Daily Bible Study

Tweet

Day 139 Nehemiah 13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals. 16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, “What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? 18 “Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” 19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. 20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. 21 Then I testified against them, and said unto them, “Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. When I was young, nothing was open on Sunday. People shopped between Monday and Saturday. That changed before I was out of school. Today it would be unheard of not to be able to shop every day of the week. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he found people buying and selling on the Sabbath. It was a direct sin against one of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: 10 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, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. As Christians, many hold that Jesus fulfilled the law. They include the Ten Commandments in the law. Yet, Jesus taught the people they needed to keep the commandments. Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” 17 And he said unto him, “Why call thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said unto him, “Which?” Jesus said, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 “Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” 20 The young man saith unto him, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” 21 Jesus said unto him, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.” 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. (KJV) You know that keeping the commandments won’t save you. Only faith in Jesus Christ will give you eternal life. Yet, Jesus showed that people still needed to obey the commandments. Not only those commandments God gave Moses, but a new commandment He gave His disciples before His death on the cross. John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (KJV) Jesus didn’t do away with the commandments. He told people they needed to obey them. Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 “And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” When Nehemiah stopped the buying and selling on the Sabbath, he asked God to remember him and spare him according to God’s great mercy. When you obey the commandments, you honor God and God will honor you. God never changes. The same God who gave Moses the law is the same God who forgives you when you sin against Him. We need to get back to basics, the Ten Commandments. The Sabbath is Saturday. However, with Jesus’ resurrection on the first day of the week, Christians changed the Sabbath to Sunday. Whether you honor God on Saturday or Sunday makes no difference. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. When you set aside one day of rest to God and work the other six days, you keep the commandment. Let’s pray: Father, I am guilty of disobeying Your commandments. It’s easy to keep some of them, but not all of them. Help me honor You by giving You one day as You gave me one day to rest when You rested from Your work. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 29 October 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.