The Sabbath Day Zeal

Mark 2:23-28 KJV (23) And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. (24) And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? (25) And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? (26) How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? (27) And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (28) Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Jesus and his disciples walked through a corn field picking corn much like someone picking apples or pears on the side of the road, orchard, or yard. The disciples shucking corn to eat it disturbed the religious Pharisees. The issue was that the disciples were working to eat on the Sabbath. Now it might sound silly at first but Jesus will claim to be God later on in scripture. Jesus and his disciples would be breaking the Sabbath by God's rules. Rules established at the beginning after the sixth day was created. Even in Old Testament there were laws of the temple broken by Israelite's King David and his men when they were hungry. They ate what is called the shewbread, which is bread intend for the Priest to eat on the Sabbath. When the manna was given by God on the road from Egypt to the Promise land it could only be picked six days of the week. On Friday it was picked for Sabbath. Yet corn is a little different if you are picking it like an apple. First a person would peel it like a banana, removing the silk fibers and then eating it. Now I am not sure personally if I would like raw corn, but I know what corn on the cob taste like and it is pretty good. Now if raw corn taste anything like raw peas it would be fine for a snack.

There is a point, manna came from heaven, and God does not work on the Sabbath. God made seven days for man. Each of those days were created for man's use. God was not going to provide on the Sabbath the manna he gave to Israel. Yet corn is God's provision and it was planted and could remain on the stalk until it was ready for harvest. If you eat it like apple it really is not work, for if it was there be a lot of cold coffee/tea for breakfast, along with issue of setting the table for a meal which is also work. The point is the Pharisees was being technical to see what Jesus would say, not fully believing he was a teacher/healer sent by God. The Pharisees would test everything Jesus and his disciples did to an extreme. It is like the woman in revelation chased by the dragon, that is not a God, or godess, but just a woman. Those in search of these signs today is looking for a God or goddess to appear. It like signs of the virgin Mary, yet she is dead and gone on to be with Jesus. These signs are only a reminder or a demonaic force to lead people away from God. Because no one this century knows what Mary really looks like, we can only assume that this appearance are either man made, or coincidences. Yet if it helps a believer to trust God more who is going to stop the publicity and if it brings in money for the poor who would stop it. The point is I once looked at a rock and it reminded me to be still and know God. The rock not God but the fact the rock unmoving reminded me of a verse I had learned in scripture. Spirit of God speaking through nature the things in God's word back to me, though the object was not God. The Sabbath day rest is to help us think about God.

Some people work on the Sabbath but they take other days off. These are days that can be used for that person's Sabbath and then perhaps they can fellowship at another time with other people. A community of churches could set up different days of Bible study for this. Yet instead community complain because people work on the Sabbath. People are enslaved to there jobs and yes some can change jobs. Yet not always is this possible. Will God condemn a man for providing for his family through working on the Sabbath some say yes. Yet there is another solution, those not Christian work on Sabbath and those that rest on the Sabbath can work on Saturday. For those that worship on Jewish Sabbath day, they could rest on Saturday and work on Sunday. There is a solution for cultural issues on this. Yet the Sabbath is God's day of rest. His day to reflect on his handiwork. Does it mean God does not do miracles on the Sabbath, no but he does not work on the Sabbath. Healing not work it is gift by a touch by His Spirit to the believer. Enabling someone to lift a car off a person is not work on the Sabbath. It is the power of God going forth to enable. If God is looking over his creation and sees a deer in the woods needing help, do you think he would ignore it. No, but He created nothing new for us on this day of rest. With that said God labors from his handiwork, He puts things in motion over the earth to do his will even on his day off.

Writen on May 21 2015 recorded date May 29, 2016