The Sabbath and the Law

posted in: My Blog 1

If we can accept one thing about the Lord, it is that His Law is a transcript of His person, a perfect image of His character written in words.

 

The beloved Son of God is the word made flesh, the express image of His Father’s person; and He came to our world to restore in us the Fathers moral image, in order that we, although fallen, might become conformed to the Divine image and character by obedience to His Commandments.

For “I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” Hebrews 10:16

With respect to the sacred day of rest, it “was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” Mark 2:27. it was an ordinance made in the very beginning for all mankind, and the Lord Himself showed by example what we must do to honour it.

By resting on the Sabbath, the Lord gave us a perfect example of our obligation for all eternity.

This ordinance He established and sanctified for “ALL” His creatures while they dwelt with Him in the garden in perfect union with His Law. It was obeyed on the earth before transgression entered, and it should be obeyed today.

What is absolutely certain however, is that it will be obeyed in the earth made new.

 

The very first precept in the Bible is that of sanctifying the seventh day:

“God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” (Gen. 2:3).

And this precept was confirmed by God upon Sinai:

“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20).

 

Christ also declares that He did “not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.” (Matt. 5:17). He Himself observed the Sabbath: and, “as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” (Luke 4:16).

In death also, He rested in the tomb on the Sabbath, which is why He was risen on the 1st day.

His prayer was that those who would need to flee into the mountains would not have to do so on the Sabbath.

“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:” Matthew 24:16, 20

His disciples likewise observed it after His death: “They rested on the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56).

 

Yet with all this weight of Scripture authority for keeping the Sabbath; that is the seventh day holy, Protestants of all denominations make this a profane day, and transfer its obligation to another day, one which they call Sunday.

The Law Established.

Now! A law is in force until it is repealed. The repeal process in justice, is to be given as wide a publicity as the Law was given when it was established.

This is a simple principle which is recognized and practiced even in the affairs of the Governments of this earth.

 

Now let’s apply the same principles to the Decalogue, the law of God.

It has existed from the beginning. It was solemnly spoken by the Majesty of Heaven in a voice which shook the earth; it was written by His own finger on tables of enduring stone; it was complete in itself. It is repeatedly declared to be perfect, sure, good, true, righteous, and everlasting, throughout the Old Testament.

 

In the New Testament, Jesus declares that He came not to destroy it, and that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. Matt. 5:17-20; Luke 16:17.

 

The psalmist declares in Psalm 119:172 that it is God’s righteousness, and the Lord says through His prophets that His “righteousness shall not be abolished.” Isaiah 51:6-7.

“My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.” Psalm 119:172
“…but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law;” Isaiah 51:6-7

All those who have His Law written in their hearts will know righteousness.

In the light of these simple principles and plain declarations of Scripture, how could anybody possibly suggest that the Sabbath has been changed or abolished?

So what authority do we have for the change of day, or to believe that the Sabbath has been done away with?

There is none, none whatever, because the Sabbath is not a doubtful matter. The fourth commandment is very explicit and very emphatic:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.”

 

This is one of the commandments which “stands fast forever and ever,” which our Saviour came to magnify, every jot of which is more enduring than heaven and earth, and which are established by the gospel.

We are to honour the Seventh day, for the commandment declares that that day, and that day only, is the Sabbath.

The commandment is very definite. It does not leave us any chance for doubt as to which day is the Sabbath, and it does not give us any license to observe no day at all.

My words to those who say otherwise: “Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.” Psalm 119:115

It is only those faithful servants who will obey all His commandments in this world, who will receive an invitation to the Kingdom, and a home in the earth made new. For there it will be found that the Sabbath will again reign as the seal of God.

“And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 66:23
“For I am the LORD, I change not… with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Malachi 3:6; James 1:17.

 

Now, there will still be some who will insist that the Decalogue has been done away with by the implimentation of the Law of love for our neigbour.

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Galatians 5:14

 

But we find in this text that only love to one’s neighbor is spoken of; but love is of God, and one cannot love at all unless the love of God is in the heart, it therefore follows that whoever loves his fellow-men, must necessarily love God.

If one does not love his fellowmen, it is an evidence that the love of God does not dwell in him. 1 John 3:17, 18.

“He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20.

From this, it is evident that the only question that love can ask, is- “How much can I do?”

When the love of God is fully shed abroad in the heart, there is no such thing as seeking to do as little as possible. The one who has that love will not be seeking to minimize the law of God. He will not spend any time trying to show that a part of it, if not the whole, is abolished.

In fact, he will not be negative at all. Negation and contradiction never yet did anybody any good, but whatever does not do good does harm; and “love worketh no ill to his neighbor.” Romans 13:10.

It is therefore not by telling the world what you do not believe, or saying what is not true that men are saved, but by “speaking the truth in love.” Ephesians 4:15.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3.

His commandments are not grievous, because love is not grievous.

Therefore we shall put up no barrier in the heart to the love of God, and in so doing, we will have no difficulty with a single one of His commandments.

God Bless.

  1. Solomon Rowak
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    Your amazing books online, are truly a blessing to those who are not able to parches a hard copy.

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