Post by Daniel on Nov 4, 2015 9:43:06 GMT -5
COMMENTARY: Did the New Covenant Nullify the Sabbath?
November 02, 2015 | Brian Hennessy
As more and more Christians recover their stolen Hebraic heritage and begin to draw near to their Jewish brethren again, the question arises - “how do we keep holy the Sabbath day?” Surely this commandment is central to being part of God’s Israel – “for it shall be a sign between Me and you throughout your generations” (Ex. 31:12).
For centuries we thought as Christians we were keeping the Sabbath by going to church on Sunday. Then we discovered the Sunday Sabbath was an unauthorized change to God’s Law instituted by the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. But does that mean God’s official day of rest is still Saturday? Or is there some other way to understand the fourth commandment in light of God’s New Covenant (NC) with Israel? I believe there is.
To begin, Jesus was quite clear about the purpose of his coming regarding the Mosaic Law: “I did not come to abolish [it] but to fulfill [it]” (Matt. 5:17). So none of the commandments and ordinances given on Mount Sinai were ever abolished by Yeshua. The key is understanding what Yeshua meant by “fulfilled.” For surely things were not the same in Israel after he left.
As the inspired New Testament writers revealed, the original Mosaic commands were only “a shadow of the good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). They all pointed to a future spiritual fulfillment in Yeshua. So once the New Covenant (NC) fulfilled the first covenant, Israel’s understanding of how God wanted His people to serve Him also had to change.
The command for physical circumcision became the required circumcised heart. The Levitical priesthood was replaced by the priesthood of believers. The temple building by the body of Messiah. Passover was now the remembrance of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the bread and wine. And the Sabbath became a command to rest, not just one day a week, but 24-7 in the finished work of Yeshua.
continue reading
www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/27694/Default.aspx
November 02, 2015 | Brian Hennessy
As more and more Christians recover their stolen Hebraic heritage and begin to draw near to their Jewish brethren again, the question arises - “how do we keep holy the Sabbath day?” Surely this commandment is central to being part of God’s Israel – “for it shall be a sign between Me and you throughout your generations” (Ex. 31:12).
For centuries we thought as Christians we were keeping the Sabbath by going to church on Sunday. Then we discovered the Sunday Sabbath was an unauthorized change to God’s Law instituted by the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. But does that mean God’s official day of rest is still Saturday? Or is there some other way to understand the fourth commandment in light of God’s New Covenant (NC) with Israel? I believe there is.
To begin, Jesus was quite clear about the purpose of his coming regarding the Mosaic Law: “I did not come to abolish [it] but to fulfill [it]” (Matt. 5:17). So none of the commandments and ordinances given on Mount Sinai were ever abolished by Yeshua. The key is understanding what Yeshua meant by “fulfilled.” For surely things were not the same in Israel after he left.
As the inspired New Testament writers revealed, the original Mosaic commands were only “a shadow of the good things to come” (Heb. 10:1). They all pointed to a future spiritual fulfillment in Yeshua. So once the New Covenant (NC) fulfilled the first covenant, Israel’s understanding of how God wanted His people to serve Him also had to change.
The command for physical circumcision became the required circumcised heart. The Levitical priesthood was replaced by the priesthood of believers. The temple building by the body of Messiah. Passover was now the remembrance of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the bread and wine. And the Sabbath became a command to rest, not just one day a week, but 24-7 in the finished work of Yeshua.
continue reading
www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/27694/Default.aspx
!!
