An Appointment with GodThe Real Reason for Sabbath Worship?
February 6, 2008
Worship is Not the Primary Reason
Attending Church today has taken on various meanings. To some, it is seen as a sacred obligation while others, see no value at all in attending church. There are some fundamental principles and teachings of the bible that you would think all Christians know. And their reason for attending church would be at the head of the list. However, this is not, always the case, especially when it’s in respect to the Sabbath Assembly. Since the vast majority of Christians have chosen Sunday as their day of veneration, you will often hear them say, “we can worship God any day and any where”. On face this sounds like and excellent point but what it truly shows is their ignorance of why God calls his people to the Sabbath Assembly. It is true that we can and should worship God any day but worship is not the primary reason for the Sabbath Assembly. I want trouble you with the fact that God blessed the seventh day, sanctified it, hallowed it, and set it apart from all others days as a memorial of His creation. Rather let us look at the main reason for the Sabbath Assembly.
Even though you may think your primary reason for going to church is to worship God, and many who profess to be Christians may agree with you, this is not the case. That is not on the Sabbath day. Again I say worship is a very important and essential part of the assembly and during the week it may hold number one status but it’s not the case on Sabbath. God has called seven major assemblies for his people and He introduces them as feast in Leviticus Chapter Twenty Three verses One and Two.
“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.” (Leviticus 23:1-2 KJV)
God uses two very important terms that will help in understanding what the real reason for the Sabbath Assembly is. The first is feast which in the Hebrew is Moed which means, “set time” or “appointed time”, in other words an appointment. The second of these is Holy Convocation which in the Hebrew is Mikra ey Kodesh, which means “a called assembly” or “a set apart gathering”. Thus, the sense of “ikra ey kodesh”, which carries the general understanding of to meet is an appointed time to meet with God. So then every Sabbath God calls his people together in order to meet with them, thus we have a weekly appointment to meet with God.
“An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. ” (Exodus 20:24 KJV)
“But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come: ” (Deuteronomy 12:5 KJV)
“And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. ” (Deuteronomy 14:23 KJV)
“And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. ” (Deuteronomy 14:29 KJV)
“I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. ” (Ecclesiastes 3:17 KJV)
God tells his people that everywhere He chooses to place his name he will come unto them and bless them. So then there is an appointed time and there is an appointed place where God calls His people together to bless them. In other words God has chosen His Sabbaths as the time and the Church as the place where He gathers His people to bless them.
God promised to commune with Moses in the sanctuary from above the mercy seat.
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8 KJV)
And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. (Exodus 25:17)
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. ”(Exodus 25:22)
Again we see the same theme being repeated, the altar, the mercy seat and God meeting his servant there.
“And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. (Exodus 30:1 KJV)
And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. ”(Exodus 30:6 KJV)
That same promise has been handed down to us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
“Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. ”(Hebrews 8:1-2 KJV)
Please notice that the sanctuary ministry did not end, but rather Jesus continued the same ministry in the true tabernacle. So on Sabbath God still calls us to the assembly and communes with us from above the mercy seat. While Christ our Lord and Savior pleads our cause.
“Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”(Hebrews 4:1-16KJV)
Every Sabbath God assembles His people at the mercy seat and pronounces His blessing upon them. In Hebrews 4:16 you see Paul echoing this same sentiment when he invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace (mercy seat).
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. ” (Matthew 23:37-38 KJV)
God is still very much pleased for believers to honor Him on a day reserved for Him but his real reason for assembling His people in one place is to bless us. How many appointments with God have you missed? How many blessing have you missed by not knowing the real reason for Assembling on Sabbath?