Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: The Superiority of Christ

The Superiority of Christ Part 2 of 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-02-02

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the superiority of Christ by examining the Canaan Sabbath (the Old Testament Hebrew Sabbath). He argues that the Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not worship, and that its violation carried the death penalty. The Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. Weaver demonstrates from Scripture that the Sabbath dates were fixed (Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths), meaning the day of the week changed annually, so Saturday cannot be the biblical Sabbath. He concludes that the Old Testament rest was a type pointing to the true rest found only in Jesus Christ, who is Lord of the Sabbath and the fulfillment of all ceremonies.

[John Weaver] Hebrews chapter 4, and today we're going to deal with the second part of the superiority of Christ. And I would encourage you today to listen very carefully, because some of the information, although it's very plain in Scripture, it could be technical in the sense that we're not used to thinking and listening like this. So, Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1, Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left of us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

[John Weaver] For unto us was the gospel preached as well as into them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we who have believed to enter into his rest, as he said, I have sworn in my wrath that they shall enter into my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, for he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place, again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing, therefore, it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limited a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as it is said, Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day. There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God.

[John Weaver] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Now, let me just tell you, before I begin today, I want to take just a few moments and review. And I'm just simply telling you that Jesus Christ is superior to anyone or anything. Last week, by way of introduction, I pointed out that the theme of the book of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ. And the word better is one of the key words throughout the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3, we see that Christ is superior to the prophets. In Hebrews 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18, we see that Christ is superior to the angels. In Hebrews chapter 3, we see the superiority of Christ over Moses. In Hebrews chapter 4, the superiority of Christ over Joshua. And in Hebrews chapter 5, the superiority of Christ over Aaron. So there is no man, there is no group of men, there is no ordinance, there is no group of ordinances over which Jesus Christ is not superior.

[John Weaver] The Bible says that God has spoken fully and finally and totally and completely in His Son, Jesus Christ. You'll find that in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3. Because Jesus Christ is the express image of His person, He is God incarnate, and He upholds all things by the word of His power.

[John Weaver] Now last week we looked primarily at the creation Sabbath. And I showed you that the creation Sabbath was God's rest in particular. I pointed out there was a creation Sabbath, there was a Canaan Sabbath, and there was a Christian Sabbath. But first and foremost, when you refer to the creation Sabbath, it was God's rest. And I pointed out the fact there is no way in the world that we could know what day was the seventh day.

[John Weaver] Because the Bible doesn't say that He began on Sunday or Monday. It just said first day, second day, third day, fourth day, fifth day, sixth day, and the seventh He rested. You'll have to listen to the message if you want a total and complete review. But I pointed out that man was created on the sixth day. So he began his life by entering in to God's rest.

[John Weaver] Now today we're going to be talking about the Canaan Sabbath. And I want you to understand that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath rest was God's creation Sabbath rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest or That which I will probably deal with with the next two weeks, the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in our redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me tell you what the Sabbath principle asserts. There is a principle and I don't care if you're dealing with the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath. Or the Christian Sabbath, the principle of the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God. It asserts the principle. of liberty under God's law. The Sabbath principle basically summons man to obedience to the ordinance of rest in order to free man from himself as well as his work. It draws man away from himself and everything else. Please remember, think about this, the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself. It's man's ability to involve himself, to control himself, to control his society, his world, and all things.

[John Weaver] There is no rest in humanism. There is no rest in humanism, period. The only rest that exists is rest in God, and the Sabbath demonstrates our need for rest and our need of Redeemer. Man cannot rest apart from God. You look at the world and as our God said, there is no rest saith my God to the wicked. And there is none. They're like the troubled sea that casteth up its dirt in mire. Humanism deals mainly with man and man's ability and man's work. Christianity deals with God's full and final work in Jesus Christ. Let me make this concerning the Sabbath day. When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.

[John Weaver] Here is something that may surprise you. Listen carefully. A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament. Yes, they worshipped daily. But their worship was family oriented and was in the warp and woof of everyday life. There was not a weekly day of worship in the Old Testament. Here's the principle and here's where I want you to begin looking with me at Scripture.

[John Weaver] And I'm going to throw so many Scriptures at you today. If you have time to write them down, you will be blessed. But I'm going to ask you to turn to some so that you can see the general principle. I've just enunciated simple fact that the essence of the Sabbath was rest. It was not worship. It was rest. Consequently, no work was to be done on the Sabbath.

[John Weaver] Scripture is exceedingly specific on this issue. So the general law is no work, no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. So go in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to the book of Exodus chapter 20. I'm going to show you several passages. And here is the general principle that no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. We're talking about the Canaan Sabbath. We're talking about the Hebrew Sabbath of the Old Testament. Okay? Notice Exodus chapter 20, verses 8 through 11. And if I fail to Say that each time today that I'm talking about the Sabbath. Remember I'm talking about the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament, okay? Look in Exodus chapter 20 verse 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but in the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, thy manservant, Nor thy maidservant nor thy cattle or thy stranger that is in the gates for in six days the lord made heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore

[John Weaver] the lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it note god says no work was to be done turn over to exodus chapter 23 and look if you would please in verse 9 exodus 23 verse 9 also thou shalt not oppress a stranger For you know the heart of a stranger, seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt. And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather thy fruits thereof. But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still, that the poor of thy people may eat, and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard and thine olive yard. Six days shalt thou do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid and thy stranger, and be refreshed. Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 21.

[John Weaver] I'm just showing you this general principle. Exodus 34 verse 21. God says it again. Six days shalt thou work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest. In erring time and in harvest shalt thou rest. If you will turn over to the book of Leviticus chapter 23, Leviticus 23. Notice if you would please verse three, Leviticus 23 verse three. Again, God says very distinctly six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest and the holy convocation. You shall do no work there in. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. If you would turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 5. Just showing you this general principle. Deuteronomy chapter 5. Beginning there with verse 12. Deuteronomy 5 verse 12. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord by God hath commanded thee. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work. Thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is in thy gates, and that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

[John Weaver] And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. And if you'll look in one other passage, Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22. Jeremiah 17 verse 22. Now I want to show you the specifics in just a moment, but notice Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22.

[John Weaver] Here's the general principle, no work must be done by anyone or any animal. Jeremiah 17 verse 22, the word of God says this, Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Neither do you any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day as I commanded your fathers. So here is the general principle. No work was to be done on the Sabbath days.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to just listen as I give you a few other verses. The gates should be shut on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 19. Abide you every man in his place. Let no man go out of his place on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16 verse 29. Asses should not be laden on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13, 15. No burdens should be borne on the Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] Jeremiah 17, 21 and 22. No fires were to be kindled on the Sabbath day. Exodus 35 verse 3. No sheaves were to be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15. No sticks could be gathered on the Sabbath day. Numbers 15, 32 through 35. No ventiles could be bought or sold. Nehemiah 13, 15 and 31. Nor could wine presents be traded on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15.

[John Weaver] Now, I hope you get the idea. that God says no work was to be done on the Sabbath. It was not necessarily a day of worship. It was a day of rest.

[John Weaver] Now ask yourself this question. What if someone did work on the Sabbath day? What was the penalty? The penalty was death. Look in your Bibles to Exodus 31. Exodus 31. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I the Lord doth sanctify you. Verse 14, You shall keep the Sabbath thereof, or therefore, for it is holy unto you. Everyone that defiled it shall surely be put to death. For whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Look in Exodus 35. Beginning there with verse one, Exodus 35 verse one. And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together and said unto them, these are the words which the Lord hath commanded that you should do them.

[John Weaver] Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be unto you in a holy day, a Sabbath of rest of the Lord, whosoever doeth any work therein shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.

[John Weaver] Now turn, if you would very quickly to the book of numbers chapter 15. Numbers 15. And let's begin reading there with verse 32, numbers 15, verse 32. Numbers 15, verse 32. And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day. Wow. You remember exorcist says there's to be no six gathered on the Sabbath day. He just went out and he's going to build him a fire. He got some sticks together and they, that found him gathering sticks, brought him to Moses and Aaron and said, and all the congregation. And in all the congregation, they put him in a ward because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said to Moses, the man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones. And he died as the Lord commanded Moses.

[John Weaver] Now, I hope there are some questions that are arising in your mind. One of them should be this. Why did working on the Sabbath merit the death penalty? Why did God demand death for anyone who violated the Sabbath? The answer to that question I'm going to give you in the next two weeks. But the question that should be a pressing question right now is this. Listen to this question. Is there a death penalty today for the violation of the Hebrew or Canaan weekly Sabbath?

[John Weaver] If not, when did it cease? Why did it cease? Obviously, the legal status of the Hebrew Sabbath was altered because there have not been such penalties applied to the Sabbath violations in the New Testament. Why was the legal status altered? Now let me make two points that should be exceedingly clear concerning the Hebrew Sabbath. First of all, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel.

[John Weaver] Now he said that, and you don't have to turn there, we've already read it, but I'm going to read it again. Exodus 31 verse 13, here's what God said. Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Now God just said, the Hebrew of the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between Him and those people. In Exodus 20 and verse 12, God says this, Moreover also I gave them, the Old Testament saints, moreover I gave them My sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. In Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, God said, And hallow My sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you that you may know that I am the Lord your God." Now, I don't know if you noticed this, but I'm going to point it out.

[John Weaver] If you would take the time when you get home to re-read Exodus 31.13, Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, and Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, you'll find out in each of those passages when God says, Verily, my sabbaths are a sign between me and you. In each of these passages, the word sabbath is plural. Why is the word plural? Here is the answer. Because there was more than one sabbath. There was a weekly sabbath, yes. But there was the new moon sabbath.

[John Weaver] There was the sabbatical year. There was the year of Jubilee. There were all those feasts and each of those feasts are regarded as a Sabbath. God has said specifically that these Sabbaths were a sign and it could be said biblically. Now listen carefully. That if you are, if you endeavor to keep one Sabbath. you're obligated to keep all of the Sabbaths. In fact, God said, and let me just quote it, Leviticus 19 verse 3, He commanded the children of Israel to keep His Sabbaths, plural. In Leviticus 26 verse 2, He said, You shall keep My Sabbaths, plural, and reverence My sanctuary, I am the Lord. And then in Leviticus 18 verses 4 and 5, He said this, You shall do My judgments, and keep my ordinances to walk therein. I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them. I am the Lord." Now, here's the question. If you want to keep a Sabbath, how many of them are you going to keep?

[John Weaver] You can't just keep one. Because there's more than one. So the very first thing that we have found is this. That the Canaan or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel. God said that. But here is the second thing we've got to understand. If the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the children of Israel, and we know it was because He said so, here's the question. What does the sign represent? What does the sign teach? What is commemorated? What is communicated by observing the Canaan Sabbaths? Now, listen to me. You say, I'm going to keep a weekly Sabbath. Are you going to keep the new moon Sabbath? Okay, sure. Are you going to take and keep the sabbatical year, a whole year of a Sabbath? Yeah. Okay, fine. Well, are you going to keep the year of Jubilee, which would be a sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee, which will be two years of rest? What are these Sabbaths a sign about or concerning or commemorating?

[John Weaver] Well, if you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5, let me show you. Here it is spelled out in black and white. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Here is what the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath commemorated. You will remember God's creation Sabbath commemorated creation. Here is what the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath commemorated. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. In fact, let's read verse 12. Keep the Sabbath day sanctified as the Lord thy God commanded thee. Six days shalt thou labor, do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath, the Lord by God in it, thou shalt not do any work. Thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, that thy manservant, thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. Here is what the Hebrew of the Canaan's Sabbath commemorated. And remember that thou was a servant in the land of Egypt. and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm.

[John Weaver] Therefore, the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." Why did God command the Old Testament Israelites to keep the Sabbath day? Because it commemorated their deliverance from physical Egypt. The Hebrew Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath was a commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt. It was God who redeemed them. It was God who separated them. It was God who chose them. You're going to find out and see a little bit later that the Passover is intimately connected with the Sabbaths and it too celebrated The deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. How then did God become their Lord? The answer is, by redeeming them and delivering them from the land of Egypt. Now, what did the Hebrew or Canaan Sabbath commemorate? The answer is, deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.

[John Weaver] Listen carefully to this question. I'm not trying to be funny. So don't make any smart remarks concerning it. How many of you were delivered from Egypt? Now, it is true that Egypt is a type of the world and it often represents sin in scripture. But I did not ask you how many of you were delivered from the anti-type But how many of you were delivered from physical Egypt? The sign of the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel that He had delivered them from Egypt, He delivered them from their slavery and bondage, and therefore He commanded them to rest in His deliverance and celebrate and commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. So were you delivered from physical Egypt?

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. Another question that you have to answer in light of a Sabbath day is this. How long was a Sabbath? Ah, now let me tell you the word Sabbath simply means cessation or rest. And let me just give you the scriptures. You can look them up later, okay? But listen carefully. The word Sabbath is used in the Bible to refer to different lengths of time. The word Sabbath can describe a rest of one day long.

[John Weaver] You'll find that in Exodus 20, verses 8 through 11. Deuteronomy 5, verses 12 through 15. It can refer to a rest two days long. You'll find that in Leviticus 23, 15, 16, and 21, which we'll look at a little bit later. It can refer to a rest one year long, Leviticus 25, verses 4 through 8. It can refer to a rest two years long, Leviticus 25, verses 8 through 12. And it can refer to a rest 70 years long, 2 Chronicles 36 verse 21.

[John Weaver] Now when you say I'm going to keep a Sabbath, how long are you going to keep it? One day? Two days? One year? Two years? Or 70 years? Now, here's the question, and I'm going to show you this from the Bible. If you're going to keep one Sabbath, you are obligated to keep all the Sabbaths. How do I know that? Because the scripture teaches that if you're going to keep one part of the law, you are obligated to keep all of the law.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 And look if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. And I'm going to be dealing with verse 1 here a little bit later on probably. But notice Galatians 5 verse 1. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. What yoke of bondage is he talking about?

[John Weaver] Now, he's talking about the ceremonies and the rituals and the festivals and the holy days. Let's go on. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Watch verse 3. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is debtor to do the whole law. Now here's what Paul clearly meant. He is not condemning what you and I would call the moral law, but he's referring to the ceremonial law. He's saying if you're going to bring yourself under any of the ceremonial ordinances, then you are now obligated to keep all of those ordinances.

[John Weaver] In fact, if you will look back in your Bibles, turn back to Acts 15. I want you to see this. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look at Acts 15 and verse 10. And this is even in reference to circumcision. Watch Acts 15 and verse 10. And I'll tell you about the Judaizers in just a moment. In fact, you can leave yourselves at Acts 15. We'll look there at another verse momentarily. But look at Acts 15 and verse 10. Look what is said by the council at Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] Now therefore, why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" And he's talking about the ceremonies. He's talking about the ordinances. He's talking about circumcision. So here were these Hebrew apostles saying to the Judaizers, I'll explain that in just a moment, why in the world do you want to put a yoke upon these other folks over here that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. We can't keep all of those ceremonies and all those ordinances. We just can't do it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you a quote. Here's what the commentator Albert Barnes says, and I believe he said it very correctly on this passage. He said, Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews as baptism is of Christians. A man therefore who became circumcised, became a professor of the Jewish religion, and bound himself to obey all its peculiar laws. Now, when Barnes said that, he was commenting on Acts 15 and verse 10. He was not commenting, and I do not believe that he is referring necessarily, to the Hebrew covenant in the Old Testament. but he was referring primarily to the perversion of that covenant by the Judaizers. Who were the Judaizers in the New Testament?

[John Weaver] The Judaizers were the men who followed Paul around, who gave Paul so much heartache, and they would always say this, it's alright to trust in Christ, and it's alright to believe in Christ, but if you really want to be saved, if you really want to be holy, Then you have to observe all these ceremonies and you have to be circumcised. So look if you would in Acts 15 in verse 1.

[John Weaver] Here's what they were teaching. And certain men which came down from Judea, they were Judaizers, they were Jews, they came down from Judea, taught the brethren and said, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. If circumcision was a distinguishing badge of the Jews or Judaism, then certainly all of their ceremonies were also marks of their religion. Without me having to do this, I think most of you know the scripture well enough to know that I don't care what ceremony you choose from the Old Testament. I don't care what ritual you pick. All of the ceremonies, all of the rituals, All of the ordinances were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thus those ceremonies, those rituals are no longer binding upon Christians. Period.

[John Weaver] That's what the book of Hebrews is all about. Now I want to take the rest of my time today and I want to endeavor to show you from scripture that Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor can it possibly be the Sabbath day. Many who sincerely think that they are observing a weekly Canaan or Hebrew Sabbath by resting from Friday evening until Saturday evening would be correct only once every seven years.

[John Weaver] How does that grab you? Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor could it possibly be the Sabbath. How can I make that statement? Well, let me explain. The Hebrew calendar began its dating from the deliverance from Egypt. The Hebrew calendar consisted of 12 months of 30 days. Instead of adding the additional 5 days at the end of the year, They added 3 days to the 6th month and 2 days at the end of the 12th month.

[John Weaver] Now, why did they do that? The answer is very simple. Because the 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. I'm going to show you that from Scripture. The 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the 1st of Abib and the 8th of Abib had to be Sabbaths as well. From the 15th of Abib, they had to number 7 Sabbaths.

[John Weaver] That would be 49 days. And the 50th day would be Pentecost. Look in your Bibles. Leviticus 23. I'll show you that. Leviticus 23. Get ready to look at some Scripture. Leviticus 23. Notice if you would versus 15 and 16 Leviticus 23 verse 15. Here's what God says. And you shall count under you from the Mara after the Sabbath from that day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering seven Sabbath shall be complete. Even in the Mara after the seventh Sabbath shall you number 50 days and you shall offer a new meat offering or meal offering into the Lord. So the 50th day had to be Pentecost. That's what the word Pentecost means. It means 50. And of course, we know what that picture is in the New Testament. So, listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, don't get bent out of shape right now over the term Abib and the number 15th because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Alright, now listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, it follows that the seven Succeeding Sabbaths were on fixed dates as well.

[John Weaver] So God says you have to number seven Sabbaths. So here it would be. You would have Abib 15 as a Sabbath. Had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the first and the eighth had to be a Sabbath every year. But Abib 15 had to be a Sabbath every year. So you have to number seven Sabbaths after that. You would have Abib 22. Abib 29, Ir 6, Ir 13, Ir 20, Ir 27, and 7 4th as the 7 Sabbaths. The only way you could have 7 Sabbaths complete from Abib 15 to 7 4th each year is if those Sabbaths were on fixed dates. They were fixed.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what this means and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Since the date was fixed, and could not change. It means the days changed just like your birthday. My birthday is September the 3rd. Don't you forget that chain. My birthday is September the 3rd. Let's suppose, and I haven't looked, but let's suppose my birthday is on Tuesday this week or this year. You know what day my birthday will be on next year? Wednesday.

[John Weaver] You're after that on Thursday. You're after that on Friday. You're after that on Saturday. In other words, since the date is fixed, the day changes.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look at Scripture and let's pick out the month and the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 12 because you'll remember now the Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, the Hebrew Sabbath celebrated The deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Exodus 12 verse 1 and 2. Watch carefully. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Wow! Now wait a minute. This month shall be the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you."

[John Weaver] Now whatever month he's talking about, it'd be like our January. Okay? January is the first month of our year. So whatever month he's talking about, he says this is it.

[John Weaver] Now remember Exodus 12 deals with the exodus, the deliverance of children of Israel from Egypt. So, God specifically says that this month is going to be the first month of the Hebrew year. Now, the first month of the Hebrew year was the month Abib. How do I know that? Well, look in Exodus chapter 13 and verse 4. Exodus 13 verse 4. What does God say? This day came you out in the month Abib. Well, that should be plain enough. This day came you out in the month Abib. If you would look in Exodus 23, And verse 15, Exodus 23, verse 15.

[John Weaver] Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread. Thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee in the time appointed of the month Abib. For in it thou camest from Egypt, and none shall appear before me empty. Well, that's plain enough. Look in Exodus chapter 34. and verse 18, Exodus 34 verse 18. The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep, seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee in the time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib camest thou out from Egypt. Well, you can't argue with that. If you look in Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 1, Deuteronomy 16 and verse 1, look what God says. Deuteronomy 16 verse 1, Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover unto the Lord thy God, for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

[John Weaver] How many times does God have to say something to make it true? Once. But now, four or five times, He said, the month you came out is the month Abib. And He says, this month shall be the beginning of your months. So we know then that the first month is going to be Abib. Can't argue with that.

[John Weaver] Now that we've got the month settled, let's find the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12, notice verse 6. In fact, as God is telling the children of Israel about the Passover, He tells them there to select their lamb. And notice He says in verse 5, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep and out from the goats. You shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month. and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Well, so the Passover then was to be killed on the 14th day of the month. Why?

[John Weaver] Because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt that had the blood applied at midnight. When did they leave Egypt? on the morning of the 15th. Look in Exodus chapter 12 verse 29. Exodus 12 verse 29. And it came to pass that at midnight, at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne into the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon of all the firstborn of cattle. Notice it came to pass at midnight. Look back in Exodus 12 and verse 14. God says, and this day, D-A-Y, this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a day, you shall keep it a feast of the Lord throughout your generations, you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. Wow! Now wait a minute. God says it's the month they bid. On the 14th, at midnight, the blood is applied. We know the next morning, God led them out.

[John Weaver] That would be on the 15th. If you want to know specifically, look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 6. In fact, let's read verse 5 and 6. Leviticus 23 verse 5, In the fourteenth day of the first month of Eden is the Lord's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord. Seven days you must eat unleavened bread. Wow! The fifteenth. Well, if that's not clear enough, look in your Bibles to Numbers 33. Numbers 33 and look if you would please at verse 3 Numbers 33 and verse 3 The children of Israel are leaving Egypt Numbers 33 verse 3 and they departed from Ramesses in the first month on the 15th day of the first month On the morrow after the Passover, the children of Israel went

[John Weaver] out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. Now we know the month was Adab and now we know the date is the 15th. The 15th was the first day of their religious year, so to speak. If that 15th was a Sabbath, and it had to be a Sabbath, That means the 1st and the 8th had to be Sabbaths as well.

[John Weaver] Now let me show you why these dates were fixed. If you look back in your Bible, say Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12.

[John Weaver] Now remember, when the children of Israel celebrated the Passover, Before Passover night and the 15th, there had to be real work done. Look in Exodus chapter 12, verse 3. Speaking unto the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of the month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house. Could the 10th be a Sabbath? Why could the 10th not be a Sabbath? Because they had to work in it. They had to take the lamb. They had to get the lamb. They had to butcher the lamb. Look in verses 5 and 6. Your lamb shall be without blemish. The male the first year you shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it up to the 14th day of the same month. That is, you had to take care of that lamb.

[John Weaver] You had to feed it. You had to watch it. You had to do whatever is necessary to it. Skip down to verse 24. And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever. And notice, if you would please, Leviticus 23 and verse 15. Turn to Leviticus 23, verse 15. Notice what God says. Leviticus 23, verse 15. He says, And you shall count unto you from Mamara after the Sabbath from the day that you brought the sheep of the way of offering.

[John Weaver] seven sabbaths shall be complete." Now, we know then that the 10th and the 14th and the 16th could not possibly be sabbaths. Why? Because real work had to be done on those days. If the date was not fixed, then it's going to vary every year, and then here what you're going to have is people cleaning houses, people butchering animals and reaping fields. And if it changed like your birthday, you know that one of those dates would have to be a Sabbath sooner or later. And so what you would have then, you would have a command to work on the one hand and a command to rest on the other hand, which would be total confusion and chaos. So here are dates that could not possibly ever be a Sabbath. What does that mean? That means the date was absolutely fixed.

[John Weaver] Everything began from April or Abib the 15th and Abib is essentially our March and our April sometime right in there. Now the point I'm trying to make is this, because the date was fixed, it would have been impossible for Saturday to have been the Sabbath. It may have been a Sabbath once every seven years, But it was not a Sabbath every year. Could not possibly have been. Because the date is fixed, the day changes. Now watch this. There are 365 days in a year. If we divide 7 into 365, we get 52 weeks with one day left over. What happens to that extra day?

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to Leviticus 23, verse 15, 16. Watch. And you shall count unto you from the Mara after the Sabbath. And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath from the day that you brought the sheaf of the way of offering seven sabbaths shall be complete even into the morrow after the seventh sabbath you shall offer fifty days or you shall number fifty days you shall offer a new offering unto the Lord skip down if you would to verse twenty-one and you shall proclaim on the selfsame day that it may be a holy convocation unto you you shall do no servile work therein it shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations that extra day was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, verses 15 and 16. That's why a Sabbath rest could be one day, two days, one year, two years, or even 70 years.

[John Weaver] Now, let me try to tie this together, and I'm going to explain more, Lord willing, in the next two Sundays. But let's suppose that you and I could positively identify all of the Old Testament Sabbaths. Let's suppose that we could. We could positively identify the weekly Sabbath. We could positively identify the new moon Sabbaths. We could positively identify the sabbatical year. the year of Jubilee. Here's my question. If you and I could positively identify each of these Sabbaths, should we be observing them?

[John Weaver] You have to remember something. The Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath did not commemorate creation. It commemorated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Now, here's my question. If we could identify these Sabbaths, should we be observing them? Before you answer and say, well, we're either physical Israel or we're spiritual Israel, let me ask you another question or two. Was not the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt a type? Were not the lambs that were slain in that first Passover a type? Is there not a greater deliverance than that of the children of Israel from Egypt? Did not the Passover and the death of all of those lambs picture the one true Lamb of God who is the perfect Passover, total and complete Passover? The Bible says, let me quote it for you, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7, Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you run leaven for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Every lamb that was slain in Egypt in Exodus chapter 12, every lamb that was slain throughout the rest of the time Israel were in Canaan land, All of those lambs pointed to the one true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And that is why in John 1 in verse 29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ, he said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. So my question is this, is there not a greater deliverance to commemorate than that of deliverance of Israel out of Egypt? Was not the sacrifice of Jesus Christ greater than all the lambs and all the oxen put together? Is not our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan greater than the deliverance from Egypt and from Pharaoh? Is not what we have in Christ in the New Testament far greater than all of the Old Testament types and shadows? Why in the world would we try to celebrate a type and a shadow when we have reality before us?

[John Weaver] Would you not think it extremely silly of me if I had a picture of Alice, and I do have some, one particularly that I like from her high school years. But would you not think it extremely silly of me If I looked at that picture and I took that picture and I put it in my lips and I just started kissing that picture, would you not think it's silly of me to kiss that picture and caress that picture when she was standing right there in front of me? Why would I kiss her picture when I could kiss her?

[John Weaver] The point I'm making is very simple. Why would you go back and celebrate a type, a shadow, an emblem, a symbol that pointed to Christ when you have Christ present with you. He is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. Do you remember what the Bible says in John 1 in verse 17? For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Everything in the Old Testament is truth. But the fulfillment, the reality, the apex, the epitome of grace and truth is in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, without me getting into it, I'll get into it a little bit later. Let me ask you a question. I read this passage last week from Matthew 12, verses 1 through 8. You remember where the Pharisees got on to Christ and His disciples because they went out and plucked grains of corn out in the fields during the Sabbath, and the Pharisee says, it's not lawful for you to do what you're doing. And you remember in verse 8, Jesus Christ said, for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. You remember how Jesus Christ said the priest worked during the Sabbath? And they're blameless. Do you remember what David did and those men with him?

[John Weaver] How they ate the hallowed bread which none but priests were to eat? And he held them blameless. When the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, it simply means this. He can do as He pleases with the Sabbath. He's the one that created the world. He's the one that ordained the Sabbath. He can dispense with it. He can rearrange it. He can do whatever He pleases. Listen to what John Gill said on Matthew 12 and verse 8 when he said, Is not Christ the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath? John Gill said, And since Christ is greater than the temple, and has all the perfections of the divine nature in Him, is equal to the Father in power and glory, and even as Mediator has all power in heaven and earth given to Him, so as He is Lord of all other things, He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it, which I'll get with next week.

[John Weaver] He says, see Colossians 2. And since the Lord of the Sabbath had a power of dispensing with it and made use of it in the cases of David and his men and the priests in the temple formerly, the Pharisees ought not to think it strange that the son of man who is equally Lord of the Sabbath dispensed with it in his disciples now. Matthew Poole, another commentator, says this, Christ, affirming himself Lord of the Sabbath, spake properly enough to the Pharisees' quarrel.

[John Weaver] For it must needs then follow that he had power to dispense with the observation of it at particular times, and much more to give a true and right interpretation of the law concerning it. He's Lord of the Sabbath. But listen to what John Calvin said, and Calvin hit the nail on the head. He said this, He declared that He's received authority to exempt His followers from the necessity of observing the Sabbath. The Son of Man, He says, in the exercise of His authority, can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal ceremonies.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something, folks. When the Bible says that the Son of Man, that is Jesus Christ, is Lord of the Sabbath, the truth is He may relax it, He may dispense with it, He may change it, He may do whatever He pleases. He is Lord and whatever He does is right. Whether you agree with it or not, whether you believe it or not is immaterial. Whatever He does is right. He is Lord. Now think about this. Think about this. What did the Old Testament Hebrew Canaan Sabbath celebrate?

[John Weaver] The answer, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Was that Old Testament deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and their entrance into the Canaan land the real, genuine, true rest of God? No. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews 4. I'm going to show you this, and Lord willing, for the next two weeks I'm going to be dealing with this. Notice Hebrews chapter 4. Beginning there with verse 1, He talks about those who did not enter into that rest. He refers to God's creation rest in verse 4 as a type that the Canaan rest was really to represent.

[John Weaver] And he says in verse 7, by the way, and I'll deal with this later, Again, he limited a certain day, saying in David, a day after so long a time. It is said today, if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. David wrote this in Psalm 95. The children of Israel had already come out of Egypt. They were already in the Canaan land. David is on the throne, reigning for 40 years, and David is saying that that Old Testament Canaan rest or Canaan Sabbath was not the true rest of God. He says there's another rest. And then how much plainer could it be in verse 8?

[John Weaver] For if Jesus, or Joshua as it should be, the word Yahashua literally means Savior. The name Joshua means Savior. The name Jesus means Savior. He says, for if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day? So we know then that the Old Testament Canaan rest, or the Hebrew rest, was not the true rest, because he spoke of another day. Therefore, he says in verse 9, There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. The word rest in the Greek in verse 9 is sabbatismos. Here's what verse 9 says. There remaineth therefore a keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God. God's creation rest was God's rest.

[John Weaver] It was that which man should have entered into, but man sinned and failed. The Canaan rest was a type. Man should have entered into it, but he did not. He failed. There's only one rest in which man can enter into without failing, and that is the rest that has been purchased for us by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Because salvation is not based upon what we do. Salvation is based upon what He has accomplished and who He is.

[John Weaver] And I will close today with this verse as I did last week. What did our Lord say in Matthew 11? Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The true rest is in Jesus Christ. The point we need to learn today is this. We need to look thoroughly at Scripture. And do not assume that everything that we hear and everything that we are told is correct.

[John Weaver] One of our problems in this day and age is that we equally like the Pharisees, have fallen into traditions, just like the Judaizers and just like the Pharisees in the New Testament. We must search the Scriptures. We must pay close attention to the Scriptures. And let me tell you, dear friend, what the Scripture says is right and true and correct, whether you agree with it or believe it or not.

[John Weaver] Truth is found first of all in Jesus Christ and secondly in His revealed Word. Why is Saturday not the Sabbath day and can't be? Because the date was fixed. April the 15th. Seven Sabbaths were fixed after that. Which means that the day of the week changed. just like your birthday. We today are to celebrate the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ. Not the deliverance from Egypt, because that was merely a type. It was a shadow. It was an emblem. And we're to rest only in the work of Christ. Let's pray. In the name of Jesus Christ, we do ask that you help us and teach us and build us up in the most holy faith.

[John Weaver] Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And above all, Father, help us to honor Thee and to rest in Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.

The Superiority of Christ Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	4_z2L6Bxyv4
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: The Superiority of Christ
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	81

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the theme of Hebrews: Christ's superiority over prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. He recaps the creation Sabbath as God's rest.

Hebrews chapter 4, and today we're going to deal with the second part of the superiority of Christ. And I would encourage you today to listen very carefully, because some of the information, although it's very plain in Scripture, it could be technical in the sense that we're not used to thinking and listening like this. So, Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:2-11

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

Now, let me just tell you, before I begin today, I want to take just a few moments and review. And I'm just simply telling you that Jesus Christ is superior to anyone or anything. Last week, by way of introduction, I pointed out that the theme of the book of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ. And the word "better" is one of the key words throughout the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3, we see that Christ is superior to the prophets. In Hebrews 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18, we see that Christ is superior to the angels. In Hebrews chapter 3, we see the superiority of Christ over Moses. In Hebrews chapter 4, the superiority of Christ over Joshua. And in Hebrews chapter 5, the superiority of Christ over Aaron. So there is no man, there is no group of men, there is no ordinance, there is no group of ordinances over which Jesus Christ is not superior.

The Bible says that God has spoken fully and finally and totally and completely in His Son, Jesus Christ. You'll find that in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3. Because Jesus Christ is the express image of His person, He is God incarnate, and He upholds all things by the word of His power. Now last week we looked primarily at the creation Sabbath. And I showed you that the creation Sabbath was God's rest in particular. I pointed out there was a creation Sabbath, there was a Canaan Sabbath, and there was a Christian Sabbath. But first and foremost, when you refer to the creation Sabbath, it was God's rest. And I pointed out the fact there is no way in the world that we could know what day was the seventh day.

Because the Bible doesn't say that He began on Sunday or Monday. It just said first day, second day, third day, fourth day, fifth day, sixth day, and the seventh He rested. You'll have to listen to the message if you want a total and complete review. But I pointed out that man was created on the sixth day. So he began his life by entering in to God's rest.

Now today we're going to be talking about the Canaan Sabbath. And I want you to understand that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath rest was God's creation Sabbath rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest or that which I will probably deal with in the next two weeks, the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me tell you what the Sabbath principle asserts. There is a principle and I don't care if you're dealing with the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, or the Christian Sabbath, the principle of the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God. It asserts the principle of liberty under God's law. The Sabbath principle basically summons man to obedience to the ordinance of rest in order to free man from himself as well as his work. It draws man away from himself and everything else. Please remember, think about this, the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself. It's man's ability to involve himself, to control himself, to control his society, his world, and all things.

The Sabbath Principle: Rest, Not Worship

The Sabbath principle asserts freedom under God and liberty under His law. The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not a weekly day of worship.

There is no rest in humanism. There is no rest in humanism, period. The only rest that exists is rest in God, and the Sabbath demonstrates our need for rest and our need of a Redeemer. Man cannot rest apart from God. You look at the world and as our God said, "There is no rest, saith my God, to the wicked." And there is none. They're like the troubled sea that casteth up its dirt and mire. Humanism deals mainly with man and man's ability and man's work. Christianity deals with God's full and final work in Jesus Christ. Let me make this concerning the Sabbath day. When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.

Here is something that may surprise you. Listen carefully. A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament. Yes, they worshipped daily. But their worship was family oriented and was in the warp and woof of everyday life. There was not a weekly day of worship in the Old Testament. Here's the principle and here's where I want you to begin looking with me at Scripture.

And I'm going to throw so many Scriptures at you today. If you have time to write them down, you will be blessed. But I'm going to ask you to turn to some so that you can see the general principle. I've just enunciated the simple fact that the essence of the Sabbath was rest. It was not worship. It was rest. Consequently, no work was to be done on the Sabbath.

General Law: No Work on the Sabbath

Multiple Old Testament passages command that no work be done on the Sabbath by anyone or any animal.

Scripture is exceedingly specific on this issue. So the general law is no work, no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. So go in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to the book of Exodus chapter 20. I'm going to show you several passages. And here is the general principle that no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. We're talking about the Canaan Sabbath. We're talking about the Hebrew Sabbath of the Old Testament. Okay? Notice Exodus chapter 20, verses 8 through 11. And if I fail to say that each time today that I'm talking about the Sabbath, remember I'm talking about the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament, okay? Look in Exodus chapter 20 verse 8.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:8-11

"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 the LORD thy God: 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: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Note God says no work was to be done.

Turn over to Exodus chapter 23 and look, if you would please, in verse 9. Exodus 23 verse 9,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 23:9-12

"Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed."

Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 21.

I'm just showing you this general principle. Exodus 34 verse 21. God says it again.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 34:21

"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest."

If you will turn over to the book of Leviticus chapter 23, Leviticus 23. Notice if you would please verse 3, Leviticus 23 verse 3. Again, God says very distinctly, "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." If you would turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 5. Just showing you this general principle. Deuteronomy chapter 5. Beginning there with verse 12. Deuteronomy 5 verse 12.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 34:21

"Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou."

"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." And if you'll look in one other passage, Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22. Jeremiah 17 verse 22. Now I want to show you the specifics in just a moment, but notice Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22. Here's the general principle, no work must be done by anyone or any animal. Jeremiah 17 verse 22, the word of God says this,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 17:22

"Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."

So here is the general principle. No work was to be done on the Sabbath days.

Now, I want you to just listen as I give you a few other verses. The gates should be shut on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 19. Abide you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16 verse 29. Asses should not be laden on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13, 15. No burdens should be borne on the Sabbath day.

Specific Prohibitions and Death Penalty

Specific activities were forbidden (e.g., kindling fire, gathering sticks), and the penalty for working on the Sabbath was death, as illustrated by the man stoned for gathering sticks.

Here's the general principle, no work must be done by anyone or any animal. Jeremiah 17 verse 22, the word of God says this,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 17:22

"Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."

So here is the general principle. No work was to be done on the Sabbath days. Now, I want you to just listen as I give you a few other verses. The gates should be shut on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 19. Abide you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16 verse 29. Asses should not be laden on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13, 15. No burdens should be borne on the Sabbath day.

Jeremiah 17, 21 and 22. No fires were to be kindled on the Sabbath day. Exodus 35 verse 3. No sheaves were to be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15. No sticks could be gathered on the Sabbath day. Numbers 15, 32 through 35. No victuals could be bought or sold. Nehemiah 13, 15 and 31. Nor could wine presses be traded on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15.

Now, I hope you get the idea that God says no work was to be done on the Sabbath. It was not necessarily a day of worship. It was a day of rest. Now ask yourself this question. What if someone did work on the Sabbath day? What was the penalty? The penalty was death. Look in your Bibles to Exodus 31. Exodus 31. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:13-15

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."

Look in Exodus 35. Beginning there with verse 1, Exodus 35 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:13-15

"And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 15:32-36

"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."

Now turn, if you would very quickly to the book of Numbers chapter 15. Numbers 15. And let's begin reading there with verse 32, Numbers 15, verse 32. Numbers 15, verse 32.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 15:32-36

"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day."

Wow. You remember Exodus says there's to be no sticks gathered on the Sabbath day. He just went out and he's going to build him a fire. He got some sticks together and they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.

Now, I hope there are some questions that are arising in your mind. One of them should be this. Why did working on the Sabbath merit the death penalty? Why did God demand death for anyone who violated the Sabbath? The answer to that question I'm going to give you in the next two weeks. But the question that should be a pressing question right now is this. Listen to this question. Is there a death penalty today for the violation of the Hebrew or Canaan weekly Sabbath?

The Canaan Sabbath as a Sign for Israel

The Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and Old Testament Israel, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. The word 'Sabbaths' is plural, indicating multiple Sabbaths (weekly, new moon, sabbatical year, Jubilee).

If not, when did it cease? Why did it cease? Obviously, the legal status of the Hebrew Sabbath was altered because there have not been such penalties applied to the Sabbath violations in the New Testament. Why was the legal status altered? Now let me make two points that should be exceedingly clear concerning the Hebrew Sabbath. First of all, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel.

Now he said that, and you don't have to turn there, we've already read it, but I'm going to read it again. Exodus 31 verse 13, here's what God said.

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."

Now God just said, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between Him and those people. In Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, God says this,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them."

In Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God."

Now, I don't know if you noticed this, but I'm going to point it out.

If you would take the time when you get home to re-read Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, and Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, you'll find out in each of those passages when God says, "Verily, my sabbaths are a sign between me and you," in each of these passages, the word "sabbath" is plural. Why is the word plural? Here is the answer. Because there was more than one sabbath. There was a weekly sabbath, yes. But there was the new moon sabbath.

There was the sabbatical year. There was the year of Jubilee. There were all those feasts and each of those feasts are regarded as a Sabbath. God has said specifically that these Sabbaths were a sign and it could be said biblically. Now listen carefully. That if you endeavor to keep one Sabbath, you're obligated to keep all of the Sabbaths. In fact, God said, and let me just quote it, Leviticus 19 verse 3, He commanded the children of Israel to keep His Sabbaths, plural. In Leviticus 26 verse 2, He said, "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD." And then in Leviticus 18 verses 4 and 5, He said this, "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD." Now, here's the question. If you want to keep a Sabbath, how many of them are you going to keep?

You can't just keep one. Because there's more than one. So the very first thing that we have found is this. That the Canaan or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel. God said that. But here is the second thing we've got to understand. If the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the children of Israel, and we know it was because He said so, here's the question. What does the sign represent? What does the sign teach? What is commemorated? What is communicated by observing the Canaan Sabbaths? Now, listen to me. You say, "I'm going to keep a weekly Sabbath." Are you going to keep the new moon Sabbath? Okay, sure. Are you going to take and keep the sabbatical year, a whole year of a Sabbath? Yeah. Okay, fine. Well, are you going to keep the year of Jubilee, which would be a sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee, which will be two years of rest? What are these Sabbaths a sign about or concerning or commemorating?

Well, if you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5, let me show you. Here it is spelled out in black and white. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Here is what the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath commemorated. You will remember God's creation Sabbath commemorated creation. Here is what the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath commemorated. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. In fact, let's read verse 12. "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou." Here is what the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath commemorated. "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm."

"Therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Why did God command the Old Testament Israelites to keep the Sabbath day? Because it commemorated their deliverance from physical Egypt. The Hebrew Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath was a commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt. It was God who redeemed them. It was God who separated them. It was God who chose them. You're going to find out and see a little bit later that the Passover is intimately connected with the Sabbaths and it too celebrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. How then did God become their Lord? The answer is, by redeeming them and delivering them from the land of Egypt. Now, what did the Hebrew or Canaan Sabbath commemorate? The answer is, deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.

Obligation to Keep All Sabbaths

If one keeps one ceremonial law, one is obligated to keep all. The Judaizers taught that circumcision and ceremonies were necessary for salvation, but the apostles rejected this yoke.

Listen carefully to this question. I'm not trying to be funny. So don't make any smart remarks concerning it. How many of you were delivered from Egypt? Now, it is true that Egypt is a type of the world and it often represents sin in scripture. But I did not ask you how many of you were delivered from the anti-type, but how many of you were delivered from physical Egypt? The sign of the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel that He had delivered them from Egypt, He delivered them from their slavery and bondage, and therefore He commanded them to rest in His deliverance and celebrate and commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. So were you delivered from physical Egypt?

And the answer is no. Another question that you have to answer in light of a Sabbath day is this. How long was a Sabbath? Ah, now let me tell you the word Sabbath simply means cessation or rest. And let me just give you the scriptures. You can look them up later, okay? But listen carefully. The word Sabbath is used in the Bible to refer to different lengths of time. The word Sabbath can describe a rest of one day long.

You'll find that in Exodus 20, verses 8 through 11. Deuteronomy 5, verses 12 through 15. It can refer to a rest two days long. You'll find that in Leviticus 23, 15, 16, and 21, which we'll look at a little bit later. It can refer to a rest one year long, Leviticus 25, verses 4 through 8. It can refer to a rest two years long, Leviticus 25, verses 8 through 12. And it can refer to a rest 70 years long, 2 Chronicles 36 verse 21.

Now when you say I'm going to keep a Sabbath, how long are you going to keep it? One day? Two days? One year? Two years? Or 70 years? Now, here's the question, and I'm going to show you this from the Bible. If you're going to keep one Sabbath, you are obligated to keep all the Sabbaths. How do I know that? Because the scripture teaches that if you're going to keep one part of the law, you are obligated to keep all of the law.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 and look if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. And I'm going to be dealing with verse 1 here a little bit later on probably. But notice Galatians 5 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

What yoke of bondage is he talking about?

Now, he's talking about the ceremonies and the rituals and the festivals and the holy days. Let's go on. "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." Watch verse 3. "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Now here's what Paul clearly meant. He is not condemning what you and I would call the moral law, but he's referring to the ceremonial law. He's saying if you're going to bring yourself under any of the ceremonial ordinances, then you are now obligated to keep all of those ordinances. In fact, if you will look back in your Bibles, turn back to Acts 15. I want you to see this. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look at Acts 15 and verse 10. And this is even in reference to circumcision. Watch Acts 15 and verse 10. And I'll tell you about the Judaizers in just a moment. In fact, you can leave yourselves at Acts 15. We'll look there at another verse momentarily. But look at Acts 15 and verse 10. Look what is said by the council at Jerusalem.

"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" And he's talking about the ceremonies. He's talking about the ordinances. He's talking about circumcision. So here were these Hebrew apostles saying to the Judaizers, I'll explain that in just a moment, why in the world do you want to put a yoke upon these other folks over here that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. We can't keep all of those ceremonies and all those ordinances. We just can't do it.

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:1, 10

Now, let me give you a quote. Here's what the commentator Albert Barnes says, and I believe he said it very correctly on this passage. He said, "Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews as baptism is of Christians. A man therefore who became circumcised, became a professor of the Jewish religion, and bound himself to obey all its peculiar laws." Now, when Barnes said that, he was commenting on Acts 15 and verse 10. He was not commenting, and I do not believe that he is referring necessarily to the Hebrew covenant in the Old Testament, but he was referring primarily to the perversion of that covenant by the Judaizers. Who were the Judaizers in the New Testament? The Judaizers were the men who followed Paul around, who gave Paul so much heartache, and they would always say this, "It's alright to trust in Christ, and it's alright to believe in Christ, but if you really want to be saved, if you really want to be holy, then you have to observe all these ceremonies and you have to be circumcised." So look if you would in Acts 15 in verse 1.

Here's what they were teaching. "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Now let me ask you a question. If circumcision was a distinguishing badge of the Jews or Judaism, then certainly all of their ceremonies were also marks of their religion. Without me having to do this, I think most of you know the scripture well enough to know that I don't care what ceremony you choose from the Old Testament. I don't care what ritual you pick. All of the ceremonies, all of the rituals, all of the ordinances were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thus those ceremonies, those rituals are no longer binding upon Christians. Period.

That's what the book of Hebrews is all about. Now I want to take the rest of my time today and I want to endeavor to show you from scripture that Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor can it possibly be the Sabbath day. Many who sincerely think that they are observing a weekly Canaan or Hebrew Sabbath by resting from Friday evening until Saturday evening would be correct only once every seven years.

Saturday Cannot Be the Sabbath

The Hebrew calendar had fixed dates for Sabbaths (Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths), so the day of the week changed annually. Saturday could only be a Sabbath once every seven years.

How does that grab you? Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor could it possibly be the Sabbath. How can I make that statement? Well, let me explain. The Hebrew calendar began its dating from the deliverance from Egypt. The Hebrew calendar consisted of 12 months of 30 days. Instead of adding the additional 5 days at the end of the year, they added 3 days to the 6th month and 2 days at the end of the 12th month.

Now, why did they do that? The answer is very simple. Because the 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. I'm going to show you that from Scripture. The 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the 1st of Abib and the 8th of Abib had to be Sabbaths as well. From the 15th of Abib, they had to number 7 Sabbaths.

That would be 49 days. And the 50th day would be Pentecost. Look in your Bibles. Leviticus 23. I'll show you that. Leviticus 23. Notice if you would verses 15 and 16. Leviticus 23 verse 15. Here's what God says.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:15-16, 21

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD."

So the 50th day had to be Pentecost. That's what the word Pentecost means. It means 50. And of course, we know what that picture is in the New Testament. So, listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, don't get bent out of shape right now over the term Abib and the number 15th because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Alright, now listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, it follows that the seven succeeding Sabbaths were on fixed dates as well.

So God says you have to number seven Sabbaths. So here it would be. You would have Abib 15 as a Sabbath. Had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the first and the eighth had to be a Sabbath every year. But Abib 15 had to be a Sabbath every year. So you have to number seven Sabbaths after that. You would have Abib 22, Abib 29, Iyar 6, Iyar 13, Iyar 20, Iyar 27, and Sivan 4 as the 7 Sabbaths. The only way you could have 7 Sabbaths complete from Abib 15 to Sivan 4 each year is if those Sabbaths were on fixed dates. They were fixed.

Now, let me tell you what this means and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Since the date was fixed, and could not change, it means the days changed just like your birthday. My birthday is September the 3rd. Don't you forget that, Jane. My birthday is September the 3rd. Let's suppose, and I haven't looked, but let's suppose my birthday is on Tuesday this week or this year. You know what day my birthday will be on next year? Wednesday.

Year after that on Thursday. Year after that on Friday. Year after that on Saturday. In other words, since the date is fixed, the day changes.

Now, I want you to look at Scripture and let's pick out the month and the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 12 because you'll remember now the Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, the Hebrew Sabbath celebrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Exodus 12 verse 1 and 2. Watch carefully. "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." Wow! Now wait a minute. "This month shall be the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you."

Now whatever month he's talking about, it'd be like our January. Okay? January is the first month of our year. So whatever month he's talking about, he says this is it.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

Now remember Exodus 12 deals with the exodus, the deliverance of children of Israel from Egypt. So, God specifically says that this month is going to be the first month of the Hebrew year. Now, the first month of the Hebrew year was the month Abib. How do I know that? Well, look in Exodus chapter 13 and verse 4. Exodus 13 verse 4. What does God say? "This day came ye out in the month Abib." Well, that should be plain enough. "This day came ye out in the month Abib." If you would look in Exodus 23, and verse 15, Exodus 23, verse 15. "Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)" Well, that's plain enough. Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 18, Exodus 34 verse 18. "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." Well, you can't argue with that. If you look in Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 1, Deuteronomy 16 and verse 1, look what God says. Deuteronomy 16 verse 1, "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."

How many times does God have to say something to make it true? Once. But now, four or five times, He said, the month you came out is the month Abib. And He says, this month shall be the beginning of your months. So we know then that the first month is going to be Abib. Can't argue with that.

Now that we've got the month settled, let's find the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12, notice verse 6. In fact, as God is telling the children of Israel about the Passover, He tells them there to select their lamb. And notice He says in verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."

Well, so the Passover then was to be killed on the 14th day of the month. Why? Because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt that had the blood applied at midnight. When did they leave Egypt? On the morning of the 15th. Look in Exodus chapter 12 verse 29. Exodus 12 verse 29.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle."

Notice it came to pass at midnight. Look back in Exodus 12 and verse 14. God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Wow! Now wait a minute. God says it's the month Abib. On the 14th, at midnight, the blood is applied. We know the next morning, God led them out.

That would be on the 15th. If you want to know specifically, look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 6. In fact, let's read verse 5 and 6. Leviticus 23 verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:5-6

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread."

Wow! The fifteenth. Well, if that's not clear enough, look in your Bibles to Numbers 33. Numbers 33 and look if you would please at verse 3. Numbers 33 and verse 3. The children of Israel are leaving Egypt. Numbers 33 verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:5-6

"And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians."

Now we know the month was Abib and now we know the date is the 15th. The 15th was the first day of their religious year, so to speak. If that 15th was a Sabbath, and it had to be a Sabbath, that means the 1st and the 8th had to be Sabbaths as well.

Now let me show you why these dates were fixed. If you look back in your Bible, say Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12. Now remember, when the children of Israel celebrated the Passover, before Passover night and the 15th, there had to be real work done. Look in Exodus chapter 12, verse 3. "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house." Could the 10th be a Sabbath? Why could the 10th not be a Sabbath? Because they had to work in it. They had to take the lamb. They had to get the lamb. They had to butcher the lamb. Look in verses 5 and 6. "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month." That is, you had to take care of that lamb.

You had to feed it. You had to watch it. You had to do whatever is necessary to it. Skip down to verse 24. "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever." And notice, if you would please, Leviticus 23 and verse 15. Turn to Leviticus 23, verse 15. Notice what God says. Leviticus 23, verse 15. He says, "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete."

Now, we know then that the 10th and the 14th and the 16th could not possibly be sabbaths. Why? Because real work had to be done on those days. If the date was not fixed, then it's going to vary every year, and then here what you're going to have is people cleaning houses, people butchering animals and reaping fields. And if it changed like your birthday, you know that one of those dates would have to be a Sabbath sooner or later. And so what you would have then, you would have a command to work on the one hand and a command to rest on the other hand, which would be total confusion and chaos. So here are dates that could not possibly ever be a Sabbath. What does that mean? That means the date was absolutely fixed.

Everything began from Abib the 15th and Abib is essentially our March and our April sometime right in there. Now the point I'm trying to make is this, because the date was fixed, it would have been impossible for Saturday to have been the Sabbath. It may have been a Sabbath once every seven years, but it was not a Sabbath every year. Could not possibly have been. Because the date is fixed, the day changes. Now watch this. There are 365 days in a year. If we divide 7 into 365, we get 52 weeks with one day left over. What happens to that extra day?

The Extra Day and Two-Day Sabbath

The extra day in the solar year was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, explaining why a Sabbath rest could vary in length.

Turn in your Bibles to Leviticus 23, verse 15, 16. Watch. "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD." Skip down if you would to verse 21. "And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." That extra day was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, verses 15 and 16. That's why a Sabbath rest could be one day, two days, one year, two years, or even 70 years.

Now, let me try to tie this together, and I'm going to explain more, Lord willing, in the next two Sundays. But let's suppose that you and I could positively identify all of the Old Testament Sabbaths. Let's suppose that we could. We could positively identify the weekly Sabbath. We could positively identify the new moon Sabbaths. We could positively identify the sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee. Here's my question. If you and I could positively identify each of these Sabbaths, should we be observing them?

Christ: The Fulfillment of the Sabbath

The Old Testament deliverance and Passover lambs were types pointing to Christ, the true Lamb of God. Celebrating the shadow when the reality is present is foolish.

You have to remember something. The Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath did not commemorate creation. It commemorated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Now, here's my question. If we could identify these Sabbaths, should we be observing them? Before you answer and say, well, we're either physical Israel or we're spiritual Israel, let me ask you another question or two. Was not the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt a type? Were not the lambs that were slain in that first Passover a type? Is there not a greater deliverance than that of the children of Israel from Egypt? Did not the Passover and the death of all of those lambs picture the one true Lamb of God who is the perfect Passover, total and complete Passover? The Bible says, let me quote it for you, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." Every lamb that was slain in Egypt in Exodus chapter 12, every lamb that was slain throughout the rest of the time Israel were in Canaan land, all of those lambs pointed to the one true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

And that is why in John 1 in verse 29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." So my question is this, is there not a greater deliverance to commemorate than that of deliverance of Israel out of Egypt? Was not the sacrifice of Jesus Christ greater than all the lambs and all the oxen put together? Is not our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan greater than the deliverance from Egypt and from Pharaoh? Is not what we have in Christ in the New Testament far greater than all of the Old Testament types and shadows? Why in the world would we try to celebrate a type and a shadow when we have reality before us?

Would you not think it extremely silly of me if I had a picture of Alice, and I do have some, one particularly that I like from her high school years. But would you not think it extremely silly of me if I looked at that picture and I took that picture and I put it to my lips and I just started kissing that picture, would you not think it's silly of me to kiss that picture and caress that picture when she was standing right there in front of me? Why would I kiss her picture when I could kiss her? The point I'm making is very simple. Why would you go back and celebrate a type, a shadow, an emblem, a symbol that pointed to Christ when you have Christ present with you. He is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. Do you remember what the Bible says in John 1 in verse 17? "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Everything in the Old Testament is truth. But the fulfillment, the reality, the apex, the epitome of grace and truth is in Jesus Christ.

Christ as Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and has authority to dispense with, relax, or abolish it. The true rest is found only in Him, not in Old Testament observances.

Now, without me getting into it, I'll get into it a little bit later. Let me ask you a question. I read this passage last week from Matthew 12, verses 1 through 8. You remember where the Pharisees got on to Christ and His disciples because they went out and plucked grains of corn out in the fields during the Sabbath, and the Pharisee says, "It's not lawful for you to do what you're doing." And you remember in verse 8, Jesus Christ said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

You remember how Jesus Christ said the priest worked during the Sabbath? And they're blameless. Do you remember what David did and those men with him? How they ate the hallowed bread which none but priests were to eat? And he held them blameless. When the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, it simply means this. He can do as He pleases with the Sabbath. He's the one that created the world. He's the one that ordained the Sabbath. He can dispense with it. He can rearrange it. He can do whatever He pleases. Listen to what John Gill said on Matthew 12 and verse 8 when he said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"Is not Christ the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath?"

John Gill said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"And since Christ is greater than the temple, and has all the perfections of the divine nature in Him, is equal to the Father in power and glory, and even as Mediator has all power in heaven and earth given to Him, so as He is Lord of all other things, He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it,"

which I'll get with next week.

He says, see Colossians 2. And since the Lord of the Sabbath had a power of dispensing with it and made use of it in the cases of David and his men and the priests in the temple formerly, the Pharisees ought not to think it strange that the Son of man who is equally Lord of the Sabbath dispensed with it in his disciples now. Matthew Poole, another commentator, says this, "Christ, affirming himself Lord of the Sabbath, spake properly enough to the Pharisees' quarrel." "For it must needs then follow that he had power to dispense with the observation of it at particular times, and much more to give a true and right interpretation of the law concerning it." He's Lord of the Sabbath. But listen to what John Calvin said, and Calvin hit the nail on the head. He said this, "He declared that He's received authority to exempt His followers from the necessity of observing the Sabbath. The Son of Man, He says, in the exercise of His authority, can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal ceremonies."

Now let me tell you something, folks. When the Bible says that the Son of Man, that is Jesus Christ, is Lord of the Sabbath, the truth is He may relax it, He may dispense with it, He may change it, He may do whatever He pleases. He is Lord and whatever He does is right. Whether you agree with it or not, whether you believe it or not is immaterial. Whatever He does is right. He is Lord. Now think about this. Think about this. What did the Old Testament Hebrew Canaan Sabbath celebrate?

The answer, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Was that Old Testament deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and their entrance into the Canaan land the real, genuine, true rest of God? No. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews 4. I'm going to show you this, and Lord willing, for the next two weeks I'm going to be dealing with this. Notice Hebrews chapter 4. Beginning there with verse 1, He talks about those who did not enter into that rest. He refers to God's creation rest in verse 4 as a type that the Canaan rest was really to represent.

And he says in verse 7, by the way, and I'll deal with this later, "Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." David wrote this in Psalm 95. The children of Israel had already come out of Egypt. They were already in the Canaan land. David is on the throne, reigning for 40 years, and David is saying that that Old Testament Canaan rest or Canaan Sabbath was not the true rest of God. He says there's another rest. And then how much plainer could it be in verse 8? "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." So we know then that the Old Testament Canaan rest, or the Hebrew rest, was not the true rest, because he spoke of another day. Therefore, he says in verse 9, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." The word "rest" in the Greek in verse 9 is sabbatismos. Here's what verse 9 says. "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God." God's creation rest was God's rest.

It was that which man should have entered into, but man sinned and failed. The Canaan rest was a type. Man should have entered into it, but he did not. He failed. There's only one rest in which man can enter into without failing, and that is the rest that has been purchased for us by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Because salvation is not based upon what we do. Salvation is based upon what He has accomplished and who He is.

And I will close today with this verse as I did last week. What did our Lord say in Matthew 11? "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The true rest is in Jesus Christ. The point we need to learn today is this. We need to look thoroughly at Scripture. And do not assume that everything that we hear and everything that we are told is correct.

Conclusion and Call to Search Scripture

Believers must search the Scriptures and not rely on traditions. Truth is in Christ and His Word. The true rest is in Christ's finished work.

One of our problems in this day and age is that we equally like the Pharisees, have fallen into traditions, just like the Judaizers and just like the Pharisees in the New Testament. We must search the Scriptures. We must pay close attention to the Scriptures. And let me tell you, dear friend, what the Scripture says is right and true and correct, whether you agree with it or believe it or not. Truth is found first of all in Jesus Christ and secondly in His revealed Word. Why is Saturday not the Sabbath day and can't be? Because the date was fixed. Abib the 15th. Seven Sabbaths were fixed after that. Which means that the day of the week changed, just like your birthday. We today are to celebrate the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ. Not the deliverance from Egypt, because that was merely a type. It was a shadow. It was an emblem. And we're to rest only in the work of Christ. Let's pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Superiority of Christ

Summary: Jesus Christ is superior to all Old Testament figures and institutions, including the Sabbath.

Evidence: Weaver reviews Hebrews: Christ is superior to prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. He is Lord of the Sabbath.

Sabbath as Rest, Not Worship

Summary: The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not a weekly day of worship.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.'

Canaan Sabbath as a Sign for Israel

Summary: The Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel, commemorating deliverance from Egypt.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 5:15 is cited: 'And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt... therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.'

Fixed Dates, Not Fixed Days

Summary: The Hebrew calendar had fixed dates for Sabbaths, so the day of the week changed annually; Saturday cannot be the biblical Sabbath.

Evidence: Weaver explains that Abib 15 was always a Sabbath, and the following seven Sabbaths were on fixed dates, causing the day of the week to shift.

Christ as Fulfillment of Types and Shadows

Summary: Old Testament ceremonies, including the Sabbath, were types fulfilled in Christ; clinging to them is like kissing a picture when the person is present.

Evidence: Weaver uses the analogy of kissing a picture instead of the real person to illustrate the folly of observing shadows when Christ is present.

True Rest in Christ Alone

Summary: The only true rest is found in Jesus Christ, not in Old Testament observances or human effort.

Evidence: Hebrews 4:8-9 is cited: 'For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.'

Key Arguments

The Sabbath was a day of rest, not worship

Summary: The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily about ceasing from work, not about a weekly worship service.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament.'

The death penalty for Sabbath-breaking shows its seriousness

Summary: Working on the Sabbath was a capital offense, demonstrating the gravity of the command.

Evidence: Exodus 31:14-15 and Numbers 15:32-36 are cited, including the stoning of the man who gathered sticks.

The Canaan Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, not creation

Summary: Deuteronomy 5:15 explicitly ties the Sabbath command to Israel's redemption from Egypt.

Evidence: Weaver reads Deuteronomy 5:15: 'And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt... therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.'

Keeping one ceremonial law obligates keeping all

Summary: Galatians 5:3 teaches that if one submits to circumcision, one is a debtor to the whole law; the same principle applies to Sabbaths.

Evidence: Weaver cites Galatians 5:3 and Acts 15:10, arguing that the ceremonial yoke is unbearable.

Saturday cannot be the Sabbath because dates were fixed

Summary: The Hebrew calendar fixed Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths to specific dates, so the day of the week rotated annually.

Evidence: Weaver explains the calendar mechanics: 'Since the date was fixed, and could not change, it means the days changed just like your birthday.'

Christ is Lord of the Sabbath and can dispense with it

Summary: Jesus' statement in Matthew 12:8 shows His authority over the Sabbath, allowing Him to relax or abolish it.

Evidence: Weaver quotes John Gill: 'He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it.'

The Old Testament rest was a type of the true rest in Christ

Summary: Hebrews 4:8-9 indicates that Joshua's rest was not the final rest; a Sabbath-keeping remains for God's people in Christ.

Evidence: Weaver reads Hebrews 4:8-9 and explains that 'rest' in verse 9 is sabbatismos, a keeping of a Sabbath.

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1

Context: Introduction to the rest of God and warning against falling short.

Hebrews 4:2-11

Context: Extended reading on the rest of God, unbelief, and the remaining Sabbath rest.

Exodus 20:8-11

Context: The Sabbath command: no work on the seventh day.

Exodus 23:9-12

Context: Rest for the land and servants on the Sabbath.

Exodus 34:21

Context: Rest even during plowing and harvest.

Leviticus 23:3

Context: Sabbath of rest, holy convocation, no work.

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Context: Sabbath command tied to deliverance from Egypt.

Jeremiah 17:22

Context: No carrying burdens or doing any work on the Sabbath.

Exodus 31:13-15

Context: Sabbath as a sign; death penalty for working.

Exodus 35:1-3

Context: No fire kindled on the Sabbath; death penalty.

Numbers 15:32-36

Context: Man stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath.

Ezekiel 20:12, 20

Context: Sabbaths as a sign between God and Israel.

Leviticus 23:15-16, 21

Context: Counting seven Sabbaths from the wave sheaf; a two-day Sabbath.

Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

Context: Passover instructions; Abib as first month; 14th day; departure on 15th.

Exodus 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1

Context: Month of Abib as the time of the exodus.

Leviticus 23:5-6

Context: Passover on 14th; Feast of Unleavened Bread on 15th.

Numbers 33:3

Context: Israel departed on the 15th day of the first month.

Galatians 5:1-3

Context: Stand fast in liberty; circumcision obligates the whole law.

Acts 15:1, 10

Context: Judaizers taught circumcision for salvation; the yoke was unbearable.

Matthew 12:1-8

Context: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath; disciples plucked grain.

Historical References

Judaizers in the New Testament

Context: Men who followed Paul and taught that circumcision and ceremonies were necessary for salvation.

Albert Barnes (commentator)

Context: Quoted on Acts 15:10 regarding circumcision as the badge of Judaism.

John Gill (commentator)

Context: Quoted on Matthew 12:8, stating Christ has power to dispense with or abolish the Sabbath.

Matthew Poole (commentator)

Context: Quoted on Matthew 12:8, affirming Christ's authority to dispense with Sabbath observance.

John Calvin (commentator)

Context: Quoted on Matthew 12:8, stating Christ can relax the Sabbath like other legal ceremonies.

Important Quotes

When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.

Significance: Establishes the central thesis that the Old Testament Sabbath was about rest, not a weekly worship service.

A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament.

Significance: Supports the argument that the Sabbath was not a day of corporate worship.

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Significance: Key verse showing the Canaan Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, not creation.

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Significance: Demonstrates that the Old Testament rest was not final; a true rest remains in Christ.

He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it.

Significance: John Gill's commentary affirming Christ's authority over the Sabbath.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Significance: Christ's invitation to true rest, contrasting with the temporary Old Testament rest.

Discussion Questions

Why does Weaver argue that the Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest rather than a day of worship?

Context: Weaver states that weekly worship did not exist in the Old Testament and that the Sabbath was about ceasing from work.

How does the death penalty for Sabbath-breaking shape our understanding of the seriousness of the command?

Context: Weaver cites Exodus 31 and Numbers 15 to show the capital punishment for working on the Sabbath.

What does it mean that the Canaan Sabbath was a 'sign' between God and Israel, and how does that affect its applicability to Christians?

Context: Weaver explains that the Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, an event Christians did not experience.

How does the fixed-date calendar argument demonstrate that Saturday cannot be the biblical Sabbath?

Context: Weaver explains that Abib 15 and the following Sabbaths were on fixed dates, causing the day of the week to change annually.

In what ways is Christ the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sabbath and Passover?

Context: Weaver uses the analogy of kissing a picture versus the real person to illustrate the superiority of Christ over types.

What does it mean that Jesus is 'Lord of the Sabbath,' and what implications does that have for Sabbath observance today?

Context: Weaver quotes commentators who say Christ can dispense with or abolish the Sabbath.

How does Hebrews 4:8-9 teach that there remains a Sabbath rest for God's people, and what is that rest?

Context: Weaver explains that the Greek word sabbatismos indicates a keeping of a Sabbath, fulfilled in Christ.

Applications

Rest in Christ, not in ceremonies

Summary: Believers should find their rest in the finished work of Christ rather than in observing Old Testament shadows.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Why would you go back and celebrate a type, a shadow, an emblem, a symbol that pointed to Christ when you have Christ present with you.'

Search the Scriptures diligently

Summary: Christians must examine Scripture carefully and not rely on traditions or assumptions.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'We must search the Scriptures. We must pay close attention to the Scriptures.'

Avoid legalism and the yoke of ceremonial law

Summary: Do not submit to Old Testament ceremonial obligations, which were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer binding.

Evidence: Weaver cites Galatians 5:1 and Acts 15:10, urging believers not to be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Recognize Christ's authority over all things

Summary: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and has authority to change or fulfill it; believers should submit to His lordship.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'He is Lord and whatever He does is right.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:31:10Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T15:27:18Z

Clean Transcript

The Superiority of Christ Part 2 of 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Hebrews chapter 4, and today we're going to deal with the second part of the superiority of Christ. And I would encourage you today to listen very carefully, because some of the information, although it's very plain in Scripture, it could be technical in the sense that we're not used to thinking and listening like this. So, Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
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"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
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"For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Now, let me just tell you, before I begin today, I want to take just a few moments and review. And I'm just simply telling you that Jesus Christ is superior to anyone or anything. Last week, by way of introduction, I pointed out that the theme of the book of Hebrews is the superiority of Christ. And the word "better" is one of the key words throughout the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3, we see that Christ is superior to the prophets. In Hebrews 1 verse 4 through chapter 2 verse 18, we see that Christ is superior to the angels. In Hebrews chapter 3, we see the superiority of Christ over Moses. In Hebrews chapter 4, the superiority of Christ over Joshua. And in Hebrews chapter 5, the superiority of Christ over Aaron. So there is no man, there is no group of men, there is no ordinance, there is no group of ordinances over which Jesus Christ is not superior.
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The Bible says that God has spoken fully and finally and totally and completely in His Son, Jesus Christ. You'll find that in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3. Because Jesus Christ is the express image of His person, He is God incarnate, and He upholds all things by the word of His power.
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Now last week we looked primarily at the creation Sabbath. And I showed you that the creation Sabbath was God's rest in particular. I pointed out there was a creation Sabbath, there was a Canaan Sabbath, and there was a Christian Sabbath. But first and foremost, when you refer to the creation Sabbath, it was God's rest. And I pointed out the fact there is no way in the world that we could know what day was the seventh day.
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Because the Bible doesn't say that He began on Sunday or Monday. It just said first day, second day, third day, fourth day, fifth day, sixth day, and the seventh He rested. You'll have to listen to the message if you want a total and complete review. But I pointed out that man was created on the sixth day. So he began his life by entering in to God's rest.
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Now today we're going to be talking about the Canaan Sabbath. And I want you to understand that the pattern of the Canaan Sabbath rest was God's creation Sabbath rest. The goal of the Sabbath is man's redemption rest or that which I will probably deal with in the next two weeks, the Christian Sabbath, which is rest in our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me tell you what the Sabbath principle asserts. There is a principle and I don't care if you're dealing with the creation Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, or the Christian Sabbath, the principle of the Sabbath asserts the principle of freedom under God. It asserts the principle of liberty under God's law. The Sabbath principle basically summons man to obedience to the ordinance of rest in order to free man from himself as well as his work. It draws man away from himself and everything else. Please remember, think about this, the essence of humanism is man's ability to save himself. It's man's ability to involve himself, to control himself, to control his society, his world, and all things.
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There is no rest in humanism. There is no rest in humanism, period. The only rest that exists is rest in God, and the Sabbath demonstrates our need for rest and our need of a Redeemer. Man cannot rest apart from God. You look at the world and as our God said, "There is no rest, saith my God, to the wicked." And there is none. They're like the troubled sea that casteth up its dirt and mire. Humanism deals mainly with man and man's ability and man's work. Christianity deals with God's full and final work in Jesus Christ. Let me make this concerning the Sabbath day. When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.
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Here is something that may surprise you. Listen carefully. A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament. Yes, they worshipped daily. But their worship was family oriented and was in the warp and woof of everyday life. There was not a weekly day of worship in the Old Testament. Here's the principle and here's where I want you to begin looking with me at Scripture.
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And I'm going to throw so many Scriptures at you today. If you have time to write them down, you will be blessed. But I'm going to ask you to turn to some so that you can see the general principle. I've just enunciated the simple fact that the essence of the Sabbath was rest. It was not worship. It was rest. Consequently, no work was to be done on the Sabbath.
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Scripture is exceedingly specific on this issue. So the general law is no work, no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. So go in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to the book of Exodus chapter 20. I'm going to show you several passages. And here is the general principle that no work is to be done on the Sabbath day. We're talking about the Canaan Sabbath. We're talking about the Hebrew Sabbath of the Old Testament. Okay? Notice Exodus chapter 20, verses 8 through 11. And if I fail to say that each time today that I'm talking about the Sabbath, remember I'm talking about the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament, okay? Look in Exodus chapter 20 verse 8. "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 the LORD thy God: 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: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Note God says no work was to be done.
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Turn over to Exodus chapter 23 and look, if you would please, in verse 9. Exodus 23 verse 9, "Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed." Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 21.
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I'm just showing you this general principle. Exodus 34 verse 21. God says it again. "Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest." If you will turn over to the book of Leviticus chapter 23, Leviticus 23. Notice if you would please verse 3, Leviticus 23 verse 3. Again, God says very distinctly, "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." If you would turn right over to Deuteronomy chapter 5. Just showing you this general principle. Deuteronomy chapter 5. Beginning there with verse 12. Deuteronomy 5 verse 12. "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou."
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"And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." And if you'll look in one other passage, Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22. Jeremiah 17 verse 22. Now I want to show you the specifics in just a moment, but notice Jeremiah chapter 17 and verse 22.
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Here's the general principle, no work must be done by anyone or any animal. Jeremiah 17 verse 22, the word of God says this, "Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers." So here is the general principle. No work was to be done on the Sabbath days.
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Now, I want you to just listen as I give you a few other verses. The gates should be shut on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 19. Abide you every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the Sabbath day. Exodus 16 verse 29. Asses should not be laden on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13, 15. No burdens should be borne on the Sabbath day.
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Jeremiah 17, 21 and 22. No fires were to be kindled on the Sabbath day. Exodus 35 verse 3. No sheaves were to be brought in on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15. No sticks could be gathered on the Sabbath day. Numbers 15, 32 through 35. No victuals could be bought or sold. Nehemiah 13, 15 and 31. Nor could wine presses be traded on the Sabbath day. Nehemiah 13 verse 15.
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Now, I hope you get the idea that God says no work was to be done on the Sabbath. It was not necessarily a day of worship. It was a day of rest.
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Now ask yourself this question. What if someone did work on the Sabbath day? What was the penalty? The penalty was death. Look in your Bibles to Exodus 31. Exodus 31. And let's begin reading there with verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13. Exodus 31, verse 13, "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death." Look in Exodus 35. Beginning there with verse 1, Exodus 35 verse 1. "And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them."
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"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."
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Now turn, if you would very quickly to the book of Numbers chapter 15. Numbers 15. And let's begin reading there with verse 32, Numbers 15, verse 32. Numbers 15, verse 32. "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day." Wow. You remember Exodus says there's to be no sticks gathered on the Sabbath day. He just went out and he's going to build him a fire. He got some sticks together and they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
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Now, I hope there are some questions that are arising in your mind. One of them should be this. Why did working on the Sabbath merit the death penalty? Why did God demand death for anyone who violated the Sabbath? The answer to that question I'm going to give you in the next two weeks. But the question that should be a pressing question right now is this. Listen to this question. Is there a death penalty today for the violation of the Hebrew or Canaan weekly Sabbath?
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If not, when did it cease? Why did it cease? Obviously, the legal status of the Hebrew Sabbath was altered because there have not been such penalties applied to the Sabbath violations in the New Testament. Why was the legal status altered? Now let me make two points that should be exceedingly clear concerning the Hebrew Sabbath. First of all, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel.
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Now he said that, and you don't have to turn there, we've already read it, but I'm going to read it again. Exodus 31 verse 13, here's what God said. "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." Now God just said, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between Him and those people. In Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, God says this, "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them." In Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, God said, "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God." Now, I don't know if you noticed this, but I'm going to point it out.
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If you would take the time when you get home to re-read Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, and Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, you'll find out in each of those passages when God says, "Verily, my sabbaths are a sign between me and you," in each of these passages, the word "sabbath" is plural. Why is the word plural? Here is the answer. Because there was more than one sabbath. There was a weekly sabbath, yes. But there was the new moon sabbath.
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There was the sabbatical year. There was the year of Jubilee. There were all those feasts and each of those feasts are regarded as a Sabbath. God has said specifically that these Sabbaths were a sign and it could be said biblically. Now listen carefully. That if you endeavor to keep one Sabbath, you're obligated to keep all of the Sabbaths. In fact, God said, and let me just quote it, Leviticus 19 verse 3, He commanded the children of Israel to keep His Sabbaths, plural. In Leviticus 26 verse 2, He said, "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD." And then in Leviticus 18 verses 4 and 5, He said this, "Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD." Now, here's the question. If you want to keep a Sabbath, how many of them are you going to keep?
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You can't just keep one. Because there's more than one. So the very first thing that we have found is this. That the Canaan or the Hebrew Sabbath in the Old Testament was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel. God said that. But here is the second thing we've got to understand. If the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and the children of Israel, and we know it was because He said so, here's the question. What does the sign represent? What does the sign teach? What is commemorated? What is communicated by observing the Canaan Sabbaths? Now, listen to me. You say, "I'm going to keep a weekly Sabbath." Are you going to keep the new moon Sabbath? Okay, sure. Are you going to take and keep the sabbatical year, a whole year of a Sabbath? Yeah. Okay, fine. Well, are you going to keep the year of Jubilee, which would be a sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee, which will be two years of rest? What are these Sabbaths a sign about or concerning or commemorating?
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Well, if you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 5, let me show you. Here it is spelled out in black and white. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Here is what the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath commemorated. You will remember God's creation Sabbath commemorated creation. Here is what the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath commemorated. Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. In fact, let's read verse 12. "Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou." Here is what the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath commemorated. "And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm."
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"Therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day." Why did God command the Old Testament Israelites to keep the Sabbath day? Because it commemorated their deliverance from physical Egypt. The Hebrew Sabbath or the Canaan Sabbath was a commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt. It was God who redeemed them. It was God who separated them. It was God who chose them. You're going to find out and see a little bit later that the Passover is intimately connected with the Sabbaths and it too celebrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. How then did God become their Lord? The answer is, by redeeming them and delivering them from the land of Egypt. Now, what did the Hebrew or Canaan Sabbath commemorate? The answer is, deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.
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Listen carefully to this question. I'm not trying to be funny. So don't make any smart remarks concerning it. How many of you were delivered from Egypt? Now, it is true that Egypt is a type of the world and it often represents sin in scripture. But I did not ask you how many of you were delivered from the anti-type, but how many of you were delivered from physical Egypt? The sign of the Canaan Sabbath or the Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and the Old Testament children of Israel that He had delivered them from Egypt, He delivered them from their slavery and bondage, and therefore He commanded them to rest in His deliverance and celebrate and commemorate their deliverance from Egypt. So were you delivered from physical Egypt?
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And the answer is no. Another question that you have to answer in light of a Sabbath day is this. How long was a Sabbath? Ah, now let me tell you the word Sabbath simply means cessation or rest. And let me just give you the scriptures. You can look them up later, okay? But listen carefully. The word Sabbath is used in the Bible to refer to different lengths of time. The word Sabbath can describe a rest of one day long.
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You'll find that in Exodus 20, verses 8 through 11. Deuteronomy 5, verses 12 through 15. It can refer to a rest two days long. You'll find that in Leviticus 23, 15, 16, and 21, which we'll look at a little bit later. It can refer to a rest one year long, Leviticus 25, verses 4 through 8. It can refer to a rest two years long, Leviticus 25, verses 8 through 12. And it can refer to a rest 70 years long, 2 Chronicles 36 verse 21.
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Now when you say I'm going to keep a Sabbath, how long are you going to keep it? One day? Two days? One year? Two years? Or 70 years? Now, here's the question, and I'm going to show you this from the Bible. If you're going to keep one Sabbath, you are obligated to keep all the Sabbaths. How do I know that? Because the scripture teaches that if you're going to keep one part of the law, you are obligated to keep all of the law.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 and look if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. And I'm going to be dealing with verse 1 here a little bit later on probably. But notice Galatians 5 verse 1. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." What yoke of bondage is he talking about?
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Now, he's talking about the ceremonies and the rituals and the festivals and the holy days. Let's go on. "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." Watch verse 3. "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Now here's what Paul clearly meant. He is not condemning what you and I would call the moral law, but he's referring to the ceremonial law. He's saying if you're going to bring yourself under any of the ceremonial ordinances, then you are now obligated to keep all of those ordinances.
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In fact, if you will look back in your Bibles, turn back to Acts 15. I want you to see this. I can quote it, but I want you to see it. Look at Acts 15 and verse 10. And this is even in reference to circumcision. Watch Acts 15 and verse 10. And I'll tell you about the Judaizers in just a moment. In fact, you can leave yourselves at Acts 15. We'll look there at another verse momentarily. But look at Acts 15 and verse 10. Look what is said by the council at Jerusalem.
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"Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?" And he's talking about the ceremonies. He's talking about the ordinances. He's talking about circumcision. So here were these Hebrew apostles saying to the Judaizers, I'll explain that in just a moment, why in the world do you want to put a yoke upon these other folks over here that neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. We can't keep all of those ceremonies and all those ordinances. We just can't do it.
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Now, let me give you a quote. Here's what the commentator Albert Barnes says, and I believe he said it very correctly on this passage. He said, "Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews as baptism is of Christians. A man therefore who became circumcised, became a professor of the Jewish religion, and bound himself to obey all its peculiar laws." Now, when Barnes said that, he was commenting on Acts 15 and verse 10. He was not commenting, and I do not believe that he is referring necessarily to the Hebrew covenant in the Old Testament, but he was referring primarily to the perversion of that covenant by the Judaizers. Who were the Judaizers in the New Testament?
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The Judaizers were the men who followed Paul around, who gave Paul so much heartache, and they would always say this, "It's alright to trust in Christ, and it's alright to believe in Christ, but if you really want to be saved, if you really want to be holy, then you have to observe all these ceremonies and you have to be circumcised." So look if you would in Acts 15 in verse 1.
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Here's what they were teaching. "And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."
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Now let me ask you a question. If circumcision was a distinguishing badge of the Jews or Judaism, then certainly all of their ceremonies were also marks of their religion. Without me having to do this, I think most of you know the scripture well enough to know that I don't care what ceremony you choose from the Old Testament. I don't care what ritual you pick. All of the ceremonies, all of the rituals, all of the ordinances were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Thus those ceremonies, those rituals are no longer binding upon Christians. Period.
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That's what the book of Hebrews is all about. Now I want to take the rest of my time today and I want to endeavor to show you from scripture that Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor can it possibly be the Sabbath day. Many who sincerely think that they are observing a weekly Canaan or Hebrew Sabbath by resting from Friday evening until Saturday evening would be correct only once every seven years.
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How does that grab you? Saturday is not the Sabbath, nor could it possibly be the Sabbath. How can I make that statement? Well, let me explain. The Hebrew calendar began its dating from the deliverance from Egypt. The Hebrew calendar consisted of 12 months of 30 days. Instead of adding the additional 5 days at the end of the year, they added 3 days to the 6th month and 2 days at the end of the 12th month.
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Now, why did they do that? The answer is very simple. Because the 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. I'm going to show you that from Scripture. The 15th of Abib had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the 1st of Abib and the 8th of Abib had to be Sabbaths as well. From the 15th of Abib, they had to number 7 Sabbaths.
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That would be 49 days. And the 50th day would be Pentecost. Look in your Bibles. Leviticus 23. I'll show you that. Leviticus 23. Notice if you would verses 15 and 16. Leviticus 23 verse 15. Here's what God says. "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD." So the 50th day had to be Pentecost. That's what the word Pentecost means. It means 50. And of course, we know what that picture is in the New Testament. So, listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, don't get bent out of shape right now over the term Abib and the number 15th because I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Alright, now listen carefully. If Abib the 15th was a Sabbath every year, it follows that the seven succeeding Sabbaths were on fixed dates as well.
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So God says you have to number seven Sabbaths. So here it would be. You would have Abib 15 as a Sabbath. Had to be a Sabbath every year. That means the first and the eighth had to be a Sabbath every year. But Abib 15 had to be a Sabbath every year. So you have to number seven Sabbaths after that. You would have Abib 22, Abib 29, Iyar 6, Iyar 13, Iyar 20, Iyar 27, and Sivan 4 as the 7 Sabbaths. The only way you could have 7 Sabbaths complete from Abib 15 to Sivan 4 each year is if those Sabbaths were on fixed dates. They were fixed.
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Now, let me tell you what this means and I'm going to show it to you from the Bible. Since the date was fixed, and could not change, it means the days changed just like your birthday. My birthday is September the 3rd. Don't you forget that, Jane. My birthday is September the 3rd. Let's suppose, and I haven't looked, but let's suppose my birthday is on Tuesday this week or this year. You know what day my birthday will be on next year? Wednesday.
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Year after that on Thursday. Year after that on Friday. Year after that on Saturday. In other words, since the date is fixed, the day changes.
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Now, I want you to look at Scripture and let's pick out the month and the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to the book of Exodus chapter 12 because you'll remember now the Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, the Hebrew Sabbath celebrated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Exodus 12 verse 1 and 2. Watch carefully. "And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." Wow! Now wait a minute. "This month shall be the beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you."
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Now whatever month he's talking about, it'd be like our January. Okay? January is the first month of our year. So whatever month he's talking about, he says this is it.
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Now remember Exodus 12 deals with the exodus, the deliverance of children of Israel from Egypt. So, God specifically says that this month is going to be the first month of the Hebrew year. Now, the first month of the Hebrew year was the month Abib. How do I know that? Well, look in Exodus chapter 13 and verse 4. Exodus 13 verse 4. What does God say? "This day came ye out in the month Abib." Well, that should be plain enough. "This day came ye out in the month Abib." If you would look in Exodus 23, and verse 15, Exodus 23, verse 15.
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"Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)" Well, that's plain enough. Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 18, Exodus 34 verse 18. "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." Well, you can't argue with that. If you look in Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 1, Deuteronomy 16 and verse 1, look what God says. Deuteronomy 16 verse 1, "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."
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How many times does God have to say something to make it true? Once. But now, four or five times, He said, the month you came out is the month Abib. And He says, this month shall be the beginning of your months. So we know then that the first month is going to be Abib. Can't argue with that.
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Now that we've got the month settled, let's find the date. Let's go back in our Bibles to Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12, notice verse 6. In fact, as God is telling the children of Israel about the Passover, He tells them there to select their lamb. And notice He says in verse 5, "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Well, so the Passover then was to be killed on the 14th day of the month. Why?
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Because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt that had the blood applied at midnight. When did they leave Egypt? On the morning of the 15th. Look in Exodus chapter 12 verse 29. Exodus 12 verse 29. "And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle." Notice it came to pass at midnight. Look back in Exodus 12 and verse 14. God says, "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Wow! Now wait a minute. God says it's the month Abib. On the 14th, at midnight, the blood is applied. We know the next morning, God led them out.
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That would be on the 15th. If you want to know specifically, look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 6. In fact, let's read verse 5 and 6. Leviticus 23 verse 5, "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." Wow! The fifteenth. Well, if that's not clear enough, look in your Bibles to Numbers 33. Numbers 33 and look if you would please at verse 3. Numbers 33 and verse 3. The children of Israel are leaving Egypt. Numbers 33 verse 3, "And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians." Now we know the month was Abib and now we know the date is the 15th. The 15th was the first day of their religious year, so to speak. If that 15th was a Sabbath, and it had to be a Sabbath, that means the 1st and the 8th had to be Sabbaths as well.
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Now let me show you why these dates were fixed. If you look back in your Bible, say Exodus chapter 12. Exodus chapter 12.
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Now remember, when the children of Israel celebrated the Passover, before Passover night and the 15th, there had to be real work done. Look in Exodus chapter 12, verse 3. "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house." Could the 10th be a Sabbath? Why could the 10th not be a Sabbath? Because they had to work in it. They had to take the lamb. They had to get the lamb. They had to butcher the lamb. Look in verses 5 and 6. "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month." That is, you had to take care of that lamb.
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You had to feed it. You had to watch it. You had to do whatever is necessary to it. Skip down to verse 24. "And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever." And notice, if you would please, Leviticus 23 and verse 15. Turn to Leviticus 23, verse 15. Notice what God says. Leviticus 23, verse 15. He says, "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete."
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Now, we know then that the 10th and the 14th and the 16th could not possibly be sabbaths. Why? Because real work had to be done on those days. If the date was not fixed, then it's going to vary every year, and then here what you're going to have is people cleaning houses, people butchering animals and reaping fields. And if it changed like your birthday, you know that one of those dates would have to be a Sabbath sooner or later. And so what you would have then, you would have a command to work on the one hand and a command to rest on the other hand, which would be total confusion and chaos. So here are dates that could not possibly ever be a Sabbath. What does that mean? That means the date was absolutely fixed.
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Everything began from Abib the 15th and Abib is essentially our March and our April sometime right in there. Now the point I'm trying to make is this, because the date was fixed, it would have been impossible for Saturday to have been the Sabbath. It may have been a Sabbath once every seven years, but it was not a Sabbath every year. Could not possibly have been. Because the date is fixed, the day changes. Now watch this. There are 365 days in a year. If we divide 7 into 365, we get 52 weeks with one day left over. What happens to that extra day?
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Turn in your Bibles to Leviticus 23, verse 15, 16. Watch. "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD." Skip down if you would to verse 21. "And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations." That extra day was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, verses 15 and 16. That's why a Sabbath rest could be one day, two days, one year, two years, or even 70 years.
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Now, let me try to tie this together, and I'm going to explain more, Lord willing, in the next two Sundays. But let's suppose that you and I could positively identify all of the Old Testament Sabbaths. Let's suppose that we could. We could positively identify the weekly Sabbath. We could positively identify the new moon Sabbaths. We could positively identify the sabbatical year, the year of Jubilee. Here's my question. If you and I could positively identify each of these Sabbaths, should we be observing them?
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You have to remember something. The Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath did not commemorate creation. It commemorated the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Now, here's my question. If we could identify these Sabbaths, should we be observing them? Before you answer and say, well, we're either physical Israel or we're spiritual Israel, let me ask you another question or two. Was not the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt a type? Were not the lambs that were slain in that first Passover a type? Is there not a greater deliverance than that of the children of Israel from Egypt? Did not the Passover and the death of all of those lambs picture the one true Lamb of God who is the perfect Passover, total and complete Passover? The Bible says, let me quote it for you, 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." Every lamb that was slain in Egypt in Exodus chapter 12, every lamb that was slain throughout the rest of the time Israel were in Canaan land, all of those lambs pointed to the one true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
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And that is why in John 1 in verse 29, when John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." So my question is this, is there not a greater deliverance to commemorate than that of deliverance of Israel out of Egypt? Was not the sacrifice of Jesus Christ greater than all the lambs and all the oxen put together? Is not our deliverance from the bondage of sin and Satan greater than the deliverance from Egypt and from Pharaoh? Is not what we have in Christ in the New Testament far greater than all of the Old Testament types and shadows? Why in the world would we try to celebrate a type and a shadow when we have reality before us?
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Would you not think it extremely silly of me if I had a picture of Alice, and I do have some, one particularly that I like from her high school years. But would you not think it extremely silly of me if I looked at that picture and I took that picture and I put it to my lips and I just started kissing that picture, would you not think it's silly of me to kiss that picture and caress that picture when she was standing right there in front of me? Why would I kiss her picture when I could kiss her?
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The point I'm making is very simple. Why would you go back and celebrate a type, a shadow, an emblem, a symbol that pointed to Christ when you have Christ present with you. He is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. Do you remember what the Bible says in John 1 in verse 17? "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Was there no grace in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Was there no truth in the Old Testament? Sure there was. Everything in the Old Testament is truth. But the fulfillment, the reality, the apex, the epitome of grace and truth is in Jesus Christ.
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Now, without me getting into it, I'll get into it a little bit later. Let me ask you a question. I read this passage last week from Matthew 12, verses 1 through 8. You remember where the Pharisees got on to Christ and His disciples because they went out and plucked grains of corn out in the fields during the Sabbath, and the Pharisee says, "It's not lawful for you to do what you're doing." And you remember in verse 8, Jesus Christ said, "For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day." You remember how Jesus Christ said the priest worked during the Sabbath? And they're blameless. Do you remember what David did and those men with him?
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How they ate the hallowed bread which none but priests were to eat? And he held them blameless. When the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath, it simply means this. He can do as He pleases with the Sabbath. He's the one that created the world. He's the one that ordained the Sabbath. He can dispense with it. He can rearrange it. He can do whatever He pleases. Listen to what John Gill said on Matthew 12 and verse 8 when he said, "Is not Christ the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath?" John Gill said, "And since Christ is greater than the temple, and has all the perfections of the divine nature in Him, is equal to the Father in power and glory, and even as Mediator has all power in heaven and earth given to Him, so as He is Lord of all other things, He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it," which I'll get with next week.
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He says, see Colossians 2. And since the Lord of the Sabbath had a power of dispensing with it and made use of it in the cases of David and his men and the priests in the temple formerly, the Pharisees ought not to think it strange that the Son of man who is equally Lord of the Sabbath dispensed with it in his disciples now. Matthew Poole, another commentator, says this, "Christ, affirming himself Lord of the Sabbath, spake properly enough to the Pharisees' quarrel."
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"For it must needs then follow that he had power to dispense with the observation of it at particular times, and much more to give a true and right interpretation of the law concerning it." He's Lord of the Sabbath. But listen to what John Calvin said, and Calvin hit the nail on the head. He said this, "He declared that He's received authority to exempt His followers from the necessity of observing the Sabbath. The Son of Man, He says, in the exercise of His authority, can relax the Sabbath in the same manner as other legal ceremonies."
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Now let me tell you something, folks. When the Bible says that the Son of Man, that is Jesus Christ, is Lord of the Sabbath, the truth is He may relax it, He may dispense with it, He may change it, He may do whatever He pleases. He is Lord and whatever He does is right. Whether you agree with it or not, whether you believe it or not is immaterial. Whatever He does is right. He is Lord. Now think about this. Think about this. What did the Old Testament Hebrew Canaan Sabbath celebrate?
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The answer, the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Was that Old Testament deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt and their entrance into the Canaan land the real, genuine, true rest of God? No. Go back in your Bibles to Hebrews 4. I'm going to show you this, and Lord willing, for the next two weeks I'm going to be dealing with this. Notice Hebrews chapter 4. Beginning there with verse 1, He talks about those who did not enter into that rest. He refers to God's creation rest in verse 4 as a type that the Canaan rest was really to represent.
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And he says in verse 7, by the way, and I'll deal with this later, "Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." David wrote this in Psalm 95. The children of Israel had already come out of Egypt. They were already in the Canaan land. David is on the throne, reigning for 40 years, and David is saying that that Old Testament Canaan rest or Canaan Sabbath was not the true rest of God. He says there's another rest. And then how much plainer could it be in verse 8?
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"For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day." So we know then that the Old Testament Canaan rest, or the Hebrew rest, was not the true rest, because he spoke of another day. Therefore, he says in verse 9, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." The word "rest" in the Greek in verse 9 is sabbatismos. Here's what verse 9 says. "There remaineth therefore a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God." God's creation rest was God's rest.
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It was that which man should have entered into, but man sinned and failed. The Canaan rest was a type. Man should have entered into it, but he did not. He failed. There's only one rest in which man can enter into without failing, and that is the rest that has been purchased for us by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Because salvation is not based upon what we do. Salvation is based upon what He has accomplished and who He is.
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And I will close today with this verse as I did last week. What did our Lord say in Matthew 11? "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The true rest is in Jesus Christ. The point we need to learn today is this. We need to look thoroughly at Scripture. And do not assume that everything that we hear and everything that we are told is correct.
#77 | 1:03:15 to 1:04:02 | cleaned
One of our problems in this day and age is that we equally like the Pharisees, have fallen into traditions, just like the Judaizers and just like the Pharisees in the New Testament. We must search the Scriptures. We must pay close attention to the Scriptures. And let me tell you, dear friend, what the Scripture says is right and true and correct, whether you agree with it or believe it or not.
#78 | 1:04:05 to 1:04:36 | cleaned
Truth is found first of all in Jesus Christ and secondly in His revealed Word. Why is Saturday not the Sabbath day and can't be? Because the date was fixed. Abib the 15th. Seven Sabbaths were fixed after that. Which means that the day of the week changed, just like your birthday. We today are to celebrate the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ. Not the deliverance from Egypt, because that was merely a type. It was a shadow. It was an emblem. And we're to rest only in the work of Christ. Let's pray.
#79 | 1:04:37 to 1:05:10 | cleaned
In the name of Jesus Christ, we do ask that you help us and teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And above all, Father, help us to honor Thee and to rest in Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
#80 | 1:05:11 to 1:06:14 | cleaned
Give us grace, Lord, that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And above all, Father, help us to honor Thee and to rest in Jesus Christ, our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
#81 | 1:06:15 to 1:06:30 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:31:10Z

The Superiority of Christ Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver continues his series on the superiority of Christ by examining the Canaan Sabbath (the Old Testament Hebrew Sabbath). He argues that the Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not worship, and that its violation carried the death penalty. The Canaan Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. Weaver demonstrates from Scripture that the Sabbath dates were fixed (Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths), meaning the day of the week changed annually, so Saturday cannot be the biblical Sabbath. He concludes that the Old Testament rest was a type pointing to the true rest found only in Jesus Christ, who is Lord of the Sabbath and the fulfillment of all ceremonies.

Introduction and Review

Weaver reviews the theme of Hebrews: Christ's superiority over prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. He recaps the creation Sabbath as God's rest.

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 4:2-11

"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his."

The Sabbath Principle: Rest, Not Worship

The Sabbath principle asserts freedom under God and liberty under His law. The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not a weekly day of worship.

General Law: No Work on the Sabbath

Multiple Old Testament passages command that no work be done on the Sabbath by anyone or any animal.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 20:8-11

"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 the LORD thy God: 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: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

Note God says no work was to be done.

Turn over to Exodus chapter 23 and look, if you would please, in verse 9. Exodus 23 verse 9,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 23:9-12

"Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed."

Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 21.

I'm just showing you this general principle. Exodus 34 verse 21. God says it again.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 34:21

"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 34:21

"Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 17:22

"Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."

So here is the general principle. No work was to be done on the Sabbath days.

Specific Prohibitions and Death Penalty

Specific activities were forbidden (e.g., kindling fire, gathering sticks), and the penalty for working on the Sabbath was death, as illustrated by the man stoned for gathering sticks.

Here's the general principle, no work must be done by anyone or any animal. Jeremiah 17 verse 22, the word of God says this,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 17:22

"Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:13-15

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."

Look in Exodus 35. Beginning there with verse 1, Exodus 35 verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 31:13-15

"And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them."

Scripture Reading — Numbers 15:32-36

"Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day."

Now turn, if you would very quickly to the book of Numbers chapter 15. Numbers 15. And let's begin reading there with verse 32, Numbers 15, verse 32. Numbers 15, verse 32.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 15:32-36

"And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day."

The Canaan Sabbath as a Sign for Israel

Now he said that, and you don't have to turn there, we've already read it, but I'm going to read it again. Exodus 31 verse 13, here's what God said.

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you."

Now God just said, the Hebrew or the Canaan Sabbath was a sign between Him and those people. In Ezekiel 20 and verse 12, God says this,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them."

In Ezekiel 20 and verse 20, God said,

Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 20:12, 20

"And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God."

Now, I don't know if you noticed this, but I'm going to point it out.

Obligation to Keep All Sabbaths

If one keeps one ceremonial law, one is obligated to keep all. The Judaizers taught that circumcision and ceremonies were necessary for salvation, but the apostles rejected this yoke.

Scripture Reading — Galatians 5:1-3

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

What yoke of bondage is he talking about?

Scripture Reading — Acts 15:1, 10

Now, let me give you a quote. Here's what the commentator Albert Barnes says, and I believe he said it very correctly on this passage. He said, "Circumcision was the distinguishing badge of the Jews as baptism is of Christians. A man therefore who became circumcised, became a professor of the Jewish religion, and bound himself to obey all its peculiar laws." Now, when Barnes said that, he was commenting on Acts 15 and verse 10. He was not commenting, and I do not believe that he is referring necessarily to the Hebrew covenant in the Old Testament, but he was referring primarily to the perversion of that covenant by the Judaizers. Who were the Judaizers in the New Testament? The Judaizers were the men who followed Paul around, who gave Paul so much heartache, and they would always say this, "It's alright to trust in Christ, and it's alright to believe in Christ, but if you really want to be saved, if you really want to be holy, then you have to observe all these ceremonies and you have to be circumcised." So look if you would in Acts 15 in verse 1.

Saturday Cannot Be the Sabbath

The Hebrew calendar had fixed dates for Sabbaths (Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths), so the day of the week changed annually. Saturday could only be a Sabbath once every seven years.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:15-16, 21

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD."

Year after that on Thursday. Year after that on Friday. Year after that on Saturday. In other words, since the date is fixed, the day changes.

Now whatever month he's talking about, it'd be like our January. Okay? January is the first month of our year. So whatever month he's talking about, he says this is it.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

Now remember Exodus 12 deals with the exodus, the deliverance of children of Israel from Egypt. So, God specifically says that this month is going to be the first month of the Hebrew year. Now, the first month of the Hebrew year was the month Abib. How do I know that? Well, look in Exodus chapter 13 and verse 4. Exodus 13 verse 4. What does God say? "This day came ye out in the month Abib." Well, that should be plain enough. "This day came ye out in the month Abib." If you would look in Exodus 23, and verse 15, Exodus 23, verse 15. "Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)" Well, that's plain enough. Look in Exodus chapter 34 and verse 18, Exodus 34 verse 18. "The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt." Well, you can't argue with that. If you look in Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 1, Deuteronomy 16 and verse 1, look what God says. Deuteronomy 16 verse 1, "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle."

Notice it came to pass at midnight. Look back in Exodus 12 and verse 14. God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever."

Wow! Now wait a minute. God says it's the month Abib. On the 14th, at midnight, the blood is applied. We know the next morning, God led them out.

That would be on the 15th. If you want to know specifically, look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23 and verse 6. In fact, let's read verse 5 and 6. Leviticus 23 verse 5,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:5-6

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread."

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 23:5-6

"And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians."

The Extra Day and Two-Day Sabbath

The extra day in the solar year was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, explaining why a Sabbath rest could vary in length.

Christ: The Fulfillment of the Sabbath

The Old Testament deliverance and Passover lambs were types pointing to Christ, the true Lamb of God. Celebrating the shadow when the reality is present is foolish.

Christ as Lord of the Sabbath

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and has authority to dispense with, relax, or abolish it. The true rest is found only in Him, not in Old Testament observances.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day."

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"Is not Christ the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath?"

John Gill said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 12:1-8

"And since Christ is greater than the temple, and has all the perfections of the divine nature in Him, is equal to the Father in power and glory, and even as Mediator has all power in heaven and earth given to Him, so as He is Lord of all other things, He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it,"

which I'll get with next week.

Conclusion and Call to Search Scripture

Believers must search the Scriptures and not rely on traditions. Truth is in Christ and His Word. The true rest is in Christ's finished work.

The Superiority of Christ Part 2 of 4

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	4_z2L6Bxyv4
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Exodus: Bondage, Deliverance, and Passover: The Superiority of Christ
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-02-02
Dictation Name
Book	Book 090: The Superiority of Christ — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	81

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Review: Weaver reviews the theme of Hebrews: Christ's superiority over prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, and Aaron. He recaps the creation Sabbath as God's rest.
The Sabbath Principle: Rest, Not Worship: The Sabbath principle asserts freedom under God and liberty under His law. The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest, not a weekly day of worship.
General Law: No Work on the Sabbath: Multiple Old Testament passages command that no work be done on the Sabbath by anyone or any animal.
Specific Prohibitions and Death Penalty: Specific activities were forbidden (e.g., kindling fire, gathering sticks), and the penalty for working on the Sabbath was death, as illustrated by the man stoned for gathering sticks.
The Canaan Sabbath as a Sign for Israel: The Hebrew Sabbath was a sign between God and Old Testament Israel, commemorating their deliverance from Egypt. The word 'Sabbaths' is plural, indicating multiple Sabbaths (weekly, new moon, sabbatical year, Jubilee).
Obligation to Keep All Sabbaths: If one keeps one ceremonial law, one is obligated to keep all. The Judaizers taught that circumcision and ceremonies were necessary for salvation, but the apostles rejected this yoke.
Saturday Cannot Be the Sabbath: The Hebrew calendar had fixed dates for Sabbaths (Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths), so the day of the week changed annually. Saturday could only be a Sabbath once every seven years.
The Extra Day and Two-Day Sabbath: The extra day in the solar year was absorbed into a two-day Sabbath according to Leviticus 23, explaining why a Sabbath rest could vary in length.
Christ: The Fulfillment of the Sabbath: The Old Testament deliverance and Passover lambs were types pointing to Christ, the true Lamb of God. Celebrating the shadow when the reality is present is foolish.
Christ as Lord of the Sabbath: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and has authority to dispense with, relax, or abolish it. The true rest is found only in Him, not in Old Testament observances.
Conclusion and Call to Search Scripture: Believers must search the Scriptures and not rely on traditions. Truth is in Christ and His Word. The true rest is in Christ's finished work.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The Sabbath was a day of rest, not worship

The Old Testament Sabbath was primarily about ceasing from work, not about a weekly worship service.

Weaver says, 'A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament.'

The death penalty for Sabbath-breaking shows its seriousness

Working on the Sabbath was a capital offense, demonstrating the gravity of the command.

Exodus 31:14-15 and Numbers 15:32-36 are cited, including the stoning of the man who gathered sticks.

The Canaan Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, not creation

Deuteronomy 5:15 explicitly ties the Sabbath command to Israel's redemption from Egypt.

Weaver reads Deuteronomy 5:15: 'And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt... therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.'

Keeping one ceremonial law obligates keeping all

Galatians 5:3 teaches that if one submits to circumcision, one is a debtor to the whole law; the same principle applies to Sabbaths.

Weaver cites Galatians 5:3 and Acts 15:10, arguing that the ceremonial yoke is unbearable.

Saturday cannot be the Sabbath because dates were fixed

The Hebrew calendar fixed Abib 15 and the following seven Sabbaths to specific dates, so the day of the week rotated annually.

Weaver explains the calendar mechanics: 'Since the date was fixed, and could not change, it means the days changed just like your birthday.'

Christ is Lord of the Sabbath and can dispense with it

Jesus' statement in Matthew 12:8 shows His authority over the Sabbath, allowing Him to relax or abolish it.

Weaver quotes John Gill: 'He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it.'

The Old Testament rest was a type of the true rest in Christ

Hebrews 4:8-9 indicates that Joshua's rest was not the final rest; a Sabbath-keeping remains for God's people in Christ.

Weaver reads Hebrews 4:8-9 and explains that 'rest' in verse 9 is sabbatismos, a keeping of a Sabbath.

Scripture References

Hebrews 4:1: Introduction to the rest of God and warning against falling short.
Hebrews 4:2-11: Extended reading on the rest of God, unbelief, and the remaining Sabbath rest.
Exodus 20:8-11: The Sabbath command: no work on the seventh day.
Exodus 23:9-12: Rest for the land and servants on the Sabbath.
Exodus 34:21: Rest even during plowing and harvest.
Leviticus 23:3: Sabbath of rest, holy convocation, no work.
Deuteronomy 5:12-15: Sabbath command tied to deliverance from Egypt.
Jeremiah 17:22: No carrying burdens or doing any work on the Sabbath.
Exodus 31:13-15: Sabbath as a sign; death penalty for working.
Exodus 35:1-3: No fire kindled on the Sabbath; death penalty.
Numbers 15:32-36: Man stoned for gathering sticks on the Sabbath.
Ezekiel 20:12, 20: Sabbaths as a sign between God and Israel.
Leviticus 23:15-16, 21: Counting seven Sabbaths from the wave sheaf; a two-day Sabbath.
Exodus 12:1-6, 14, 29: Passover instructions; Abib as first month; 14th day; departure on 15th.
Exodus 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1: Month of Abib as the time of the exodus.
Leviticus 23:5-6: Passover on 14th; Feast of Unleavened Bread on 15th.
Numbers 33:3: Israel departed on the 15th day of the first month.
Galatians 5:1-3: Stand fast in liberty; circumcision obligates the whole law.
Acts 15:1, 10: Judaizers taught circumcision for salvation; the yoke was unbearable.
Matthew 12:1-8: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath; disciples plucked grain.

Historical References

Judaizers in the New Testament: Men who followed Paul and taught that circumcision and ceremonies were necessary for salvation.
Albert Barnes (commentator): Quoted on Acts 15:10 regarding circumcision as the badge of Judaism.
John Gill (commentator): Quoted on Matthew 12:8, stating Christ has power to dispense with or abolish the Sabbath.
Matthew Poole (commentator): Quoted on Matthew 12:8, affirming Christ's authority to dispense with Sabbath observance.
John Calvin (commentator): Quoted on Matthew 12:8, stating Christ can relax the Sabbath like other legal ceremonies.

Important Quotes

When you examine the Sabbath day that the Hebrews were to keep, it is evident that it was not primarily a day of worship, but rather a day of rest.

Establishes the central thesis that the Old Testament Sabbath was about rest, not a weekly worship service.

A pattern of weekly worship did not occur or did not exist in the Old Testament.

Supports the argument that the Sabbath was not a day of corporate worship.

And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Key verse showing the Canaan Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, not creation.

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Demonstrates that the Old Testament rest was not final; a true rest remains in Christ.

He is Lord of the Sabbath and has a power of dispensing with it or even abolishing it.

John Gill's commentary affirming Christ's authority over the Sabbath.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Christ's invitation to true rest, contrasting with the temporary Old Testament rest.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why does Weaver argue that the Old Testament Sabbath was primarily a day of rest rather than a day of worship?

[Context]

Weaver states that weekly worship did not exist in the Old Testament and that the Sabbath was about ceasing from work.

[Question]

How does the death penalty for Sabbath-breaking shape our understanding of the seriousness of the command?

[Context]

Weaver cites Exodus 31 and Numbers 15 to show the capital punishment for working on the Sabbath.

[Question]

What does it mean that the Canaan Sabbath was a 'sign' between God and Israel, and how does that affect its applicability to Christians?

[Context]

Weaver explains that the Sabbath commemorated deliverance from Egypt, an event Christians did not experience.

[Question]

How does the fixed-date calendar argument demonstrate that Saturday cannot be the biblical Sabbath?

[Context]

Weaver explains that Abib 15 and the following Sabbaths were on fixed dates, causing the day of the week to change annually.

[Question]

In what ways is Christ the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sabbath and Passover?

[Context]

Weaver uses the analogy of kissing a picture versus the real person to illustrate the superiority of Christ over types.

[Question]

What does it mean that Jesus is 'Lord of the Sabbath,' and what implications does that have for Sabbath observance today?

[Context]

Weaver quotes commentators who say Christ can dispense with or abolish the Sabbath.

[Question]

How does Hebrews 4:8-9 teach that there remains a Sabbath rest for God's people, and what is that rest?

[Context]

Weaver explains that the Greek word sabbatismos indicates a keeping of a Sabbath, fulfilled in Christ.

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