Charlie Kirk was indeed one of a kind. He was courageous. He thought independently. He spoke out. He was a representatitive of the Kingdom of Messiah, and a good one. And I am grateful for the outpouring of honor shown in response to Kirk’s assassination. Many have lifted their voices in worship, giving glory to God for the testimony of his life. Kirk indeed stood as an example, especially in his final years when he openly confessed his return to the Biblical Sabbath, at least in part. His courage in this matter should not be overlooked. It is not popular to encourage people to keep God’s Sabbath.
Kirk called his organization “Turning Point U.S.A.”, and that name was an expression of his goal, which was political, and which he achieved: to turn young Americans back to conservative values. And while doing so, he loved to talk about God, and about our Savior Yeshua. And, he did encourage people to ‘turn’ back to God. But we must understand something vital: turning back to God is not only about emotion, song, or public sentiment, or political movements. In the Biblical mind, true repentance is Teshuva—a complete turning around, a return to God’s covenant ways. At the very heart of those ways lies the Sabbath, which Scripture declares to be a cornerstone of covenant relationship and a sign between God and His people, forever.
God, יהוה , the Creator, said through Ezekiel: “Moreover, also, I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am יהוה that sets them apart.” (Ezekiel 20:12). Likewise in Exodus: “It [The Sabbath] is a sign between Me and The Sons of Israel forever; for in six days יהוה made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work, and rested” (Exodus 31:17).
Jeremiah, in his call to repentance, pointed to Sabbath faithfulness as central to covenant faith: “And it shall come to pass, if you diligently hearken unto Me, says יהוה , to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on The Sabbath Day [Yom HaShabbat], but to hallow The Sabbath Day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim; and this city shall be inhabited forever.” (Jeremiah 17:24–25). Repentance for Jerusalem began with honoring the Sabbath. And Jeremiah intimates that it is part and parcel to the Messianic Kingdom, when Yeshua will sit on the throne in Jerusalem, on earth, perpetually.
Yeshua Himself upheld this holy rhythm, saying: “The Son of Man is Master [Adon] even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). Far from abolishing it, He restored its true meaning—rest in God’s presence, sharing mercy and covenant fellowship. The writer of Hebrews echoes this, teaching that “there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9), tying Sabbath directly to the eternal hope and obedience of believers.
Thus, Sabbath is not an optional tradition, but the covenant sign of Teshuva—the weekly act of turning from our own ways to God’s way. Isaiah prophesied: “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight… then you shall take delight in יהוה , and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth” (Isaiah 58:13–14).
ּBrothers, in this season of Teshuva—the season of turning and returning—God calls us not just to emotional expressions, not merely to movements or causes, but to walk in His ancient paths: “Thus says יהוה , ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, [ask] ‘Where is the good way?’, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls’.” (Jeremiah 6:16). The Sabbath is that ancient path. Walked out by Yeshua, and all the apostles. It is the weekly covenant reminder that God our Father is our Creator, who sent our Redeemer, and our Savior, the one who makes us righteous, and calls for our sanctification.
That is how we best honor Kirk’s example—not only by remembering his courage, but by following in the covenant way he embraced: to keep the Sabbath holy. This is the sign of God’s people, both in the Torah and in the Gospel, both in Israel and in the nations who join themselves to יהוה : “Also the foreigners [Gentiles], that join themselves to יהוה , to serve Him, and to love the Name of יהוה , to be His ministers, every one that keeps The Sabbath, by not profaning it [making it like every other day], and holds fast by My Covenant, even them [Gentiles] will I bring to My Sacred Mountain, and make them joyful in My House of Prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon My Altar; for My house shall be called a House of Prayer, for all peoples, says Adonai יהוה “. (Isaiah 56:6–7). And, it will be part of the Messianic Kingdom on earth, when Yeshua returns with His Bride: “And it shall come to pass, that from one Rewed Moon [khodesh] to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me’, says יהוה .” (Isaiah 66:22)
Believers who are political often cite 2 Chronicles 7:14 when trying to encourage America to be more godly, and rightfully so:
“If My people, upon whom My Name is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
The problem is, it is often cited just like the above, redacted, with a very important part of the encouragement missing: “and repent from their evil ways.”
So, it should read this way:
“If My people, upon whom My Name [יהוה] is called, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and repent from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
And they are right to cite this passage, because it too is Messianic, coming with the promise of the heir of David, which all good theologians know is Yeshua, sitting on His throne in perpetuity:
… “And as for you, if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, [Biblically, ‘walking’ is obedience to the Torah] and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances; then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Yisra’el’.” That is Yeshua.
So, in these days of shaking, don’t not stop at songs or symbols, demonstrations and t-shirts, weeping and singing. Let us return—truly return—to God’s ways. Let us repent, and let us remember His sign, the Sabbath, as a living testimony that we belong to Him.
“Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the יהוה Tzeva’ot. (Malakhi 3:7)