"Celebrate the Shabbat!"
“Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work it is a Sabbath to YHWH in all your dwellings. -- Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:3
A DAY OF REST -WHAT A WONDERFUL GIFT!
Elohim gave us the Shabbat (Hebrew: Sabbath) 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 re-focus on Elohim. 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 Havdalah service.
Unfortunately, the celebration of the Sabbath is a tradition that has been lost to many Believers. The celebration is an excellent teaching tool about Elohim and His plans for humanity, and a wonderful "family time" as well. This will provide basic information to help you to celebrate the Shabbat.
HISTORY OF THE SHABBAT
The Sabbath was the first festival to be outlined by Elohim to Moshe in the book of Vayikra. It was the first festival observed by Elohim Himself in the book of Bereshit (Genesis), as well as being the first to be observed by man, even before the revelation at Mount Sinai when the other festivals were commanded. The Shabbat is a time of rest and is a Picture of the Bride (Elohim's people) resting with the Bridegroom, Yeshua (Jesus). It is very symbolic of the ultimate fulfillment of the Shabbat -- the 1000-year rest (the Millennium).
In ancient Yisrael eschatology, it was believed that time was a seven thousand year period, starting with the creation of the Heavens and the Earth in Bereshit 1 and ending with the Messianic Kingdom in years 6000 - 7000 (Revelation 21). Time was divided into three stages of 2000 years: Years 1-2000 (after the fall) called Tohu or desolation, years 2000-4000 called Torah, or instruction (after the giving of the law), and years 4000-6000 called Y'mot Mashiach, or days of the Messiah (starting with the Messiah's birth in the 4000th year). We are currently in this time period. In the 6000th year the Messianic Kingdom is thought to begin until year 7000, when the Olam Haba or eternity will begin. Ancient Rabbis saw the 7 days of a week as a pattern of the seven thousand year plan of Elohim. They believed that the Shabbat was a picture of the Messianic Kingdom, which we refer to as the Millennium.
SHABBAT EVE CELEBRATION (Erev Shabbat)
The Shabbat 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 Elohim, our family, rest and rejuvenation.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO CELEBRATE!
A pair of candle holders with two white candles and matches
Wine or grape juice with glasses
A pitcher of water, a bowl and a towel
Two loaves of bread (challah is traditional)
A salt shaker
A nice napkin to cover the bread
A special dinner
HOW TO CELEBRATE
Traditionally, the man and woman lead their family in celebration of the Shabbat, 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 Shabbat, it is useful and edifying to read the explanations aloud as the celebration is being performed.
Shabbat evening usually finds everyone in their best clothes, and at this time the head of the house puts on his kippah and tallit, which signifies that he is in his “prayer closet”. The kippah, tallit, and the tzitzit (fringes) were given to us by Elohim to remind us that we are under the authority of Elohim. The woman usually puts a prayer scarf or tallit over her hair, signifying that she is in her “prayer closet”, and further signifies that she too is under authority; the authority of her husband.
WOMAN
1. Preparation Prayer
(The preparation prayer is spoken by the woman before lighting the Shabbat 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.)
Adonai, we thank You for the blessings of Your rest and peace this evening. May the Ruach HaKodesh 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 Ruach upon us as we partake of Your Shabbat, 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 HaMashiach we pray. Amen.
2. Lighting the Candles
(As the woman lights the candles, remember that Elohim chose another woman, Mary, to bring forth "The Light of the World" (John 8:12).)
As I light our Shabbat candles to fulfill the commandment to set apart this special gift of Shabbat, may we be reminded that it is the light of Messiah that shines in us and our home. As I draw the light into myself, and cover my eyes in preparation to say the blessing, may we be reminded that it is His light that opens our eyes, and allows us to see His truths.
(The woman lights the candles, then waves her hands three times over them, drawing the light to her. She then covers her eyes and recites the following blessing)
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b'mitz-votav, uv’dahm Yeshua HaMashiach, v'tzinvanu l'hadlik neyr shel Shabbat
Blessed are You, Adonai our Elohim, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah, and has commanded us to kindle the Shabbat lights
(Her hands are now removed from her eyes, and she takes a moment to gaze at the candles, completing the mitzvah of lighting the candles. Shabbat has now begun).
The first candle represents creation. "In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be." -- Bereshit 1:1, 3.
The second candle represents redemption. Yeshua said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness, but possess the light of life.” -- Yohanon (John) 8:12.
Let’s pray: May it be Your will, Adonai our Elohim, to be gracious to me and my husband and my children, and to all my family, crowning our home with the feeling of Your divine presence dwelling among us. Make me worthy to raise learned children and grandchildren who will dazzle the world with Your Torah and with goodness. Ensure that the glow of your face will continue to shine in our lives. In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach I pray. Amen.
(The woman may now pray silently for her children.)
3. Blessings for the Wife
(The man lays his hands upon his wife as he asks the Adonai's blessing upon her.)
Who does find a capable wife? For she is worth far more than rubies.
The heart of her husband shall trust her, And he has no lack of gain.
She shall do him good, and not evil, All the days of her life.
She shall seek wool and flax, And with delight she works with her hands.
She shall be as the ships of Tarshish, She brings in her food from afar.
She also rises while it is still night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her girls.
She shall consider a field and buy it; From her profits she shall plant a vine- yard.
She shall gird herself with strength, And strengthen her arms.
She shall taste when her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out by night.
She shall stretch out her hands to the distaff, And her hand shall hold the spindle.
She shall extend her hand to the poor, And she shall reach out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is dressed in scarlet.
She shall make tapestry for herself; She is dressed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
She shall make fine linen and sell them, And shall give girdles for the merchants.
Strength and splendor are her garments, And she rejoices in time to come.
She shall open her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the Torah of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children shall rise up and call her blessed; Her husband too, and he praises her:
“Many daughters have done nobly, But you have risen over them all.”
Loveliness is deceptive And prettiness is vain, A woman who fears YHWH is to be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:10-31)
Adonai, I thank You for Your blessing of ____________ to me. I ask that You bless her. Remove all fear and doubt from her heart and mind. Fill her with Your Ruach HaKodesh, and grant her Your shalom, Your peace that surpasses all understanding. I ask that You guide her steps and guard her path from hasatan. Let her know that I am committed to You, and I am committed to her. In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach I pray. Amen.
4. Blessings for the Husband
(The woman lays her hands upon her husband as she asks the Adonai's blessing upon him.)
Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong,
And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers,
But his delight is in the Torah of YHWH, And he meditates in His Torah day and night.
For he shall be as a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That yields its fruit in its season,
And whose leaf does not wither, And whatever he does prospers.
The wrong are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind blows away.
Therefore the wrong shall not rise in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For YHWH knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wrong comes to naught. (Tehillim (Psalms) 1:1-6)
Adonai, I thank You for Your blessing of ____________ to me. I ask that You bless him and remove all fear and doubt from his heart and mind. Give him wisdom in his role as husband, father, and priest of our home. Grant him Your shalom, Your peace that surpasses all understanding and fill him with Your Ruach HaKodesh. I ask that You guide his steps and guard his path from hasatan. Let him know that I am committed to You, and I am committed to him. In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach I pray. Amen.
5. Blessings for the Children
(The man lays his hands upon each child as he asks Adonai's blessing upon him/her.)
(boys) May Elohim bless you and make you like Ephraim and Menashe
(girls) May Elohim bless you and make you like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah,
May YHWH bless you and keep you.
May YHWH make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you.
May YHWH turn His face toward you, and give you His peace.
May the Ruach of Adonai rest upon you,
The Ruach of wisdom and understanding,
The Ruach of counsel and power,
The Ruach of the knowledge and fear of Adonai.
Adonai, I thank You for the blessing of _______________. I ask that You guide his (her) footsteps and guard his (her) path from hasatan. I ask that You build his (her) character in Your likeness, in truth, honor and light. I ask that You remove fear from ________________ and fill him (her) with Your Ruach HaKodesh. May you make him like Ephraim and Menashe (make her like Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and, Leah). In the Name of Yeshua HaMashiach I pray, Amen.
6. Wine
(The cup is held at the base by the fingers, causing them to point upward. They represent the children of Elohim, reaching up and longing for Him. It is interesting to note that when Yeshua "gave thanks" as in Mattiyahu (Matthew) 26:27, he most likely said the same ancient blessing used here.)
The wine symbolizes joy, and when we lift the cup of wine and recite the blessing, we are really thanking Elohim for all the joy He gives. We have much to be thankful for. With the coming of Shabbat, we have a chance to rest and rejuvenate, and to be spiritually uplifted. But or greatest joy comes from the fact that Yeshua is our Messiah, and in Him we have life! So, let us raise our cup of joy to express to each other, and to Adonai, the joy we have by faith in Messiah.
The wine also symbolizes Yeshua's shed blood. In Mattiyahu 26:27, Yeshua "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 p’ree ha-gofen
Blessed are You, Adonai our Elohim, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(Everyone drinks of the wine.)
7. Washing
Water is used figuratively throughout Scripture to represent the Ruach HaKodesh (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 "Yeshua").
John 7:37: On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua 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 Ruach, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b'mitz-votav, al nee-tee-lat yah-day-eem.
Blessed are You, Adonai our Elohim, King of the universe, who has sanctified us through Your commandments and instructed us concerning the washing of hands.
Adonai, we dedicate our hands and ourselves to You.
(The man pours water from the pitcher for everyone to wash their hands.)
8. Bread
In Vayikra 24:5-9, bread was to be set on the altar each Shabbat as a lasting covenant. The two loaves on the table are symbolic of the double portion of manna which Elohim provided on Fridays for the children of Yisrael when they wandered in the wilderness. The bread is covered with a cloth, which symbolizes the dew that was around the camp when the Yisraelites woke up in the desert. When the dew evaporated, the manna, Elohim's provision of bread was on the ground.
Traditionally, Challah (pronounced "Halla") is used as the bread. Challah is braided bread formed by braiding strips of dough. This braid is said to represent folded arms, as in rest.
The bread represents Yeshua, the Bread of Life. Yeshua 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." -- Yohanon 6:51.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheynu melech ha-olam, ha-motzee lechem min ha-aretz
Blessed are You, Adonai our Elohim, King of the universe, who brings forth the bread from the earth.
(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 Bereshit 3:19: "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food.")
9. The Dinner is served.
(A special dinner should be served)
10. Grace after the meal
(Devarim (Deuteronomy) 8:10 says, "When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise YHWH your Elohim 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 Ruach HaKodesh as we continue to enjoy Your Shabbat, Your rest. I thank You in the Name of Yeshua, HaMashiach. Amen.
11. Rest!
(The remainder of the evening and the next day, until sundown, are for rest and enjoying Elohim's world!)
