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Now as you can see, I’m doing these by survey. Because in order to
understand this you must get an overview by a survey to understand.
“These
are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy
convocations…” So if you take this statement, which is true and it is,
and you go back and you apply it in verse 2, “…the feasts of the LORD, which
ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are
My feasts.”, and it starts out with the Sabbath, “Six days shall work be done:
but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye
shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all
your dwellings.” Now then you’re stuck aren’t you? Why do you
not proclaim those other days according God’s calendar the way that they
should be? Are you missing something by not doing it? Are you
incorrectly dividing the word of God because you are misapplying scripture?
Let’s go to Numbers 28 and let’s go right to the heart and core of the
whole thing here. We’ll see it. Now you’re also going to be
stuck with another problem if you say that: because they had ritual
sacrifices on these days, and the sacrifices have been done away with
because Christ’s sacrifice superceded all the animal sacrifices. Ok
we’re all together so far, right? Then what are you going to do with
Numbers 28, especially the first part?
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and
say unto them, My offering, and My bread for My sacrifices made by
fire [because there was a tabernacle and later the temple], for a
sweet savour unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.
And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which
ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day
by day, for a continual burnt offering” (Nu. 28:1-3). This is
the daily burnt offering. Now because animal sacrifices were done
away, have days been done away with? No. One in the morning, and
one in the evening.
Now let’s come down here to verse 9. “And on the sabbath day two
lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a
[meal]meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
this is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt
offering, and his drink offering” (vs. 9-10).
Now then, if you take your reasoning, which so many do to get rid of the
holy days by saying that the ritual sacrifices were offered on the holy
days, and the sacrifices were done away with therefore we don’t have to keep
the holy days. Now what are you going to do about the Sabbath, because
if you take the reasoning of one you must also take the reasoning of the
other, correct? Were there sacrifices on the Sabbath day? Yes.
Were those sacrifices done away with and fulfilled in Christ? Yes.
Then if you take the assumption that because those were true, therefore we
conclude that we don’t have to keep the Sabbath because the sacrifices were
done away. Now you see, you’re stuck in your own logic, because if you
keep the Sabbath because God commanded it, and you don’t keep the holy days
because the sacrifices were done away with, then your logic traps you into
your own corner where then you must not keep the Sabbath by the same logic.
Now I’ve gone over this with Church of God 7th Day people until
I’m blue in the face, but you see when you are dead and when your mind is
set, and when you are not willing to let the truth of God enter into it then
you can come to that conclusion. But how else are you going to
conclude it? If you take the reasoning that the holy days do not need
to be kept because there were ritual sacrifices on those, and those ritual
sacrifices are all done away within Christ. So was the Sabbath ritual
sacrifice done away in Christ. So therefore you are stuck in your own
logic because you are not honest in handling the word of God, and you
misapply the word of God so that you may keep the Sabbath and do away with
the holy days. Now you’ve got to understand that. That’s where
you begin. Maybe other people couldn’t convince you, but maybe the
word of God can convince you.
Now then, let’s come to the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 20. Now
you can go through and apply this to all the holy days here in the rest of
Numbers 28 and 29, because every one of the days had sacrifices so you can’t
use that logic. That logic is a misnomer. That logic is not
correct. Now if you run on to Galatians 3 and misapply that, then
you’re also going to get yourself in trouble. Now if you need some
understanding concerning the book of Galatians we have at least seven or
eight tapes on that, which go through it and explain it. I’ll see if I
can cover maybe one or two of those verses a little later on.
Now then I call your attention to, as we’re here in Ezekiel 20, I call your
attention to reference back to Exodus 31 where the Sabbaths God said you
were to keep. Now notice when we are reading here, God does not make
any differentiation between which Sabbath is which. All the holy days,
please understand, are annual Sabbaths. So when we read this, let’s
begin here in Ezekiel 20:10. God says, “Wherefore I caused them to go
forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
And I gave them My statutes, and shewed them My judgments, which if a
man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them My
sabbaths.” Plural, plural. That is not the Sabbath, but My
sabbaths, plural. Cause you see the fourth commandment in the Ten
Commandments says, “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy…” But He gave
them more than the weekly Sabbath. He gave them His annual Sabbaths.
“…To be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am
the LORD that [does] sanctify them” (Ezek. 20:10-12).
Now, a question: if you don’t keep the holy days, is there something you
don’t know about the Lord? Is there something in your understanding
that is missing because you are not sanctified by those days?
Verse 13, “But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness…”
Question: are you rebelling against God if you reject His holy days?
“…They walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which
if
a man do, he shall even live in them; and My sabbaths [plural] they greatly
polluted…”
Verse 16, “Because they despised My judgments, and walked not in My
statutes, but polluted My sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.”
Because when you take God’s time and make it yours, or you declare God’s
holy time not holy it becomes an idol in your mind. So then He told
them not to do it.
Verse 19 He said, “I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and
keep My judgments, and do them; and hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a
sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your
God. Notwithstanding the children rebelled…” (vs. 19-21). Now I
want to ask a question here. If you think that the weekly Sabbath is
good and right and fine, tell me why the annual Sabbaths are not also good
and right and fine. And if you don’t keep them then you are saying
that God’s word is not worthy of your observance. Now you need to keep
things on a clear factual basis. Don’t get your feelings involved in
on it because you’re going to get yourself in deep trouble.
Now, I’m not going to handle a technical scripture at this point.
Let’s come to the New Testament. Let’s come to Matthew 22 and let’s
see what we are to do in the New Testament. And then we will see did
they in the New Testament under the New Covenant keep these days. Come
to Matthew 22:37, because you see you’re also stuck with another problem.
If you say you love God, and you try and love God this way then you have to
ask yourself a question: why do I reject the holy days of God?
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the
law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40). And whereby Jesus said, “One
jot or one tittle shall no wise pass from the law until all be fulfilled.”
The only thing that we have seen in the scriptures which has been fulfilled
has been the animal sacrifices and the temple ritual which have been
replaced and superceded by a higher sacrifice of Jesus Christ in a greater
temple in heaven above. All of the rest is still hanging on the love
of God, correct? Do you love God? Do you love God in truth?
Or do you want to love God your way and tell God what to do?
Let’s come to John 4. Let’s ask some other questions. How does
God want us to worship Him today? John 4:23, “But the hour cometh
[that is when you wouldn’t worship any longer in Jerusalem, the temple would
be gone and so forth], and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth…” Now we know the commandments of God are
truth. We know the laws of God are truth. We know that all of
God’s ways are true, and His commandments are true. So therefore if
you are going to worship God in spirit and in truth you’re going to be
keeping His commandments from the heart spiritually, loving God. “…For
the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and
they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John
4:23-24). Now the word “must” there in the Greek has the force of
“obligatory”. You are obligated before God to worship Him in spirit
and in truth. And since all the words of God are true, and since the
holy days are part of the true word of God you must worship Him on those
days as well as the weekly Sabbath.
Now let’s come to Psalm 119. I know here recently I’ve brought this
up concerning other topics, but it is true. Let’s do a little attitude
check for everybody here now, whether you agree with what I’ve said or not
up to this point, or maybe some of the things you agree with and some of the
things you don’t agree with. But you have to ask yourself the
question: do I agree with God? Not whether you agree with me or agree
with another man, because if I don’t teach you the word of God and if I
don’t preach the word of God then it really doesn’t matter what I say even
though I may misuse the word of God and sound religious.
Now here, Psalm 119:127. And this is profound. And this is the
whole attitude we’ve got to come to concerning the will of God, concerning
the commandments of God, concerning all the things of God. “Therefore
I love Thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.”
Now hold your place right here cause we’re going to come back, and I want
you to go to 2 Thessalonians 2 for just a minute, because with the deception
that is coming upon the whole world there’s going to be a reason why it’s
coming. And you may be part of that deception, or caught up in that
deception if you do what they do in the world. Now Satan is going to
come, verse 9, “…Whose coming [this is the great beast power that is coming]
is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because
they received not the love of the truth…” (2 Thes. 2:9-10). Now we
just read where David wrote, “I love Your commandments”, but if you don’t
love the truth which then is all the word of God, what are you subject to?
See, you’re subject to death because you can’t be saved.
And another thing takes place. “And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be
damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (vs.
11-12). So if you don’t believe the truth of God’s word, are you
having pleasure and unrighteousness by rejecting them? Because if
those are Sabbaths which they are, and if they are commandments which they
are, and if they are to be kept which they should, and if you’re
transgressing that then you are sinning and you are unrighteous, correct?
And if you don’t keep them then you have pleasure in unrighteousness.
Is that not true? Are you not then going to blind yourself to other
things further down the road? And always remember, when God gives a
witness out of His word, once is sufficient. Please understand that.
Now let’s come back here to Psalm 119:127. “Therefore I love Thy
commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.” And how many people do
you know work on the Sabbath so they can make money because they reject the
Sabbath commandment, though apply the same thing to the holy days?
Verse 128, here’s where we need to come. “Therefore I esteem all
Thy
precepts concerning all things to be right…” Do you
believe that of the will of God? Do you believe that every precept of
God is right? Every command of God is right? Every law of God is
good and right? Notice, “…And I hate every false way.”
Are you willing to hate the sin that you’ve been committing in not keeping
the holy days? Or are you going to come up with other arguments to
justify your own idol? That’s what it gets down to because those are
self-justifications for your own way. There’ll be no doubt about it.
Do you consider all the precepts of God concerning all things to be right?
If you do then you will hate every false way.
Now let’s come to the New Testament and we’re going to spend the rest of
the time in the New Testament showing that, yes the holy days were kept by
those in the New Testament and in fact by a very command of God.
Let’s come to Mark 2 please, and this is one for those of you who are
Sabbath-keepers turn to, to show that we need to keep the Sabbath in the New
Testament. Now let’s read it here because this becomes very profound.
Verse 27, “And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man…” No question
about it. God really expects all mankind to keep the Sabbath.
“…Not man for the sabbath: therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the
sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). Question: since the holy days are Sabbath, is
He also Lord of those? Is He Lord of the Passover? Is He Lord of
the first day of Unleavened Bread, the last day of Unleavened Bread,
Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, Last Great Day? The
answer is yes.
Now those other days and commands were made for the people of God.
The Sabbath was made for mankind in general. So if you only keep the
Sabbath you’re only doing what God requires of all people everywhere.
The holy days have special meaning for the people of God. Now maybe
you’ve never thought of it that way. Well, you need to think of it
that way.
Let’s come to Luke 2 and see what Jesus did. And let’s understand
that Jesus was not under the Old Covenant. He was under a special
covenant with God the Father which was even greater than the New Covenant
when you really come to understand it. Because with the covenant that
God the Father and Jesus Christ had, Jesus could not sin once. Now I’m
going to give a sermon on that here. I’m working on it - what was the
covenant between God the Father and Jesus Christ. It’s a greater
covenant than we are under. Obviously it had to be because He was God
before He became a human being, see. But let’s notice what He did
here.
Luke 2:40, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him. Now His parents went to
Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when He was
twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast”
(Luke 2:40-42). And then you know what He was doing. Did Jesus
keep the feast? Yes. Did He keep it only because His parents
kept it? No. Why did His parents keep it? Because it was a
law of God. But why did Jesus keep it? Because it was a law of
His Father. And what was He doing there at the feast? Verse 46,
“And it came to pas, that after three days they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them
questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding
and [His] answers” (vs. 46-47). Because as I point out in the series,
“The Prophecies of Jesus”, Jesus was taught every morning of God the Father.
So there He was on the holy days, and afterwards doing the Father’s
business, correct?
“And when they saw Him, they were amazed: and His mother said unto Him,
Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought
Thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me?
[and knew not] wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” (vs.
48-49). Showing that Joseph was not His father. That’s what He
was clearly saying here. Was it the Father’s business? Yes.
When did Christ die? On the Passover day. Was that the Father’s
business? Yes, it was.
Now let’s see how He carried out the Father’s business in His ministry.
Let’s come to John 2. We’re going to survey some things here in the
book of John for just a minute. Keep in mind this: that Jesus Christ
set us an example in Whose footsteps we should follow. Now if Jesus
did no sin… Now you see some people come to the point of saying that if you
keep the Sabbath and the holy days you are sinning. Well we know that
if you keep the Sabbath you are not sinning. But are you sinning if
you don’t keep the holy days? You are. Here, if it was sin to
keep them then Jesus sinned, correct?
Now, let’s read it. Verse 13, “And the Jews’ passover was at hand,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem…” Now the reason why John says the “Jews’
passover” is because he is showing that Jesus was correcting them for their
wrong worship of Passover and Tabernacles and other days. The days of
the holy days are God’s days, ok. So what did He do? He went in
the temple “…and found those in the temple that sold oxen and sheep and
doves, and the changers of money sitting: and when He had made a scourge of
small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the
oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; and said
unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father’s
house an house of merchandise” (John 2:13-16). So He got rid of the
sin there, didn’t He? Plus He was also showing another thing, which He
later on said to the Pharisee who wanted to know which was the great
commandment. He answered correctly and Jesus said, “You are not far
from the Kingdom of God.” Then He said, “Now go learn what this means,
‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” So that’s what He was teaching
here. He desired mercy and not sacrifice.
Now notice verse 23, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the
feast
day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He
did.” So He was healing and He was teaching on the feast day of
Unleavened Bread right there at the temple.
Now let’s come over here to John 5:1. Now it doesn’t tell us what
feast this is, but according to the chronology as we go through the book of
John we find that it is Passover, fall festival season, Passover, fall
festival season, and Passover. So by chronology this had to be one of
the feast days. Either Trumpets or the first day of Feast of
Tabernacles or the last day of Feast of Tabernacles, one of the three.
It was not Atonement because they were carrying burdens and so forth.
“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”
Was He there keeping it? Yes. Did He correct them for their
wrong use of the day? Yes, He did. He told the man whom He
healed to pick up his bed and walk and he walked. And so then He gave
the spiritual lesson here that God is working spiritually.
Let’s come over here to chapter 6, verse 4. “And the passover, a
feast of the Jews, was [near] nigh.” And then Jesus explained about the
bread and the wine. That it symbolized His body and His blood.
And made it absolutely mandatory that you keep the Passover otherwise you
don’t have any life in you. Let’s read that right here in verse 53 of
John 6. “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily [or that is truly,
truly], I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink
His blood, ye have no life in you.” So unless you keep the Passover
properly you don’t have life in you. And I just might mention here
too, those who use grape juice are not keeping it properly because it is not
wine. You need to understand that.
Let’s go on. John 7:1, “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee:
for He would not walk [in Judea, as it should read] in Jewry, because the
Jews sought to kill Him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at
hand. His brethren therefore said…”, and I’ll just summarize it.
“Why don’t you go up and show yourself.” And He said, No, you go up.
My time is not yet”, verse 8. So they went up to the feast.
Now verse 10. “But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also
up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.” So here, in
spite of the public pressure that was put against Him and all those seeking
to kill Him, He still went and kept the feast, didn’t He? He observed
the Feast of Tabernacles, didn’t He? Yes, He did.
Now notice, here’s something very important concerning the will of God and
understanding. Now verse 14. “Now about the midst of the feast
Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jew marvelled,
saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus
answered tem, and said, My doctrine is not Mine but His that sent Me.
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of
God, or whether I speak of Myself” (vs. 14-17). And Jesus was
there during the Feast of Tabernacles.
There’s great meaning to the Feast of Tabernacles. If you would like
some tapes on those, we have hundreds of tapes on the Feast of Tabernacles.
Well over 100 anyway, covering feasts going way back. So if you want
to know the meaning of it you can write in for it.
Let’s come over here to verse 37. “In the last day, that great day
of
the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto
Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He
of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy
[Spirit] Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)” (vs. 37-39). So Jesus taught on the last great day,
didn’t He? So we find Him teaching during the Feast of Unleavened
Bread. We find Him teaching during the Feast of Tabernacles. We
find Him teaching at the Passover time, taught His disciples during the
Feast of Unleavened bread, and so forth. Jesus did all of those
things.
Now let’s come to the book of Acts and we’ll do a little survey with the
book of Acts. Please understand we’re into New Covenant teachings.
And if the holy days were to be done away, if they were no longer to be
kept, then you would hear Jesus say the statement, “You’ve heard it said of
old time, you shall remember to keep the Sabbath day holy and the holy days
holy. But I say unto you, you shall keep Sunday holy and Christmas,
and Easter, and New Year’s.” He didn’t say any of that, did He?
No, He did not.
Now here, Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1 by the command of
Christ, right? He said remain in Jerusalem until you be imbued with
power from on high. So His command was to be there and keep the Day of
Pentecost. If Jesus commanded His apostles to keep it and gave the
Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, which was the same day that the Ten
Commandments were given, should you not keep the Day of Pentecost?
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…”, which really should be
translated, “And when the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, or during
the accomplishing of the day of Pentecost.” “…They were all with one
accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting”
(Acts 2:1-2). Then you know the rest of the story in preaching on the
Day of Pentecost. And that’s when God started the Church. So He
formalized the Church in the wilderness on the Day of Pentecost by giving
the Ten Commandments. He started the New Covenant Church on the Day of
Pentecost right there at the temple of God.
Let’s continue on here. Let’s come to Acts 12:1. “Now about
that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of
the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw it please the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter
also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)” (Acts 12:1-3).
Now, the reason that is mentioned is because they were keeping the Days of
Unleavened Bread, see. “And when he apprehended him, he put him
in prison, and delivered him to four quarternions of soldiers to keep
him; intending after Easter [which should read Passover] to bring him
forth to the people” (vs. 4).
Let’s come to Acts 16:13. Now I know all the arguments that people
will give. Let’s understand this: this was the time when Paul went
into Macedonia and preached to them. “And on the sabbath we went out
of the city by a river side, where prayer was [known] wont to be made…” Now
the Sabbath here in the Greek actually should read “and on the day of the
weeks”, which is Pentecost.
Hold your place here and go back to Luke 4:16, and we will see that on that
very day in one of the synagogues in Nazareth Jesus Christ stood up for to
read and began His ministry in Nazareth on that day. “And He came to
Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into
the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.” And that
is on the day of the weeks, if you look at the Greek. So Jesus taught on
Pentecost. Paul taught on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was given
on Pentecost. The day of the weeks.
Now let’s come back here to the book of Acts. Acts 18:18, “And Paul
after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his
leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla
and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.
And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the
synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. When they desired him to
tarry longer time with them, he consented not; but bade them farewell,
saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem…” (Acts
18:18-21). Now the only feast that chronologically speaking that it
could be here is the Feast of Tabernacles. So he went up to Jerusalem
to keep it. So Paul said, “I must by all means keep this feast…” Now
you can’t say that he was keeping it under the obligation of circumcision
because he preached against circumcision.
Now let’s come to Acts 20:5. “These going before tarried for us at
Troas. And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened
bread…” Now why mention going after the days of unleavened bread?
Well, it’s very simple. They kept the days of Unleavened Bread and
wouldn’t leave until the Feast of Unleavened Bread was over. In other
words they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread and then left after that.
“…And came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.”
So they got there on a Sunday. Stayed there seven days. “And
upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to
break bread…” And that was then after sundown after the Sabbath ended,
getting on into the first day of the week, and so forth. So they kept
the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That’s the important thing to
understand.
Now, let’s come here to Acts 24:14. “But this I confess unto thee,
that after the way which they [the Jews] call heresy, so worship I the God
of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the
prophets…” And Paul himself was the one who wrote to show that the only
thing that had been fulfilled and superceded by the sacrifice of Christ was
the animal sacrifice and the temple ritual. And we read that earlier.
He believed everything else.
Let’s come here to Acts 27:9. “Now when much time was spent, and when
sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past…” Now you
might have in your reference there going back to Leviticus 23:27, referring
to the Day of Atonement. So here Paul, even when he was sailing and it
was dangerous, he was still keeping the Day of Atonement on that ship, and
the fast had ended. So Paul kept it.
Now let’s come over here to 1 Corinthians 16:7. “For I will not see
you now by the way [that is, in my travels this time]; but I trust to tarry
a while with you, if the Lord permit. But I will tarry [that is,
remain] in Ephesus until Pentecost.” So how were they measuring time?
By Christmas? No. By Easter? No. By New Year’s?
No. By Sunday? No. But by Sabbath and the holy days all
the way through. Here’s Pentecost.
Now, let’s come to 1 Corinthians 5 since we are here. And here’s a
command, and you need to understand this. Here’s a principle.
You can’t have one commandment without the other. You must have all of
them. And did not the apostle James say that if you keep the whole law
yet offend in one point you’re guilty of all the law, correct? So if
you keep the Sabbath but don’t keep the holy days then you’re guilty of
transgressing the holy days and stand before God as a sinner.
Especially when we have here in 1 Corinthians 5 an absolute and dogmatic
command by the apostle Paul to keep the feast, hence the Feast of Unleavened
Bread.
Now let’s pick it up here in verse 7. “Purge out therefore the old
leaven…” Because during the Days of Unleavened Bread leaven is a type of
sin. “…That you may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.” Having
put it out of their houses and their unleavened in Christ. “For even
Christ our passover [was] is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the
feast…” Which feast? Of unleavened bread. “…Not with the
old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). So
he’s virtually saying here in this command to keep the feast, if you don’t
keep the feast you’re not keeping the truth. There is a great command.
Now then we need to understand another principle, which is this:
people say, “Well, if it’s not repeated in the New Testament I don’t have to
do it.” The reason a lot of these things are not repeated in the New
Testament is because it would become redundant, and God didn’t want to have
a book of 50 volumes. He wanted one book. So that’s why you have
to believe the whole word of God.
Now let’s come to Hebrews 4. Now if you want a more in-depth study on
Hebrews 4 you can write in for it, we have it. I just want to focus in
on one verse. Verse 9, and to summarize the part up to it because
God’s plan is not yet complete. “There remaineth therefore a rest to
the people of God.” Now that is an improper translation. And it
should read this way: “There remains therefore Sabbath-keeping to the
people of God.” Now that becomes very important because
Sabbath-keeping then means more than just keeping the Sabbath.
Sabbath-keeping includes all of the holy days, and the people of God include
the Gentiles (1 Peter 2), not just the Hebrews. So for people to say,
“I am not convinced that we ought to keep the holy days…”, then what you
need to do is get in and really study your Bible more and ask yourself the
question: do I really believe in the word of God, and the will of God?
Am I willing to understand it the way God says, or am I going to keep this
in the way of personal opinion and become like all other religious people
and end up rejecting the word of God?
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