Call the Sabbath a Delight

I believe it’s important to love what Yah loves and hate what Yah hates. The system we live in believes that we should focus on our own desires with little regard to anyone else. This is not the way of the Most High. We should esteem what the Most High esteems and honor what He honors.

When we tell our family and friends that we observe the Shabbat, we are often met with opposition. People believe we are in bondage because we don’t participate in their Saturday festivities. I also must say that those of you who are new to this walk may be experiencing feelings of longing for your old lifestyle. You many not see the Shabbat as a delight. You may see it as an inconvenience.

If this is you, I would like to challenge you to take a deeper look into the beauty of the Shabbat in order for you to truly call the Shabbat a delight.

“And on the seventh day Elohim ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which Elohim created and made. ” Genesis 2:2 – 3

The word “rested” is שָׁבַת shâbath, shaw-bath’; to repose, desist from exertion. | The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon says, The pictograph shin is a picture of the two front teeth representing pressing, the bet is a picture of a tent. Combined these mean “Press to the tent”. A place of dwelling as the place returned to. A turning back or away from someone or something. A captive is one turned away from a place of dwelling. – The ceasing of work or activity in order to rest. Cease: To cease from an activity for the purpose of rest or celebration.

We see from the verses above and the definition of rest that the Shabbat was established at the beginning. It is important to know that Yah doesn’t say, do, or establish anything in vain.

“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:” Mark 2:27

The word “Sabbath” means שַׁבָּתshabbâth, shab-bawth’; intensive from H7673; intermission

The Most High Elohim of Israel is the Creator. He made man, male and female, and gave them work to do. Yah in his wisdom knew that man needed rest from their work, therefore He gifted them with an intermission, on the last day of the week, which is called in Hebrew, Shabbat.

And Yah spake unto Moses, saying, 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 Yah that doth sanctify you. ” Exodus 31:12 – 13

The word “sign” means אוֹת ʼôwth, oth; probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence | Root word meaning is אוּת ʼûwth, ooth; to come

In the beginning, Elohim made man and gave them work to do. In Yah’s wisdom He knew that man would need rest so He gifted man with the Shabbat Day. On this Day, man is to tear away from his labor and press toward the house , represented by the Hebrew letters shin and bet. Pressing toward the house is synonymous with returning to a place of rest or ceasing from work.

There is a reason for this rest or ceasing because as I stated earlier, Elohim does nothing in vain. This ceasing gives man the opportunity to refresh and remember who his Elohim is.

Israel is the only nation that has a covenant with Yah. The Sabbath is the sign or evidence of that covenant. When Israel stops keeping the Sabbath, we forget who our Elohim is and our national identity. The Sabbath is a weekly reminder of who we belong to and the covenant that we have with our Elohim.

Also take note that the two letter root word for “rested” according to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon means “Press to the tent”. A place of dwelling as the place returned to. A turning back or away from someone or something. A captive is one turned away from a place of dwelling.

With that definition in mind, in my opinion, those of the household of Israel that aren’t keeping the Sabbath, pressing toward the house to rest, are the ones in bondage. It’s not the Sabbath keepers that are bound. The Sabbath breakers are the ones held captive because they aren’t ceasing from work to refresh and remember the covenant that Elohim of Israel established with our forefathers. The sad thing is when we aren’t keeping the Sabbath we participate in keeping other customs that honor the elohim of our oppressors.

We must change our way of thinking. We want to be like everyone else but that’s not how Yah intended it to be.

” For thou art an holy people unto Yahuah thy Elohim, and Yahuah hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Deuteronomy 14:2

We must stop seeking the ways of the world and press towards the house that Elohim is establishing through His covenant with his peculiar people.

“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 Yahuah, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:” Isaiah 58:13

In Isaiah 58 we are told what to do in order for Yah to hear our cry during fasting. One of the things we are instructed to do is to turn away thy foot from the Shabbat.

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers says that the form of the phrase, turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, implies the idea that the Sabbath is as holy ground, on which no profane foot must tread.

” And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

Holy – קֹדֶשׁ qôdesh, ko’-desh; from H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity | The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon says it means set apart from the rest for a special function. To set someone or something apart for a special purpose.

The Sabbath is kodesh. It was set aside for a special purpose. Anytime we use the Sabbath outside of the purpose it was created for we are profaning it.

We are also told in Isaiah 58:13 that we aren’t to do our own pleasures.

Peasures – חֵפֶץ chêphets, khay’-fets; from H2654; pleasure; hence (abstractly) desire; concretely, a valuable thing; hence (by extension) a matter (as something in mind): from the root – חָפֵץ châphêts, khaw-fates’; a primitive root; properly, to incline to; by implication (literally but rarely) to bend; figuratively, to be pleased with, desire

As people of the Most High our pleasures should always be found within the guidelines of Yah’s law. He has given us six days to do our work and tend to our godly desires. We can’t choose to skip a Sabbath, in order to do what didn’t get done during the first six days of the week.

We are told we are “to call” this time of rest and ceasing “a delight”.

Call – קָרָא qârâʼ, kaw-raw’; a primitive root (rather identical with H7122 through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name | The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon – The pictograph qof is a picture of the sun at the horizon and the gathering of the light, the resh is a picture of the head of a man. Combined these mean “gather the men”. The meeting or bringing together of people or objects by arrangement, accident or purchase. A calling together for assembly. To call or call out, to call a name or give a name.

” 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. Leviticus 23:3

The word “convocation” in the above verse has the same root word as the word “call” which has to do with coming together for assembly.

Delight – עֹנֶג ʻôneg, o’-neg; from H6026; luxury: from the root עָנַג ʻânag, aw-nag’; to be soft or pliable, luxurious, to be glad in

Google’s definition of luxury is the state of great comfort.

The Sabbath is a set apart time that should be looked at as soft and luxurious. How would you treat something that’s luxurious and delicate? I would treat it with special attention and carefulness. We should be glad in the softness and luxury of the Sabbath. Six days you work hard but the seventh day is a day of softness and ease. We should delight in coming together for assembly.

” By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and obey his commandments. For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:2 – 3

Isaiah 58:13 calls the Sabbath the Kodesh (set-apart) of Yahuah. Not only are we to call the Sabbath a delight but we should call it honorable.

Honorable – כָּבַד kâbad, kaw-bad’; or כָּבֵד kâbêd; to be heavy, in a bad sense (burdensome, severe, dull) or in a good sense (numerous, rich, honorable) to make weighty (in the same two senses):

When we honor the Sabbath, we honor Yah because the Sabbath is his day. On this day we shouldn’t be doing our own ways, nor finding our own pleasures, nor speaking our own words.

Speaking our own words – דָּבָר dâbâr, daw-baw’; from H1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause | The root is דָבַר dâbar, daw-bar’; a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue: | Ancient Hebrew Lexicon – Order: An arrangement or placement of something creating order. A careful arrangement of words or commands.

Matthew Poole’s Commentary says Nor speaking thine own words meaning those word in opposition to what Elohim commands, proceeding from the corruption of nature, and vanity of the mind; or not speaking words vainly which are not suitable to the work of the day, tending neither to thy profit nor pleasure; or rather injurious, revengeful, or reproachful words, contrary to rest of the sabbath. And thus it refers to what was their usual practice upon their solemn assemblies or sabbaths towards their poor brethren, which they are charged with, Isaiah 58:3, and is called speaking vanity, Isaiah 58:9

We should avoid speaking words in opposition to Yah seven days of the week. Words of revenge, vanity, and corruption are not in line with the purpose Yah has for his people. The Sabbath gives us time to focus on the Most High and practice controlling our thoughts and actions. For the third and final time I will say Yah doesn’t make anything in vain.

Read Hebrews 4:1 – 10

The Sabbath is a time for Israel to refresh from his labor, remember his Elohim, and observe the sign of the covenant Yah made with Israel. This weekly rest pictures the rest that Israel is to receive at the end of the age. Let’s not get caught up in people pleasing. Let us obey our Elohim and call the Sabbath a delight.

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PHOTO CREDIT: FelixMittermeier from Pixabay

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