Samuel Effah Onwona's Blog
September 29, 2020
The True Sabbath
•The True Sabbath - (Shabath Shalom)•
Exodus 20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Sabbath means rest. We hear people argue: the Sabbath is Saturday, others say it is Sunday. People are still dwelling in past truth. People are still relating to God in shadows and types and figures. Some people even say if you don’t worship God on Saturday, you can’t make it to heaven, is this true?
This Sabbath day we are to remember and guard it in its sanctity has the token of the signature of Messiah - the Aleph Tav (את) hidden from our other translations (Remember the (את) Sabbath day, and guard it sanctified - Shemoth/Exodus 20:8).
Understand that the Sabbath given in the TaNaKh was a shadow of something better to come - the Redemption we have in Messiah. Those who argue about Sabbath observance as prerequisite to enter Elohiym’s kingdom also quote Genesis which says, God rested on the seventh day, blessed and made it special or sanctified - “qadash” - separated from the others onto God (Gen 2:2-3). This Seventh day Elohiym blessed or respected has the signature of the Aleph Tav (את) in the Hebrew text (Bereshiyth/Genesis 2:3) which indicates that the day actually points to the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach - the Aleph (Alpha) and the Tav (Omega), the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, and the Work He did to redeem man from the bondage and slavery of sin.
If you should ask, why is it the seventh day of all the days and not any of them? In Hebrew, the number seven stands for that which is perfect, complete - ready for harvest (the Hebrew letter “zayin” which stands for a tool for harvest). God rested on the seventh day to describe to us how perfect and complete the Atoning Work of our Messiah is.
In the New Covenant, our Sabbath is NOT a day, it doesn’t point to a day, our Sabbath is a Person and our Position in this Person, and His Name is Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ). The Old Covenant Sabbath was only a shadow of the GREATER REST Father prepared for His children in Christ. Remember Jesus on the cross said, “IT IS FINISHED”, the same way God finished the work and rested on the seventh day - He said that to commemorate the perfect completion of the work He has been assigned to accomplish - work through death and resurrection to redeem us from death, His victory was shown through the resurrection from the dead.
I always tell people that the story of creation is not just a mere story, it contains the work of God in saving man - God’s salvation plan was revealed in the creation story. His rest from the work of creation on the seventh day was a sign or token to show us that He has done a perfect job in the redemption or salvation of man through the harvest of Messiah and those who are in Him from the dead called resurrection.
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Jesus did a perfect job in redeeming man from sin, death and slavery and said it is finished to signify that the work is perfect and complete. Anyone who has come to Christ Jesus is in Rest because Christ is TRUE DEFINITION OF REST. If you are in Christ, you are in Rest: you don’t require a day to rest, in fact you rest every moment of your life because you are in Rest - the Freedom from the labour, slavery and toil of sin and death. Anyone outside Christ is still in labour - a laborer to the captivity of sin, death and the power of darkness. So the Sabbath given in the TaNaKh was a type of Jesus Christ Who has given the PERFECT REST to believers by His finished redemptive work. It is not about a day (Colossians 2:16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ): it is not about Saturday or Sunday; it is about a Person and the Position Father has brought us, and His Name is Jesus Christ. Kavod!!! We should not let anyone intimidate us with some sacrifices, some ceremonies, celebrations, sabbath days, all these in the TaNaKh (Old Testament Books) were figures of what was done and received in Yeshua (Jesus).
Hebrews 4:8. for if Joshua had given them rest, He would not concerning another day have spoken after these things; 9. there doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest to the people of God (YLT).
Watch this, the context of Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 speaks of how some of the Israelites were not able to enter into the rest because of unbelief, and the writer even warns his audience from falling into this same unbelief and reject the Son through Whom this Rest is received. This rest Father granted them through Joshua to enter the land of Canaan was a type of how we believers also enter Rest In Christ, our Redeemer and Savior Who is typified by Joshua in the TaNaKh. Many who were not able to enter the promised land did not because they didn’t believe God, and therefore died in the wilderness in their journey. Those who entered did not receive the ultimate rest, in that, Father was prophesying about what will be received in Christ ultimately, and that is why after the entrance into Canaan, Father spoke yet again of an ultimate rest (Hebrews 4:8). Thank Father that we believers have received this ultimate rest in Yeshua Messiah through faith in His Work. This Rest is our Freedom.
Now we don’t work to gain God’s favor or approval to enter this ultimate rest as believers: it is available in us in Christ - God gave us this favor and rest in Messiah for us to work for Him - you will notice that they were not to do anything to their own pleasure on the Old Testament Sabbath, we who have received this Sabbath Rest in the Messiah don’t live for ourselves or our interest, we live for the pleasure, service and the interest of Father - He (talking about Messiah) died for all that they who live should not live for themselves but unto Him who died and rose again (2Cor 5:15). We have been freed from the labor or work of sin and death’s captivity and snare to work the Work of God and manifest Him.
We have been given rest from every labor or toil that came on man because of Adam’s disobedience: talk about sin, fear, bondage, curse, death, poverty, depravity, sickness and weakness. The life of YHWH (Yahweh) is restored in us, we have power and authority, we are conquerors and victors.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy; let’s remember what Yeshua has done for us, guard it, respect it, esteem it and enjoy it. Remember the rest He has given us, reckon and acknowledge the essence of this rest and walk and live to express this freedom we have received in Him. Hallel Yah.
Samuel Effah Onwona
Exodus 20:8. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Sabbath means rest. We hear people argue: the Sabbath is Saturday, others say it is Sunday. People are still dwelling in past truth. People are still relating to God in shadows and types and figures. Some people even say if you don’t worship God on Saturday, you can’t make it to heaven, is this true?
This Sabbath day we are to remember and guard it in its sanctity has the token of the signature of Messiah - the Aleph Tav (את) hidden from our other translations (Remember the (את) Sabbath day, and guard it sanctified - Shemoth/Exodus 20:8).
Understand that the Sabbath given in the TaNaKh was a shadow of something better to come - the Redemption we have in Messiah. Those who argue about Sabbath observance as prerequisite to enter Elohiym’s kingdom also quote Genesis which says, God rested on the seventh day, blessed and made it special or sanctified - “qadash” - separated from the others onto God (Gen 2:2-3). This Seventh day Elohiym blessed or respected has the signature of the Aleph Tav (את) in the Hebrew text (Bereshiyth/Genesis 2:3) which indicates that the day actually points to the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach - the Aleph (Alpha) and the Tav (Omega), the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, and the Work He did to redeem man from the bondage and slavery of sin.
If you should ask, why is it the seventh day of all the days and not any of them? In Hebrew, the number seven stands for that which is perfect, complete - ready for harvest (the Hebrew letter “zayin” which stands for a tool for harvest). God rested on the seventh day to describe to us how perfect and complete the Atoning Work of our Messiah is.
In the New Covenant, our Sabbath is NOT a day, it doesn’t point to a day, our Sabbath is a Person and our Position in this Person, and His Name is Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ). The Old Covenant Sabbath was only a shadow of the GREATER REST Father prepared for His children in Christ. Remember Jesus on the cross said, “IT IS FINISHED”, the same way God finished the work and rested on the seventh day - He said that to commemorate the perfect completion of the work He has been assigned to accomplish - work through death and resurrection to redeem us from death, His victory was shown through the resurrection from the dead.
I always tell people that the story of creation is not just a mere story, it contains the work of God in saving man - God’s salvation plan was revealed in the creation story. His rest from the work of creation on the seventh day was a sign or token to show us that He has done a perfect job in the redemption or salvation of man through the harvest of Messiah and those who are in Him from the dead called resurrection.
Matthew 11:28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Jesus did a perfect job in redeeming man from sin, death and slavery and said it is finished to signify that the work is perfect and complete. Anyone who has come to Christ Jesus is in Rest because Christ is TRUE DEFINITION OF REST. If you are in Christ, you are in Rest: you don’t require a day to rest, in fact you rest every moment of your life because you are in Rest - the Freedom from the labour, slavery and toil of sin and death. Anyone outside Christ is still in labour - a laborer to the captivity of sin, death and the power of darkness. So the Sabbath given in the TaNaKh was a type of Jesus Christ Who has given the PERFECT REST to believers by His finished redemptive work. It is not about a day (Colossians 2:16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ): it is not about Saturday or Sunday; it is about a Person and the Position Father has brought us, and His Name is Jesus Christ. Kavod!!! We should not let anyone intimidate us with some sacrifices, some ceremonies, celebrations, sabbath days, all these in the TaNaKh (Old Testament Books) were figures of what was done and received in Yeshua (Jesus).
Hebrews 4:8. for if Joshua had given them rest, He would not concerning another day have spoken after these things; 9. there doth remain, then, a sabbatic rest to the people of God (YLT).
Watch this, the context of Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 speaks of how some of the Israelites were not able to enter into the rest because of unbelief, and the writer even warns his audience from falling into this same unbelief and reject the Son through Whom this Rest is received. This rest Father granted them through Joshua to enter the land of Canaan was a type of how we believers also enter Rest In Christ, our Redeemer and Savior Who is typified by Joshua in the TaNaKh. Many who were not able to enter the promised land did not because they didn’t believe God, and therefore died in the wilderness in their journey. Those who entered did not receive the ultimate rest, in that, Father was prophesying about what will be received in Christ ultimately, and that is why after the entrance into Canaan, Father spoke yet again of an ultimate rest (Hebrews 4:8). Thank Father that we believers have received this ultimate rest in Yeshua Messiah through faith in His Work. This Rest is our Freedom.
Now we don’t work to gain God’s favor or approval to enter this ultimate rest as believers: it is available in us in Christ - God gave us this favor and rest in Messiah for us to work for Him - you will notice that they were not to do anything to their own pleasure on the Old Testament Sabbath, we who have received this Sabbath Rest in the Messiah don’t live for ourselves or our interest, we live for the pleasure, service and the interest of Father - He (talking about Messiah) died for all that they who live should not live for themselves but unto Him who died and rose again (2Cor 5:15). We have been freed from the labor or work of sin and death’s captivity and snare to work the Work of God and manifest Him.
We have been given rest from every labor or toil that came on man because of Adam’s disobedience: talk about sin, fear, bondage, curse, death, poverty, depravity, sickness and weakness. The life of YHWH (Yahweh) is restored in us, we have power and authority, we are conquerors and victors.
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy; let’s remember what Yeshua has done for us, guard it, respect it, esteem it and enjoy it. Remember the rest He has given us, reckon and acknowledge the essence of this rest and walk and live to express this freedom we have received in Him. Hallel Yah.
Samuel Effah Onwona
September 18, 2020
JOSEPH, A TYPE OF CHRIST OUR SALVATION
As far as Joseph was living, the Israelites were free. Joseph is one person who typifies Yeshua Messiah. If you look at how he was betrayed by his brothers, it is the same way Jesus was betrayed by His Hebrew brothers. Joseph was sold into slavery; the same way Jesus was sold by Judas Iscariot. Joseph was put into a dungeon (prison) for a sin he didn’t commit; Jesus died and went to hell for sins he did commit. Joseph was released finally; the same way Jesus resurrected from the dead. When Joseph was released, He was made the second in command; the same way when Jesus resurrected, He ascended into heaven and was made to sit in the authority of God the Father.
Jesus is the Benjamin (“Binyamiyn” in Hebrew which means Son of My Right Hand), the Right Hand of God. Jesus is the Authority of God.
You realized that as far as Joseph was alive, the Israelites had freedom in Egypt; the same way believers have freedom as far as Yeshua Messiah is alive, and fortunately Yeshua lives forever. The good thing is that Yeshua, our Joseph does not die, so our freedom is eternal.
Our freedom and redemption have no end. Believers’ Salvation does not expire, our Joseph (Yeshua Messiah) lives forever and our salvation is forever and eternal, it is not temporal.
When the Israelites were in Egypt (“Mitsrayim”), they settled at Goshen – they were given this land because of Joseph. This also draws a beautiful picture of where we believers are on earth, even though we are in the world, we are not of the world, we are in a Heaven on earth - that is the position Jesus Christ has put us. Mitsrayim literally means troubles, press or enemy (it is from the Hebrew root word “tsar” which means to press, abstractly means trouble, and concretely means an enemy – as in one who presses, one who brings trouble, and this meaning is evident in the Scriptures throughout the life and journey of the Israelites). We are forever in Goshen. The word Goshen is from three Hebrew letters (גשן) reading from right to left – gimel which is the picture of a camel or the foot meaning transportation or carrying; shin which is a picture of two front teeth depicting the consuming fire, destruction or pressing; nun which is a picture of a seed, depicting son, heir, continuation of generation. Combining the meanings of the letters, we have “CARRYING THE CONSUMING FIRE OF THE SON” or “BEING TRANSPORTED BY THE CONSUMING FIRE OF THE SON.” It is the Spirit of the Son that has sealed us unto our eternal redemption. It is by the Spirit of Yeshua that we cry Abba Father. We are sons of the Most High Elohiym.
Believers since we are carrying the Dedicated Spirit of the Son is eternally saved. Jesus is the Author of eternal salvation not temporal salvation (Heb 5:9), and since Yeshua lives forever, we are eternally saved in Him. Jesus is the epitome of Salvation, as far as He lives, those of us in Him are eternally saved and secured in Him. Wherever we find ourselves, because of our position in the Messiah, we are forever for Him – carrying His Spirit, and Him carrying us. We are not afraid even in this world because we know that even though we are in this world, we are not of this world – we forever belong to Heaven. Kavod!!!
Back to the Garden of Eden
