The Law of Moses regulated almost every aspect of life in Old Testament times. But with the coming of Christ, God established a new covenant of faith and love with mankind. Christians are not required to follow the Old Testament rules about crimes and punishments, warfare, slavery, diet, circumcision, sacrifices, feast days, Sabbath observance, tithing, ritual cleanness, etc. However, the moral and ethical teachings of Jesus and His apostles call for even greater self-discipline than those of the Old Testament.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
Laws Of The Sabbath In Old Testament
The laws of the Sabbath in the Old Testament were an important part of the religious practices of the ancient Israelites. These laws, consisting of 39 rules, were established to regulate the observance of the Sabbath day, which was considered a holy day of rest and worship.
The Sabbath laws are mentioned in various books of the Old Testament, including Leviticus, where specific instructions are given on how the Sabbath should be observed. Violating these laws carried severe punishments, and the Bible contains numerous examples of individuals being punished for breaking the Sabbath law.
1. What are the 39 rules of the Sabbath?
The 39 rules of the Sabbath, also known as the 39 melakhot, are a set of activities that were prohibited on the Sabbath day according to Jewish tradition. These rules were developed through interpretations of the biblical text and were intended to define what constituted work and rest on the Sabbath. Some of these rules include planting, harvesting, cooking, baking, lighting a fire, writing, and carrying objects beyond a certain distance. These rules were meant to ensure that the Sabbath was a day of complete rest and devotion to God.
2. Where are the Sabbath laws mentioned in Leviticus?
Leviticus 23:3 is the primary verse in the Bible that establishes the Sabbath as a holy day and commands its observance. It states, “Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.” This verse lays the foundation for the Sabbath laws mentioned throughout the book of Leviticus. Leviticus 19:30 reaffirms the importance of observing the Sabbath, stating, “You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” The specific laws regarding the Sabbath are elaborated further in Leviticus 23:1-3, where the people of Israel are commanded to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest and to refrain from doing any work. Leviticus 23:32 emphasizes the sacredness of the Sabbath, proclaiming it as a ”Sabbath of solemn rest” that begins on the evening of the seventh day and lasts until the following evening.
3. What was the punishment for breaking the Sabbath law?
Breaking the Sabbath law was considered a serious offense in the Old Testament, and severe punishments were prescribed for those who violated it. In Numbers 15:32-36, there is a story that illustrates the consequences of Sabbath-breaking. A man was found gathering sticks on the Sabbath day, which was prohibited. The Israelites brought him before Moses and Aaron, and God commanded that he be stoned to death as a punishment for his disobedience. This incident serves as a reminder of the significance of the Sabbath and the importance of adhering to its laws. It demonstrates the belief that the Sabbath is a sacred day that should be set apart from the rest of the week for worship and rest. The punishment for breaking the Sabbath law served as a deterrent, ensuring that the Israelites would observe the day diligently and reverence it as commanded by God. In Conclusion: The laws of the Sabbath in the Old Testament played a crucial role in the religious life of the ancient Israelites. These laws, including the 39 rules of the Sabbath, were designed to establish the Sabbath day as a holy day of rest and devotion to God. The Sabbath laws are mentioned in Leviticus, where specific instructions are given on how to observe the Sabbath. Breaking the Sabbath law carried severe punishments, as illustrated in the story of the man gathering sticks on the Sabbath. This served as a reminder of the sacredness of the Sabbath and the importance of faithfully observing its laws.
Welcome to our guide on the Laws of the Sabbath in the Old Testament! In this article, we will explore the Sabbath day as mentioned in the Bible and the rules that governed its observance during the time of Jesus. Let’s delve into the ancient laws and traditions surrounding this special day of rest.
Sabbath in the Old Testament vs. New Testament
Throughout the Old Testament, the Sabbath is described as a sacred day of rest and worship commanded by God. It is emphasized as a sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites (Exodus 31:13). However, in the New Testament, we witness a shift in the Sabbath’s significance as Jesus challenged the strictly legalistic observance of the day and emphasized its true purpose.
In Mark 2:27, Jesus states, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This highlights the idea that the Sabbath should be a day of physical and spiritual renewal, a time to focus on honoring God and serving others, rather than rigid adherence to rules.
Sabbath Day in the Bible
The Sabbath, as mentioned in the Bible, is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening, corresponding to the seventh day of the creation account in Genesis. It is described as a day of ceasing from work and dedicating time to rest and worship.
In Exodus 20:8-11, the fourth commandment states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
The Israelites were not to engage in any form of work on the Sabbath day. This included laboring in the fields, cooking, kindling fires, or carrying burdens. The day was to be a time of leisure, reflection, and worship.
Sabbath Rules in Jesus’ Time
During the time of Jesus, the Jewish religious leaders had added numerous regulations and restrictions to the Sabbath laws, intending to prevent any possibility of breaking God’s commandment. These additional rules were burdensome and often overshadowed the true purpose of the Sabbath.
For example, the Pharisees believed that healing on the Sabbath constituted work and accused Jesus of violating the Sabbath when he healed a man with a withered hand (Luke 6:6-11). Jesus’ response challenged their legalistic interpretation, highlighting that doing good and showing mercy were appropriate on the Sabbath.
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates a compassionate perspective toward the Sabbath, emphasizing love, mercy, and spiritual well-being. He healed the sick and performed miracles, emphasizing that acts of kindness and restoration were not violations of the Sabbath’s intent.
Jesus also emphasized the importance of the heart and intentions behind Sabbath observance. In Matthew 12:5, he teaches, “Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?” Jesus points out that the priests’ duties continued on the Sabbath, emphasizing that spiritual responsibilities and acts of worship do not transgress the Sabbath laws.
Overall, Jesus sought to bring a deeper understanding to the Laws of the Sabbath in the Old Testament. He affirmed the importance of rest and worship but challenged the legalistic observance that had overshadowed its true purpose. Jesus reminded his followers that love, compassion, and acts of mercy should be central to their lives, including on the Sabbath day.
We hope this guide has provided insight into the Laws of the Sabbath in the Old Testament and how they relate to the biblical narratives and teachings of Jesus. May we all find rest and spiritual renewal in observing the Sabbath in ways that honor God and show love to our neighbors.
Laws Of The Sabbath In Old Testament
Law In The Old Testament is the first 3-volume series of its kind ever published. It starts with a history of Law in the Old Testament followed by its development through the time of Christ’s crucifixion and its role today. The third volume provides a comprehensive overview of the laws, commandments, statutes and judgments found in the Old Testament and details their application to living today on a practical level.
Many of the laws and customs were given to guide the people of Israel through their daily life. However, it is important not to confuse the writings in Deuteronomy with what they refer to as “wisdom literature.” The Deuteronomic Code was a law code given by Moses that established some 613 commandments. The Ten Commandments included did not come from Deuteronomy but were inspired by God and written on stone tablets by Moses.
It is important to know the Bible if you are going to understand our nation’s history and how God has been guiding America from its beginning. There is a layer of information in the Old Testament that helps us better understand law and the proper role of government
Sabbath Laws Of The Pharisees
Introduction
The Law of Moses
In Biblical times, the Law of Moses (also called Old Testament Law, Mosaic Law, or just The Law) regulated almost every aspect of Jewish life. The Ten Commandments and many other laws defined matters of morals, religious practice and government. It regulated the army, criminal justice, commerce, property rights, slavery, sexual relations, marriage and social interactions. It required circumcision for males, animal sacrifices, and strict Sabbath observance. It provided for the welfare of widows, orphans, the poor, foreigners and domestic animals. Ceremonial rules divided animals into “clean” and “unclean” categories. Clean animals could be eaten; unclean animals could not.
The Law of Moses was given to the Israelites when they were still a band of ex-slaves struggling to survive. Many of the laws were specific for the worship system and agricultural life of ancient Israel (Exodus 12:14-16, Leviticus 1:10-13, 11:1-23, 15:19-20, 19:19, 19:27-28, 27:30-32, Deuteronomy 25:5-6). Like life in those times, many were harsh and cruel compared to the teachings of Jesus (Exodus 35:2, Deuteronomy 20:10-14, 21:18-21, 22:23-24). But there are also many moral teachings that form the basis of Christian morality (Exodus 20:1-17, 23:6-9, Leviticus 19:9-10, 19:18, Deuteronomy 6:5).
The Teachings of Jesus
By the time of Jesus, the great moral principles God had given to Moses in the Ten Commandments had been turned into hundreds of ceremonial rules. People thought they were living holy lives if they just obeyed all those rules. But Jesus disagreed. He said people found enough “loopholes” to obey all the rules and still live wicked and greedy lives (Matthew 23:23-28).
Jesus made one statement about the Law that often causes confusion:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (NIV, Matthew 5:17–18)
Christians have struggled to understand exactly what Jesus meant. At first reading, this seems to say that all the Old Testament rules and rituals must still be observed. But Jesus and His disciples did not observe many of those rules and rituals, so it could not mean that.
It is frequently pointed out that the term “the Law” could have many different meanings at the time of Jesus:1,2
- The ceremonial laws including “clean” and “unclean” lists, sacrifices, dietary restrictions, ritual washings, etc.
- The civil law regulating social behavior and specifying crimes, punishments and other rules
- The moral and ethical laws, such as the Ten Commandments
- The Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible)
- The scribal law – the 613 rules (mitzvot) formulated by the scribes that everyone was expected to obey
- The Scripture as a whole
Jesus did not abolish the moral and ethical laws that had been in effect from the time of Moses. He affirmed and expanded upon those principles, but He said obedience must be from the heart (attitudes and intentions) rather than just technical observance of the letter of the law (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-42, 43-44, etc.).
However, Jesus and His disciples did not observe the strict scribal rules against doing any work on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-28, 3:1-6, Luke 6:1-11, 13:10-17, 14:1-6, John 5:1-18). Neither did they perform the ritual hand washings before eating (Matthew 15:1-2). In contrast to the dietary rules of the Law, Jesus said no food can defile a person; it is bad attitudes and actions that can make a person unholy (Matthew 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23). Jesus frequently criticized the scribal laws (Matthew 23:23, Mark 7:11-13) and some aspects of the civil law (John 8:3-5, 10-11).
Therefore, Jesus may have been specifically teaching that the moral and ethical laws in the Scripture would endure until the end of time. That would be consistent with His actions and other teachings. Through His teachings and actions, Jesus revealed the true meaning and intent of the Law.
It is also pointed out that Jesus, Himself, is the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 26:28, Mark 10:45, Luke 16:16, John 1:16, Acts 10:28, 13:39, Romans 10:4) The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross ended forever the need for animal sacrifices and other aspects of the ceremonial law.
The Council of Jerusalem
The first Christians came from among the Jews, and they continued to observe the Law of Moses as well as their new Christian faith. But as more and more Gentiles (non-Jews) converted to Christianity, there were disputes about whether or not these Gentile Christians must observe the Law. Issues of circumcision and diet were especially troublesome and threatened to split Christianity apart.
In about the year 49 A.D., Peter, Paul, Barnabas, James and other Christian leaders met in Jerusalem to settle the issue (Acts 15:1-29). It was agreed, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that nothing was required of the Gentile converts except faith in Christ; they were not bound by the Law of Moses. However, the council directed the Gentile Christians to abstain from certain things that were particularly offensive to their Jewish brethren – food sacrificed to idols, blood, meat of strangled animals and sexual immorality (Acts 15:29).
The New Covenant
With the coming of Christ, God has established a new covenant with mankind (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews 8:8-13, 9:11-15). Jesus and His apostles gave us a radically new understanding of the true intent of the Old Testament Law; they brought a new era of the rule of love for all people and spiritual truth instead of rule by law (Luke 10:25-28, John 13:34-35, Ephesians 2:14-18).
However, God has not revoked His original covenant with Israel and the Jewish people (Luke 1:72, Acts 3:25, Romans 9:4-5, 11:26-29, Galatians 3:17). The New Covenant does not condemn the Jews, nor does it in any way justify persecution of Jews.
Conclusion
The teachings of Jesus, the Council of Jerusalem, and other New Testament teachings (John 1:16-17, Acts 13:39, Romans 2:25-29, 8:1-4, 1 Corinthians 9:19-21, Galatians 2:15-16, Ephesians 2:15) make it clear that Christians are not required to follow the Old Testament rules about crimes and punishments, warfare, slavery, diet, circumcision, animal sacrifices, feast days, Sabbath observance, ritual cleanness, etc.
Christians still look to the Old Testament scripture for moral and spiritual guidance (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But when there seems to be a conflict between Old Testament laws and New Testament principles, we must follow the New Testament because it represents the most recent and most perfect revelation from God (Hebrews 8:13, 2 Corinthians 3:1-18, Galatians 2:15-20).
However, freedom from the Old Testament Law is not a license for Christians to relax their moral standards. The moral and ethical teachings of Jesus and His apostles call for even greater self-discipline than those of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28, 31-32, 33-34, 38-42, 43-48, 7:1-5, 15:18-19, 25:37-40, Mark 7:21-23, 12:28-31, Luke 12:15, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, Galatians 5:19-21, James 1:27, 2:15-16, 1 John 3:17-19).
Christian Practice
Here are a few examples of Old Testament laws that Christians generally do not observe:
- Prohibited foods
- Pork (Leviticus 11:7)
- Certain other animals (Leviticus 11:4-6)
- Shellfish (Leviticus 11:10)
- Certain birds (Leviticus 11:13-19)
- Certain insects (Leviticus 11:20-23)
- Meat still containing blood (Leviticus 17:12)
- Circumcision required for males on eighth day (Leviticus 12:1-3)
- The death penalty for:
- Attacking or cursing a parent (Exodus 21:15,17)
- Disobedience to parents (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
- Failure to confine a dangerous animal, resulting in death (Exodus 21:28-29)
- Witchcraft and sorcery (Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:27, Deuteronomy 13:5, 1 Samuel 28:9)
- Sex with an animal (Exodus 22:19, Leviticus 20:16)
- Doing work on the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14, 35:2, Numbers 15:32-36)
- Incest (Leviticus 18:6-18, 20:11-12,14,17,19-21)
- Adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22)
- Homosexual acts (Leviticus 20:13)
- Blasphemy (Leviticus 24:14,16, 23)
- False prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20)
- False claim of a woman’s virginity at time of marriage (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
- Sex between a woman pledged to be married and a man other than her betrothed (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
- Feast day observances required:
- Feast of Lots (Purim) (Esther 9:28)
- Passover (Pesach) (Deuteronomy 16:1-8)
- Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuot) (Leviticus 23:15-21)
- Feast of Trumpets or New Year Festival (Rosh Hashanah) (Leviticus 23:23-25)
- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) (Leviticus 16:29-32)
- Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) (Leviticus 23:39-43)
- Saturday (seventh day) Sabbath observance (Exodus 20:8-11, Exodus 35:1-3)
- Animal sacrifices
- For sin (Leviticus 4:27-35)
- For Passover (Exodus 12:3-11)