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Dedication · Senior Member

Fundamental Belief #20 Sabbath

Dedication · Senior Member

The beneficent Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation.

Genesis 2:1   Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2:2   And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
2:3   And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Worship
One of the chief reasons God is worthy of our worship, as given in scripture, is because He created us!

Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
14:7 .."worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Psalms 100:3   Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
100:4   Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:
95:6   O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

The first decisive statement concerning the Seventh-day is intrinsically linked to the Creation event. The seventh-day was set apart, by the Creator Himself, as the high point of creation. The seventh-day was blessed and sanctified (set apart for holy purpose) and God Himself gives us the precedent of resting on that day.

The call at the endtime just before Christ's coming is a call to return to worship the Creator Who made everything.

QURB · Member

Notice that all the other days had a 'morning and evening, but there is neither a morning nor an evening in the account of the seventh day of creation.

The Genesis account does not mention an end to God's seventh-day rest. Rather it is presented as an ongoing state by the omission of the formula 'and there was evening and morning, a seventh day'.
So the logical conclusion would be that the conditions and characteristics of that first seventh day were designed by God to continue not just for a day but for every day, and would have continued had it not been for the sin of Adam and Eve

Dedication · Senior Member

QURB wrote:
Notice that all the other days had a 'morning and evening, but there is neither a morning nor an evening in the account of the seventh day of creation.

The Genesis account does not mention an end to God's seventh-day rest. Rather it is presented as an ongoing state by the omission of the formula 'and there was evening and morning, a seventh day'.
So the logical conclusion would be that the conditions and characteristics of that first seventh day were designed by God to continue not just for a day but for every day, and would have continued had it not been for the sin of Adam and Eve

Why would we say the Seventh-day of Creation is not a day like the rest of the creation days?

The seventh day is enumerated like the preceding six days.
In the Bible whenever the word "yom" (day) is accompanied by a number it always means a day of 24 hours.
When "yom" is used in a more symbolic way such as "the day of trouble" (Ps 20:1) or "the day of salvation" (Is 49:8), it is never accompanied by a number.

Now notice how many times the phrase SEVENTH DAY is used in the creation passage:

2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

It is pure assumption that the final day in the newly created week, is somehow not a day at all, but continues. If this were true, then the week was immediately abolished right there in the garden of Eden, yet the week itself, stands as a memorial of God's creation of seven specific days. The word "DAY" in just these two passages of Genesis 2 and Exodus 20 occurs seven times. These two passages are linked together in an inseparable fashion. Yet in both passages it reads that God rested and blessed, and sanctified the seventh DAY.

If it were really true that the seventh "day" of Genesis had no end point, it would not have repeated the phrase "SEVENTH DAY", which translates as evenings and mornings. It would simply have read "And then God rested and blessed and sanctified His creation."

The Decalogue itself clearly states that God, after creating for six days, rested on the seventh day of creation week (Ex 20:11). If the first six days were ordinary earthly days, we have reasons to understand the seventh in the same way.

(Ex 20:11) implies a literal original 24-hour Sabbath. God could hardly command His people to work six days and rest on the seventh after His example, if the seventh day was not a literal day.

QURB · Member

The first six days in all likelihood, were not literal 24 hour days either.
"A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day unto the Lord." (2 Peter 3:8)

The only difference between the first six days and the seventh is that the first six had a beginning and end point, while the seventh was to continue forever, except sin entered.

Dedication · Senior Member

QURB wrote:
The first six days in all likelihood, were not literal 24 hour days either.
"A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day unto the Lord." (2 Peter 3:8)
The only difference between the first six days and the seventh is that the first six had a beginning and end point, while the seventh was to continue forever, except sin entered.

Now you are arguing from a theistic evolutionary point? One that believes God gradually set things in motions and they developed in correspondance to the major periods of evolutionary geological history?

BUT

2 Peter 3:8 has nothing whatever to do with the length of the creation week. Genesis 1 needs to be interpreted in its own context.

Also, a thousand years does not fit the evolutionary theory that depends on vast amounts of time. You would have to make each day equal at least a million years.

But by doing this we basically deny the whole creation story. We deny that

1. "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:6,9

2. " And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Gen. 1:30)
Instead the theistic evolutionists rely on the horrible life and death struggles of the fittest to evolve creation. Which also turns the whole redemption plan upside down, as it no longer sees sin and death as the destroyer of God's perfect creation, but instead sees it as the necessary tool God uses in the process of creation and mankind is gradually evolving into something better.

In all this we can see that the Sabbath is like a fortress holding firm our understanding of God's perfect creation --
He spoke and it stood fast (He didn't need thousands of years to do that) He did it in six days.
He created a perfect world in six days, and then rested the seventh day, giving us the unit of time known as THE WEEK, with it's Seventh day of rest and worship of the Creator.

QURB · Member

But the word Sabbath is never mentioned until the Exodus from Egypt of Israel in Exodus 16:23 and following.

"There is no mention of the word 'Sabbath' in the Genesis account"

Dedication · Senior Member

QURB wrote:

But the word Sabbath is never mentioned until the Exodus from Egypt of Israel in Exodus 16:23 and following.
"There is no mention of the word 'Sabbath' in the Genesis account"

True, but the Genesis account calls it THE SEVENTH DAY three times and Exodus tells us that the SEVENTH DAY is the Sabbath.

Not only that -- but Exodus links back to the creation account.

Exodus 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

By designating the day by number rather than by name, Genesis emphasizes that God's Sabbath day follows a perpetual cycle within the seven day week. It is not like that of heathen nations, connected with the phases of the moon.

By emphasizing the seventh day Genesis locks in the six day creation story as literal days and sets up the weekly seventh day as the blessed and sanctified memorial of that creation.

Dedication · Senior Member

The fourth commandment of God's unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath.

Exodus 20:8   Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:9   Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:10   But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
20:11   For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Luke 4:16 And he (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

QURB · Member

The ten commandments are part of God's covenant with the nation of Israel. There was no command for people to keep holy a seventh day sabbath prior to the time of Moses.

When the old covenant came to an end at Christ's death and resurrection, the ten commandments faded away along with the old covenant.

Exodus 34:28 "Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments."

Hebrews 8:13 "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."

Jesus was born under the Jewish law, so of course He went to the synogogue on Sabbaths as every good Jew did.
But as Lord of the Sabbath He had the authority to do away with it or change it as He saw best.

His constant war with the Jewish leaders over the Sabbath shows the day isn't as important as Seventh-day Adventists would like people to believe.
His repeated appearances to His disciples on Sundays indicates a Divine encouragement to worshipping the risen Savior on that day as a day for fellowship (NOT AS ANOTHER SABBATH).

QURB · Member

And before you say I don't believe in ANY law, I need to remind you that the New Testament or New Covenant does have standards --

Galatians 5:14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 7:6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Dedication · Senior Member

You stated quite a few objections in your last posts.

Obviously you are voicing the objections that come from the "new covanent" group who make a radical difference in the way God deals with people in the old testament times and the new testament times.

That concept is addressed in some of our other threads like this one

But I'll deal with a couple ideas here,

You stated:

"The ten commandments are part of God's covenant with the nation of Israel. There was no command for people to keep holy a seventh day sabbath prior to the time of Moses."

Yet we realize that Genesis is not a book of commands but of origins.
So Genesis is not so much concerned about the commands, but gives the history of the origin of the Seventh Day Sabbath.

In a perfect creation, God established the Sabbath by example not by command. The Sabbath is a day of relationship with the Creator, not a day of enforced duty. In a sinless world there would be no need for issueing a command, for the newly Created people would joyfully and freely choose to make themselves available to their Creator on the Sabbath, and experience physical, mental, and spiritual renewal and enrichment that such an intimate relationship would bring.

I can't emphasize too strongly that the Sabbath was already established, it was not a new thing at Sinai.

Notice the commandment begins with "REMEMBER".

Even before that, when Israel began receiving manna six days of the week, but not on the Sabbath, we see that the Sabbath already existed. This was before Sinai, yet God asked:

" And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?" Exodus 16:28

Notice as well that God gives them HIS Sabbath.
This is HIS HOLY DAY. He didn't make a day just for the Israelite nation. It is HIS HOLY DAY that He shares with His people!

Ex. 31:13 Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep:
Lev. 19:3 keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Eze. 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths,

Israel was freed from the slavery of Egypt so they could freely worship God!

"The Lord God says: Let my people go, that they may serve me." Is a phrase oft repeated by Moses to to Pharoah.

This new found freedom for the Israelites includes a miraculous re-acquaintance with the seventh day and the God Who created and delivered them.
In Egypt they slaved for the Egptians every day, but now a forgotten privilege was being given to them -- a day of rest and contemplation of their God, Creator and Deliverer.

The fact that the Sabbath isn't mentioned between it's origin in the Creation account, and it being re-established with Israel, means nothing.

The Sabbath wasn't mentioned at all for hundreds of years after Sinia!
No mention is found in the book of Joshua, nor in Judges, nor Ruth, nor in first Samuel, nor second Samuel, nor in first Kings that people observed the Sabbath. It is not until we reach the book of second Kings that the Sabbath is mentioned again. Does this mean none of the judges or people knew about, or kept the Sabbath for several hundred years after they entered the promised land, even though it was after Sinai? Didn't David keep the Sabbath?

Silence isn't proof.
The Sabbath is mentioned many times in scripture.
Genesis shows it's origin, Exodus it's re-establishment among God's freed people.

Dedication · Senior Member

There seems to be a strong concept in QURB's post (as well as in many anti-7th day Sabbath writers) that somehow the Sabbath was given only to the Jews.

Yet what does scripture envision for the Sabbath?

Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

The Sabbath here shows its general validity and universality. "The sons of strangers" are invited to take hold of God's covenant and enjoy God's Sabbath!

Actually this chapter gives a picture of the Sabbath that was not practiced by the Jews, for here the Sabbath is being offered to foreigners and enuchs. What it does show is that God's purposes for the Sabbath is to increase (not decrease) its observance among the nations. The Sabbath is not to be abrogated or die with the Jewish nation. But will instead rise to include all!

Jesus said "The Sabbath was made for man." Mark 2:28

He didn't say it was made for the Jew, or even that it was made for God.
But it was created for mankind.
And Jesus was the Creator, all things were made by Him!

QURB · Member

Dedication wrote:
There seems to be a strong concept in QURB's post (as well as in many anti-7th day Sabbath writers) that somehow the Sabbath was given only to the Jew.

No, not given only to the tribe of Judah. It was given to all the tribes of Israel at Sinai.
It was a national symbol for the nation of Israel only.

"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.' Ex. 31: 13-17.

But still more proof:

" ' Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.' Eze. 24:10-12.

Dedication · Senior Member

Its true that God gave His Sabbath to the nation of Israel. That part is true. And indeed it was a sign between God and Israel. But when QURB adds " them only," we would remind him that that is an interpolation of his own -- the Bible says nothing of the
kind. Take the very strongest statements which declare that the Sabbath was given to Israel to be a sign between God and them, we find no evidence either expressed or implied, that the Sabbath could not be a sign between God and anybody else, at that time, or before, or since.

In fact, in the previous post we looked at Isaiah 56 where the Sabbath was offered to "foreigners".

Of course, when God delivered Israel and led them out of slavery, (a people that were to preserve His law and truth and share it with others) : He GAVE them His law and truth!

Scripture never says the Sabbath was to identify them as Jewish, or a member of the Israeli race. The Sabbath was to identify people as worshippers of the CREATOR GOD "Remember the Sabbath....for in six days the Lord created.." Ex.20

Exodus 31:13 and Ezekiel 20:12 says the Sabbath is a sign "that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. "

Ezekiel 20:20 "a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

Scripture holds the Sabbath as a universal sign for anyone who takes hold of Christ's covenant and worships the Creator God,

He as our Creator, and re--creator or sanctifier.

Dedication · Senior Member

QURB wrote:
" ' Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.' Eze. 24:10-12.

Interesting text, and I noticed you emphasized all the occurances of "them". But what happens when we emphasize a different word?

And I gave them my statutes, and showed them my judgments, which if a man do he shall even live in them. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a
sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.' Eze. 24:10-12.

Yes, Israel received all these things from God. BUT whose were they in the first place?
They are God's statutes, God's Sabbaths!

They are not unique to Israel at all -- they are God's rules for life!

The ten commandments are a universal code of principles whereby mankind can live in peace and harmony with God and His fellow man.

It's true that the Jews became very possessive and inclusive with their religion, especially from the time of Nehemiah onward. But was that God's plan for them? I think not. They were to be a city on a hill to which the nations came to learn about God!

Dedication · Senior Member

But let's move on in our discussion of Fundamental Belife #20

The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:
58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD

Ez. 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.

Ez. 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

The Sabbath is to be devoted entirely to the Lord. As a day spent rejoicing and praising our Lord and Creator, it shows that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment contributes more toward making people spiritual and in relationship with God, than any other commandment of the ten. The word "delight" as here used suggests something that brings spiritual joy and happiness.

The seventh-day Sabbath reminds us that we need to place our lives into the care of Christ, and rest in Him. It reminds us that righteousness and salvation come by faith in Jesus Christ. The SABBATH is a sign that it is GOD who sanctifies us-- not we ourselves. (Eze. 20:12) Upon the Sabbath we put ASIDE all our works, no matter how important they seem in order to make a living, and rest in Christ. TRUE Sabbath keeping is a sign that we are depending upon Christ.

Thus the Seventh-day Sabbath reminds us that we need to seek first the kingdom of God, and all necessities of life will be added unto us. It reminds us that our Creator, recreates us and renews us to restore His image in us.

QURB · Member

Shouldn't we be delighting our selves in the Lord every day? If I recall, the New Tesatment (Romans 14) says days don't matter, some esteem one day, others a different day, the important thing is to "do it unto the Lord".

Dedication · Senior Member

Of course we are to be in a joyful relationship with our Lord every day.
When a person doesn't walk with Christ all week, they will find it mighty hard to rejoice in the Lord on full 12 hour Sabbath day!

But there is MEANING in the Sabbath day that we need.

1. It is memorial of creation.
In our modern religious world Creation is reduced to a contested issue placed on the back shelf where it's embarrassing voice is hidden as an "uneducated" voice.

The Bible, for many, is mainly concerned with a history of salvation that is detached from the beginnings; from the literal account of creation. More and more religion teachers are dismissing the Creation of Genesis for a more theistic evolutionary concept, if not outright evolution.

Yet, without the understanding of the six day creation with its 7th day Sabbath as a memorial the whole salvation issue is distorted!
Instead of accepting that God created man perfect and recognizing that sin brought decay, death and misery, these new teachers teach that man began primitive and basically uncivilized, and is slowly evolving into something better. The cross, instead of being the turning point in the battle of restoring mankind and delivering him from sin, becomes an act to facilitate a quantum leap for the human race in its evolutionary quest for higher existance.

It's a Christianized "New Age" concept and its focus is to move the human race through another quantum leap into superhuman existance.

The Sabbath is a fortress against such New Age Beliefs.
God created a perfect world in six days and rested, blessed and sanctified the 7th day.
Mankind sinned against God, and ever since sinning along with all its terrible consequences has raveged the earth and degenerated the human race.

The Sabbath reminds us that God is working to cleanse and make us new. The Creator Who created the perfect world is creating still, creating new hearts, transforming lives.

Thus yes, the Sabbath is sign that it is God that sanctifies us. We are NOT evolving into a superhuman race of sinners. God seeks to restore us, to SANCTIFY us by His Spirit

The Sabbath is a sign that we believe God is working to sanctify and restore people into His image.

The Sabbath answers to our needs in a way that would not occur if we simply work seven days a week, even if those days include time for the Lord. The Sabbath
gives much needed physical rest, as well as quality time for spiritual and moral renewal.
The Sabbath is extended to all people equally, rich or poor, old or young. TIME is an asset everyone was given, and everyone can, if they choose, enjoy the Sabbath. The fourth command is extended to strangers, or foreigners, servants and even the animals.

The Sabbath teaches us that ultimate fulfilment is NOT found in our work, or in the things we can buy. Materialism is not our driving goal, buying, selling, earning money is all put aside on the Sabbath, and we find joy and contentment in the things of God.

The Sabbath provides an anchor point in our experience that lasts all week long, as we fellowship with Him daily, eagerly anticipating the next Sabbath when we can put asides the rat race of life and enter that fuller rest with Him once more.

And most importantly -- The Sabbath is God's Holy Day, made for mankind (Mark 2:28) a special weekly date with our Maker, Redeemer, and Friend.

QURB · Member

You are trying to paint a nice picture of the old glory, but Paul says the glory of the old covenant with it's ten commandments is passed away, now we have the glory of Christ.

2 Cor 3: 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Dedication · Senior Member

When we read that passage in 2Cor. carefully you will see that it's NOT the commandments that pass away, it's the MINISTRY.

The law engraved on stone could no more “justify” anyone before the time of Christ, then it can justify anyone after Christ. It ministered death to all who were faithless to the covenant promises of a coming REDEEMER. Christ came, not to bring another set of commandments, a new moral law, but he came as our Redeemer and Savior in fulfilment of the promises.

2 Cor. 3:7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away

What is passing away here? It's the glory shining on the face of Moses!

Paul is referring to the greatness of the ministry of Moses. The HIGH POINT of that ministry was when Moses spent time in the physical presence of God, as God Himself inscribed the ten commandment law on two tables of stone.

We need to be clear as to what glory is fading here? Is it the commandments? That's not what it says here. The glory that the Israelites could not look at WAS THE GLORY OF MOSES FACE!

Ex. 34.35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face

Moses face was reflecting the glory of GOD WHO GAVE THE COMMANDMENTS! It was this reflected glory on Moses' face, that was only temporary, and soon faded away.

8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory

Moses, coming from the presence of God, reflected a glory on his face too brilliant to look upon. In his hands were the ten commandments-- the law of God. The wages of sin (transgression of that law) is death. That is true with equal force in the Old Testament as in the new. What hope had Israel for LIFE when confronted with the law? How could the condemned sinners be pardoned? What ministry could Moses offer the people?

In Exodus 34, we find God giving Moses the promises of mercy and forgiveness. (vs. 6,7) This "ministry" Moses was to proclaim, but he could only offer the people a veiled glory of the coming REDEEMER. Along with God's moral law which demanded the death sentence of transgressors, Moses brought the gospel in "shadows" (the sanctuary and it's rituals) whereby the sinner could receive pardon.

But now, how much more glorious is the ministry which Paul and the apostles can share! Two great ministries are presented here. That of Moses, and that of the apostles. If Moses ministry came with so much glory, how much more glorious was the news that the REDEEMER had come, and that His Holy Spirit was shining in the hearts of believers. This light would never fade!

10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.
11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

While the people in the Old Testament had a "veiled" gospel, shielding them from the penalty which their transgressions of God's law demanded, this "veiled gospel" was pointing forward to the true offering. The New Testament reveals the Savior in bright, clear, glorious light. The veiled view of the mercy and grace of God brought to Israel through the ministry of Moses, were to point them to Christ.

The law, written and engraved in stone, good and righteous as it is, could only bring death. Without Christ, the transgressor was doomed, the glory of God's righteousness stood as a consuming fire. Though Moses brought them a ministry of mercy and forgiveness in types and shadows, those "shadows" had no glory in themselves, they were but a reflection of the coming REDEEMER. In this point, Moses ministry did not have the full glory-- it was not the superlative, transcendent glory of God Himself taking our sins, and giving giving us new life in Christ.

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech--
13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

Now that our REDEEMER has come, we have such glorious hope! The very glory of Moses' ministry is left far behind in the beneficiaries of Christ Who died for our sins and lives evermore. The gospel of Christ ever speaks with full openness calling all to come partake of it's goodness.

The death of Jesus Christ for the redemption of man lifts the veil and light shines upon the whole Jewish economy. Without Christ the whole system is meaningless. The Jews rejected Christ and therefore their whole system of religion is nothing but an unexplainable ritual. They attach as much importance to the shadows of the gospel which were to be their hope in the Messiah for forgiveness for their breaking God's moral law, as they do to the moral law, or ten commandment law, which was not a shadow.

The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. The gospel is our only source of pardon, cleansing, and the power of the Holy Spirit for the transformed life with God's law written upon the fleshy tablets of the heart.

The more glorious ministry doesn't do away with the moral law or the Sabbath -- that law points out sin, and God's people do not want to transgress and sin!

A true Christian obeys from the heart, not simply because "he has to". For the more glorious ministry can reach in and change the heart and write God's law there.

Dedication · Senior Member

Dedication wrote:
But let's move on in our discussion of Fundamental Belife #20

The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God's kingdom.
Isaiah 58:13   If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:
58:14   Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD
Ez. 20:12   Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
Ez. 20:20   And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.

We can actually take 2 Corinthians 3 and see see that it upholds this concept of Sabbath being a delight.

You see the glorious ministry of Christ makes all obedience more real, changing us from character to character.

2 You are our epistle written in our hearts,
known and read by all men;
3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us,
written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God,
not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is,
of the heart.

Teachers came to the Corinthian church bearing "LETTERS" of recommendation to convince the people that they are authentic teachers of the gospel. Paul declares that his letter of recommendation are the believers themselves whose lives show forth the power of the gospel with God's law written upon their hearts.

People can read the writing of the Spirit of the living God in the fruit of this ministry revealed in the lives of the believers.

This fits the Sabbath -- because if one observes it simply to follow rules (by the letter of the law) it really isn't a delight -- there is no delighting in the Lord under that ministry. But when Christ's ministry takes hold, and the life is transformed, those commandments become internalized and there is TRUE delighting oneself in the Lord on His Holy Day.

Dedication · Senior Member

The Sabbath is God's perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people.

As God's law was central to the covenant (Ex. 34:27), so the Sabbath, located in the heart of that law, is prominent in His covenant. God declared the Sabbath a "sign"

I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am]the LORD that sanctify them. (Eze. 20:12; cf. Eze. 20:20; Ex. 31:17).

Therefore, He said, Sabbathkeeping is a "perpetual covenant" (Ex. 31:16). "Just as the covenant is based on God's love for His people (Deut. 7:7, 8), so the Sabbath, as the sign of that covenant, is a sign of divine love.

The Sabbath commandment functions as the seal of God's law.
An official seal usually contains three elements:
1. the name of the owner of the seal,
2. his title,
3. and jurisdiction.

An official seal is used to validate important documents. The document takes on the authority of the official whose seal is placed upon it. A law containing a seal implies that the owner of the seal himself approved of the legislation and that all the power of his office stands behind it.

Among the Ten Commandments, it is the Sabbath command that contains the vital elements of a seal.

1. His name = "the Lord your God;"
2. His title = the One who made—the Creator
3. Jurisdiction = heavens and the earth

This seal shows these are "the commandments of God" not mere traditions of men.

QURB · Member

A lot of old testament texts.
Can't you see that is old covenant, we now have the new covenant.
Reread that verse about the "perpetual sign". It's talking about "your generations" that is Israel's generations. When their generations in the land of promise came to an end in AD 70, so did their Sabbaths.

Ex. 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Dedication · Senior Member

The Sabbath is part of the everlasting covenant not just the old covenant.

Let's go to the last book in the Bible.
There we see the last crises over worship. There we see the dragon, that old serpent the devil going forth with great wrath to make war against those who "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus." Rev. 12:17

We see the saints identified as
"they that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. Rev. 14:12

We see the call to return to the worship of the Creator using almost identical language to fourth commandment.

"Worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Rev. 14:7
Compare with
Ex. 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

To the shock and amazement of those who fight against the commandments of God, the temple in heaven is opened and --

Rev. 11:19 and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

What was inside that ark of His testament:
Hebrews 9:4 "and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, in which was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

God's covanent is an everlasting covanent. It had different "ministers" and the ministry of the old covenant passed away, and it is now under the much better ministry of the crucified and risen Redeemer, Jesus Christ, but the covenant itself is everlasting.

Gen. 17:7 {God said to Abraham} And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Jesus will share His throne with those keep his covenant and remember His commandments to do them.

Psalms 103:17-19 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Rev. 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

-- Edited by Dedication on Saturday 15th of October 2011 07:54:46 PM