posted 08-28-2002 10:15 PM         

You are commanded to prepare on Friday morning and what ever is left from that food that you eat on Friday is to be eaten at the beginning of Sabbath and at Sabbath day. In other words Sabbath evening and Sabbath day.

Be careful with this man William who has responded to your post. He fits the description of wickedness to the uttermost! He is a deceiver and a blind guide that is just trying, with his wicked advice, to blind you to the truth of the law. Consequently he will lead you into the pit along with the Satan and his false ministers. He can repent though. But until he does do not take any heed to his teachings, for they are contrary to the testimony of the law of YAHWEH.

Hi Dan;
The Sabbath is a Feast day and as such we are to celebrate it with wholeheartedness! Roasting, cooking, and even baking for that day’s dining is not only permitted, it is the right thing to do! However we should not cook up a storm so that all our meals are prepared for the entire week! In fact, we are allowed to eat of the left overs for only one following day, and after that we are to burn the balance! Offerings such as Hospitality which involves inviting others for the Feast, is a wonderful alm, however we should not allow for heathens to eat of the meat that is sacrificed! I hope that helps!
As for our day today, I am bringing an entire Halibut to the Feast which I just caught on Wednesday! In total we caught some 450 lbs of clean fish which we had to clean!
William

The Sabbath, the obedience to it is what actually makes you a devil or a saint. This man’s teaching are diabolical to the uttermost because he is persuading YAHWEH’S called out ones, just like Satan does, to forsake the true sign of being YAHWEH’S, belonging to YAHWWEH.

Unless he repents may YAHWEH utterly rebuke him (William)

Shalom in spirit and truth,
emetah

posted 08-31-2002 03:22 AM         

Slapping a sandwich together is not work. No way. Preparing a huge meal after hunting, skinning, gutting, butchering, and cooking over a fire? That is surely NOT permitted, as that is surely work. That is clear in the scripture. YHWH gave us brains to understand the commandments He has given us.

PBJ Sandwich = YES (come on, the corn, the corn !!!)
Family Meal = NO (work)

Anyone should understand this simple understanding.

posted 08-31-2002 04:42 AM         

quote:

---

Originally posted by RICHARD7:
Shalom Ahab
Tov meod' todah!

Bevakasha sliha' ani lo medaber et ivrit tov meod

But I am learning

Lehitraot
Shalom u'vracha
Richard

---

Shabbot Shalom Richard,

No problem. I am also forever the student. My ability to read Hebrew is better than my ability to speak it, but I am in classes to improve my ability to speak. May The Creator increase both of our abilities to increase in Hebrew training.

`imm'kha!

posted 08-31-2002 08:58 PM         

YAHWEH bless you and give you shalom,

posted 08-31-2002 09:50 PM         

You say, “You are commanded to prepare on Friday morning and what ever is left from that food that you eat on Friday is to be eaten at the beginning of Sabbath and at Sabbath day.” I don’t suppose you have any Scripture to back that up, huh? I couldn’t care less if you want to prepare your food Friday morning or for that matter Thursday, and neither does my Father!

Really ole boy, you have to give your head a shake and stop calling everyone evil, just because they don’t fit your ways! Take a deep breath, and post something of intelligence which you can back up with Scripture!

You say, “He fits the description of wickedness to the uttermost!” Really? Duh, tell me this, what is your own description of evil cause from what I read in God’s words, evil or wicked are those who do not obey God’s words, and as I have already stated, I do obey all His Commands! So if you would be so kind, tell me of all your own man made rules which I do not comply with which then constitute me as being evil!

You say, “He is a deceiver and a blind guide that is just trying, with his wicked advice, to blind you to the truth of the law. Consequently he will lead you into the pit along with the Satan and his false ministers.” Again eme, maybe detail for all of us to see, just what the charges are that you dare bring up against a holy man!

You say, “The Sabbath, the obedience to it is what actually makes you a devil or a saint. This man’s teaching are diabolical to the uttermost because he is persuading YAHWEH’S called out ones, just like Satan does, to forsake the true sign of being YAHWEH’S, belonging to YAHWWEH.”

posted 08-31-2002 10:10 PM         

Sorry I didn’t mean to ignore you! I guess I should write down which threads I have posted on in order not to forget which ones to check!

You say, “How and when do you, your spouse, your children, your servants or the stranger who does all the "roasting, cooking, and even baking" rest on the commanded day of rest?”
Arkie, you make it sound like something that it isn’t! It is not as if we bake bread or for that matter do anything other than that which takes only a few minutes to do! For instance, when we put a roast on the BBQ’s rotisserie, it takes all of about 2 minutes! We light it and in an hour and a half, it is done! The meat has been trimmed the day before and has marinated in bitter herbs over night! As for cooking potatoes, they too would be peeled in left in water over night, so, we turn on the heat, and wala! 30 minutes later we eat!

You say, “The only way that you, your spouse, your children, your servants or the stranger who does all the "roasting, cooking, and even baking" could honor the fourth commandment is to do the "roasting, cooking, and even baking" on the preparation day which is on day six and not on YAHWEH'S holy Sabbath. Have you never read and learned the lesson of this scripture?”

Again, we prepare prior to the Sabbath so that whether it is a lasagna or a sheperd’s pie that we will have on the Sabbath, the only think we do on the Sabbath is, cook it!

You then quote, “Exodus 16 (4) Then said YAHWEH unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in MY law, or no. (5) And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. … (28) And YAHWEH said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep MY Commandments and MY Laws? (29) See, for that YAHWEH hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”

Again, it clearly says that we are to prepare the food which we will have on the Sabbath on the day prior, and we obviously do that! Sorry for any misunderstanding! I am guessing some jumped to the conclusion that I didn’t obey the Sabbath simply because I never responded to this thread! I will be a little more careful to note which threads I have posted on!

Also I would ask anyone who thinks I should be addressing an issue which would appear that I am ignoring, to please inform me!

posted 09-04-2002 04:55 PM         

VEGETARIAN CHOLENT Yield: 8 servings

Cholent is a sort of stew which came into being through the ingenuity of Jewish housewives who wanted a hot meal on Shabbat, but were forbidden to cook on Shabbat itself. This stew is begun before Shabbat and cooked all night so it will be ready for lunch the next day. It is an adaptation of an older recipe that took meat. If you want to freeze the left overs (we never have any ourselves) omit the potatoes.

1/2 c White northern beans
1/2 c Kidney beans
1/2 c Lima beans
2 tb Vegetable oil
3 lg Onion; diced
3 cloves Garlic
1/2 c Barley
Salt and pepper
3 lg Potato, peeled and cut in 1/4's (omit if you want to freeze left overs)
15 oz Tomato
herbs for flavoring (thyme, and marjoram are good additions)

1. Put beans in large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak overnight. Before cooking, drain beans and discard stones and dried-out beans. You can also speed the process by boiling the bean until done (which is the method we most ofen use)

2. Heat oil in a 4-qt. pot, and saut'e; onions and garlic until onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add barley and beans to onions. Cover with water by at least 2 inches, add salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes over low flame. Add potatoes and tomato sauce and cook 30 minutes more.

3. Place cholent in a crock pot or slow cooker overnight or in a 200-degree oven for eight hours or overnight.

Enjoy and have a really good Shabbos,

C & C

posted 09-06-2002 01:28 PM         

The issue is whether there is laborious work. Many of the rules have not changed throughout the centuries, however technology has. For example, how much work was involved in starting a cooking stove whereas today it is so simple to turn the knob. So the real issue again is the laborious work as well as our focus upon HaShem. We need to be careful not to keep finding "easy" methods to where it can remove us from the focus of our G-d.

So putting in a pre-assembled lasagna is fine because all the laborious work was done earlier- that is it was done in our preparations. These preparations can be store bought or by your own hands, but it is to be done ahead of time, otherwise we fail to keep the significance of a Shabbos. Why is this so important? Because it represents the time to come when HaMoshiach comes and we will be in His Presence, then we will no longer have to work to live and we'll find ourselves again in the Garden of Eden. Therefore it is this setting that we are trying to recreate in our homes during Shabbos and during the holidays while also creating a feast and BOTH settings are important. This is our effort in "finding the fence" or parameters to help us see what he has planned for our future by our obedience and faith.

Yes, there will be plenty of foods available for the next few days. For those not raised Jewish this above feast will seem like a daunting task and its value probably seems questionable. However if you take one aspect this year and understand the "why" behind it, you can add another portion for next year and the following year until you have all the pieces in place; then it no longer will be a daunting task, but rather a happy time during our preparations, thus making the actual days even more so.

Please know that you as you build each year you will adding "a little here, a little there", and all this is part of those Dry Bones coming to life. Yet in the mean time do what HaMoshiach Himself is calling you to do for He knows how fast each of us can move and he appreciates every effort we make that is made to please Him.

Have a good Shabbos and leshana tova tikatevu (May you be inscribed for the New Year),

posted 09-06-2002 03:52 PM         

So..., I have the privilege of responding to your 5th post! First of all let me say, welcome to the forum, and I truly hope you will not shy away from posting, but that not only I, but all those who are seeking Mercy from YaHVeH, will be blessed by your presence! As someone has said, some bless us as they come, other as they leave!
I like your post first of all because it is in agreement with my stance, (smile) and secondly because it would appear that you have some reasoning ability, an attribute that few show these days! I like, no, love to reason with people, as long as they don’t become ignorant! Many make huge jumps in their doctrine with absolutely nothing to back up their doctrine! I have spent too much time as a sinner in times past and being lied to, to fall for that again!

I too am of the conviction that food cooking is not only not a sin, but actually a requirement on the Sabbath! I believe that the Sabbath Feast should be one of the best meals each week!

posted 09-07-2002 12:17 PM         

------------------
In search of Clemency
William

posted 09-18-2002 01:36 PM         

The Sabbath Covenant is the biggest Covenant, or one of the most significant Pacts we can enter into with God. From what we read in Isaiah, we see that the keeping of the Sabbath alone has a huge reward!
Isaiah 56:1 Thus saith YaHVeH, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to YaHVeH, speak, saying, YaHVeH hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus saith YaHVeH unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to YaHVeH, to serve him, and to love the name of YaHVeH, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
8 The Lord YaHVeH which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

It would seem wise to me that if entering this covenant is so significant to Him, that just maybe we should consider the significance of it. We should consider the outcome of our well being and do a little examination as to what is proper for us to do on the Sabbath! After all, if this single act of obedience can change our place of our eternal dwelling, why not make sure that we have this Law down perfect!

Cold Foods

Just what is expected of us on the Sabbath with regards to cooking and eating? Some say that cold food is the only thing allowed, while others say that one can have both food and drink pre-heated prior to the Sabbath, then store it in a thermos and consume this on the Sabbath! While others say that to heat things up, or reheat things, even to the point of adding a can of soup to water and heating it up on the stove, is permissible!

By far, the majority of the people that embrace the doctrine of eating cold foods on the Sabbath, are those that also follow the darkness teaching. Those who say that cooking or heating your food on the Sabbath is a violation of this God’s Fourth Command, I believe that they should abstain from all sources that either produce heat or consume energy! If cooking on the Sabbath is a sin, if that is what the Scriptures really say, then obviously we should obey that command!

Then we should not start our cars on that day, for truly one is lighting a fire within the engine, nor should we drive a car even if we leave it running all night long before the Sabbath, for whenever we accelerate, this is fueling the fire or adding to it!

We should not turn on our stoves either! Not even if we leave them on all night, for first of all, there is a constant use of fuel being used and secondly, we will probably turn up the heat when we want to use it! Furthermore, all lights should remain turned off for the entire duration of the Sabbath! In fact, we should shut off our main hydro breaker that runs into the house, sit still in our homes, eat cold food and drink cold drinks and to keep warm in the cold winter nights, we should use an extra blanket! However walking or running or exercising to keep warm should not be permitted! If we need to walk to an Assembly, we should do so slowly, even if it is cold, and the distance should be no more than two thirds of a mile and that building too should have all the breakers shut off!

Wow, what a wonderful picture of a truly joyous celebration! And oh, to top it all off, when we get together we should argue about issues that are of real importance, such as, whether we should be allowed to heat the baby’s milk or use warm water to bathe it on the Sabbath right after it has had a major juicy mishap! I say we should chop through the ice, and use the water! Hmm, or is chopping through the ice work? We must debate this issue! All this reminds me of what Paul says will come about in the last days!
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

If we look at the Law in it’s simplest form, we read, Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of YaHVeH 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 YaHVeH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YaHVeH blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

This passage would have you rest from whatever you considered to be your livelihood, your career! It most certainly does not instruct us whether or not we are permitted to cook or bake!

If we take a look at another passage, we read;
Exodus 16:23 "This is what YaHVeH has said,'Tomorrow is a rest, a Sabbath set-apart to YaHVeH. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. And lay up for yourselves all that is left over, to keep it until morning."

At first glance this passage would seem to say that they were to bake and to boil today for what they might eat tomorrow. If you are of the mind set that cold food is the way prescribed by the Most High, and furthermore are within a circle who embraces this teaching, it will be impossible for you to see it in any other way, even in light of all the evidence I will present to you! In other words, once people are committed to a certain type of faith or religion, if they then want to change their stance and yet remain within that group, they will most certainly be shunned.

I propose to you that each household knew how much they needed each day and there were certain men who would have to ensure that each person within that tent or clan, would be provided for each day! Each household had an established daily amount of food requirement and it was the task of the gathers to ensure that they had enough. What I am introducing here is that this verse speaks about the total requirement that each family was to take notice of on each Friday. This sum was to equal twice that of all the other day’s harvest.

This verse says that they are to bake and boil whatever they wanted to eat that day, and the rest they are clearly instructed to set aside for tomorrow, “And lay up for yourselves all that is left over, to keep it until morning.” Left over from what? From whatever they did not cook or bake to eat on the sixth day!

The question that begs to be answered is, what constitutes work? Is food preparation, work? In other words does cooking food on the Sabbath violate this fourth Law of God?

When people start their day, (for most this would be after sunrise sometime), and as they cook their breakfast and then proceed to work as in their career, I hardly think that anyone would say, I started the day by working at home! When people go to work for six days out of a week, and then return home to cook their evening meal, although it might seem as a chore, it most certainly does not constitute work! No one can say that they have to go to work as they are about to peel potatoes, or as they throw a roast into the over or as they toss a salad! This is life, not a job!

There are those who work in a kitchen or restaurant for a career, and they most certainly should NOT go to their place of work on Saturday, however to prepare a meal for the family can never be one’s career! It is a chore of necessity!

Taking a look at another verse;
Exodus 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

In the above verse we see the word “prepare” which some have interpreted to mean, “cook or bake”. Everything they brought in on the sixth day, was to be cooked. However if you take a closer look at this passage we see that this can in no way imply that they should cook up all that was brought into their dwelling! When you read it in context, this clearly has to do with establishing the fact that they have twice as much as usual! The word prepare should read, establish! Each household is to establish the amount required for each person for a two day period! In other words God is saying that they were to count the number of people they were gathering for, and then ensure that there would be enough for each member so that no one would be hungry on the Sabbath!
The word in Hebrew is described in the Strong’s as #03559 kuwn {koon}
a primitive root; TWOT - 964; v
AV - prepare 85, establish 58, ready 17, stablish 5, provide 5,...
1) to be firm, be stable, be established
1a) (Niphal)
1a1) to be set up, be established, be fixed
1a1a) to be firmly established
1a1b) to be established, be stable, be secure, be enduring
1a1c) to be fixed, be securely determined
1a2) to be directed aright, be fixed aright, be steadfast
(moral sense)
1a3) to prepare, be ready
1a4) to be prepared, be arranged, be settled
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to establish, set up, accomplish, do, make firm
1b2) to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish
1b3) to direct toward (moral sense)
1b4) to arrange, order
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be established, be fastened
1c2) to be prepared, be ready
1d) (Polel)
1d1) to set up, establish
1d2) to constitute, make
1d3) to fix
1d4) to direct
1e) (Pulal) to be established, be prepared
1f) (Hithpolel) to be established, be restored

We can see that this word can mean, “to establish”, or “to fix”, or, “provide for”, or “to set up”, or “arrange” etc.
In context with the sentence, it would be a better interpretation if it read; Exodus 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall establish, (provide for, arrange) which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
What are they to do??? Ensure that they have twice as much as usual.

This too then is what we should do on Fridays! We should account for all that are coming to the feast and ensure that there will be enough food for all who have indicated that they will be joining us for the feast!

In the above verse, we could use the word prepare as well, but not in the context of having to cook the food a day in advance. If we use the word prepare as in the meaning of readying ourselves, yes! For we should ready ourselves, prepare for the future, but not as in the context of having to eat cold food on the Sabbath Day!

Kindle a fire

One of the hottest issues with regards to the Sabbath is the one of starting a fire and just what constitutes this action! We will first of all examine some passages that address a fire of another kind, one not made of wood burning, yet a flame none the less!

What does it take to; kindle the fire, fuel the flame, spark an interest, set something ablaze, ignite a conversation, heap the coals, cause a flare-up, or instigate strife!

Proverbs 26:21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

In the passage above, we are told that a contentious man is as likely to instigate strife to any hot issue, as adding wood to an existing fire will instigate a roaring blaze. In other words if a fire is already in existence, adding wood to the blaze will only fuel the fire! A man who is bent on arguing will cause a debate to become a raging inferno out of control!

When considering the whole issue of what a Sabbath is to look like especially in the area of the Feast, it is easy to see why God would not want contention in the form of a heated argument! Why? Because this unsettles the entire body of believers to the point that it is no longer a delight for those in attendance! God wants us to be in the state of rehearsal for the bigger picture of the hereafter and it is at these weekly Feasts that we have a chance to banquet with each other, just like it is done in heaven and will be done in the future!

Quarrels are one of the fastest ways to end a friendship! I am not saying that we should never have a debate, however during the Sabbath Feast we should avoid heated issues! It is not the time to be entering into a major debate. Why, because what may seem as a harmless little debate, given the wrong type of characters in attendance, this could soon flare up into a major point of contention to the point that people will be made to feel uneasy, if not cause them to leave the meeting entirely!

Speaking of characters and keeping order, I believe too that this is one of the reasons that women are told not to speak during heated matters or the main meetings! Not at all saying that holy women shouldn’t bring words of praise and encouragement from God, but if you were to throw a contentious woman into the mix, it may well go past the point of a flame, it might become an explosion!

We are told that the peacemakers will be called sons of God, therefore I believe that we should avoid all hot issues during the Feast. However during the week, we could get together and enter into needed debates! We are told that iron sharpens iron and this can only be achieved via interaction with each other! However there are those with whom it is of no point to enter into a conversation, never mind a debate on holy matters!

All of the following verses could have the phrase, “do not kindle a fire”, instead of, “do not cause strife” and they would be in total context. As for contentious issues, we read from the words of our Messiah, that to kindle a fire, or cause strife when we ourselves are not in the position to do such a thing, is pointless!
Matt 7:4 Or how wilt thou “say to” thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye?

In this passage we see the Greek word “eries”, or the English phrase, “to cause strife,” used in such a way so as to imply, “to initiate stress”. Messiah is saying that confrontation of any kind should only be done if and when you have your walk straight! To have a strife filled encounter avails nothing if you are still living at fault! However this passage’s silent statement would say that when you have your walk perfected, then you could and even should correct a brother!

In the following passages we see the same word being used again!

Acts 23:5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
This passage shows that one is not to content improperly against a high priest.

2Cor 12:20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and [that] I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest [there be] debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:
In this passage we see the same Greek word, “ereis” being used to depict, debates
strife, or quarreling!

Gala 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
We again see the word strife used in these passages, and Paul says that those who cause this type of grief, will not be included in Life!

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Here again the same word is used to describe controversies.

Initiating contentious issues is precisely what would fuel a fire to the point that a Feast might no longer be enjoyable by all, especially if you have a contentious man in attendance! I believe that there are those who attend the Assemblies for this very reason! In other words it is their purpose to spoil the fun for everyone! At the end of a day, if they have not fragmented the unity, they do not feel fulfilled! The same can be said about some people who post on these forums, they need contention! Their object is not sound doctrine, but destruction via strife!

I believe that for those who want to inherit Life, they should have the mind-set that if anyone deliberately initiates foolish matters during a Feast Day, that we who have a little wisdom, do not enter into a debate with them during the Spread, after all, this is the day of Rest!

One excellent tool for starting a fire was probably created or invented by the Devil Himself and is known as throwing out accusations! In fact he is known as the accuser of the brethren.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Messiah: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Now I want you to be reminded of this the very next time that you are about to accuse someone of something! You see, what you have to realize is that if you do the things of the Devil, then you are in fact his type or his kind, actually his child!
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

A false accusation is even of a higher violation then just reminding someone of their past sin! For the biggest part, the Devil will speak half truths. This is where he is partially right about the accusation! A False accusation is a blatant manufactured lie about someone!

If ever you confront someone on a misdemeanor, they will inevitably remind you of something that you did wrong in the past! And all of your history, in their eyes, is fair play! In other words, should you ever try and correct someone, they will be sure to be contentious! They will not repent, but rather try and accuse you of some error in the past! Nothing will be sacred, nothing has been dealt with. It as if all you sins come back to haunt you within an instant!

You see, what I have come to realize is that for the biggest part, people do not need forgiveness of their sins, they do not want correction in their errors, all they need is a little mud!

Well this is nothing short of what the Devil likes to do! Phrases such as, “you never” or, “you always”, or “remember when”, were invented for this purpose by Him!

An example of starting a fight might go something like the following!
Say a father asks his son on Friday night, “son, have you washed and vacuumed your car for the Sabbath?” What do you suppose he might say? “But Dad, you never....”.

Or say the father instructs his son that he should not speed! What would his response be? But Dad, you always.....?

Or say a husband asks his wife, saying, “honey, do you know where such and such is”? What do you suppose she might say?
“Right where you left it last, DEAR”, or, “right before your eyes”, or , “why don’t you learn to put things away”, or “here you go DEAR”!

Now things can really escalate quickly if ever the husband tries to correct or remind his wife of something she forgot to do! Say she forgot to buy light bulbs, and this was one of only three things she had to do as an errand while up town! So the husband says, “honey, we really need those bulbs”! What do you think she might say?

She might say, “Well why didn’t you pick them up when you were up town?
Or, “you never remember to pick things up when I ask you to get something, I remember last year when ....”.

You see we all try and vindicate ourselves by the faults of others and have a real difficult time just to say, sorry, and leave things at that! Or better yet, to ask if they would like you to go and get the bulbs now!

Well, when it comes to the Sabbaths, I believe we should purposely avoid the finding of faults or speaking on issues that would cause a heated argument! Not at all meaning that we should not speak sound doctrine, but rather that the preaching comes from the helm, and those wanting to take issue with what has been said, arrange for a separate meeting or do it in such a way that does not cause confrontation! The leader should not be undermined but rather dealt with on a one on one meeting! The entire day should be enjoyable! In conclusion, I believe that we should not kindle a fire on a Feast Day!

An actual Flame

Now as for a few passages that would appear to speak about kindling a fire, as in a wood fire on the Sabbath, we find one such passage in the following Book!

Exodus 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.

From what I could find, this is the only passage that refers to kindling a fire with regards to a Sabbath. As always, we need to read context and try and see what it is that is foul about lighting a fire on the Sabbath Day!

There is a passage in Jeremiah which refers to a fire on the Sabbath but it obviously has nothing to do with us starting a fire, although we might be the cause of it. We need to dismiss this passage as one that does not pertain to the matter at hand! Jeremiah 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.
Here God is saying that He will in fact start a blaze which will consume Jerusalem. It has nothing to do with “US” lighting a fire during the Sabbath while keeping the Feast.

So we are left with only one passage that deals with igniting a fire on the Sabbath! Exodus 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.
Keeping in mind that there are numerous passages pointing to the burning of fires for the sake of roasting and sacrificing, we need to wonder how it is that this Law falls smack in the middle of our table which seems to contradict all logic! Certainly in the form that the Law appears in Ex. 20, we have no indication that lighting a fire is prohibited! However we also know that certain Laws are given clarity in other areas of the writings and often by Prophets, so we will examine this more carefully!!

We know that within the Temple they most certainly fueled a fire during the Feast days. Adding to a fire would have to be done for no fire could burn 24 hours if unattended!

So just maybe the violation of lighting a fire comes when we would have a fire within our homes! In other words, it was fine to have a fire on the Sabbath in the Temple, but maybe never in their own houses! Exodus 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.

I would argue with that teaching, for in consideration of how many passages clearly tell us to avoid quarreling and especially on the Sabbath, without any effort at all, this passage can read, Ex. 35:3 Do not cause strife in your homes on the Sabbath Day. God hates fires and especially within one’s home on the Sabbath Day! This is to be an enjoyable day and one of rest, one without tension.

Have you ever had a bad start to a day? Well, for the biggest part, one’s day starts within one’s home and more often than not, this is where the strife occurs. It doesn’t have to be a huge argument, all one needs to do is push the right button. Well, with regards to the Sabbath, if you bring it with you to the meeting, guess what might be the overwhelming mode for the people involved! That family will have a really hard time worshiping in peace. Worse of all, is the fact that people want to share!

Whether we like it or not, all people influence those around them, not only by their words, but also with their moods! In light of the above, I think we need to pay special attention to our actions within our homes on the Sabbath morning, prior to attending a worship service!

Next, if we look at context, we read only a few verse later how that God only wants those who have a willing heart to be involved in the construction of His Sanctuary!
Exodus 35:5 Take ye from among you an offering unto YaHVeH: whosoever is of a willing heart,.....
Exodus 35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing,.....
Exodus 35:22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted,......
Exodus 35:25 And all the women that were wise hearted....
Exodus 35:26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.
Exodus 35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto YaHVeH, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring......
Exodus 35:31 And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
Exodus 35:34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach,...
35 Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart,....

If you tally the number of times this chapter mentions the idea of a willing heart, I don’t believe there is another passage in the entire Bible that refers to a circumcised heart, a willing heart, a willing spirit, as often as this passage does!

The resounding message through-out this chapter has absolutely nothing to do with lighting a fire in their homes, but rather how God wanted those whose hearts were circumcised to work on His Sanctuary! He did not want quarrels, He wanted them to be UNITED! Not only were they to have a willing heart on the job, but also in their homes! They were to truly have a day of Rest within their dwellings through-out Israel on the Sabbath Day! They were not to cause strife within their homes! God wanted them and still wants us today to have peace in our homes, especially on the Sabbath Day.

What an amazing paradigm, just think about it! We could have an entire sermon on this thought alone! As God is instructing His people to build Him a Dwelling, He tells the people that it is of necessity and appropriate to have it built with willing and clean hands! Willing to do absolutely anything they can, and hands pure from strife, even within their own homes, which by the way is where most of anyone’s strife happens! What a message, I love it! Praise YaH!

Carrying a Load

As for carrying a load, there are several passages that clearly forbid this type of activity! Here is what I have found. The passage in Jeremiah actually includes both the part about kindling a fire as well as carrying a load!

Jeremiah 17:27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
35 And YaHVeH said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

What is significant to note here is that the word stick means,
06086 `ets {ates}
AV - tree 162, wood 107, timber 23, stick 14
1) tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows
1a) tree, trees
1b) wood, pieces of wood, gallows, firewood, cedar-wood, woody flax

I think it is timely at this juncture to say that this man’s activity as recorded in Numbers, did not just involve carrying a couple of sticks in his hands! Why do you suppose the translators inserted the word, “sticks” here? My guess is that they were trying to support the doctrine that was in place at the time of them translating the Bible! The doctrine of dong absolutely nothing on the Sabbath.

I don’t believe there is a single Law of God that has been perverted more often than this fourth Command. This single Law has caused men to make many rules around it and in doing so, has caused them to sin greatly! More man made laws have been invented to try and keep this command, than any other Law of God.

The traditions of men will cause the heathen to blasphemy the Most High even today, because of the silliness of those who call themselves His children!
If the man had been carrying a few sticks, one has to ask himself, just how long these sticks would have caused a fire to burn? Could he have cooked a meal with them?

This man was harvesting wood and in all likelihood, had a huge load which he was hauling into the gates! It might have even been a wagon drawn by a horse. A few sticks could easily have gone undetected! Especially if he suspected that carrying a couple of sticks might result in his death penalty! If he was only carrying a few sticks, I am sure he would have hidden them under his clothes.

The passage in Jeremiah says it better in that it gives us a clearer picture of what a violation of the Sabbath might look like! He says that bearing a burden, and this from outside of the city gates, was the violation! In other words, not only was it a burden, a huge load, but he went a long distance to get it, and then it was witnessed by all to see for he hauled it through the city!

You see, a person could never gather wood from within the city gates, why? Because the forests are without the gates! This passages is not a matter of one stoking a fire or even of one fetching a few pieces of wood from his stock pile! These passages can not possibly mean that we couldn’t lift a log and place it on the fire!

One’s Own Pleasure!

Another passage we need to examine is;
Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

I would like to draw your attention to the word, pleasure.
Pleasure is defined as = 02656 chephets {khay'©fets}
- pleasure 16, desire 12, delight 3, purpose 3,
1) delight, pleasure
1a) delight
1b) desire, longing
1c) the good pleasure
1d) that in which one takes delight

I suppose some might say that if you do anything that pleases you, then you are in violation! These same people who might say these things would try and ensure that you are miserable during the Sabbath. Wearing a smile would be an offense!

I was raised within this environment where everyone wore black to the Sabbath meeting (on Sunday), the men sat on the left and the women on the right side of the church, we sang without instruments, and didn’t speak anything besides hi and bye to each other! Puke! After the meeting each went their own way! What a horrible example of a celebration, a Feast of the Most High!

I believe that the word, “pleasure”, is one’s own thing, that which pleases you and also violates the Sabbath Law! What do you suppose you might be doing which might be considered a violation?

Most people when first introduced to someone new, will ask them what their occupation is! This is especially true with men! They want to size themselves up, one against the other! Once they know what your occupation is, the second thing they might dare ask, is how much you make, then where you live, how big your house is, etc! This all has to do with one’s pleasure! I believe that this passage is addressing one’s occupation! Materialism is alive and well today, and is one of the main reason why anyone would NOT want to obey the Sabbath, they want to do there own pleasure!

I spoke to a local restaurant owner recently, and I tried to witness to him a little as I do everywhere I go! I told him that I would not want to own his business and he immediately inquired why? I told him that first and foremost for me was the uncertainty of me being successful in this town if I wasn’t open on Saturday. I told him that I would suspect that one of the busiest and finest days to own a restaurant would be on a Saturday and I obviously would never be open on the Sabbath Day! He confirmed this and said that if he wasn’t open on Saturdays, he would go bankrupt!

I told him that he wasn’t going to make it to Heaven if he placed money ahead of God’s Laws! He assured me that he wasn’t open for the money primarily, but after all, he had to make ends meet and in the end if he has 10 million set a side, that would be great! His pleasure is his restaurant!

I believe that this passage in Isaiah refers to a man abstaining from his career, his business on YaHVeH’s Day of Rest.

The Nehemiah passage!

One has to wonder how those using this passage to support the sunset law are blind to the issue at hand! If you read this passage, it clearly pin points the sin that these people were involved in, their pleasure!
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.”

On what DAY were they working? Answer, = “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.”

My goodness, this passage certainly has nothing to do with cooking one’s meal on the Sabbath!

This is a beautiful passage to first of all show us what a transgression of the Sabbath looks like and secondly just when the Sabbath begins. It does not say that they were cooking for the Feast and this was a sin for that clearly is not a sin. Not only is cooking on the Sabbath not a sin, we are told to roast on the fire! How can we have a Feast if we do not cook?
The violation of a Sabbath comes by being involved in your pleasure, harvesting one’s fields, one’s career, one’s regular work, merchandising. These guys were carrying on business as usual on the Sabbath DAY.

If we read verse 16 there too we can see that these men wanted to work 12 hours a day seven days a week. 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.”

What is the violation??? Answer = doing your regular business on the seventh DAY!

Verse 19 is a really interesting verse! 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.”

First of all we need to note that it clearly states that “as it began to be dark before the Sabbath”, these men were getting set for business for the following DAY, the Sabbath Day! Strange thing, most teach that as it begins to become dark, the Sabbath has begun, however this clearly shows us that as the evening grew on it was still Preparation Day, before the Sabbath! As I have pointed out before, one could call it Sabbath Eve! However this verse says it clearly, that the sunset did not initiate the beginning of the Sabbath but rather the writer is telling us that he is referring to Friday evening’s activities!

Gates were to be shut at dusk or as it began to get dark, firstly because the night time is not for business and secondly for security! The Temple too had a time for business or rather worship...and a time for rest! The night time was hardly the time to present offerings and sacrifices!
This verse also points out that the gates were to be shut “till after the Sabbath”. This can not possibly mean that on Sabbath Eve they would now allow commerce to commence! Never in anyone’s wildest interpretations could you cause this verse to say that the gates would be opened at sunset Saturday! The gates would remain shut till Sunday sunrise!

In the following verses we see that in fact the gates had a punctual closing!
Joshua 2:5 “And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.”
Ezekiel 46:1 “Thus saith the Lord YaHVeH; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2 And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.”
Malachi 1:10 “Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith YaHVeH of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith YaHVeH of hosts.”
It is clear from the passages above that the time for business is from sunrise to the setting of the sun! We give praise to our Father starting at sunrise and we continue to do so till be lay our heads on the pillow.

Interesting to note here is that the men of Tyre sat there in wait of the Sabbath, they wanted front row tables, the first ones in! It does not say that they started to do business as the sun went down on Friday night!

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.”
What becomes extremely clear here is that these men were lining up for the Sabbath DAY’s affairs!

Nehemiah 13:20 “So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.”
The above verse makes it very clear as well, Nehemiah approached these men... where??? outside the gates!! Now the gates being closed, they were still lining up outside!

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.
The above verse makes it very clear as well, Nehemiah approached these men... why??? Not for selling their wares, but for lodging outside! These men were tempting his people to violate the Sabbath Day because these men were lined up for business for the following day!

Although no violation is made for parking outside of the gates Friday night, Nehemiah was fed up with this temptation and he makes it very clear what will happen to these boys if they show up again! He says he will lay hands on them. The watchmen would have to stand their guard Friday night and make sure that no men were waiting their for the opening of the gates. Then on the Sabbath, they could truly enjoy their day of rest!

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.

Finally Nehemiah tells the people a way in which they can cleanse themselves of this evil and the remedy is rather simple, remove the temptations!

I suppose that those who dare speak such lies as, one should not cook a meal on the Sabbath, these same people would say that it is a sin for a lame man to carry his bed to the Temple!

Keeping the Feast!

I will conclude with a few verse from the New Testament which support the whole idea of having a clean house during the feast!

1 Corinthians 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

Jude 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

First of all we can see that a new disposition was demanded for those who might consider themselves a member of the holy race! The urgency back then as well as today, is to keep the Feast in a worthy manner!

Secondly, we now know that to kindle the fire means to stir the pot! To mess with people’s minds! To be one who disturbs the rest of the Day!

Thirdly, I believe that we should prepare for the Sabbath in two ways! The first and foremost would be to check our demeanor and to ensure that we keep it in check, all the waking hours of the seventh arousal! Our spirits should be that of Messiah’s!

Secondly I believe that we should prepare for the Sabbath in the area of foods, which would involve some preparation so that the Sabbath is a relatively easy day for all! However, cooking is NOT work! We are to cease from our career on the seventh day! We are to make sure we do not cause anyone else to work in their career on the seventh day, but it is not as if we are to fall over and die!

I can’t imagine anyone who lived in tents not lighting a fire on a Sabbath if it was snowing outside, or after a hard rain and everything is either damp or wet! As if God would expect us to stay in our cold wet clothes and in a cold damp tent with only cold water and bread! Some Feast it would be eating cold items and drinking cold drinks and thinking of it as a blessed time with our Father on His Feast! Man, does He ever know how to party!

Ridiculous too is the doctrine of keeping the fire burning all night long! I can just see it, a family who has a really hard time supplying enough wood for the Sabbath, and now because they keep a fire burning all night long for no other reason than to not “start a flame”, they run out of wood during the night! What a waste of resources it is just to have lights on all night, and heating elements on, cars running!

I can also just imagine how rested anyone would be if they had to stoke the fire every half hour, and God forbid, should the fire go out! God help the poor guy who allowed the fire to die! I can see a fire of another kind being kindled already!

In conclusion, I believe that we should do good on the Sabbath and a part of this would be to show hospitality! Messiah shows us that to do good is not a violation! Obviously this does not mean that we need to do good work on our job, our career, for that clearly is a violation on the seventh awaking. Furthermore, it is completely legal to light a fire on the Sabbath and to cook for the day’s needs! Enjoy His Sabbath!! HalleluYAH.

As for actually starting a physical fire on the Sabbath, there is no rule against it from my Father! Not only is it allowed, but mandatory if you truly want to honor Him! After all, how could you have a WILLING OFFERING, roasted on the fire for all to enjoy, if you had no fire!

Those who do not have circumcised hearts or willing spirits, shouldn’t bother lighting a fire or giving an offering for it would only testify against them! Furthermore, God would not accept it! We do not need to think that God is pleased when all we do is eat cold food and have a miserly Sabbath Feast! The Sabbath meal should be the biggest and choicest meal with meats that you honestly enjoy each week!

Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last! Preach the good news people! Out with legalism and in with freedom to worship God with a willing spirit!

posted 09-25-2002 07:06 PM         

Your topic is *very* important Daniel!~

I view the preparation/cooking on Sabbath the same way you do. As for the person who posted you are utmost evil (William), I would say maybe this topic is a bit much for them to post about. They obviously hold this topic in very high esteem in their life. Was it unnecessary the way he responded to your post? Yes it was, but we all make mistakes. I would however, like to see a humble response.

Anyhow, I work for a living and sometimes its very hard to get dinner cooked Friday before sundown, especially when sundown is at 5pm and I might get out of work at 4:59pm. (There's another topic for discussion *chuckle*) So I'd say doing all the preparing on the 6th day and then throwing it all in the oven or on top of the stove on Sabbath is ok, the way I understand scripture.

posted 09-25-2002 08:19 PM         

Welcome to this Website, and I pray that Yahweh will be with you. Thank you for your succinct answer, and hopefully you will share more of your understanding of Sabbath worship and other things that you feel Yahweh would that you share. Please be welcome, and remember we are all here together to bless and to receive blessings, to the honor and glory of Elohim!

------------------
2Corinthians 4: 6
Yahweh's promises
are enablings!