I have noticed that there is a growing number of people who are rejecting the Book of Jubilees and the biggest argument I have heard is “The Book of Jubilees says that anyone who fasts on the Shabbat shall be put to death, and we know that YESHUA and Moses both fasted for 40 days!” I understand your concerns and would like to address the issue in this message. This book along with the Temple Scroll is needed in these last days as we return back to the ancient path.
Jubilees 50:12-13 (James VanderKam translation)
“Any person who DOES WORK: who goes on a trip; who works farmland whether at his home or in any other place; who lights a fire; who rides any animal; who travels the sea by ship; any person who beats or kills anything; who slits the throat of an animal or bird; who catches either a wild animal, a bird, or a fish; WHO FASTS and makes war on the Shabbat day---a person who does any of these things on the Shabbat day is to die…”
On the surface it does appear that we have an apparent contradiction with the rest of the scriptures but lets dig deeper. In VanderKam’s translation there is a colon before we get a list of what is forbidden on the Shabbat.
Jubilees 50:12
“Any person who DOES WORK:
What is the function of a colon? yourdictionary.com says “A colon is a punctuation mark that introduces or POINTS TO OTHER DIRECTLY RELATED TEXTS.” Merriam-Webster dictionary says “a punctuation mark: used chiefly to DIRECT ATTENTION TO MATTER (such as a list, explanation, quotation, or amplification) that follows.” And dictionary.com says “used to mark a major division in sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc…”
So, the context of the list is all pertaining to work and we see the work activities of butchers, fisherman, hunters, and farmers listed here. We know that we cannot work on the Shabbat. Being that we cannot speak about our own interests, work, business, or wealth on Shabbat, is the same way we cannot FAST IN RELATION TO ANY OF THESE THINGS ON SHABBAT. Let’s view the scriptures about not talking about work, business, or wealth on Shabbat.
Isaiah 58:13 (Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing YOUR OWN INTERESTS on My set-apart day; if you call Shabbat a delight, YAHWEH’s set-apart day, WORTH HONORING; then HONOR IT by not doing YOUR USUAL THINGS OR PURSUING YOUR INTERESTS OR SPEAKING ABOUT THEM.”
Damascus Document (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls) page 141-142
Under the section titled “Concerning the Shabbat to observe it according to its law” states “No man shall speak any vain or idle word on the Shabbat Day. He shall make NO LOAN to his companion. He shall make NO DECISION IN MATTERS OF MONEY AND GAIN. HE SHALL SAY NOTHING ABOUT WORK OR LABOR TO BE DONE ON THE MORROW. NO MAN SHALL WALK IN THE FIELD TO DO BUSINESS ON THE SHABBAT.” Verse 15 “No man shall PROFANE THE SHABBAT FOR THE SAKE OF RICHES OR GAIN ON THE SHABBAT DAY.”
4Q Halakhah B (4Q264a) The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls
“No man shall revise the scroll of a book reading its script on the day of Shabbat…But they may read and study it. No man shall make plans with his mouth….on the day of Shabbat. HE SHALL NOT TALK ABOUT ANY MATTER RELATING TO WORK OR WEALTH or…on the day of Shabbat.”
Amos 8:5 (Good News translation)
“You say to yourselves, “We can hardly wait for the set-apart days to be over so that we CAN SELL OUR GRAIN. WHEN WILL THE SHABBAT END, SO THAT WE CAN START SELLING AGAIN? Then we can overcharge, use false measures, and fix the scales to cheat our customers.”
As we see the scriptures are very strict about how we are to observe the Shabbat and the strong stance against even talking about work or gain. Furthermore, we saw in Isaiah 58:13 we are to call the Shabbat a delight and honor that day, yet in Amos we see that the people’s hearts were not right! They weren’t honoring the Shabbat, they didn’t delight in it, they were waiting for Shabbat to end so they could go right back to work! Likewise, the person who is fasting about work related issues or gain on the Shabbat does not have their heart set on honoring YAHWEH’s set-apart day.
Jubilees 2:26
“Now you command the Israelites to observe this day so that they may sanctify it, not do any work on it, and not defile it for it is MORE SET-APART THAN ALL OTHER DAYS.”
James 4:1-3 (Hebrewgospels.com)
“And why is there war among you? Is it not because of your DESIRES/LUSTS which fight in your members? So you desire, but do not receive; and he who takes revenge and stays angry does not profit by it. And why all this? Because you do not pray, and when you do a prayer, it is not answered BECAUSE YOU PRAY WRONGLY.”
They were praying “amiss” for their worldly lusts, likewise one can “fast amiss” for worldly lusts on a day we shouldn’t even be talking or thinking about work, business, or gain.
The Shepherd of Hermas has a scripture relating to fasting, and though it is not specifically about the Shabbat, we can glean from it regarding “fasting amiss” for worldly things.
Shepherd of Hermas (5th Similitude, Chapter 3)
“This fasting,” he (Angel of repentance) continued, “is very good, provided the commandments of YAHWEH be observed. Thus, then, shall you observe the fasting which you intend to keep. First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, AND EVERY EVIL DESIRE, AND PURIFY YOUR HEART FROM ALL THE VANITIES OF THIS WORLD. If you guard against these things, YOUR FASTING WILL BE PERFECT.”
We can safely conclude that YESHUA, Moses, Elijah, Ezra, and Baruch did not fast for any evil desires or vanities of this world; rather, when they fasted it was for revelation, protection, and to further the Kingdom of YAHWEH which would be acceptable on Shabbat! Furthermore, we do not see either of them making a daily habit out of this practice, but when they did it was FOR GOOD!
YESHUA fasted for 40 days as He was getting ready to start His ministry and to bear witness of the truth to the world and to die to free us from all violation of the Torah (Titus 2:14).
John 18:37 (Hebrewgospels.com)
“Then Pilate said to Him, “If so, are you King? YESHUA answered, “You say that I am King. I, for this matter I was born – and because of this I came to the world – to do truthful witness. Every man who is truthful obeys My words.”
Moses received the Torah which is for the entire world and which YAHWEH says will give life:
Leviticus 18:5 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“You are to observe My laws and rulings; if a person does them, He will have LIFE THROUGH THEM; I am YAHWEH.”
Ezekiel 20:11 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“I gave them MY LAWS and showed them My rulings; if a person obeys them, HE WILL HAVE LIFE THROUGH THEM.”
Acts 7:38 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“This the man (Moses) who was in the assembly in the wilderness, accompanied by the angel that had spoken to Him at Mount Sinai and by our fathers, the man who was GIVEN LIVING WORDS TO PASS ON TO US.”
Although Moses did not eat physical food on Mount Sinai he was eating spiritual food as YAHWEH says He is the Fountain of Living Water:
Jeremiah 2:13 (The Complete Jewish Scriptures)
“For My people have committed two evils: they have abandoned Me, the FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER, and dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water!”
The RUACH HA’KODESH is Living Water:
John 7:37-39 (Hebrewgospels.com)
“And in the great day of the Feast, YESHUA stood, calling out and saying, “If any one does come unto me, he will drink; as whosoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘a stream of LIVING WATER will run from his belly.: And He said this concerning RUACH HAKODESH—which those who believe in Him would receive; for He had not yet given the RUACH because YESHUA had not yet come into the light/esteem of the Most High.”
And YESHUA is Bread:
John 6:35 (Hebrewgospels.com)
“Then YESHUA said to them, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE; whosoever comes unto me will not be hungry, and whosoever believes in Me will not have thirst in eternity.”
Moses had spiritual Bread and Water and this food is better than any food on earth! Likewise, I believe that when one is led to fast for the good reasons, I mentioned above that they are receiving the same food as Moses did.
As always may YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!