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The Sabbath
Regarding the beginning and the end of the Sabbath, there are questions. The scriptures show the Sabbath in different ways. Observe.
Psalm 113:1 to 4 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever. From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised.
When God counts the days in the book of Genesis, during the week of creation, He counts them in the morning. God created during the day, ^And there was evening and there was morning, one day.^ Genesis 1:5. This example is given five more times, Genesis 1:8, 1:13, 1:19, 1:23, 1:31.
Leviticus 7:15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for
thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not
leave any of it until the morning.
It seems quite plain to me that the ^morrow^ is the next day, in the morning. In other words should you continue to eat past sunset you are still in the same day, but it is the morrow that is significant.
Leviticus 22:29 and 30 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto
the LORD, offer it at your own will. On the same day it shall be eaten up;
ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. (Again, there is
no mention of sunset.)
The following is the first account of Israel being taught to observe the seventh day Sabbath. There is no mention of sunset whatsoever.
Exodus 16:21 to 26 And they gathered it (manna) every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
So you see that come Sabbath evening they would still be eating Sabbath manna. Sunday manna would not arrive until the morning. On the Day of Atonement, would there not be nothing to eat in the evening of the tenth and so the fast would necessarily go on until morning on the eleventh?
And what if people wanted a nidnight snack? That would mean that the manna which was good for 24 hours would be eaten on parts of two days if the day ended at sunset.
In the New Testament we find the limit of the Sabbath explained with little doubt if we can believe the writing.
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first
day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
(KJV)
Matthew 28:1 Now late on the sabbath day, as it began to dawn toward the
first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the
sepulchre. (ASV)
I would like to add that looking at six versions of the Bible to study Matthew 28:1, KJV, NKJV, NIV, RSV, NASB and GNB (Good News Bible). Only the King James Version leaves you with little doubt that the Sabbath ends at the break of day, dawn, of the first day of the week. The other versions leave you with no such conclusion. Furthermore it was pointed out to me that the Sabbath mentioned in Matthew 28:1 is actually SabbathS. This changes the sense of the verse considerably and renders the KJV in the same light as the other versions. This makes the ASV (American Standard Version) appear to be in error.
John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Mark 4:35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let
us pass over unto the other side.
I thought that even or evening was the beginning of the next day.
Now lets look at another definition of the Sabbath.
Regarding the Day of Atonement the scriptures say,
Leviticus 23:27 to 32 On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate {celebrate: Heb. rest} your sabbath.
Notice that it says to start on the ninth at even until the tenth day at even and that this constitutes the Day of Atonement. This appears to be a different definition than what is described in the other places mentioned.
Is this Sabbath different from all the rest in that you afflict your soul in it in the manner described? Or is it the guide for all your Sabbaths to be observed from sunset to sunset. Which prompts the question, Why all the instructions regarding the end and the begining of each day if it is all to be ignored?
Exodus 12:6 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. (This is the evening before the forteenth day.)
Exodus 12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and
that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Mark 15:42 and 43 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
You will notice that when ^even was come^ (Again?) that it was still the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. This ^even^ was after the death of Christ at three in the afternoon, and then Joseph went to Pilate. Then he went out and bought fine linen before taking Jesus down, see verse 46 of Mark 15.
Jeremiah 13:16 and 17 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD^S flock is carried away captive.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
We are children of the day. At night we sleep so it matters little if definitions of the Sabbath differ.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar {peculiar: or, purchased} people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Titus 1:13 and 14 ... for this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
Exodus 13:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy {holy: Heb. holiness} to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
In conclusion, as Christians we are people of the day.
2007 Jacques Gauvin
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