God gave us the Sabbath (Hebrew: Shabbat) as a day of rest and rejuvenation, a day to enjoy His creation and focus on Him. Shabbat means "to rest". How many times in our busy lives we don't take time for needed rest! The pace of life today is much faster than it's ever been. Today's families seem to never have enough time to spend together. Celebrating the Sabbath provides time to unwind, be with family and refocus on God. The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening and lasts until sundown on Saturday evening. The Friday evening meal (Erev Shabbat or "Sabbath Eve") is very special and celebrates entering into Sabbath rest. Saturday evening it is customary to celebrate the close of the Sabbath with the Havdallah service. Unfortunately, the celebration of the Sabbath is a tradition that has been lost to many Christians. The celebration is an excellent teaching tool about God and His plans for humanity, and a wonderful "family time" as well. This will provide basic information to help you to celebrate the Sabbath.

As you look at and contemplate maybe doing a Sabbath observance, there is no absolute biblical way to do it. So feel free to use it to teach yourself as well as those of your family. Always remember in the following verse that the subject not allowing men to judge you on how you keep and observe those things. That was not and is not the purpose of participating in the above. It is a shadow of the coming millennial kingdom of Messiah.

So don't let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or [Rosh-Hodesh] or [Shabbat]. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah. Col 2:16 - 17 (CJB)

The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening (Erev Shabbat or "Sabbath Eve"). The Friday evening meal is very special and celebrates entering into Sabbath rest. At this time, the focus should turn from the activities of the week and should center on God, our family, rest and rejuvenation.

Traditionally, the man and woman lead their family in celebration of the Sabbath, however anyone can perform the service. The steps are numbered in the order that they should be performed. Explanations for each step are included in parenthesis. For people not familiar with celebrating the Sabbath, it is useful and edifying to read the explanations aloud as the celebration is being performed.

Preparation Prayer (The preparation prayer is spoken by the woman before lighting the Sabbath candles. Traditionally, the woman covers her head with a scarf while lighting the candles. A small pair of candles may also be lit by a daughter, as she learns from her mother.) Heavenly Father, we thank You for the blessings of Your rest and peace this evening. Holy Spirit, be with us as we partake of this Sabbath. Fill our hearts and minds with Your shalom, Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Guide each of us that we may bless one another with our words and actions. We ask Your blessing over our home and family. Pour out Your Spirit upon us as we partake of Your Sabbath, Your rest. May our home, our hearts and our minds be used by You to bring the news that Your Messiah has come, has risen and will come again! In the name of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, we pray. Amen.

Lighting the Candles (As the woman lights the candles remember that God chose another woman, Mary, to bring forth "The Light of the World" (John 8:12).

Lord, I thank You for the blessing of this child. I ask that You fill him/her with Your Holy Spirit and guard his/her footsteps. I ask that You guard his/her path from Satan. I ask that You build his/her character in Your likeness, in truth, honor and light. I ask that You remove fear from this child and fill him/her with Your Holy Spirit. In the name of Yeshua Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, I pray, Amen.

(The cup is held at the base by the fingers, causing them to point upward. They represent the children of God, reaching up and longing for Him. It is interesting to note that when Jesus "gave thanks" as in Matthew 26:27, he most likely said the same ancient blessing used here.) The wine symbolizes Jesus' shed blood. In Matthew 26:27, Jesus "took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'"

        Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, boaray peree ha-gofen

        Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit
        of the vine. (Everyone drinks of the wine.)
 

WASHING WITH WATER

Water is used figuratively throughout Scripture to represent the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 44:3: For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. Isaiah 12:3: With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (salvation in Hebrew is "Y’shua"). John 7:37: On the last and greatest day of the Feast, (Day eight of Tabernacles) Y’hshua stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us through Your commandments and instructed us concerning the washing of hands. We dedicate our hands and ourselves to You. (The man pours water from the pitcher for everyone to wash their hands.)

In Leviticus 24:5-9, bread was to be set on the altar each Sabbath as a lasting covenant. The two loaves on the table are symbolic of the double portion of manna which God provided on Fridays for the children of Israel when they wandered in the wilderness. The bread is covered with a cloth, which symbolizes the dew that was around the camp when the Israelites woke up in the desert. When the dew evaporated, the manna, God's provision of bread was on the ground. Traditionally, Challah (pronounced "Halla") is used as the bread (see related recipe). Challah is a braided bread formed by braiding strips of dough. This braid is said to represent folded arms, as in rest. ) The bread represents Jesus, the Bread of Life. Jesus said "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." -- John 6:51.

(Starting with the man, everyone breaks off a piece of bread to eat. A tradition is to sprinkle a little salt on the second bite, recalling Genesis 3:19: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.")

A special dinner should be served. The meal was prepared the day before so no work is done on the Sabbath. This is a time for the best china to be set out and everyone dresses for dinner. Things not to be discussed are financial matters and discussions about jobs.

Deuteronomy 8:10 says, "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you".

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the blessings You have given us. I thank You for the blessing of this family to me. I ask that You strengthen our love for each other and that You fill us with Your Holy Spirit as we continue to enjoy Your Sabbath, Your rest. I thank You in the name of Yeshua, Ha Mashiach, Jesus the Messiah, who came, died for our salvation, was raised from the dead and will return to receive all who call upon His Name. Amen.