SHABBAT AND JESUS

“Because the Son of Man is Master of The Shabbat.”

כי בן האדם הוא גם אדון השבת

Ki Ben HaAdam Hu Gm Adon HaShabbat

Genesis 2:3 – And G-d blessed the seventh day, and He hallowed it, for thereon He abstained from all His work that G-d created to do.

At the very core of Torah and Observant Jewish orthodoxy exists a dilemma for the Christian Church. This subject has fueled debate, anger, fear, and ex-communication for those who differ from the teaching masses’ opinions.

The very centerpiece of Jewish existence is mostly ignored and barely practiced in today’s Christian Church. It is the Sabbath, or Shabbat, or the Shabbos. According to the Talmud, (primary source of Jewish law) Shabbat is the very center and servant (Shamash) of the commandments, statutes, and ordinances given by G-d to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Shabbat is celebrated in the home, beginning at sunset on Friday evenings. It ends on Saturday when three stars are visible in the sky (twenty-four to twenty-five hours). It is a time for the family to gather in the home, have a meal, and sing songs of praise and Zion. It is a time for both intimacy with family (immediate and extended) and with G-d.

To understand the Shabbat, and why it is the foundation of all Jewish instruction, direction, and Festival System, we must begin by defining it and examining the letters that make up the word.

Shabbat – שבת To Cease/Desist. The word has three letters, the Sheen ש, the Beth ב, and the Tau ת. By defining these, we will find something fascinating about Shabbat and The Feats Days (Moedim מואדם) of Israel.

The SHEEN ש is the letter of G-d’s Divine Power and Peace. It is the first letter of the words Shaddai (שדי), Shalom –Peace (שלום), Shemar –Keep (שמור), and Shema –Observe (שמע). It literally means teeth but spiritually denotes consumption and destruction. This is the letter that G-d puts on your heart to seal you upon salvation.

The letter Sheen is the twenty-first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. It has a word picture that represents the point of a rock – a peak. If you look closely at the letter, you will see three prongs. Imagine Messiah on the cross, in the middle, with the thieves on either side. If you hold your first three fingers up, you will notice your middle finger stands above the rest. Even how we are designed G-d shows us the purpose of Sheen-On the cross, Jesus consumed and destroyed sin itself.

The BETH ב is the word for house in Hebrew and symbolizes Blessing and Creation. It also denotes the oneness of heart and family. Likewise, it is to be a place of security, peace, and warfare! Here children are prepared to know the truth’s of HaShem and how to wage Spiritual Warfare against the enemy.

Eph 3:14-15 ¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name…)

The idea is that the House G-d built for you, upon salvation, is in your heart. When asked, is your house in order? Your response must come from your heart as this is where G-d resides in you.

The Hebraic mindset is one of the well-being of the household you support and oversee and your heart’s condition regarding your relationship with G-d. (1 Tim 3:4-5)

“⁴He must manage his own household well, having children who obey him with all proper respect; ⁵for if a man can’t manage his own household, how will he be able to care for God’s Messianic Community?”

We can conclude from Paul that the physical house and family must not only be kept after and well mannered, but the heart of the servant must be even more impecable to maintain his home.

The TAV ת is the symbol of Truth and Perfection. It also means “the end,” as in Revelation 22:13. “I am the Alef and the Tav, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Tau – ת the 22^nd letter of the Hebrew Alphabet – symbolic of Truth and Perfection. Spiritually, it is the mark of man’s final destination. Tav’s word picture is that of a cross. In the context of Messiah’s use of Tav in Revelation, He tells us that He is the final destination for those in salvation. It is through His cross that we find the truth of Jesus’ promises and the perfect sacrifice on our behalf if we choose it.

Therefore, as we look at the word and the scripture context, we find something much more profound and affecting in its totality. The Sabbath is not only about a set time for rest and peace.

MATT 12: 5-8 ⁵“Or haven’t you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the cohanim profane Shabbat and yet are blameless? ⁶I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple! ⁷If you knew what ‘I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifice’ meant, you would not condemn the innocent. ⁸For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat!”

The sabbath, the seventh day, is for reflecting on the one who consumed and devoured sin so that we might have life. In doing do we must spend the time with our family, close and extended, to share in G-d’s grace and His merciful attributes. Shabbat NEEDS TO BE A TIME to reflect on our house and heart. What might be the manner in which we walk and relate to others?

Finally, we must realize that Shabbat is a foreshadow of the rest we will have with our MEssiah, JEsus, when He takes up His throne. We must recognize Shabbat as a REHERSAL! One that prepares us for the moment when our knee and our tongue will bow before the MEssiah and His sacrifice on the cross.