As we grow in this walk we learn new things each and every day. I’ve learned so much since I first started this website in January of 2017. In fact, I have been on a whirlwind learning and development journey.
One new revelation that I have come to since I began is about Sabbath and what it actually is. In studying Hebrew and writing my upcoming Hebrew lesson books, I learned that it’s a lot less ocmplicated than we make it. Let’s look at the Hebrew word we understand as seventh, rest, cease, etc.
Gen 2:2 ויכל אלהים ביום השביעי מלאכתו אשר עשה וישבת ביום השביעי מכל מלאכתו אשר עשה
And he completed, Elahim, in the seventh day from all his messages which she (the messaging) did and he SABBATH in the seventh day from all his messages which she (the messages) did.
Gen 2:3 (ויברך אלהים את יום השביעי ויקדש אתו כי בו שבת מכל מלאכתו אשר ברא אלהים לעשות (פ
And he blessed, Elahim, the mark of the day the seventh and set it apart to be His mark because in him SABBATH from all his messaging which fulfilled, Elahim, the done ones.
It is first used in Genesis 2:2 and is commonly translated as “rest”, the thing that God did on the seventh (שביעי) day.
(1) So, the first thing that we should note is that שבת is not the word for seven or seventh, although the two are related. However, it was initially done by Elahim on the seventh day.
If you study Genesis 1 thoroughly and from a Hebraic perspective, you’ll see that Elahim was instructing everything to begin life-sustaining processes. The birds were to spread seed to create vegetation which would create oxygen and food sources, the fish were to clean the water to create oxygen, animals, including humans, were to also support life-sustaining processes through procreation and waste production; i.e. use and fertilization of the land. In fact, this is the definition of being fruitful, to take what is unuseful, such as black water and the earth itself, and make it useful (oxygenation, drinking water, and planting ground).
(2) So, what Elahim SABBATHed from was instructing and commanding the preparatory phase of the Earth’s Genesis; i.e. messaging or directing the things necessary for human’s existence, particularly for their physical existence necessary to support their spiritual existence. In other words, his dealings were mostly with things that were not his primary concern but were necessary for his primary concern to be fulfilled – humanity.
(3) It wasn’t until all that Elahim set forth to be accomplished had been accomplished that He SABBATHed.
(4) Elahim blessed the mark or purpose of the seventh day as one set apart to be his mark because in it, He SABBATHed from all his doing what was necessary to support human life.
The Hebrew Word
שבת
The ancient Hebrew script reads: Pressing
to be covered
mark
. This is a sign that you are trying to be covered, like Adam and Eve in the garden, who when God saw them trying to be functional by covering themselves with fig leaves, made them clothing and covered them. (Gen 3) in spite of their error, their desire to be more like God moved Elahim to give them what they sought – a covering.
What does all this mean?
Imagine Elahim is a father. He spent six days ensuring that his children would be provided for and on the sixth day he shifted gears. He prepares His children for the next phase of their journey by instructing them in their purpose. On the seventh day, he finished tending to His own (those created in His image).
Essentially, Sabbath is the same now. It’s not about kicking our feet up and resting (Yeshua proves that) but about every person being set free to enjoy their own creation, family, home, works, God, and life. It is about having no obligation to others outside of your own which must include Yahuwah our Elahim.
Sabbath is God’s gift to man … A time to be free from the necessary “worldly” ore outside things that we engage in to support our families. The sixth day is a time to tend to our own family’s instructional and provisional needs, as Elahim did. The seventh day is to adhere to their and our need to be free from obligation to outsiders.
And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for humanity, and not humanity for the Sabbath: therefore, the son of man (humanity) is the master of the Sabbath. – Mark 2:27-28
Although we tend to overcomplicate it, Sabbath is simple. It is a mark given to us by God that identifies each of us as being one whom He created in His own image… That is, one who does like Him!
The catch is that it’s not only the Sabbath or seventh day, that must be done like Him but the purpose of the Sabbath. We must have need of “rest” to rest. Meaning, we must be acting in our purpose in the world for the other days of the week to warrant separation from it on Sabbath. So, this is an all or nothing deal! We can’t just do sabbath and nothing else – that would be anti-God (unlike God) because it wasn’t until He had fulfilled His purpose that he set His eyes on pressing (ש) the covered (ב) mark (ת) [making the human form] (Gen 2:7). Likewise, we must shift our focus from provision and preparation to people on Sabbath!
So much can be said on this subject but for the sake of brevity please study it in more depth in Gen 1-3 and read these posts:
Shabatown Zacarown: Sabbath of Remembrance
Genesis Hebrew Lesson Book (Coming Soon)
Remember, learning is a journey, not a trip. Never be afraid to grow out of your old ways and beliefs to become more like Yahuwah our Elahim!