Did God command worship in the Temple every Sabbath?
Question:
Was worship in the temple on every Sabbath day each week a tradition that got started somewhere along the way? I ask because I can’t find anywhere in Scripture that God established weekly worship on Saturday. The sabbath was simply a day of rest.
Thank you.
Answer:
"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations--My appointed times are these: For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings'" (Leviticus 23:2-3).
"Convocation" is an assembly or meeting. The holy convocations for the three major feasts were held at the tabernacle and later at the temple in Jerusalem. The location of the weekly holy convocations was not specified, and this was likely one reason local synagogues were built after the captivity. Only the three major feasts required all male Jews to travel to the tabernacle (or temple).
