Over the last Sabbath, actually shortly before it started, I read an article about a woman who went on a journey to re-discover her Jewish roots. Her mother was Jewish and her father was Catholic. Long story short, her mother was told she needed to assymilate, she joined the Catholic church, and her Jewish roots were never discussed. So her kids were raised Catholic. When Rachael (the author) got married, her husband was Baptist, with no desire to convert (to Catholicism) so, Rachael, became a Baptist, who was a Jewish woman...who was raised Catholic. A long and tragic journey led her to once again embrace her Jewish roots...the turning point of which, came when she was teaching a Bible study out of her home to the ladies in her Baptist church. The study was in Romans, and Rachael noticed that three chapters were missing from the study manual. Rachael asked her pastor why those chapters were not included and was told that only someone with a degree could teach THESE...and that he would do it...
What?? I was shocked by this and saddened when I read that Rachael was promptly shown the door, and told that she would lose her class if she proceeded to teach these chapters. Racheal did teach them, however, the way that she'd been convicted to do so, according to her Jewish lineage. Through her boss at the time, Rachael had begun speaking with a rabbi. The rabbi asked Racael if her parents were Christians. Racael said that she was "half" Jewish because her father was Catholic. The rabbi said to her in no uncertain terms:
"You're not 'half' anything...you're Jewish!"
He gave her some books to read, and said, "When you're finished, come back for more.". Rachael said she read, non-stop that weekend, and the more she read, the angrier she got. Rachael said that those three chapters had been twisted to show the Jews lack of faith in a Messiah, and used by the church to justify "replacement theology.". I knew the Holy Spirit was speaking to me, and calming me, as I read, but at the same time, something inside me despretly wanted to know what she meant! It's not because I did not believe her...it's because I do!! At the end, I left Rachael a comment, asking her which chapters they were that she was not allowed to teach. Sure enough (she answered me) they were Romans 9, 10 and 11. I had a feeling...and now I want to find out how and why they are distorted. (?!). I don't have a Hebrew/Greek linear and I also don't have a Jewish Bible (yet). Finding teachings on Romans that are NOT from an Evangelical point of view is harder than I expected. Last night I read Romans 9, 10 and 11 out of a Contemporary English Bible, and wondered if I were "swallowing" the very "distortions" Rachael had mentioned in her article. I decided not to use my KJV because I thought the wording might confuse me as far as the message is concerned.
But G-d absolutely had done SOMETHING in my heart. What IS it?? When I had first finished reading that article, I sat on my sofa and just tried to slowly digest what I had read. Raechel said that today, she has made alliyah and lives in Israel. I immediately became envious because I wanted to be there too, almost like I was being "pulled" there. I was very happy for Rachael...but felt very strongly that I (want) to be there too. Odd, considering, I've never particularly cared one way or the other whether I went to Israel...that is, not until I started on this journey. So, something has changed in me, and for the first time, I thought: (deep breath)
I think, if I could covert to Judaism, I would.
It's true, okay! But I have a problem. Judaism (at least to my knowledge) does not acknowledge Yeshua as the Messiah...does it? Then again, what exactly does Rachael mean when she (said) that those 3 chapters in Romans are distorted? I'm not giving Jesus up okay. It won't happen, and even if I were to walk away from him (for whatever reason) I know Jesus would come with me, because he is with me wherever I go (Josh. 1:9). The thing is, as someone who became a born-again (Christian) at 15, I can't understand WHY Judaism does NOT embrace (Jesus Christ) as the Messiah. In Revelation (5:5) it says that the Lion of Judah has triumphed (the Root of David). Judah, of course, was one of the 12 sons of Jacob, and Tamar (Gen. 28?) appears in Yeshua's genealogy. How women appear in Yeshua's genealogy, I don't know, because apparently, only men typically appear in Jewish geneologies. I always believed that this is a really special thing that only proved that Jesus IS the Messiah, not that he is not. Anyway, I was taught that in Genesis chapter 1, when God says: "Let Us make man in our image," he's speaking to Jesus because Jesus always existed with G-d in Heaven (before he ever walked on earth.)
So, this got me to thinking, if Jesus himself is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and Jesus is a descendent of King David, also from the tribe of Judah, why is it that those who practice "Judaism" do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah? I don't understand. To me these are like puzzle pieces destined to fit together! So, why don't they? I've heard that many who practice Judaism do not even read the New (Covenant) so they may not even know Revelation 5:5. But why would they not? Is this considered blasphemy? Is it disloyal? There are plenty of references to Jesus in the Old covenant?, yes? Do these not count? What am I missing?? So, with all of this, swimming around in my head, I have to ask (Crazy as it sounds), what exactly is...Judaism? How nuts, to say that I would like to convert to something and then need to ask what it is. Elohim's original law was the ten Commandmnts given to him on Mount Sainai, but I believe that Judaism says that Yahweh gave Abraham the Torah on the mountain, so was that the first five books of scripture (given on the mountain?). I know that Jewish tradition says that Yahweh also gave Abraham a separate "oral" law that only rabbi's (apparently) can interpret.
Again, I don't understand. If someone is loyal to Judaism because they are (want to be) loyal to Elohim, won't we just stick to what scripture actually says about Abraham bringing down the stone tablets that contained the ten commandments? Anyway, what happens when we screw up and make mistakes? Without belief in the savior, who fills in the gaps? Who grants the perfection that Elohim requires that we can't? For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of G-d. But I will say this, Jewish folks who have a devotion to their faith, seem more devoted to something that is not perfect, then most Christians seem today, to the perfect G-d who paid a terrible price for us. We are (I think) no longer under the penalty of the law, because of the price Yeshua paid, but as followers OF Yeshua, this does not mean that we are exempt from it. But the way the typical Evangelical church teaches it; it literally does not matter anymore. We think the Law, that convicts us of sin is nothing more than unnecessary legalism and we use the devotion of Jewish folks to what we think are unnecessary traditions as "proof". That your works won't save you. This is not the answer. This is cruel and unfair. (at least, I believe it is).
So, there is much more I could say, and there are many more questions I have...but they will need to wait for another time. I am confused, but I know that G-d is in control. I just think that we need to stop trying to "win" people over to our side of the board and decide to help each other understand. Don't argue and be offended, just have compassion. God will do the work he wants to do within a person. I know he's doing a work in me!
http://www.aish.com/sp/so/My-Resilient-Jewish-Soul.html?s=mm&tab=y
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Some Words About Shabbat
Well, it has happened: the days of my week have different emphasis. They now center (more and more) around "Shabbat" or the Sabbath rest, which begins on Friday evening and concludes on Saturday evening. Wow. So, what is the SABBATH to me? It's an intentional time of the week, purposely set aside just for the Lord. As the second commandment says, God wants us to keep a day of rest each week in remembrance of him.
"Keep the Sabbath day holy. You shall do no work on this day, nor any of your household."
Now this is a loose paraphrase, of course, but you get the idea.
This has taken some getting used to, and it will take some continued practice on my part, but what a privilege, what an honor, what a refreshing change! This is what I want to empathize...how wonderful it has been to truly FEEL that I'm making a conscious effort to look forward to spending time with my Lord and Savior. I can't think of anything else I want to LEARN to be disciplined at doing. This is a GOOD thing.
I'm not Jewish, and I believed that the Sabbath day did not apply to me, because Jesus blood shed on the cross had "fulfilled" the Old Covenant commandment. I mean, all my life, my week began on Monday, because that's when school or work started. Even after going to church for sometime, I still consciously thought of Sunday as the last day of the week, rather than the first.
But now, with Monday being the third day of the week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday), it has a whole new meaning because basically, the week is half way through already! This makes Mondays much more pleasurable to get through, because my mind is already looking ahead to the next Shabbat! This makes the workweek take on a whole new meaning too. I'm starting to do my work with a more intentional sense of timing. Time must be set aside for Shabbat, but also the preparation. Am I going to cook something specific? When do I need to prepare to have it ready in time? This sounds like it would be worrisome, but it actually isn't. This gives me a focal point around which to plan the rest of the week. So the sabbath let's you plan your work around the time you will be resting. I LOVE this! Isn't this what we all want?? This also seems to lessen the anxiety of simply becoming sluggish from having too many options. Although, how could I explain the discipline, and actually tell it as joyful?
With Sunday church being, say two hours at most, about 80% of my Sunday (mindset) would center around what I did before and after church. Now I loved church, and the Lord met me there...but so it was, more and more, the events that surrounded church would crowd into the time I actually was in church. Believe it or not, this got worse (sometimes) when I served in church. This is because usually when someone is in a service role, they come into the sermon late and then they must leave early, which means, you're thinking about the before and after so you can be in the right place. Fine... but this can make it tricky to hear what God is saying. There might be little quiet, or peace involved...because it's more like, "On your mark, get set, go!"
The sabbath "day" which begins in the evening, is a 24 hour period where the end of the previous week and the beginning of the new week, are connected to each other...they flow into one another. This is wonderful, for several reasons. First, it creates a complete "circle" where the beginning and end are connected. This creates a security I've never had before. Secondly, it takes deeper commitment then going to church on Sunday...at least in my view. This is because, for that time period, certain things are abstained from as a special showing of devotion to the Lord. It is longer than two or three hours, and more specific. Thirdly, church comes in the evening, after the time of rest that prepares us to worship. This makes so much sense to me! It's like the icing on the cake, ya know? Besides, I can't count how many times I've sat in church on a Sunday morning and thought, "I need a nap.". Not to mention, "where are we going to have lunch? Are there any doughnuts?"
Now, this is not to say that those things don't happen ever if one attends church on a Saturday evening (let's say). :). But because one has hopefully spent deliberate time, not just in prayer, but, away from distractions like, say Facebook, or maybe TV, this helps "create" or to bring our rest. We have given ourselves the time to sleep, and then make ourselves ready to worship Him. It occurs to me now that Sunday worship actually seems to mirror to the stress created in our everyday job, and our desire to seek pleasure in order to get away from the stress.
Think about it: Sunday morning church: chances are, you were up really late Saturday night, maybe even doing some church activity. But now you're sleep deprived at about six in the morning, when you must get up to go to church to meet with God. So, let the rat race begin! Chances are, you've got kids and yourself to get ready, so everybody's hogging the bathroom all at once, and you have nursery this morning, so you gotta be there early. Everyone rushes out of the house, no breakfast...ladies putting on make up in the car because you have people to pick up first. You realize you forgot the craft you were supposed to bring, and you run back home, stomach already rumbling because the coffee you drank to help you join the land of the living this morning is already failing you. You pick up some lovely brothers or sisters in Christ, with music that's too loud in the car and arguing kids...sounds like the commute to school and work, right? You park the car, sprint across the parking lot, and everyone promptly...separates. Your kids have youth group, your husband (whenever he gets there) will be watching the parking lot, your 12 year old has Jr. High group, and you need to pass out construction paper, tissue paper and glue, so you can help little hands make flowers and birds, because on the third day, God made all of the seed bearing plants. You barely make it to the nursery on time and you wonder whether you turned your phone off.
In a few minutes, everyone's mind is on lunch, because you're all starving. But there's a bake sale after church, which your teens are helping with, so you'll need to stay after and help clean up. You grab lunch on the way home, and you're excited and thinking that football's on. Plus...you MIGHT be able to finally take a nap later!
Time out. I don't know about you, but I get tired just reading all of that! Listen, God bless our amazing servants who set up and tear down, take care of our kiddos and keep our churches going. I am a single woman with no kids, but the above (made up) scenario comes from years of watching dedicated moms and dads run around like chickens with their heads cut off...in the name of spending time with God and honoring him. But the thing is, and I've come to find this out personally, the whole schedule, coupled with the early morning start, and the afternoon finish, leaves us needing REST! We need breakfast, we need lunch, we need sleep, we need to take our time (but how, when we have none?). We need quiet time, we need prayer time. We need everything that church is there to give us...but we've actually gotten little to none of it.
Now, I'm not saying (again) that none of the above is true for a Saturday worship service, if one even goes to a separate church service. But the Sabbath promotes the rest beforehand, and the evening seems to do two things: it says both "go out and celebrate" and also "settle in and pay attention." Doesn't it make sense to do a little of both after you've rested up? Sure, but I no longer feel that the typical Sunday morning church service encourages rest.
So, I am now celebrating, or observing the Sabbath, at the present time, by myself, because no one in my family has ever celebrated the Sabbath before. This has simply not been something that we've known as a normal part of life. This is a personal choice and it is new territory for me. Now there are those who are Jewish by birth, and then there are those who convert later. Personally, I've been convicted that the latter, is a conversion by rebirth, or being born again. Remember when Nicodemus asked Jesus what a man must do to be saved? I never realized this before, as someone who considered herself a born-again Christian who was not under "the law.". So, I celebrate the Sabbath, as someone who is free to follow the law...because I've received the grace of Yeshua.
The train of thought in the faith I'd come to accept as a teenager seems to divide everything in two, and tell people to sort of "pick a side": saved/unsaved, law/grace, Heaven/Hell. Now, this to me, was much better than the alternative of being 'bound" by Original Covenant law, and needing to perfectly follow it. This was all
I knew. Now I know that being born again absolutely is not limited to those who are biologically Jewish; in fact, the scriptures say. "He came to His own and his own received him not.". As a result, he presented his message to Gentile believers, that whomsoever would be saved, could be, so that Jewish folks who might not otherwise know the Messiah, might see the faith in others, and know that G-d desires that this faith be theirs as well. (Romans 11:11-12). The scriptures speak about Jewish folks being provoked to Jealously because of the faith set aside (if you will) for them...being embraced by Gentiles. As rabbi Greg Hirschberg puts it: "Oh, we've provoked alright!"
It does not seem to me that we are provoking to jealousy though. Most of us (as folks who are not born Jewish) seem to have ignored or abandoned Jewish tradition, Jewish feast days, Jewish customs, and called them legalism. We then rebuke those who are Jewish, telling them that the Law will not save them. We then pray for them to accept the salvation that comes from believing in Yeshua, and we seem to sorta pat ourselves on the back, believing that we know the truth, and the Jew does not. We don't mean any harm...we just firmly believe that no ones works alone will save them. The problem is, that this actually promotes a kind of anti-Semitism, that I think most Christians are entirely unaware of. We do not see it as being so, because, we are attempting to include Jewish folks in the freedom of salvation that is theirs first...then to the Gentile.
For years, I never even thought about this because my thought process had "crossed over" from the "camp" of "not saved and going to Hell" to "Saved and going to Heaven!". Granted, this alone is quite a "conversion" (amen, praise Yeshua!). But when a person becomes a Believer, and (Christ) changes their heart, what does this really MEAN? If we say, there is a "regeneration" that takes place, does this "accepting" of Jesus and "cultivating" a relationship with him involve "putting on" as it were, a new identity? I think so. The fact is, Christians are scared to death of the original covenant because of all the animal sacrifices and the belief that it must be followed perfectly. We know that this just is not possible, so other "evidences" like the Sabbath are deemed unnecessary as well, because this was ordained in the original covenant.
My belief is that Yeshua was the ultimate sacrifice, making all other blood sacrifices unnecessary; but I'd really like to ask the most orthodox rabbi, what he does, when it comes to the slaughtering of animals as it relates to the original covenant. I mean, we simply don't do blood sacrifices anymore, right? And anyway, what happened to a person under the original covenant when they made a mistake? Were they automatically struck dead right there? Now, you're thinking of Lot's wife aren't you? Something tells me that Jehovah gave her every chance possible to repent and leave that place before she actually became that pillar of salt. Our G-d is a gracious God who is slow to anger.
Anyway, I say all that to make the point that when one bears their yoke under the grace of Yeshua, this make observing the Sabbath different than it would be for one who is trying not to make any mistakes (shall we say). The Sabbath rest becomes more about the evidence of a heart in line with the character of Yeshua as a person rather than keeping rules.
So for instance, I'm not really a stickler for the exact time it begins... But I know that on Friday evening as sunset approaches, I want to be in that mindset. The Sabbath is about something set aside specifically for the Lord that has been saved just for the occasion. So each week, I make it a point to give attention to something that has remained put away the rest of the week, be it a song book, a journal, some special prayers. I do prepare food ahead of time,so there is little meal preparation, but I do not worry about not using electricity, for example. I turn lights and electrical things on and off as needed, because there was not electricity in Biblical days anyway...but being that we are now dependent on it, I think some sense of instinct applies here. I do abstain from Facebook, email, washing dishes and doing laundry, because these are work related things that are not "set apart...". I would do them any other day as well. But my computer and TV are not off limits, because these can be useful in activities related to the Sabbath. So, while discipline is involved, it is all about the emotional condition of the heart wanting to more closely connect with God. Perfection is not necessary because Yeshua's death paid for what my efforts never could...but thai you Lord that you honor them anyway. What a great and awesome God I serve! Shalom!
* John 3:16-17
* John 1:11
"Keep the Sabbath day holy. You shall do no work on this day, nor any of your household."
Now this is a loose paraphrase, of course, but you get the idea.
This has taken some getting used to, and it will take some continued practice on my part, but what a privilege, what an honor, what a refreshing change! This is what I want to empathize...how wonderful it has been to truly FEEL that I'm making a conscious effort to look forward to spending time with my Lord and Savior. I can't think of anything else I want to LEARN to be disciplined at doing. This is a GOOD thing.
I'm not Jewish, and I believed that the Sabbath day did not apply to me, because Jesus blood shed on the cross had "fulfilled" the Old Covenant commandment. I mean, all my life, my week began on Monday, because that's when school or work started. Even after going to church for sometime, I still consciously thought of Sunday as the last day of the week, rather than the first.
But now, with Monday being the third day of the week (Saturday, Sunday, Monday), it has a whole new meaning because basically, the week is half way through already! This makes Mondays much more pleasurable to get through, because my mind is already looking ahead to the next Shabbat! This makes the workweek take on a whole new meaning too. I'm starting to do my work with a more intentional sense of timing. Time must be set aside for Shabbat, but also the preparation. Am I going to cook something specific? When do I need to prepare to have it ready in time? This sounds like it would be worrisome, but it actually isn't. This gives me a focal point around which to plan the rest of the week. So the sabbath let's you plan your work around the time you will be resting. I LOVE this! Isn't this what we all want?? This also seems to lessen the anxiety of simply becoming sluggish from having too many options. Although, how could I explain the discipline, and actually tell it as joyful?
With Sunday church being, say two hours at most, about 80% of my Sunday (mindset) would center around what I did before and after church. Now I loved church, and the Lord met me there...but so it was, more and more, the events that surrounded church would crowd into the time I actually was in church. Believe it or not, this got worse (sometimes) when I served in church. This is because usually when someone is in a service role, they come into the sermon late and then they must leave early, which means, you're thinking about the before and after so you can be in the right place. Fine... but this can make it tricky to hear what God is saying. There might be little quiet, or peace involved...because it's more like, "On your mark, get set, go!"
The sabbath "day" which begins in the evening, is a 24 hour period where the end of the previous week and the beginning of the new week, are connected to each other...they flow into one another. This is wonderful, for several reasons. First, it creates a complete "circle" where the beginning and end are connected. This creates a security I've never had before. Secondly, it takes deeper commitment then going to church on Sunday...at least in my view. This is because, for that time period, certain things are abstained from as a special showing of devotion to the Lord. It is longer than two or three hours, and more specific. Thirdly, church comes in the evening, after the time of rest that prepares us to worship. This makes so much sense to me! It's like the icing on the cake, ya know? Besides, I can't count how many times I've sat in church on a Sunday morning and thought, "I need a nap.". Not to mention, "where are we going to have lunch? Are there any doughnuts?"
Now, this is not to say that those things don't happen ever if one attends church on a Saturday evening (let's say). :). But because one has hopefully spent deliberate time, not just in prayer, but, away from distractions like, say Facebook, or maybe TV, this helps "create" or to bring our rest. We have given ourselves the time to sleep, and then make ourselves ready to worship Him. It occurs to me now that Sunday worship actually seems to mirror to the stress created in our everyday job, and our desire to seek pleasure in order to get away from the stress.
Think about it: Sunday morning church: chances are, you were up really late Saturday night, maybe even doing some church activity. But now you're sleep deprived at about six in the morning, when you must get up to go to church to meet with God. So, let the rat race begin! Chances are, you've got kids and yourself to get ready, so everybody's hogging the bathroom all at once, and you have nursery this morning, so you gotta be there early. Everyone rushes out of the house, no breakfast...ladies putting on make up in the car because you have people to pick up first. You realize you forgot the craft you were supposed to bring, and you run back home, stomach already rumbling because the coffee you drank to help you join the land of the living this morning is already failing you. You pick up some lovely brothers or sisters in Christ, with music that's too loud in the car and arguing kids...sounds like the commute to school and work, right? You park the car, sprint across the parking lot, and everyone promptly...separates. Your kids have youth group, your husband (whenever he gets there) will be watching the parking lot, your 12 year old has Jr. High group, and you need to pass out construction paper, tissue paper and glue, so you can help little hands make flowers and birds, because on the third day, God made all of the seed bearing plants. You barely make it to the nursery on time and you wonder whether you turned your phone off.
In a few minutes, everyone's mind is on lunch, because you're all starving. But there's a bake sale after church, which your teens are helping with, so you'll need to stay after and help clean up. You grab lunch on the way home, and you're excited and thinking that football's on. Plus...you MIGHT be able to finally take a nap later!
Time out. I don't know about you, but I get tired just reading all of that! Listen, God bless our amazing servants who set up and tear down, take care of our kiddos and keep our churches going. I am a single woman with no kids, but the above (made up) scenario comes from years of watching dedicated moms and dads run around like chickens with their heads cut off...in the name of spending time with God and honoring him. But the thing is, and I've come to find this out personally, the whole schedule, coupled with the early morning start, and the afternoon finish, leaves us needing REST! We need breakfast, we need lunch, we need sleep, we need to take our time (but how, when we have none?). We need quiet time, we need prayer time. We need everything that church is there to give us...but we've actually gotten little to none of it.
Now, I'm not saying (again) that none of the above is true for a Saturday worship service, if one even goes to a separate church service. But the Sabbath promotes the rest beforehand, and the evening seems to do two things: it says both "go out and celebrate" and also "settle in and pay attention." Doesn't it make sense to do a little of both after you've rested up? Sure, but I no longer feel that the typical Sunday morning church service encourages rest.
So, I am now celebrating, or observing the Sabbath, at the present time, by myself, because no one in my family has ever celebrated the Sabbath before. This has simply not been something that we've known as a normal part of life. This is a personal choice and it is new territory for me. Now there are those who are Jewish by birth, and then there are those who convert later. Personally, I've been convicted that the latter, is a conversion by rebirth, or being born again. Remember when Nicodemus asked Jesus what a man must do to be saved? I never realized this before, as someone who considered herself a born-again Christian who was not under "the law.". So, I celebrate the Sabbath, as someone who is free to follow the law...because I've received the grace of Yeshua.
The train of thought in the faith I'd come to accept as a teenager seems to divide everything in two, and tell people to sort of "pick a side": saved/unsaved, law/grace, Heaven/Hell. Now, this to me, was much better than the alternative of being 'bound" by Original Covenant law, and needing to perfectly follow it. This was all
I knew. Now I know that being born again absolutely is not limited to those who are biologically Jewish; in fact, the scriptures say. "He came to His own and his own received him not.". As a result, he presented his message to Gentile believers, that whomsoever would be saved, could be, so that Jewish folks who might not otherwise know the Messiah, might see the faith in others, and know that G-d desires that this faith be theirs as well. (Romans 11:11-12). The scriptures speak about Jewish folks being provoked to Jealously because of the faith set aside (if you will) for them...being embraced by Gentiles. As rabbi Greg Hirschberg puts it: "Oh, we've provoked alright!"
It does not seem to me that we are provoking to jealousy though. Most of us (as folks who are not born Jewish) seem to have ignored or abandoned Jewish tradition, Jewish feast days, Jewish customs, and called them legalism. We then rebuke those who are Jewish, telling them that the Law will not save them. We then pray for them to accept the salvation that comes from believing in Yeshua, and we seem to sorta pat ourselves on the back, believing that we know the truth, and the Jew does not. We don't mean any harm...we just firmly believe that no ones works alone will save them. The problem is, that this actually promotes a kind of anti-Semitism, that I think most Christians are entirely unaware of. We do not see it as being so, because, we are attempting to include Jewish folks in the freedom of salvation that is theirs first...then to the Gentile.
For years, I never even thought about this because my thought process had "crossed over" from the "camp" of "not saved and going to Hell" to "Saved and going to Heaven!". Granted, this alone is quite a "conversion" (amen, praise Yeshua!). But when a person becomes a Believer, and (Christ) changes their heart, what does this really MEAN? If we say, there is a "regeneration" that takes place, does this "accepting" of Jesus and "cultivating" a relationship with him involve "putting on" as it were, a new identity? I think so. The fact is, Christians are scared to death of the original covenant because of all the animal sacrifices and the belief that it must be followed perfectly. We know that this just is not possible, so other "evidences" like the Sabbath are deemed unnecessary as well, because this was ordained in the original covenant.
My belief is that Yeshua was the ultimate sacrifice, making all other blood sacrifices unnecessary; but I'd really like to ask the most orthodox rabbi, what he does, when it comes to the slaughtering of animals as it relates to the original covenant. I mean, we simply don't do blood sacrifices anymore, right? And anyway, what happened to a person under the original covenant when they made a mistake? Were they automatically struck dead right there? Now, you're thinking of Lot's wife aren't you? Something tells me that Jehovah gave her every chance possible to repent and leave that place before she actually became that pillar of salt. Our G-d is a gracious God who is slow to anger.
Anyway, I say all that to make the point that when one bears their yoke under the grace of Yeshua, this make observing the Sabbath different than it would be for one who is trying not to make any mistakes (shall we say). The Sabbath rest becomes more about the evidence of a heart in line with the character of Yeshua as a person rather than keeping rules.
So for instance, I'm not really a stickler for the exact time it begins... But I know that on Friday evening as sunset approaches, I want to be in that mindset. The Sabbath is about something set aside specifically for the Lord that has been saved just for the occasion. So each week, I make it a point to give attention to something that has remained put away the rest of the week, be it a song book, a journal, some special prayers. I do prepare food ahead of time,so there is little meal preparation, but I do not worry about not using electricity, for example. I turn lights and electrical things on and off as needed, because there was not electricity in Biblical days anyway...but being that we are now dependent on it, I think some sense of instinct applies here. I do abstain from Facebook, email, washing dishes and doing laundry, because these are work related things that are not "set apart...". I would do them any other day as well. But my computer and TV are not off limits, because these can be useful in activities related to the Sabbath. So, while discipline is involved, it is all about the emotional condition of the heart wanting to more closely connect with God. Perfection is not necessary because Yeshua's death paid for what my efforts never could...but thai you Lord that you honor them anyway. What a great and awesome God I serve! Shalom!
* John 3:16-17
* John 1:11
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