| LUNAR SABBATH? | |
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SIX DAYS YOU WORK... The lunar Sabbath is one of those teachings that sounds interesting and has some Scriptural evidences that can seem convincing. Everyone ought to study this for themselves of course... “Do your utmost to present yourself approved to Elohim, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 The lunar Sabbath when examined closely leaves your Sabbath cycle with days that are apparently "not counted in the six working days"! Proponents of the teaching claim that even a child can follow the lunar Sabbath, yet to the mind of a child the Scriptures are plain and simple when Yahweh says: “Six days you work, but on the seventh day you rest...” (Exodus 34:21) This is probably the biggest complaint against the lunar Sabbath in that it goes against Yahweh's straight-forward Command to rest one day in seven. This Command is given in the Torah over and over and yet NOWHERE in Scripture do we find instruction that sometimes we might have to work eight days or rest for two days! Just to emphasize this point, the following is the list of Scriptures that plainly (for children) instruct how the Sabbath works: Genesis 2:1-3 “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. 2 And on the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.” Take note of this Scripture, because it lays the foundation of the six working days followed by a rest (Sabbath) day.
Notice how Yahweh puts forward a "test" to see if we "walk in His Torah or not." They were to gather enough for TWO days on the sixth day of a week, and continues... Exodus 16:25-26 And Mosheh said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to יהוה, today you do not find it in the field. 26 “Gather it six days, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there is none.” If there were two or three rest days as the lunar Sabbath teaching requires then there would be some mighty hungry Yisra'elites! Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. 9 “Six days you labour, and shall do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 “For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore יהוה blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.” Notice verse 11... Yahweh gave us HIS example in creation to rest one day in seven. Exodus 23:12 “Six days you are to do your work, and on the seventh day you rest, in order that your ox and your donkey might rest, and the son of your female servant and the sojourner be refreshed.” Exodus 31:14-17 “‘And you shall guard the Sabbath, for it is set-apart to you. Everyone who profanes it shall certainly be put to death, for anyone who does work on it, that being shall be cut off from among his people. 15 ‘Six days work is done, and on the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, set-apart to יהוה. Everyone doing work on the Sabbath day shall certainly be put to death. 16 ‘And the children of Yisra’ĕl shall guard the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant. 17 ‘Between Me and the children of Yisra’ĕl it is a sign forever. For in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”Again the example of creation is used to define our seven day week. Exodus 34:21 “Six days you work, but on the seventh day you rest – in ploughing time and in harvest you rest.” Exodus 35:1 “And Mosheh assembled all the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and said to them, “These are the Words which יהוה has commanded you to do: 2 “Work is done for six days, but on the seventh day it shall be set-apart to you, a Sabbath of rest to יהוה. Anyone doing work on it is put to death.” Leviticus 23:1-3 “And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of יהוה, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these: 3 ‘Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה in all your dwellings.”NOTE: This text from Wayyiqra 23 is the defining chapter on the "Appointed Times" (moedim) of Yahweh... It initiates the list of these Set-apart Festivals by again repeating the six days of work followed by a Sabbath of rest. It really couldn't be much clearer could it? Deuteronomy 5:12 “Guard the Sabbath day, to set it apart, as יהוה your Elohim commanded you. 13 ‘Six days you labour, and shall do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work.” Yahweh also uses the 'one rest in
seven' to examplify other 'rests' for His people and His land: Exodus 21:2 “When you buy a Hebrew servant, he serves six years, and in the seventh he goes out free, for naught.” (also: Deut 15:12, Jer 34:14) Exodus 23:10-11 “And for six years you are to sow your land, and shall gather its increase, 11 but the seventh year you are to let it rest, and shall leave it...” (also: Lev 25:3) CONCLUSION It seems all too clear that our Sabbath day (not days) of rest simply comes after working for six days. The lunar Sabbath simply relies on too much number juggling in Scripture to be valid and goes directly against all the Scriptures quoted above. This does not mean that the cycles of the moon do not dictate when a new month begins or ends. (see study below)  By all means, examine this teaching for yourself, (“prove them all. Hold fast what is good.” 1Th 5:21 ) but you too may find it difficult to discount all the Scriptures defining a week. |
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Scriptures quoted are taken from “The Scriptures – 1998” |
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