SABBATH THOUGHT 2023-12-30—WHY SUNDAY?

May God bless you on His Sabbath day!

When the United States was being formed, the writing of the constitution was a grueling process for the founding fathers. Why was it so difficult? This country was certainly founded by people who were grounded in firm beliefs of an Almighty God and a Savior Jesus Christ. Much of their writings not only refer to Them, but they quoted the Bible often enough. It is surprising, then, that the constitution and Bill of Rights did not contain the Law given to their ancestors the ancient Israelites. This would, of course, be the Ten Commandments that were expanded with all of the statutes, precepts, judgments, and testimonies that Moses wrote down in the Book of the Law[1]. But strange as it is, the Ten Commandments are not included in the national constitution.

Assuming the Anglo and Celtic origins of nations including Britain, North America, Western Europe, and the Oceania regions are descendants of the Ten Tribes of Israel, another oddity is that their national religious day of worship is almost universally Sunday, the first day of the week. Since their history goes back to the time that the Israelites came out of Egypt and God proved the seventh-day Sabbath for forty years, one would expect these nations to have a solid foundation for worship on the seventh day instead of Sunday. Even during the time after the Assyrian captivity when the Ten Tribes resided in the regions around the Black Sea, they at least knew about the Sabbath and holydays as evidenced in their paying homage to the baby Jesus[2]. But history shows that the Sabbath was supplanted by Sunday from the early centuries after the Apostles.

Why is it that Sunday is so deeply rooted in their religion? Understanding this is important for several reasons. First of all, this will change in the future per the prophecies of the Bible. Second, it shows that trying to force a national change to the Sabbath is not possible—at least for now. To begin, notice these writings of the prophet Jeremiah:

JEREMIAH 3:1, 6-8, 14, 20 “They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the LORD. … 6 The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 7 “And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 “Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. … 14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married [JPS, YLT, et al = your Lord or Master (Hos. 2:16)] to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. … 20 Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD.

NOTE: The Law (Deut. 24:1-4) forbids a man to re-marry the same woman he divorced if she was subsequently married to another man after the divorce. Yet here, the LORD is merciful to take her back if she returns (v7).

While several Bibles translate verse 14 as ‘married,’ that is absolutely incorrect. It is properly translated “I am a Master (or Lord) to you.” This is obvious by context as well as in the Hebrew. In particular, though, these verses state that God DIVORCED Israel (the Ten Tribes). This is also portrayed by Hosea’s harlot wife and children:

HOSEA 1:2-9 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to him: “Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel [a result of divorcing them]. 5 It shall come to pass in that day That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah [No Mercy], For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. 7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah [by NOT divorcing them], … 8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi [Not My People], For you are not My people, And I will not be your God. 10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered [a promise to Abraham]. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’

Notice that God did NOT divorce Judah even though she was more ‘treacherous.’ It says that God has no more mercy for Israel but will continue to be merciful to Judah because He promised Abraham he would have many descendants and Solomon that He would not completely forsake all of the twelve tribes. Continuing, Hosea says something very interesting to the Ten Tribes regarding the keeping of the Sabbath and holydays:

HOSEA 2:2, 7, 11 “Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; For she [Ten Tribes of Israel] is not My [the LORD] wife, nor am I her Husband! Let her put away her harlotries from her sight, And her adulteries from between her breasts; … 7 She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’ … 11 I will also cause all her mirth [delight] to cease [for] Her feast days, Her New Moons, Her Sabbaths– All her appointed feasts.

Because God divorced the Ten Tribes, He caused their “delight [in the Sabbaths and appointed feasts] to cease.” This phrase in the Hebrew is masows (delight) shabath (to cease). Interestingly, shabath also means to “keep Sabbath.” When God divorced the Ten Tribes, He literally took away the Sabbath and holydays and their delight and desire for them. Why did He do this? Because the Sabbath is THE sign or evidence of those who KNOW GOD:

EXODUS 31:12-13, 17 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. … 17 ‘It is a sign [‘owth = evidence] between Me and the children of Israel forever; …

EZEKIEL 20:12 “Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign [‘owth = evidence] between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

Without the Sabbath, the descendants of the Ten Tribes do NOT know they are descendants of Abraham who had been brought out of Egypt by God. The manna was a reminder of exactly that (Exod. 16:26, 29-34). They also CANNOT ‘keep Sabbath’ or holydays. This all happened when God divorced them. It is why they call Him ‘Master’ instead of ‘Husband’ (Jer. 3:14). In fact, Jesus said, “… a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I [Jesus Christ] have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15). On the other hand, Judah still retains a knowledge of God although this does not mean they obey Him. Scripture confirms that they were even worse than the Ten Tribes but God had mercy upon them for the sake of Abraham, David, and Solomon.

Besides keeping Sunday, another example of the Ten Tribes not knowing God is in their prayers. I have heard many Protestants pray to the “Lord” and end with “in your name.” Praying to Jesus Christ and in His name makes no sense. To petition a deity and then ask those things be done in the same deity’s name is redundant if you are already speaking to the deity. That is in contrast to what Jesus said:

JOHN 14:13 “And whatever you ask in My [Jesus Christ’s] name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

JOHN 16:23, 25-26 And in that day you shall ask Me [Jesus Christ] nothing. Truly, truly I tell you, whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you [through Me]. … 25 These things I have spoken to you in allegories; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in allegories, but I will plainly disclose to you the things of the Father. 26 In that day [when Jesus speaks “plainly about the Father”], you shall ask in My name; and I do not tell you that I will beseech the Father for you,

By praying to Jesus Christ, Protestants demonstrate they do not know God the Father whom Jesus Christ revealed. Those that know and obey Him pray to God the Father and ask that their petitions be done in the name and by Jesus Christ who has all authority and power in heaven and on earth[3]. The Ten Tribes do not know God nor can they keep Sabbath or holydays. But this will change by God’s hand of power and MERCY:

HOSEA 2:13-14, 16, 19-20, 23 I will punish her [Ten Tribes of Israel] For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry, And went after her lovers; But Me she forgot,” says the LORD. 14 “Therefore, behold, I will lure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her. … 16 “And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “That you [Israel] will [future tense] call Me ‘My Husband,’ And no longer call Me ‘My Master [(Jer. 3:14)],’ … 19 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; 20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the LORD. … 23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”

ISAIAH 54:1-8 “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate [Israel] Than the children of the married woman [Judah],” says the LORD. … 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. 4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood [divorded woman] anymore. 5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. 7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the LORD, your Redeemer.

Rather than criticize and condemn the nations of Israel today (including Judah), we should have mercy toward them. The remnant will be rescued from captivity and once again be His chosen people. They will not longer call Jesus Christ ‘Master’ but will call Him ‘Husband’ and He will restore their ‘delight’ in keeping Sabbath and holydays!

May God’s grace and peace be upon you!

Steven Greene

https://sabbathreflections.org

sabbathreflections@gmail.com