26 The Seventh Day Rest is an Abomination When Not Set Apart (26 Ezekiel 22)
The Seventh-Day rest—a call to cease—remains one of the Bible’s most disputed and divisive themes. In a world—and a assembly of believers —accustomed to constant striving, the seventh day still asks a disruptive question: What does it mean to stop because YHWH/God said to?
The Seventh Day Rest (later known as Sabbath or Shabbat), sits at the crossroads of devotion, doctrine, and dispute. For some, it is a creation-rooted rhythm meant for all humanity; for others, a covenant sign given uniquely to Israel; for many Christians, a shadow fulfilled and set aside in Christ. Pastors, theologians, rabbis, historians, and everyday believers often speak past one another, each convinced the matter is settled—yet rarely at peace about it.
This series approaches the Seventh Day Rest as a ceasefire moment: a pause not only from labor, but from inherited assumptions and theological hostilities. Rather than beginning with denominational conclusions, we begin where Scripture begins—listening carefully from Genesis to Revelation. The aim is not to win an argument, but to quiet the noise long enough to let the biblical text speak for itself, and to see whether the call to rest has always been less about identity markers and more about trusting YHWH’s word, submitting to His authority, remembering His works, and entering the rest He Himself sanctified..
Scripture: Ezekiel 22:8, 26
v2-3
"You, son of man, will you judge? Will you judge the bloody city? Then cause her to know all her abominations. You shall say, ...
v8
You have despised my holy things, and have profaned my Sabbaths.
v26
Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths. So I am profaned among them.
Define:
- Abomination = something morally disgusting, detestable, or abhorrent, especially in ritual or ethical contexts before God
- Holy = set apart for service to YHWH
- Common = Something that is not set apart for God; ordinary, non-sacred, accessible to anyone.
- Clean = Ritually and morally pure; permitted to approach God’s presence or be used in sacred service.
- Unclean = Ritually impure; defiling; must be kept away from the sanctuary and holy things until purified
- Profane = ḥillēl (חָלַל) literally to make common/ordinary something that is holy
- SabbathS - Appointed Time
- Unclean, Common, Clean, Holy
- Law = Torah instruction or teaching
Who:
- You = the city of Jerusalem, it's inhabitance and it's priests. Manly the House of Judah
What:
- Listed among the abominations of "Jerusalem":
- despised holy/set apart things
- made common YHWH's SabbathS (set apart days of rest)
- Priests have done violence to YHWH teaching and instructions
- Priests made common things made set apart/ holy by YHWH
- Priests have made no distinction between what YHWH has set apart/holy and common
- Priests have cause the other inhabitants of Jerusalem to make no distinction between what YHWH has impure and defiled from the pure
- Priests have hidden from the inhabitants of Jerusalem YHWH's Sabbaths
When:
Why:
- Because of all the abominations by the Priests, YHWH is now common and ordinary to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Findings
The Sabbath is not for a "Christian":
- Christians do not exist yet.
It is a Jewish thing:
- The "Jews" (followers of Judaism) referred to in the New Testament do not exist yet.
- At this time the inhabitants of Jerusalem - those living in the city would later become known as "Jews." They were the remnant of Judah from the tribe of Judah, Benjamin, and some Levites known as the House of Judah
Jesus replaced the Sabbath:
- Not yet.
- Note: YHWH has made it very clear that HE has set apart these Sabbaths and that if man does not do so, it is an abomination. The only way the Sabbath could be replaced is by YHWH.
Other Notes:
- Spoken of outside the Ten Words aka Ten Commandments