SEASONS - DID THANKSGIVING COME FROM SUKKOT?

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

The Hebraic harvest celebration of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles) is close to the time that Americans call Thanksgiving.   The two feasts have similar qualities.  We always hear the details of why we celebrate Thanksgiving in America, but why would anyone celebrate The Feast of Tabernacles, or as the Jewish people call it:  Sukkot?

There are many good reasons that compel both Christians and Jews to celebrate these Holy Days.  Part of the reasons pertain to the future and part of the reasons pertain to the past. 

                                  

 Jesus was very bold in going to The Feast of Tabernacles to teach.  There came a time when this actually meant risking His life to do so.  Most of the religious rulers of the day were not at all happy when He showed up.  He distracted from their personal glory, politics and profit margin.  The common people admired Jesus for His boldness, and His assurance of the ways of The Kingdom.  They drank in His every word.  His enemies, the rulers of the day, were not prepared for his boldness, his courage, or his lack of fear.  

On the last and greatest day of the feast the rabbi’s always held a water ceremony.  It was then that Jesus stood and loudly proclaimed that He was The Fountain of Living Water. (John 7:37-38).  The traditions that the common people had so rotely observed for years came alive when Jesus explained them at the feast.  The Feast of Tabernacles, as well as the other feasts and festivals all prophetically scream of the fact that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior of The World.  

As a Christian I celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles because I am following the example of Jesus Christ, The Messiah, and I know the feast speaks of God's people in the past as well as our future with Christ when He returns again.  



 
So what is most important, the past or the future?  Both are equally important when you consider the facts.   We know that the Feast of Tabernacles was a week long harvest festival.  God commanded it to be kept through out the generations of Israel.  This was to be a time to remember how God brought them out of the wilderness into a promised land.  It was much the same for the pilgrims coming to America.  They came from what they considered to be a wilderness of sin and hoped that the new land would be a place where they could worship God as they chose and that God would bless them for doing so.   


The ancient people built temporary dwellings to remind each other of how they dwelt in tents or temporary dwellings for 40 years in the wilderness.  Possibly the American pioneers did the same.  Have you ever examined the part of old log cabins called the "lean-to"?  It was often used as a temporary place to sleep for guests traveling through the area.  It might have been a pilgrim's design of a sukkah.   Most of the pilgrim settlements had these structures on the sides of their houses.  Not to mention the fact that they also had to dwell in "temporary dwellings" until they had the resources to build their permanent homes once they arrived in America; the land of the free.

The Israelites were poor slaves and had nothing, but God brought them to The Promised Land and provided them with great blessings.  The pilgrims had been slaves to their oppressive government and they had come to America to escape this.  They had come hoping to be able to achieve a better life full of blessings.



 
Much like the Jewish people, the pilgrims chose this time to remember that all blessings come from God.  The ancient Hebrews were to remember that God came down and dwelt among them in the tabernacle that He had them to design.   The pilgrims remembered how God led them safely across the ocean to another safe place where they could worship Him in freedom and peace.   

God journeyed with the Israelites through the hard times in the dessert. God journeyed with the pilgrims through the hard times of crossing the ocean and beginning to establish settlements in America.    

God fed the Israelites and clothed them and protected them from their enemies.  God did the same for the pilgrims as they settled in a new land with different customs.

God provided water for the Israelites from a rock.  He also provided water for these pilgrims.   

Both people groups experienced the physical and spiritual blessing of God because they stepped out on faith and obedience and moved in the direction that God was showing them.

On the eighth day of The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)  the Israelites would leave their temporary dwellings and go back to their houses in the promised land.  This would remind them of how God had kept His promises to provide for them and bless them as a nation.   They were told to keep the holiday before God in thankfulness for the year’s blessings and abundance.   In the same spirit of thankfulness the pilgrims offered up their thanks to God who had kept His promises to them and was beginning to bless them as a nation, and for the time and space that our nation honored God and kept His ways, we flourished in the land!


I think of this every year as I sit in my own temporary dwelling (my physical body as well as the physical sukkah we build as a family) and look at the evidence of the abundant blessings in my own home and my beautiful family who sit as a pleasant harvest all around me.  There are no words to properly describe my joy!   One cannot come to Sukkot without being thankful, nor to the American Thanksgiving.  I chose to keep them both and just let one be an extension of the other.  It is thankfulness multiplied by two!  How could that go wrong? 

There have been many wilderness experiences in life, but God has blessed us in every journey.  These two holidays are the time to notice and give thanks for the abundant ways that He always provides for us in every circumstance.    

Christians truly believe they should conform to the image of Christ.  That means doing the same things that Jesus did, and living as much like Him as possible.  Imitating Jesus would mean keeping The Feast of Tabernacles.  Imitating Jesus would mean being thankful such as we are at Thanksgiving.   Perhaps all of this is part of the reason we call The Holy Eucharist The Great Thanksgiving.  God's blessings are so great in our land and they tend to multiply when we take notice of them and thank God for them.  

It is a well known fact that Jesus Christ celebrated Sukkot.   Scriptures clearly state that Jesus taught from the Temple on The Feast of Tabernacles.  People looked forward to hearing from Him.  They wanted to know His teachings.  They gathered around him eagerly, especially on feast days.  Some of the pilgrims to Jerusalem had come from miles away, just hoping to get to see Jesus, to touch Him, to hear His words, to be near Him.  He did not disappoint them.  He taught on Solomon’s Porch and in other areas around the Temple. 

So why do the Jewish people celebrate?  They do not yet recognize Christ as the Messiah.

While we Christians are more focused on the future, the Jewish people are more focused on remembering the past and the lessons God showed them through history.  They bring these lessons into the present by remembering and honoring God on the days He has proclaimed.    Sukkot for them is a week long harvest festival.  It is a time for giving thanks to God for his abundant blessings.   They recognize that God commanded these days to be kept through out all their generations. This was to be a time to remember how God brought them out of the wilderness into a promised land. They were told to build sukkahs, or temporary dwellings, to remind each other of how they dwelt in tents or temporary dwellings for 40 years in the wilderness. They were poor and had nothing and God brought them to The Promised Land and provided them with great blessings. 

This is a time to remember that all blessings come from God. 

They remember that God came down and dwelt among them in the tabernacle that He had them to design. 

He journeyed with them through the hard times in the dessert. 

He fed them and clothed them and protected them from their enemies. 

He provided water for them from a rock. 

On the eighth day of the feast they would leave their temporary dwellings and go back to their houses in the promised land. This would remind them of how God had kept His promises to provide for them and bless them as a nation. They were told to keep the holiday before God in thankfulness for the year’s blessings and abundance.

As Christians watching the Jewish people celebrate the past and learning from it, we can clearly see that God was showing them the future by commanding them to remember the past.  God is like that!  He shows up in unexpected ways and speaks without speaking.

All believers of God have much in common on this feast day.   When we study the scriptures with open hearts, the balance comes.  We begin to realize that all of God's people have a lot to learn from each other. 

Israel and America are both great nations with so many of their native people being servants of God.    Long ago the natives of Israel wanted to please God with all their hearts.  They wanted this enough to leave all that they found familiar.  They were willing to cross the sea and go out into a strange and dessert land in order to worship Him in the way that He chose to be worshiped. 

In such a similar way, the pilgrims in coming to America wanted to imitate Christ as much as possible and they loved Him with all their hearts.  They wanted this so much that they were willing to leave all that was familiar to them and cross a sea and go to live in an unknown wilderness-like place.  

Perhaps those early pilgrims who crossed the sea to come to America chose to celebrate the first Thanksgiving because they too had read about a great God who commanded His people to honor Him annually with their harvest. 

 More and more people are beginning to realize that our traditional American Thanksgiving very likely had its origins in this historical fall festival called Sukkot.  

In that first American Thanksgiving the very religious puritan pilgrims came before God to give thanks for helping them to survive their first very hard year in America.  Don’t you know they thanked God for the fact that they had food, had shelter and had been able to survive the very harsh conditions of the pioneer life that they had needed to live when they arrived on those golden shores?  It seems a lot like the children of God remembering their time in the wilderness and giving thanks for the Promised land.  As they were giving thanks for the first year of survival it is quite possible that one pilgrim might have pulled out a bible and read Leviticus 23: 39 and had a lot of heads nodding around the table and thinking they would follow the example of those brave Israelites and give God the glory for bringing them to the day of thanks and for furnishing a harvest from a harsh year in the wilderness that was America.

And so we come to The Season of Joy to begin our Thanksgiving.  We will worship God with all of our hearts and this will carry over to the time of thankfulness that our nation calls Thanksgiving.  It is an American holiday.  It is a good holiday.  It is a time to confirm all that God has shown us at The Feast of Tabernacles.  

OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO - CHEAHA STATE PARK

ENJOYING FALL 

AT 

CHEAHA STATE PARK

(Writing and photography by 

Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Looking for a great place to take a fall picnic?  I would highly recommend Cheaha State Park at 2141 Bunker Loop, Delta, Alabama.  

The trees are changing colors and the air is crisp and fresh.  All you need to do is grab your picnic basket and a light jacket and come join the fun.  Please do remember to take a camera; the scenic views from this mountainous park are amazing.  This little slice of heaven is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and is the highest place in the State of Alabama.  It stands 2,407 feet above sea level. 

My husband and I had a free Sunday last summer and we packed up a picnic and headed toward Cheaha.  This turned out to be one of the most delightful day trips we have ever taken.  These are late spring/early summer photos and they are absolutely breath-taking; so you can imagine how lovely this place would be with fall foilage!  It is definitely worth the drive just to see the colors.

All people staying overnight are invited to register at the Gift Shop.  It is fun to browse around there.  I picked up a few post cards of the area.

The name Cheaha comes from the language of the Creek Indians who settled here long ago.  The word they used to describe the mountains was “Chaha” and it translates in English to “high place.”  The history of the Creek Indians who lived on this mountain is interesting and worth checking into when you have the chance.  A good place to start is right in this very park at the Walter Farr Indian Artifacts Museum.  This museum holds a collection of the artifacts of those who once made this part of earth their home.

The Talladega National Forrest surrounds this park.  It is full of hiking trails, scenic overlooks and beautiful waterfalls.  Adventures and events and family friendly activities are always happening here.  If you are just driving in for the day, you will not find a better bargain for a mini-vacation.  The day-use fees are only $3 per day and if you are 62 or over, only $1.    There are usually many choices of planned events taking place for all age ranges and interests in several areas of the park each month. 

Spring months of March, April and May are very beautiful on the mountain and this is a popular time for families and hikers. 

There is something planned for every occasion of each year, starting with St. Patrick’s Day when The Cheaha Mountain Restaurant goes green and serves Green Beer to their guest. 

On Friday nights before Easter you and yours can catch Family Night at The Bald Rock Lodge.  Marshmallows are roasted around a camp fire where the Easter Bunny appears during a puppet show that explains the history of how people lived back when the Bald Rock Lodge was a very famous restaurant and hotel in Alabama. 

On the Saturday before Easter there is a Kid’s Craft Session which is also held at the old Bald Rock Lodge.   Following that is a photo session with the Easter Bunny and an Egg Hunt with Easter Egg Races afterwards.  There are events scheduled on this day for all ages, not just the kiddies.  Great family fun abounds. 

On Easter Sunday there is an Easter Buffet where Easter Eggs are sure to be on each and every plate. 

In May the park celebrates the dedication and work of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.)  There is a special museum that was created here just to honor these dedicated voluntary workers who help to make and keep the park a special place.  If you are looking for a place to make a difference, this organization is highly recommended.

In June there is a special Father’s Day Buffet.  This would be a great way to say how much you appreciate your Dad, as well as a good way to get your whole family outdoors and moving in the Alabama sunshine through the nature trails after lunch.

July and August are perfect months to enjoy Cheaha Lake for swimming and paddle boats as well as fishing.

Many people try to make this trip in the fall to see the lovely changing colors of the leaves. 

In September the XTERRA Alabama State Park 10K Trail Run is taking place.  The race starts on the street but leads into the woods.  Some of the adventures of this run include running through rolling hills, single tracks, double tracks, roots, and several technical sessions.  Everything about this trail is outside of the city and deep into nature.  If you have been running on concrete too long and wish for a pleasant change of scenery, this is the race for you.  More information can be found at:  http://www.dirtyspokes.com/cheaha-state-park/.

Also, in September there is a Chili Cook-off contest.  Do you make the best chili in your camp?  If you win this contest you get to stay at the Bald Rock Lodge for free for a whole weekend.  The old historical lodge is very interesting and intriguing.  It contains 12 bedrooms and can sleep up to 32 people.  People enjoy renting the whole lodge for special events and reunions.  Might be worth the effort to perfect that chili recipe and give the Chili Contest a shot!

September and October brings the celebration of beautiful fall foliage across the land.  Vans and busloads of people come to watch the changing of the colors and to enjoy hiking through the beautiful landscapes that are ablaze with the fire of fall.

November brings a popular Thanksgiving Day Luncheon.  It starts at Candyland Village where candy houses built by children from the area are on display.  The smell of frosting gets you ready for the beginning of the Christmas Season.

In December there are several good choices of things to do at The Cheaha Mountain Restaurant.   You can arrange to have breakfast with Santa, which includes breakfast or lunch and a photo session if you wish.  Also at the same restaurant, there is always a special Senior Day in December where seniors gather to meet and greet and sing carols and visit with each other while enjoying the park.  

Whatever you chose to participate in, there is nothing more pleasant than having your breakfast served in front of miles and miles of a scenic panoramic view as you sip your coffee and gaze out the huge window wall at the wonders of nature.  You will be sitting right on the edge of one of the tallest peaks in the state next to a completely glass wall.  A very popular question with first time guests to the restaurant is “Who washes these windows?” 

The wine from The Cheaha Mountain Restaurant comes from local Alabama wineries.  The Muscadine Wine from the nearby White Oaks Vineyard (in Anniston, Alabama) seems to be a favorite of the locals.  

New Year’s Eve is special here at the park.  On December 31st people gather at the highest point in Alabama to watch the Annual Turkey Drop.  You will be served hot chocolate and coffee and sparkling cider.  You can watch the Pinhoti turkey’s lighted ball descending from the tower.  You can learn to do the turkey trot dance and enjoy some special music and other activities.  The restaurant will be serving buffet breakfast from 11 p.m. till 2 a.m. for New Years, and all the greens and black-eyed peas you want during the next day for lunch.  Why not rent a cabin or chalet for this event?  Sounds like a lot of fun.

Come back again in February for Sweetheart Weekend.  If you stay at the lodge, you will receive a bottle of champagne for free and the Valentine’s Dinners at The Cheaha Mountain Restaurant are always very tasty.

 Schools and local small groups are encouraged to use the facilities for field trips.   If you contact a lady named Mary at the Museum, she can arrange a field trip for your group.  There are lots of things to do on a field trip at this park; including roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire while someone tells the stories and legends of the park, touring the museum, attending a puppet show that is full of good information for those seeking to enjoy the great outdoors, and history lessons galore.  You can take your group to climb to the top of the observation tower and you can do some group hiking.  There is a gem mine called The Pinhoti Mineral and Gem Mining Company, behind the store.  In this place you can search for precious gems. Reservations for groups may be made at:  Cheaha.event@dcnr.alabma.gov.  There are also educational sessions that will teach you how to make a pine needle basket available on request.  Children can build an edible candy cabin to take home with them from their field trips where they are taught to “think beyond what you see.”   There is also a popular Christmas Home School workshop held each December. 

We pulled into the swimming area that contained lots of picnic tables near a pristine little lake with a pier and beach.  There were restroom facilities on the property and trash cans and grills for public use.  There was a nice little kiddie play area with all kinds of things to climb and swing on.  There was also a large adult swing close to the beach near more picnic tables.  We paid the day fee through the honor system as we were there when no attendant was on duty that day.  We found a secluded little table near the entrance to the area near a small little waterfall made from the runoff water from the lake.

As we spread our feast on the table we noted that people were canoeing and using the paddle boats.  Some people had brought their own fishing boats and were quietly fishing on the other side of the little lake.  I imagined that this part of the park had not changed in centuries.  My husband told me he used to come there on picnics with his mother when he was a small child and everything still looked exactly the same.  There was a feeling of peace and contentment in the air.  I could have stayed in this little spot all day, just soaking up the sunshine and feeling the cool spring breezes that were blowing across the lush landscape before us.  It was easy to de-stress and relax here.

After our lovely picnic we drove out to The Bald Rock Lodge where we took a stroll on the Bald Rock Boardwalk Trail.  Unfortunately, the area is still recovering from devastation of a terrible tornado, but it was still beautiful in spite of many twisted and turned and broken trees. 

If you are a writer or an artist, there is gold here to be gleaned by what your imagination will tell you about the way these trees have survived and are still showing the green growth of spring underneath the brokenness. 

I’m sure the woods in this area have now recovered from this temper tantrum of nature by now, and you will never even know it happened.  Much beauty is still seeping through from the old and new beauty is popping out all over the land.  There are no words to describe the breathtaking view at the end of this scenic walk.  The fall of the year would give you an even more panaromic view.  I caught myself longing to stay at the Bald Rock Lodge one night, then wake up early for a walk at sunrise or even end the day watching the sun set from this spectacular peak.  It has to be a completely amazing experience.  Just the views from the middle of the day left me speechless with awe.

There are miles of mountain bike trails and many hiking trails in this park.  Rangers are on duty and doing their jobs well.  The quaint little swimming area with the small sandy beach and paddle boats for rent which I’ve already described are just a small part of the fun you will find here.  You can fish all you want in several places designated for fishing.  There are many scenic observation areas, the best being the observation tower that is at the highest point of the park. 

Campers are in heaven here – if you are a real and authentic camper you will not ever want to leave.   This camp has all the basics needed for modern camping, yet; everywhere you go you get that feeling that you have stepped back in time.  Things are quaint, lovely and simple.  Things are slow and peaceful and not so crowded.  The noise of the city cannot be found here.   If you prefer the more modern way of life there are comfortable chalets and rustic cabins for rent, as well as tent camping grounds.   There are also hotel rooms at the lodge near the restaurant, where you will find The Country Store, with all the necessities of life close by.

I just can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend.  Go and see for yourself!

COME AS A CHILD LESSON 143 THE JOY THAT COMES FROM THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT

KNOWING THE JOY OF KEEPING SABBATH

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Up to this point, we have been studying the Exodus from Egypt.  Last week we discussed how Moses received the ten commandments straight from the mouth of God up on Mt. Sinai; specifically we have discussed the fourth commandment in detail.  This is the commandment that admonishes us to keep Sabbath. 

God has called the Sabbath holy; He has sanctified this day and set it apart from all other days. 

As soon as the creation was finished God rested and began to celebrate a Sabbath that occurred every seventh day forward from that point.   It is amazing to think that this 24 hour period of sacred time has happened right on schedule every seven days just like clockwork since the world first began spinning.   Every seventh day since creation has been holy, set-aside and sanctified in time provided by God.  God intended for the Sabbath to be a very special day of rest and worship. 

The Sabbath isn't the only thing or time that God has sanctified and made holy.  He often does this act of sanctification for His people.  

The Ark of the Covenant was also sanctified by God, as we will note later in this study.  

Another thing we will study later is the sanctification of the Tabernacle.  The Tabernacle was set apart as holy by God.  

The holy scriptures have been sanctified and blessed as The Word of God.  

God gave us special holy days inside each year of our alloted time that He made holy and sanctified.  They are set-aprat days for rest, another form of Sabbath besides the weekly Sabbath.  

Most of all God set aside His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ as a holy, sanctified offering for the world for remission of sin.  

Usually when God sanctifies a person, a thing, or a time it is done to draw people closer to Him. This is true with the sanctification of the Sabbath Day.  God wishes for His people to set everything aside on the Sabbath and draw closer to Him in worship and rest.    

When God gave Moses the ten commandments; thirty percent of the time that God and Moses talked together up on that mountain was spent specifically discussing the ins and outs of keeping Sabbath.  The commandments are written down into 322 words in the scriptures.  98 of those words specifically refer to keeping Sabbath. 

Though the Jewish people are widely known for keeping the 7^th Day Sabbath, the Sabbath was created almost 2,000 years (at creation) before any Jewish nation ever existed.  This would mean the Sabbath commandment would apply to everyone on earth; and not just those who are natives of Israel.    

Adam and Eve and their children knew and kept Sabbath.  

All of God’s people right up through to Abraham and Sarah knew about and kept Sabbath.  

The giving of the commandment on the mountain to Moses was a refresher course, not a first time teaching. 

The Sabbath is tied to many of the facts concerning God’s resting after creation and also to many of the facts concerning God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. 

The Sabbath is all about freedom, and it is definitely NOT a yoke of bondage as some worldly scholars would have you to believe.  To understand this fact in fullness; you must dig deep into God’s ordination and establishment of this most sacred day. 

Typically, the Sabbath Day should always be a day of joy, rest, eating, study of the scriptures, fellowship with God and fellowship with other believers.  Unfortunately many seem to see this day as a legalistic burden instead of what God originally intended.  Try thinking of it this way:  What if the person who employed you full time came to you in the middle of a work shift and said he wanted you to take a break tomorrow in which you would have a whole day off to read, rest, relax and enjoy time with those that you love?  

How would that make you feel? 

He might even suggest that you don’t even think about work at all, not one tiny little bit, on this extra day off.  

Would you complain about that?  

Well, that is exactly what God has suggested for us to do on the Sabbath.  He wants us to put our daily work aside for one whole day and concentrate on rest, leisure and loving Him and one another.  

What could be hard about this? 

It should actually be our greatest joy! 

The Sabbath was designed by God to give us relief from the day-to-day stress of making a living. 

It is a holy time for worship and rest. 

Keeping Sabbath honors God and unifies families.  

This set apart time gives us time for reflection, something that we might not otherwise have during our normal work day.  

Keeping Sabbath also helps us to keep our priorities straight.  It refreshes us both physically as well as spiritually. 

Leviticus 23:32 gives us the time frame for celebrating Sabbath.  It is to happen from sunset on Friday evening till sunset on Saturday evening.  

The world typically makes most things start early in the morning; but God created this space of holy time to begin in the evenings as the sun is setting.  This aspect of Sabbath is patterned after the passages in Genesis where creation is spoken about and the scripture states:  “the evening and morning were the first day; the evening and morning were the second day; the evening and morning were the third day; etc..”  Each day is complete from evening (sunset) to morning (sunrise), then sunset again. The Sabbath is measured the same way.  A whole day would take you from one sunset to another sunset, from one rising of the moon to another rising of the moon. The calendar days of the Hebraic calendar are always counted from sunset to sunset rather than from sunrise to sunset.   

Hence, in order to be authentic, the Sabbath and our observance of it should always begin when the sun sets on Friday evenings.  

Genesis 2:2-3 states how God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that was the day that HE rested from all of HIS work of the creation.  

When we follow the seventh day Sabbath we are patterning our lives in rhythm with the time of God’s clock.  He works six days a week, starting on the first day of the week and working through the sixth day until sunset.  God rests on the Sabbath; the seventh day.  When we do this too; we are living in sync with God’s patterns.  

Life with God is like a beautiful dance, and the dance is better if we are in sync and in rhythm with the one leading us.  Of course we know that God is outside of time and we are inside of time.  He created time just for us.  Our time should be kept in perfect rhythm with our Creator.

God re-emphasized this pattern of keeping Sabbath with the children of Israel when he rained down the Manna from Heaven for six days and the Manna did not fall on the seventh day, because God was resting.  

On that seventh day God was not feeding the people; He was resting.  It is appropriate for us to rest on this day too.  This is how God re-set the clock for the Israelites who had lost track of sacred time during their slavery and bondage.  Now while living in the wilderness and following God they would be keeping the right Sabbath day space in time from that point forward.

 From that time forward we all have been able to continue tracking sacred time, with the keeping of our clocks staying in sync with God’s timing.  

Whenever the people tried to gather manna on the Sabbath Day God noted that they were refusing to keep His commandments and laws.   It mattered to God that they keep Sabbath in this same sacred seven day period that He had started so long ago.  

The day wasn’t to be just any day that the people chose; God chose the specific day, and the people were to keep the day that God chose, and not just any day that they wished to keep.  Again we see this in the way the manna fell from the sky.  

 

The New Testament did not do away with God’s laws in the Old Testament; it simply became the fulfillment of the law.  

The New Testament is the rest of the SAME story that resulted in and from the Old Testament.  It is a further continuation of what God had already begun with mankind; but with the sacred blood of Jesus now given as a sacrifice to confirm the fact that we are free under the new covenant because we are sealed with the blood of Christ.  

The Sabbath day of the Old Testament is still the Sabbath Day of the New Testament.  No scripture ever changed the date, time or space of the Sabbath day.  

1 Corinthians 11:1 confirms that the New Testament Christians were also called out to keep the 7^th Day Sabbath.   This was The Apostle Paul stating that the Christians were to follow his example; as he was following the example that Christ had lived out before us.   

Some stood their ground in keeping Sabbath even when men later tried to change the day of worship and rest from Saturday to Sunday.  

A man named Bar-Kokba organized a revolt against the Romans in 132 A.D.   In a terrible war that resulted in fifty percent of the population of Judea being killed; thousands of the Jewish people living back then (keeping Sabbath) were again sold into slavery.  Jews were forbidden to ever live in Jerusalem again, and the province was renamed and called Palestine. 

These days were very dangerous times to be living as a Jew and observing the Sabbath.  It was during this very dangerous time that the day of worship among the Christians began to change from Saturday to Sunday.  People were afraid for their lives, so this was easily enforced upon the land.  This change was partly due to the Romans needing to be able to tell the  Christians of that day apart from the Jewish people as they were all living in the same nation.  Up until that time, those who had been following the ways of Christ had all worshiped together on the seventh day Sabbath.

Later in an attempt to stop the people from conforming back to Jewish ways again, the Council of Laodicea made this statement:  “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, the Sabbath, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day (Sunday) they shall honor, and as being Christians, they shall, if possible, do no work on that day.  If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ.”

These were pretty strong words, and the acts that were used to reinforce the edicts of these words were even stronger!   

To make matters even worse, many could not read during those days.  The majority of the common people were uneducated.  They just accepted that everything the church fed them was scriptural.  Some changed their day of worship out of ignorance; because they did not know any better.  Hence, their descendants lived in a different kind of ignorance; that of blindly trusting in the ways of their parents and those who had gone before them more than listening to God and educating themselves with the truth of scripture. 

Can you imagine living through a time like this?  

Let us hope we never have to do so! 

Education and knowledge do not always free people.  Things are going on in the modern world even as we ponder these points that would suggest we may come to the same day in our own lifetimes.  It is so important to know where you stand in relation to the things that God has commanded we carry out for living our best life before Him here on earth.  

This very prejudiced statement by the ancient Romans was a very bold and horrible thing for the church to proclaim.  Mere men tried to take on the role of God and change what God had proclaimed to be true.  

Why would God ask certain people to shut other people out from knowing His Son, Jesus Christ, simply because they were following the ten commandments that God had given to Moses?  

Is there anything truly logical about that?

This was the beginning of or the unraveling of unity among brethren that had shared their hearts even when they had differences, and the divisions have lasted up until and through this present day.  

Many, many Christians still follow along with the results of this same path without really knowing or realizing the history behind what they do; or without realizing what or why they do certain things in certain ways.  God did not leave us in ignorance.  The scriptures make this clear.  Many no longer care about the words of the scriptures; they simply conform to the teachings of men.

Unfortunately the Jewish rejection of Christ was triggered and made worse by the Christian acceptance of Sunday worship.  

The Jews look at Sunday worship as a form of abandoning the law of God.  It has often been said "to ask a Jew to reject the law is like asking them to tear our their hearts."  If only Christians today could have the laws of God written so firmly upon their hearts; our whole world would be a better place.  When you keep a law rotely; you do it in vain.  When you keep a law from your heart based on the fact that you love and honor God; it is never a legalistic act; it is an act of love and devotion to God.

It is also true, on the other hand, that asking a Christian to strictly observe the Jewish rituals could become a stumbling block to salvation.  Grace does not abound.  We must find a balancing act somehow between grace and law.

  

Thist balancing act must begin with love.  Love is the key to everything in God's Kingdom.  It opens doors that have been shut tight for ages.  The essence of all love is truth.

 

And so how should these historical acts be interpreted by the people of God today? 

Historical knowledge is easy to obtain and widespread across the world.  There is presently no good excuse to ignore the truth.  I can only give you the words of The Apostle Paul found in Romans 6:15; “What then?  Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?  God forbid!”

Yet we do!  We do not keep the REAL set aside time for the seventh day Sabbath. There is no real scriptural basis for the Sabbath Day changes.  It is all a work of man.

How ironic; since Jesus Himself once said that the Sabbath was made for man!  Every day is to be holy unto God.  Our God does not want us to be divided over the issue of focusing on a day; but He wants us united by focusing on Christ.  

What a wonderful world we would be living in if everyone decided to return to following the commandments and worshiping God once again on the Seventh Day Sabbath as God originally designed for men to do.  This probably will not happen until Christ returns.

Yet; some people HAVE opened their eyes and seen the truth of this matter and are already reaping the fruit that follows from obeying God and keeping a seventh day Sabbath.  Their Sabbaths have given them rest and restoration and brought true joy into their homes and families, just as God intended. 

These people will quickly point out to you that their peace and harmony amidst a chaotic world comes from keeping Sabbath and remembering God’s Holy Days.  Something about this act of obedience just puts everything into focus and brings about the proper order.  This rich and wonderful blessing of true Sabbath keeping gives true perspective to the rest of your week.  It helps us to maintain a proper balance in our thinking and our doing.

 God's own model of work and rest demonstrates how much of our own lives are to be spent in labor and how much of our own lives are to be spent in worship.  This is NOT a yoke of bondage but a joyful rest.  

It is a time for families and friends to share meals together and be in a time of fellowship that isn't ruled by the ticking of a clock.  

It is a time to ponder the meaning of the scriptures and discuss them among ourselves.  

It is a time for holy prayers to be lifted up and for sacred worship to be carried out.  

Those in the habbit of observing this Seventh Day Sabbath have learned to use the day of preparation to get ready.  

They try to get the cooking done ahead.  

They try to get the cleaning done during the week days after work; before the Sabbath arrives.

They try to have their clothes prepared and ready and every little last minute bit of personal business taken care of before the Sabbath arrives.  

They take care of their common everyday business transactions during the working week.

They plan ahead.

This allows them freedom and comfort during the special day.  It keeps them from being distracted from what they should be focused on during the Sabbath.  

It is customary for families to share a dinner after sunset.  

In many homes Sabbath candles are lit and a blessing is recited by the woman of the house. 

 The rituals that women go through to welcome in the Sabbath are said to reflect the fact that women bring light into the home.  

On the beginning and ending of the Sabbath day it is traditional to light candles.  

The Sabbath dinner is accompanied by wine and the man of the house recites a prayer over the wine sanctifying the Sabbath.  From the symbols of this Sabbath tradition we get our patterns for communion and the using of bread and wine in our community services.  

It is also traditional to serve a sweet, eggy bread called Challah on Sabbath.  These Sabbath loaves of bread are often covered by a fine white linen cover for the Sabbath meals.  

Some people are fond of using fresh floral arrangements on their Sabbath tables; this is all in sync with the celebratory mood of welcoming God into the new upcoming week and worshiping Him with your family in your home as the first act before the beginning of the working week.

There are many traditional blessings that can be recited around your table on the Sabbath.

You are also free to offer up your own blessing; one straight from your heart to God.  
The short ceremony at the end of Sabbath is called The Havdalah.  The Hebrew word "havdalah" means separation or distinction.  This is the line that "separates" the sacred time from the "ordinary" time in our week.  Six ordinary days are for work and taking care of our needs.  One day is sacred and set aside.  

The Havdalah ceremony uses a cup of wine, a braided candle and a box of sweet-smelling spices.  Participants stand close together in a circle.  Blessings are said over each item.  The wine is poured until it overflows and then the cup is lifted up again.  Psalm 116:13 is recited:  "I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord."  Then the braided candle is lit.  It is customary for a child to hold the candle.  A blessing is said over the wine.  The spices are shaken and passed around for all to enjoy the aroma.  A blessing is said over the spices.  The wine is passed around for everyone to take a sip.  The candle is extinguished in the remaining wine as the final blessing is said and the Sabbath is ended with a song.   These things are all symbolic and have interesting meanings for anyone who wishes to study further. A new week begins.  We come into seven more days of living in God's protection and blessing.  

Is all of this commanded or necessary?  

No!  

It is just a beautiful tradition that many have chosen as a way to follow because they find it honors God and draws the Sabbath to an orderly close.  

The things we have found on the Sabbath in our hearts live on inside of us all through out the new week and they comfort us and guide us in all that we do as we go through our ordinary days. 

Of course it is more imiportant to focus on the messianic significance of the Sabbath.  Joyful homes do  carefully incorporate the recognition of Christ as Messiah!  

The Sabbath reminds us that God created the world and that God delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt just as Christ delivered us from the penalty of sin at Calvary and assures us that God living in our hearts will make us holy, just as He made the Sabbath holy.  It reminds us all that God will finish His work in our lives, just as He finished HIs work of the creation and our redemption.  It reminds us that God is our Lord and that it is in God that we have rest through Christ.  

But.....even if you believe all that I have said, you probably will not find a Christian church practicing all of these things together.  

How do you deal with that?  

What if you have found a church that worships on Sunday but truly keeps the ways of God in all other areas?  

I know exactly how you feel.  I've been dealing with these aspects of KNOWING and DOING all of my life.  I too have found churches that are ignorant of God's true Sabbath yet worship God with their whole hearts in all other ways.  

We live in a broken world.  The devil has wreaked havok on the earth for thousands of years. We are all victims of our culture and our society.  

It is a type of spiritual bondage that is just as sad as the physical and spiritual bondage the Israelites went through in Egypt.  

What did they do when the whole culture was against them?  They kept the Sabbath as best they could in their own homes.  Sometimes they were FORCED to work.  Our society tries to force this on us too.  Whenever possible they did not work on Sabbath, but kept a day of rest unto God.  They were people in bondage.  

This is what I have come to accept as a standard way of living for now; until the LORD returns and corrects the ways of the world we too live in a type of bondage. However, you can still keep Sabbath in your home by doing the things I have described above.  

There is no excuse for you not to do so.  It is perfectly acceptable to go to a building and worship on the other days of the week yet still keep the seventh day Sabbath in your home.  The more worship you put into your life the happier you will be.  Just remember to stop and set aside the Sabbath in your home and teach your children while they are young to do so too.    Perhaps when they grow up; we will see a different world!  We can always hope that our children will grow up to be more authentic and more faithful than our generation has managed to be.

It will not do any good to fret or try to change others, let God handle their salvation.  Simply work on your own heart and your own little family inside your own home.  Let the light of Christ reflect out from you own home's windows.  This is where all things begin.  This is another way that God uses to make all things new.  Teach your children the truth.  Show them what the Sabbath is by honoring the day.  Rest and plan family fellowship on the seventh day and worship God together around your table at sunsets on Friday evenings.  

I promise you once you step up and honor God in the way that He has requested in this fourth commandment; He will begin to fill your heart with joy all throughout the week. You will see a change!   

Here's to the blessings of a million happy Sabbaths!  

May the whole earth be filled with His Glory!