Welcome and thank you again for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

In Genesis 2:2-3 we find that God had finished His work during those first six days and upon the seventh day He rested from His work:

Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And

by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on

the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day

and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and

made.

In Exodus 19:3 Moses went on Mt. Sinai and God told him "thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel". So the law was given to the Israelites.

Exodus 20:1-2, 8 Then God spoke all these words saying, "I Am the Lord your

God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

…Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy."

Nehemiah 9:13-14 "Then Thou didst come down on Mount Sinai, and didst

speak with them from heaven; thou didst give to them just ordinances and true laws,

good statutes and commandments. So thou didst make known to them thy holy Sabbath,

and didst lay down for them Commandments, statutes, and law, through thy servant

Moses."

So we see the Sabbath was made known to the Israelites as a holy day of rest. But in Jeremiah 31:31-34 the Lord tells Israel that a new covenant is coming and in the book of Hebrews chapter eight we are told not only is this fulfilled, but that the old testament is the copy and the shadow of a better covenant with better promises. Galatians 3:19 says that the Law was added because of sin, until the seed should come! And in verse 16 of that same chapter we see the seed of promise, is Christ! So, by deduction we understand that the Old Testament with the law governing meeting on the Sabbath gives way to the new covenant.

Galatians 3:24-27 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to

Christ, that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer

under a tutor. For you all are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you

who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

So, we see that the Sabbath is the seventh day of rest established by God for the Israelites to keep under a covenant that gave way to the new when the seed of Christ should come. That answers part of our question.

But, does the church meet on the Sabbath today under the new covenant? Jesus was crucified during the seven day Passover feast. The day after the Sabbath (Sunday) they were to take a sheaf from the first fruits of harvest and give it to the priest who would wave it and then offer a one year old unblemished lamb in sacrifice. The feast of Pentecost was to be counted fifty days from the day after the Sabbath or seven weeks plus one which takes us to the first day of the week (Leviticus 23:9-16)

Jesus told the Jews in Mark chapter 9 verse one:

Mark 9:1 And He was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some

who are standing here Who shall not taste of death until they see the kingdom of God

after it has come with power."

So to Acts chapter two we go to see the day of Pentecost (Sunday) come when the power did indeed come from on High. The first gospel sermon was preached and men and women who were baptized were added to The Lord's body. We also have an example of the new testament church gathering and the importance of remembering the Lord's death upon it:

Acts 20:7 And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered

together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day,

and he prolonged his message until midnight.

So we see that the new testament church met on the first day of the week (Sunday) to worship the Lord. Let us too, remember to gather together, not forsaking the assembly, as is the habit of some (Hebrews 10:25), but to encourage each other along this pathway of life, for that crown of righteousness!