HOW IMPORTANT IS KEEPING SHABBAT HOLY?

God’s people are called to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul .  Luke 10:27  Deut. 6:5
God says, “‘You shall most certainly observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the Lord who sanctifies you and sets you apart [for Myself].” Exodus 31:13
Keeping Yah’s Sabbaths holy is what sets us apart as His People and makes us holy, sanctifying us from sin!

Q:  What is sin?
John said, “Sin is transgression (breaking)of the Torah (Commandments) I Jn. 3:4

Q:  Aren’t we under grace and able to break the law now?
No… Paul said, “Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be!” Rom. 6:1,2

Q:  Didn’t Yahushua do away with the law by fulfilling it?
No… Yahushua said, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stoke of a letter of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17

Q:  Can’t we break just one?
James said, “If we break one law, we are guilty of all.” Jms. 2:10

Q:  If we know of someone who strays from the truth and sins, what are we to do?
James said, “we are to turn the sinner from their error!” Jms. 3:19,20

Q:  Which law are we breaking?
God said in the Ten Commandments, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.” Ex. 20:8-10

Q:  How did God himself set the example of keeping the seventh day Sabbath?
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed and all their hosts. And on the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day… then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it (sanctified means set apart for only holy use). Genesis 2:1-3

Q:  Is Sabbath only for the Jews?
No, Scripture clearly shows that the Bible Sabbath was given to mankind at the end of the Creation Week, (Genesis 2:1-3) 

How do I keep the Sabbath?
“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of Yahuwah, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in Yahuwah; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of Yahuwah hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:13, 14.

Going to the Bible for an answer we find the following important guidelines for keeping the Sabbath:

Doing our own ways: This would mean avoiding all kinds of work that we typically do during the remaining days of the week (work, study, cooking, cleaning, TV, house work, etc...). The sacred hours of the Sabbath are to be spent in worship, fellowship, doing good to those in need, and witnessing to others.

Doing our own pleasure: This would mean that we do not spend the holy hours of the Sabbath in leisure activities, sleep, social visitation, etc... All these activities are to be performed during the remaining six days of the week.

Speaking our own words: What we commonly engage in conversation about during the six days of the week, we are to avoid during the sacred hours of the Sabbath; such as conversations about politics, work, family talk, etc... We have to realize that the hours of the Sabbath are not ours to waste but belong to Yahuwah and should be spent as He has requested.
For those keeping the Sabbath in harmony with divine instruction is given the most wonderful promise: “I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father.” Isaiah 58:14. The heritage of Jacob is eternal life.

Before the Sabbath begins the mind as well as the body should be withdrawn from worldly business. Yahuwah has set His Sabbath at the end of the six working days that men may stop and consider what they have gained during the week in preparation for the pure kingdom which admits no transgressor. Every Sabbath we should reflect upon the past week in seeing the spiritual gains and noting the losses that we can improve upon.

Beginning at dawn before sunrise on the Sabbath day, let the members of the family assemble to read Yahuwah's word, to sing and to pray. We are to leave our usual employment and spend time in meditation and worship. All secular work must be laid aside and all secular papers be put out of sight. Parents, explain your action and its purpose to your children and let them share in your preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that every moment is consecrated, holy time.

In His own day He preserves for the family opportunity for communion with Him, enjoyment of nature, and fellowship with one another. Parents should spend Sabbath afternoon with their children. Often, the Sabbath is made of little significance to children, who are left to play alone or find entertainment as best they can. Left alone, the children soon become restless and begin to play or engage in some kind of mischief. Thus, the Sabbath has to them no sacred significance. The portion remaining to the family may be made the most sacred and precious season of all the Sabbath hours, with involving all members of the family, both young and old.

During a portion of the day, all should have an opportunity to be out doors in nature where they can do much to exalt the Sabbath with their families and make it the most enjoyable day of the week. We should devote time to interesting our children. This will have a happy influence upon them.

None should feel at liberty to spend sanctified time in an unprofitable manner. It is not honoring to Yahuwah for Sabbath keepers to sleep during much of the Sabbath, the time that He has chosen to spend with us. They dishonor their Creator in so doing and, by their actions, say that the other six days are too precious for them to spend in resting.

Cooking should be done on the day of preparation - the day before the Sabbath .
"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 Yahuwah that doth sanctify you." Exodus 31:13.

It means eternal salvation to keep the all the commandments of Yahuwah, including the Sabbath, holy unto Him. Yahuwah promises: "Them that honor Me I will honor." 1 Samuel 2:30.