the lights because your Holy Book says so, then don’t do it. Forget church/state separation — asking cops to do your dirty work because you choose not to do it is just a waste of the officers’ time. They’re not your personal weekend servants. In fact, there are people Orthodox Jews can hire (“shabbat goy“) to do those tasks for them, but even that seems problematic if they take the Sabbath seriously. To quote one online commenter, “If your religion says you can’t turn on the light, then sit in the dark or convert.”1
It was this very mentality among the Israelites of His day that Yahushua denounced. From the beginning of His public ministry, the Saviour tried to teach the people the blessing of true Sabbath observance. Mark 2 records: “And it came to pass, that He [Yahushua] went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day; and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto Him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?” (Mark 2:23-24, KJV)
The Pharisees were not accusing the disciples of stealing. It was part of the Levitical laws handed down through Moses that any person who was hungry, could help themselves from the fields or orchards of others, taking only what they could eat right then. The Pharisees knew this. What they were accusing the disciples of doing was working.
“Corn” could also be translated as “grain.” By “plucking the ears of corn” and then eating it, the Pharisees were accusing the disciples of, first, harvesting on the Sabbath. Then, secondly, when they rubbed the grain between their hands to remove the chaff, that act could be construed to be “threshing.”
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The Jews have developed very ritualistic traditions for Sabbath observance. Many Sabbath-observant Christians have adopted this same attitude. |
Yahushua understood what they meant and He wanted to lift the heavy burden Sabbath-keeping had become, transforming it into the blessing Yah originally intended. Knowing the high regard in which the Pharisees held David, the Saviour gently asked: “Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of Yah in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?” (Mark 2:25-26, KJV)
He was trying to draw them beyond a ritualistic, very legalistic observance of the Sabbath. Then, Yahushua made a statement that very beautifully establishes for all time that the Sabbath is meant to be a gift, not a burden. He said: “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28, KJV)
Sadly, the Israelites were not interested in changing their practices. To this day, Sabbath-keeping among the vast majority of Jews is not a spiritual blessing, but a traditional obligation. Shortly before His death, Yahushua made a final attempt to break through the works-oriented stony hearts of the Pharisees. It’s a heartbroken plea to return to the true spirit of the law, and is recorded in Matthew 23. Yahushua was concerned for the influence the Israelites would have on the converts He knew would come in as the gospel message spread. He said, do not do what the Pharisees do:
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (See Matthew 23:3-4, 15, KJV.)
Satan has worked hard to spread this same attitude toward the Sabbath among Sabbath-keeping Christians. There are very good reasons why many Sunday-keeping Christians accuse Sabbatarians of being legalistic. But that is not the fault of the Sabbath. Now, this close to the end of earth’s history, it is time to reclaim the Sabbath; to delight in it as the tremendous gift it truly is.
If you or someone close to you is wondering, “Why all the fuss over a day? I worship every day!” I would like to gently suggest that such a response entirely misses the point of the Sabbath. It stems from a misunderstanding that views the Sabbath as a burden, rather than a delight.
| “What did the Savior mean when He said that “the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”? I believe He wanted us to understand that the Sabbath was His gift to us, granting real respite from the rigors of daily life and an opportunity for spiritual and physical renewal. [Yah] gave us this special day, not for amusement or daily labor but for a rest from duty, with physical and spiritual relief.” Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight.” |
Furthermore, it suggests that there are certain obligations or requirements (as well as certain blessings) held solely in reserve for the biological descendents of Abraham. This is not true. It’s a false idea perpetrated by Zionists, that the Jews are superior while all gentiles are somehow less than.
Peter was forcefully shown that all are alike in the eyes of Yahuwah when Cornelius, a Roman centurion and righteous man, converted and received the same outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the disciples had received on Pentecost.
Peter declared: “Of a truth I perceive that Yahuwah is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him.” (Acts 10: 34 and 35, KJV)
Yahuwah’s gifts are freely available to all, and that includes the gift of the Sabbath. In deeply moving words, the prophet, Isaiah, records:
Thus saith Yahuwah, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to Yahuwah, speak, saying, Yahuwah hath utterly separated me from His people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
For thus saith Yahuwah unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My covenant;
Even unto them will I give in Mine house and within My walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to Yahuwah, to serve Him, and to love the name Yahuwah, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant;
Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Yahuwah, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to Him, beside those that are gathered unto Him. (Isaiah 56:1-8, KJV)
Satan knows what tremendous blessings are available to all who will keep the Sabbath in the manner Yahuwah intended. This is why he has brought in the idea that the Sabbath was done away with at the cross. And for those who understand it’s continuing validity, he has made it a burden, heavy and “grievous to be borne.”
The blessings of Yahuwah are freely and equally available to all, regardless of race. Yahuwah is no "respecter of persons," holding some in higher esteem simply due to their DNA.
The infinite love and wisdom of the Father foresaw the confusion that would arise over the Sabbath. He knew the Sabbath would be lost sight of. He also knew that when the truth was restored, the legalistic mentality of the Pharisees would corrupt Sabbath observance yet again among the remnant. He graciously and compassionately provided clear directions on how anyone, anywhere, can delight in the gift of the Sabbath.
It’s not dependent on wearing the right clothes, or fixing special foods, or doing Yah’s work on His holy day. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the beauty of stained glass windows, or hearing a thousand voices united in singing. All of these are thrilling experiences, but they are not experiences equally available to all.
No, to delight in the Sabbath is more simple, and yet far more profound, than anything so dependent on exterior factors.
The dark ages were a time of not just technological ignorance and ideological error. They were also a time of great spiritual darkness where many souls longed for the peace and comfort that only comes from Yah. Isaiah 58 reveals Yahuwah’s understanding of the situation: what caused the darkness, and the divine remedy for gaining peace and finding delight in the gift of the Sabbath:
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their Eloah: they ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to Eloah.
Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and Thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and Thou takest no knowledge? (Isaiah 58:1-3a, KJV)
These are not insincere questions. For someone who loves Yah and wishes to honor Him, it can be confusing when the desired blessing remains so elusive. Gently, Yahuwah explains what is going on in their inner hearts of which they, themselves, are unaware. “Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:3b-4, KJV)
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Simply going through the motions of a religious experience will never satisfy our soul-hunger for a deep, spiritual connection with the Creator. |
You’re fasting, Yahuwah is saying, because of what you get out of it. You’re religious, rather than spiritual. You go through the motions because it makes you feel as though you’re pretty good. But, the problem is, your heart is still wicked.
It’s the same message as was given to the Laodicean church: “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17, KJV)
I have always loved the Sabbath, but it was the man-made traditions, the human interpretation of Proper Sabbath Observance, it was meeting the expectations of fellow-churchgoers for what was proper church attire that made me feel I was properly keeping the Sabbath holy. And yet, it was these very things that turned my Sabbath day’s blessing into a burden . . . and I did not even realize it.
But even when our motives are impure, Yahuwah does not abandon us. Instead, He gently leads us on, revealing to our gaze the hidden recesses of our hearts and instructing us in the paths of righteousness. In Isaiah 58, He asks: “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Yahuwah?” (Isaiah 58:5, KJV)
Have I asked you to make yourselves miserable? Yahuwah inquires. Is this really what you think I want?
Did I receive a Sabbath day’s blessing when I labored under a burden of guilt and human-imposed difficulties on the Sabbath? Of course! Yahuwah, who reads the heart, knew that I loved Him and wanted to honor Him. As Yahushua explained in His sermon on the mount:
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:7-11, KJV)
Yahuwah will always bless His children. But He knew there was so much more to the blessing of the Sabbath that I was missing in my ignorance and blindness.
In Isaiah 58, He does not stop once He has revealed the deeply hidden impure motives of the heart that steal our delight in the Sabbath. Instead, He explains what He really desires, and it cuts through the externals and goes straight to the heart:
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7, KJV)
It is and always has been heart work. It was with Yahushua, and it is with us. But when we allow Yahuwah to purify our motives and remove anything standing between our hearts and His, the overflow of blessings is truly “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” (Luke 6:38, KJV) Listen to the flood of blessings Heaven is just waiting with eager anticipation to pour upon you:
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of Yahuwah shall be thy reward. Then shalt thou call, and Yah shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And Yahuwah shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. (Isaiah 58:8-11, KJV
What an abundant reward! And all freely given just for allowing Yahuwah to reveal your hidden, inner heart, and remove every obstacle that would stand in the way of receiving His blessing. When this happens, the law of Yahuwah is seen in an entirely new light. It is no longer seen as a burden that was nailed to the cross. Now, it is seen as a transcript of the very thoughts and feelings of the Almighty. The divine law allows us to gain glimpses of His hidden, inner heart! And what we discover is pure beauty.
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The law of Yah is a transcript of His character of love. It will never pass away! Instead, it reveals the hidden heart of Yah. The more one studies the divine law, the more beauty is seen. |
Part of that divine law is the Sabbath – a perpetual invitation to spend time, one-on-one with the One who knows you, and loves you, best. Notice how in the very next verse, those who do this recognize that the fourth commandment, far from being done away with at the cross, is still binding! The invitation to spend intimate time with the Creator is still open!
“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” (Isaiah 58:12, KJV) The “breach” in the law of Yah is the assumption that the fourth commandment was nailed to the cross. But when the blinders are removed and we grasp the beauty of the divine law, we will recognize the fallacy of that assumption. Not only will we keep the Sabbath of Yah, but we will do everything in our power to share this wonderful truth with others.
And lest we should ever return to a legalistic “keeping” of the Sabbath, right here, Yahuwah clearly lays out a three-step process by which all can delight in the Sabbath:
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 Yahuwah, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in Yahuwah; 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 Yahuwah hath spoken it. (Isaiah 58:13-14, KJV)
This is the secret to delighting in the Sabbath.
It is not our task to make the day sacred. It is already holy! It is sacred and holy because the
Creator has already blessed and declared it so. It is our job to keep it so.
Delighting in the Sabbath
To truly gain the blessing of the Sabbath, you must first regard the Sabbath as a delight. Not just in your words only. But in your own mind and heart, see the Sabbath as the best day of the week because on this day, the Monarch of the Universe lays aside His work to focus on His greatest treasure: you.
Then there are three specific things Yahuwah has laid out. If we do these, the Sabbath will be the gift and delight He intended all along . . . and it will not be because of our efforts to have the proper clothes ironed and all the cooking done ahead of time!
The three steps for delighting in the Sabbath are:
This is fairly clear and self-explanatory. We are not to do our own work during the holy hours of the Sabbath. Those who claim the Sabbath was nailed to the cross, and besides, they worship every day, are missing the point about no work.
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The hearts of young children are drawn to the Creator. They will respond very eagerly to the drawing of the Holy Spirit. |
We are to worship every day! Starting the day with personal one-on-one time with the Creator is very important. When my children were still very young, 3 to 4, they had their own “quiet time with Yahushua,” where they could listen to Bible stories on CD, look at Bible story books, etc. And, closing the day with a recounting of that day’s blessings, prayer, and thanksgiving, keeps the mind in a spirit of prayer so that the next morning, one’s thoughts more naturally tend to go to Yah first thing.
But again, even with personal devotions, and morning and evening family worship, a normal, work day is not the same thing as laying aside the normal daily activities and focusing solely on Yahuwah.
This can be especially easy to forget. Whether we invite guests to join us for the Sabbath meal, or we join with other home-churching families to enjoy a potluck meal, speaking our own words is something that is far too common.
Such times of fellowship can be a tremendous blessing if it is used to glorify Yah, to discuss lessons learned from His Word, and to share the many ways in which He has blessed you throughout the preceding week.
Far too often, however, mothers start talking about the children or events occurring in the lives of mutual friends. Men will talk about work, about the winning score of their favorite football team, or the trouble they’ve been having with their vehicle. And in none of this is Yahuwah glorified as the focus is shifted away from Him and on to secular matters.
To truly delight in the Sabbath, it is important to speak Yah’s words, not our own.
This can appear self-evident. Obviously, you’re not going to go to a ball game, or a party, or concert during the sacred hours of the Sabbath. But this element of taking delight in the Sabbath reaches far deeper than either of the previous two.
For people who have dedicated their life in service to Yah, this is especially important. As someone who is privileged to be a part of the WLC team, it has been very easy for all of us to justify doing work for the website or the WLC Radio programs, answering e-mails, etc. After all, it’s doing Yah’s work. Right?
But the truth is, we all like doing Yah’s work! We love having a part in this ministry. Speaking for myself, it brings me great joy and personal satisfaction knowing I have had some small part in bringing truth to others. The comments left by readers on the website warm my heart and inspire me to work even harder and more diligently spreading the truths Yahuwah has given WLC with others.
But see, even that is seeking my own pleasure. I am not to seek my own pleasure on the Sabbath. I am to seek Yahuwah’s joy. The Sabbath is not a time for me to seek my own delight. It is a time for me to seek Yahuwah’s delight. And when I do this, then I, too, am delighted!
It has often been said that you can’t “out-give” the Father, and when it comes to joy, that is certainly true. One of the ways we can seek the Father’s joy is by being a blessing to those around us. Hebrews 4:15 reveals an amazing truth: the Father and Son feel what we feel! “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
In other words, it is saying: He does feel what we feel. Every happy emotion that thrills our hearts, every painful pang that vibrates through our soul, all throb the heart of Yah. This realization gives far more depth to Yahushua’s words in Matthew 25 than we’ve ever understood: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.” (Matthew 25:40, KJV)
When we hurt, Yahuwah hurts. Literally. And while someone who is suffering can take comfort in the thought that her pain is understood, it should also inspire us to know that we can, in a very real and literal way, relieve the suffering of the Father and bring Him joy.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in:
Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.
Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?
When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee?
Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. (Matthew 25:34-40, KJV)
We are to be Yahuwah’s hands to strengthen and help, His voice to comfort and cheer. And since He literally feels everything His children feel, when we alleviate suffering, sadness or loneliness in those within our sphere of influence, we are alleviating His suffering, sadness, and loneliness, and literally making Him happy!
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When we minister to the lonely, troubled, or depressed, we are in a very real way, alleviating the pain the Father feels, since He feels what His children feel. The Sabbath is a wonderful time to include the “least of these” and glorify the Father. |
Many people, the world over, work six days a week. In the country where I live, a 72-hour workweek is the norm: 12 hours a day, six days a week. If we do not selfishly seek our own pleasure on the Sabbath, but instead seek Yahuwah’s joy, the Sabbath is a wonderful opportunity to do that. There may be an elderly person who is too sick or frail to get out much and who is lonely. Inviting him to your home for a Sabbath meal and Bible study would cheer him up. There may be a young mother who wants to raise her children for Yah, but is overwhelmed with the many duties of caring for young children and does not know how to make the Sabbath special for them. Including her family in your family’s Sabbath worship could be very encouraging to her.
And in every way that we seek Yahuwah’s joy, and seek His pleasure rather than our own, the sheer joy we receive in return far outweighs anything we have to give.
This understanding of how Yahuwah wants us to keep the Sabbath has revolutionized the WLC team. Each one of us feels a keen sense of responsibility to pass on the truths with which we have been blessed and we all felt convicted that we had been falling short of receiving the fullness of the Sabbath day’s blessing the Father has been longing to bestow.
One team member stated: “Never in my life have I ever heard a sermon about delighting in the Sabbath. I heard sermons about keeping it, observing it, that sort of thing. But when I observed those three conditions, the Sabbath immediately became a delight! Immediately!”
| “I thank Yahuwah that He has prolonged my life to learn now, at this late stage of my life, that I was not on the life-track for heaven by not being able to keep the Sabbath properly as a delight.” ~ WLC Team Member |
Another team member says: “I’m ashamed of all those years when, by my life, I was broadcasting to others the Sabbath as a day of burden. But now, I want to tell the world: it’s truly a day of delight!”
When you keep the Sabbath the way Yahuwah has ordained, a wonderful transformation will take place. You will look forward to the Sabbath in a new way you have never experienced before.
Because the Sabbath is truly a delight, I now look forward to it all week long. Unlike the anticipation I felt as a child for the Sabbath’s end, I am now honestly sad when it is over. By following Yah’s instructions, I delight in both the Sabbath and the Giver of the Sabbath, and the blessing received is beyond anything I could previously have imagined. And I want it for you, too.
When the Sabbath is loaded down with man-made traditions and Pharisaical expectations, it becomes a burden. But when, in the simplicity of Yah’s instructions, we do not do our own work, we do not speak our own words, or seek our own delight, then our focus is where it should be: on the Source of all love, and joy, happiness, and fulfillment.
If you honor Yahuwah by delighting in the Sabbath, you will be given eternal life. This is an important end-time concept to grasp. Yahuwah, in His great mercy, has slowed down events so we could learn this great truth. A tremendous reward awaits all who delight in the Sabbath. Isaiah 58, verse 14, promises that all who do this shall be fed with the heritage of Jacob our father. Yahuwah will say to you, “You belong to Me. You are one of My special ones, the 144,000. I want you to be with Me. You belong to Heaven!”
The WLC team would like to challenge each one reading these words to search his or her own heart. Has the Sabbath truly been a delight to you? Or, if you are being honest with yourself, is it a burden? Are you relieved when the Sabbath (finally) ends? Or are you sad that it will not come again for another entire week?
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Embrace the instruction in Isaiah 58. Lay aside manmade traditions. When you do this, the Sabbath will be the delight and the blessing Yahuwah always intended it to be. |
If, in searching your heart, you find that the Sabbath has been more of a burden than a delight, don’t be discouraged! If you will keep these three conditions on how to honor Yah, you will both honor Him and delight in Him. The Sabbath, your special time to be with your Maker and Best Friend, will be a delight that you are loathe to see go. Yet, the blessings received during those sacred hours will carry you through the week, sustaining you in every trial through which you are called upon to go. Yah’s spirit, so deeply partaken of during the sacred hours, will be your constant companion and you will greet the next Sabbath with joy and eager anticipation. It will truly be your delight.
This is becoming one with Yah. He in you, and you in Him, delighting in each other’s company. The Sabbath is a joy that, begun here, will continue to delight for all time. It is a gift that will never be taken away. Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, the redeemed will gather every New Moon, and every seventh-day Sabbath for the privilege of worshipping the Creator in His very presence.
“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 Yahuwah.” (Isaiah 66:23, KJV)
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Children are younger members of the family of Heaven and should be treated with the respect and kindness the older members expect as a matter of course. When children are taught the truths of salvation in a way their tender, young minds can grasp, the spirit of Yah draws them to Him. Their hearts are softened and they, too, delight in the Sabbath. |
1 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/11/19/cant-turn-off-your-lights-on-the-sabbath-no-problem-just-ask-the-local-police-to-do-it-for-you/, retrieved Nov. 20, 2017.