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Before we begin this "Sabbath Service" let us remember what we have learned up to now. We have seen that there are multiple examples of the non-Jew observing the Sabbath with the Jew; not only that but some of the passages are worded as if a "command" from God. As if that is not enough we find both the example of James and Paul in the New Testament referencing the non-Jews keeping and observing the Sabbath as well. Today, unlike the earliest centuries, the non-Jew does not observe or keep the Sabbath in the Christian Church since Constantine changed the Sabbath to Sunday. Below is a "worship service" which you might adapt to your home and family in restoring "the Pattern of Worship" once given to the Saints (Jude 1:3).
Wholeness in Hebrew is called "shalom". Shabbat is about making peace with everyone; especially within families. The highest priority is given to reconciliation and loving kindness. It is a time that we become "one" with God and our loved ones. Shabbat fully means behaving as if the world was redeemed (complete, safe, perfect) right now! Shabbat is the opportunity to focus on what is right with the world, & thus to be refreshed to do the work of redemption: repairing the world. The world is not complete; it our job to repair the world, to perfect it, & doing so will bring the Messiah.
It is mandatory that Shabbat be understood in its uniquely Jewish form as a commandment of God, Exodus 20:8-11: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,...nor thy stranger (Gentile) that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." This is a command from God, chosen and required to be obeyed by God's people. Observing the Sabbath is not a suggestion, its God's commandment to you and me!
Isaiah 56
Notice that the Lord informs us that "strangers" (Gentiles) who keep and observe God's Shabbat, not only choose for themselves God's will, but please God in the process. The reward is that we literally take hold of God during the Sabbath and receive the "double-portion" from God that only can come to those who honor and observe the Sabbath.
Shabbat is a picture of redemption. The Apostolic Church informs us of the conditions which Gentiles needed to fulfill in order to be accepted as "Israel". One of these was the observance of Shabbat. It can be easily shown that the fulfillment of other commandments of Judaism (such as the Festivals) were not prohibited to Gentiles. This was understood by the early Gentile believers (God-fearers), who were attracted to the Jewish way of life & accepted many Jewish commandments without becoming full proselytes (Sabbath, festivals, etc). This was also the attitude of early Christians who are our models today.
In Acts 20:7-8 we find Paul holding a Gentile "church service" in Troas, a Greek city, on the Sabbath. The time frame tells an amazing story; thirty years after Yeshua's death, as recorded in the New Testament, the Gentile believers were still keeping the Sabbath, as had the Jews since even before Sinai! Paul, not only observed the Sabbath, but he taught the Gentiles to do likewise because he knew God had given the Sabbath to all mankind; Jew or Gentile. The early Gentile believers met in the synagogues on the mornings of Sabbath with Jews, and later met in their homes, as testified by the Book of Acts, on Sabbath evenings for the "Havdalah" service where they celebrated the Messianic distinctiveness of their faith.
"And He said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.'" (Mark. 2:27-28). "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest..." (Hebrews 4:9-11).
Answer for yourself: Now let me ask you: have you entered into that rest? One thing is for certain, if you sanctify & observe Sunday as the Sabbath instead of Saturday, you break the Fourth Commandment, as commanded by God, and you have never experienced the "double portion" given by God to those who sanctify the Sabbath. Let us keep the Sabbath!
Baruh ata Adonai, Eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b'mitz-votav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik neyr shel shabbat.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who has taught us the way of holiness through the Mitzvot, and enjoined upon us the kindling of the Sabbath light.
(When the festival falls on Sabbath, add the words in brackets.)
Baruh ata Adonai, Eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b'mitz-votav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik neyr shel [shabbat ve] yom tov.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe who has taught us the way of holiness through the Mitzvot, and enjoined upon us the kindling of the [Sabbath and] Festival lights.
Exodus 31:16-17 informs us of the reason we are having this special observance. V'Shamru can be spoken or sung; the words are as follows:
The Israelites are to observe the Shabbat, celebrating it for the generations to come as an everlasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. (Psalm 24:1-4)
I dedicate my hands to Messiah, the hope of glory, to serve him only. I present my body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is my reasonable service. I vow to not conform to this world, but be continually transformed by the renewing of my mind by God's Torah, that I may prove and demonstrate what is good, acceptable, perfect, and the will of God.
May God bless you as He blessed Ephraim and Manasseh.
Y'simeyh Elohim k'sara, rivka, rahel, v'leya.
May God bless you as He blessed Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, & Leah
Y'va-reh'ha Adonai v'yish-m'reha, Ya-eyr Adonai panav eyle-ha vihu-neka, Yisa Adonai panav eyle-ha v'ya-seym l'ha shalom.
The Kiddush expresses beautifully the essence of the Shabbat. Its very name, meaning "sanctification," underscores the holiness of the Shabbat, while its recitation over a cup of wine which "gladdens the heart of man" points to the joyous mood of the day. The two themes (sanctify & joy) permeate the entire Shabbat and create a unique blending of the spiritual and the pleasurable; a characteristic of traditional Jewish teaching.
When the Ten Commandments appear in the Torah for the first time (Exodus 20), the Shabbat is linked with God's creation of the world and His rest on the seventh day. When the Ten Commandments appear for the second time (Deut. 5), Shabbat is linked with the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. In the Kiddush, both associations are invoked: "a reminder of Creation," and "a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt."
As we recite the Kiddush, we recall the purpose of Creation and we recall the central event in the ancient history of Israel..the going out of Egypt in which God's concern for the oppressed is dramatically revealed. The Sabbath is a sign by means of which we are called upon to remember the purpose of creation and the holiness of the existence of God's people.
The Kiddush was originally a prayer to be recited in the hone at the Shabbat table and later incorporated in the synagogue liturgy.
When the Jews lived in Babylon some were so poor that they could not afford to purchase wine. A congregation Kiddush was therefore arranged so that all could participate in this important ceremony.
In many lands the synagogue served as an inn for wayfarers, some of whom ate their meals there. For their benefit, the Kiddush was recited at the end of the synagogue service. When the synagogue ceased to house travelers, some literalists suggested that the Kiddush be eliminated from the public service. The practice, however, had become deeply rooted and appreciated; and the Kiddush has continued as a popular part of the community worship on Shabbat.
The sixth day....
The heavens and the earth, and all within them, were finished. By the seventh day. God had completed the work which He had been doing; and so God rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it He rested from all His work of creation. Genesis 1:31-2:1-3.
In Jewish thought the wine represents joy. When we lift the cup of wine and recite the suggested blessing, called the Kiddush, we are really thanking God for all the joy that He gives us. Since we are believers we indeed have much for which we should bless God. In the context of this Erev Shabbat time, we are especially thanking the Lord for giving the Shabbat and for giving us the eternal rest we have in Messiah. So by raising this cup of joy, we are expressing to each other and to the Lord, the joy that we have by faith in HaShem's Messiah.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu meleh ha-olam, borey p'ri ha-gafen.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
As a blanket of dew covered the double portion of manna in the wilderness every sixth day, so the challah is covered. Why do we celebrate Shabbat with two challot? Because as Israel wandered in the desert, the Lord our God provided all of their needs. He is the Lord who provides. He never asks us to do something we are unable to do. During Israel's wanderings in the desert, He provided a double portion of manna on the sixth day so that His children would not need to go out to gather on the seventh day.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheynu meleh ha-olam, ha-motzi lehem min ha-aretz.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
Time to eat and enjoy God's provision.
When the Lord brought back those that returned to Zion, it was like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then the nations said: "The Lord has done great thins for them"; truly the Lord has done great things for us, we rejoice! Bring back the rest of our homeless, O Lord. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Though sadly they carry seed to the field, gladly they bring home the sheaves. (Psalm 126)
The following is the benedictions listed for your ease of praying.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, our God and the God of our forefathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob; the great, mighty, & awesome God, the supreme God, Who bestows beneficial kindness and creates everything, Who recalls the kindness of the Patriarchs and brings a Redeemer to their children's children, for His Name's sake, with love.
O King, Helper, Savior, and Shield, Blessed are You, HASHEM, Shield of Abraham.
You are eternally mighty, my Lord, the Resuscitator of the dead are You; abundantly able to save.
He sustains the living with kindness, resuscitates the dead with abundant mercy, supports the fallen, heals the sick, releases the confined, and maintains His faith to those asleep in the dust. Who is like You, O Master of mighty deeds, and who is comparable to You, O King who causes death and restores life and makes salvation sprout!
And you are faithful to resuscitate the dead. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who resuscitates the dead.
You are holy and Your Name is holy, and holy ones praise You every day, forever, for You are God, the great and holy King. Blessed are You, HASHEM, the holy God.
You graciously endow man with knowledge and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and knowledge. Blessed are You, HASHEM, gracious Giver of knowledge.
Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah, and bring us near, our King, to Your service, and influence us to return in perfect repentance before You. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who desires repentance.
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have willfully sinned; for You are the good and forgiving God. Blessed are You, HASHEM, the gracious One Who pardons abundantly.
Behold, please, our affliction, take up our grievance, and redeem us with a complete redemption speedily for Your Name's sake, for You are God, the powerful Redeemer. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Redeemer of Israel.
Heal us, HASHEM; then we will be healed; save us; then we will be saved, for You are our praise. Bring complete recovery for all our ailments, for You are God, King, the faithful and compassionate Healer.
Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who heals the sick among His people Israel.
Bring cure and healing for all our illnesses, all our sufferings, and all our ailments, for You are God, King, the faithful and compassionate Healer. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who heals the sick of His people Israel.
Bless on our behalf O HASHEM, our God, this year and all its kinds of crops for the best, and give dew and rain for a blessing on the face of the earth, and satisfy us from its bounty, and bless our year like the best years for blessing. For You are the good and generous God Who blesses the years. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who blesses the years.
Sound the great shofar for our freedom, raise the banner to gather our exiles and speedily gather us together from the four corners of the earth to our land. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who gathers in the dispersed of His people Israel.
Restore our judges as in earliest times and our counselors as at first; remove from us sorrow and injustice; and speedily reign over us-You, HASHEM, alone with kindness and compassion. Justify us through righteousness and judgment. Blessed are You, HASHEM, the King Who loves righteousness and judgment.
And for slanderers let there be no hope; & may all the heretics perish in an instant; & may all the enemies of Your people be cut down speedily. May you speedily uproot, smash, & cast down the wanton sinners-destroy them, lower them, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who breaks enemies & humbles wanton sinners.
On the righteous, on the devout, on the elders of the remainder of Your people, the family of Israel, on the remnant of the academy of their scholars, on the righteous converts and on ourselves may Your compassion be aroused please, HASHEM, our God, and give goodly reward to all who sincerely believe in Your Name. Put our lot with them, and may we never feel ashamed, for we trust in You, and upon Your truly great compassion do we rely. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Mainstay and Assurance of the righteous.
And to Jerusalem, Your city, may You return in compassion, and may You rest within it, as You have spoken. May You rebuild it soon in our days as an eternal structure. May You rebuild it soon in our days as an eternal structure, and may you speedily establish the throne of Your servant David within it. Blessed are You, HASHEM, the Builder of Jerusalem.
The offspring of Your servant David may You speedily cause to flourish, and enhance his pride through Your salvation, for we hope for Your salvation all the day (and look forward to salvation). Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who causes the pride of salvation to flourish.
Merciful Father, hear our voice, HASHEM our God, pity and be compassionate to us, and accept-with compassion and favor-our prayer, for God Who hears prayer & supplications are You. From before Yourself, our King, turn us not away empty-handed. Be gracious with us, answer us, and hear our prayer, for You hear the prayer of each mouth of Your people Israel with compassion. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who hears prayer.
Be favorable, HASHEM, our God, toward Your people Israel, turn to their prayer and restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your Temple. Speedily accept the fire-offerings of Israel and their prayer with love & favor, and may the service of Your people Israel always be favorable to You.
May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in compassion. Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who restores His Presence to Zion.
We gratefully thank You, for it is You who are HASHEM, our God and the God of our forefathers for all eternity; our Rock, the Rock of our lives, Shield of our salvation are You from generation to generation. We shall thank You and relate Your praise-for our lives, which are committed to Your power & for our souls that are entrusted to You; for Your miracles that are with us every day; & for Your wonders and favors in every season-evening, morning, and afternoon. The Beneficent One, for Your compassion were never exhausted, & the Compassionate One, for Your kindness never ended-for we have always put our hope in You.
For all these, may Your Name be blessed, exalted and extolled, our King, continually forever and ever.
Everything alive will gratefully acknowledge You, Selah! and praise and bless Your great Name sincerely, forever, for it is good. O God of our salvation and help, Selah! The most generous God, Blessed are You, HASHEM, Your Name is 'The Generous One' and to You it is fitting to give thanks.
Establish peace, goodness, blessing, life, graciousness, kindness, and compassion upon us & upon all of Your people Israel. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance, for with the light of Your countenance You gave us, HASHEM, our God, the Torah of life, and peace. And may it be good in Your eyes to bless us and to bless all of Your people Israel, in every season and in every hour with Your peace (with abundant strength and peace).
Blessed are You, HASHEM, Who blesses His people Israel with peace. May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, HASHEM, my Rock and my Redeemer.
My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. To those who curse me, let my soul be silent; and let my soul be like dust to everyone. Open my heart to Your Torah, then my soul will pursue Your commandments. As for all those who oppose and who design evil against me, speedily nullify their counsel and disrupt their design. May it be Your will, HASHEM, my God and the God of my forefathers, that human jealousy may not rise up against me, nor my jealousy upon others; may I not become angry today, and may I not anger You. Rescue me from the Evil Inclination and place in my heart submissiveness and humility. O our King and our God, cause YOUR Name to be unified in Your world; rebuild Your city, lay the foundation of Your House, perfect Your Sanctuary; gather in the scattered exiles, redeem Your sheep, and gladden Your congregation. Act for Your Name's sake; act for Your right hand's sake; act for Your Torah's sake; act for Your sanctity's sake. That Your beloved ones may be given rest; let Your right hand save, and respond to me. May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, HASHEM, my Rock and my Redeemer. He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peach upon us, and upon all Israel. Now respond: Amen.
May it be Your will, HASHEM our God and the God of our forefathers, that the Holy Temple be rebuilt, speedily in our days. Grant us our share in Your Torah, and may we serve You there with reverence, as in days of old and in former years.
The time following the meal could be spent singing some family songs together. In addition, if you have Erev Shabbat services, you're all dressed and ready to go! If not, enjoy the special blessings of an early bed time.
The Erev Shabbat service is an excellent time to invite guests into your home. Perhaps you could invite another person or family from your congregation. You might also use this time to invite someone who does not know the Messiah. Conducting a Friday evening meal in such a fashion as we have described is conducive to making a Jewish family feel at home and is a good discussion stimulator!
As strangers (Gentiles), or men and women wishing to return to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we must remember the Hebrew roots of our Christian faith. Romans 11:18 indicates that those engrafted branches, inserted into the "olive tree" of God'S Israel, do not support the root! The root (Jews) supports the "new, wild" branches (Gentile believers). It should be obvious to you that there is absolutely no way we as believing Gentiles can possibly understand the writings of these ancient people of God without understanding the customs, manners, beliefs, idioms, word meanings and traditions, as they were being used when they were written. In doing this we can return to the "faith once given to the saints." We at Bet Emet Ministries are aiding others in returning to the original faith of Yeshua as depicted in the New Testament; as we might expect a first century orthodox Jew believed and lived it. Let us never forget that it was "this faith" that was taken in the Great Commission to the Gentiles of the world, not what the majority practice today.
By turning (teshuvah) to the Apostolic Doctrine of the early church we will discover that remembrance and observance of Shabbat was only one small part of the Apostle's Doctrine! Observance of Shabbat sustains God'S creation and gives all of us a part in repairing God'S world ravaged by sin. Not only do we aid God in repairing what man "broke" by sin, but we seize our part in creating God'S Kingdom here on earth (co-creators and co-laborers). When we, as God'S servants, imitate Him by doing good through correct teaching, sharing, exhorting, giving, and being obedient to Him, it is as through we are revealing what is in heaven above to those who don't know God'S will for their lives.
Shabbat, the Hebrew word for Sabbath, has been described a thousand ways. It has been called a shelter, palace, fortress, bride and queen. Shabbat is the only day of the week with a Hebrew name at all. All of the other names for days of the week are pagan names! Now let me ask you, which day of the week has God overseen to protect from man's attempts to corrupt since time immemorial? The Sabbath (Saturday) will always be God's day! The idea that one day out of seven should be devoted to rest and spiritual reflection has always been a radical concept. Its earliest practice challenged the ancient world, where labor was the lot of beasts and slaves, and leisure was the privilege of the rich and powerful. Today, when the machinery of life never stops, when everyone has too much to do and not enough time in which to finish, Shabbat continues to force us to look at the questions that challenge our value systems. The challenge presented by the Sabbath takes all of us to our very roots: "The heaven and earth were finished, and all their array. One the seventh day God finished the work and stopped. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy; because on it God rested from all the work of creation" (Gen. 2:1-3). Only after the seventh day of Shabbat was the world completed and perfect.
Six days a week we live under the tyranny & influence of things that occupy space and put demands upon our time. On the Shabbat we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the created goal for the world. God has created all for His Shabbat! Do you not yearn for that eternal rest with God that will never end?
Sections of the Shabbat liturgy recall the time when the Jews were slaves in Egypt. And although the Shabbat celebrates freedom, it is also a reminder of the contrast between slavery and freedom. The Jewish notion of freedom entails both political and personal responsibilities; the mandate to work for the liberation of all oppressed people, and the task of remaining free from enslavement to false idols, such as false religion, wealth, power, and fame.
In addition to "remembering" and "keeping" the Sabbath, there is a very important idea in the Book of Isaiah (58:13): "If thou turn away thy foot because of the Sabbath, from pursuing thy business on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of the Lord honorable, and shall honor it, not doing thy wonted ways, not pursuing thy business, nor speaking thereof." The two basic ideas derived from the verse are: oneg shabbat ("Sabbath delight") and kavod shabbat ("Sabbath honor," paying special honor to the day). The Sabbath is to be treated as a day of delight (in this context, quiet enjoyment) and a day to be welcomed and treated as an honored guest (like a bride or a queen). We welcome the bride of the Sabbath; the Sabbath queen.
The first appearance of Shabbat in the Torah is in the form of a verb, shavat: "And God ceased (rested/stopped)". Shabbat is recreated weekly; Israel is to make Shabbat. The first verb for most Jews & Gentiles (who are grafted into Israel) today, however, is not "make" but "choose." And choosing Shabbat is not one decision, but many.
Because Shabbat is often defined in terms of prohibitions against certain kinds of activities, many have erroneously come to think of Sabbath observance as a series of restrictions or a weekly sentence of self-denial. But Shabbat is not a retreat from the world or an exercise in asceticism. Making Shabbat is not a matter of refraining, but of doing. The Talmud says, "the affairs of Heaven are mandated for Shabbat", specifically teaching children the Torah and arranging weddings. Resting, eating, and praying are not only permitted, but mandated. There are other verbs for Shabbat, too; sleeping, reading, thinking, studying, talking, listening, meditating, visiting the sick, laughing, singing, welcoming guests, making love. Other examples of ways in which others honor the day are for worshippers to wear special Sabbath clothes ("the Sabbath best"); eat special meals (one on Friday night and two during the day...these taken collectively are called The LORD's Supper!); take time for prayer and for study of the Torah; spend time with one's family; and banish care and worry so far as possible. Enjoy Shabbat!
Mark 2:27 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: (KJV)