WHAT IS THE SABBATH?
Graeme
What is the Sabbath?
The Sabbath refers to what we call Saturday. The first mention of the
word is in Genesis 2:2 when God "ended his work". Literally, He
accomplished His work. It refers to His restoration of the earth and
placing it in the universe so that man could occupy it. This was
entirely the work of God. It is not mam;s work thereore it is entirely
compatible with with God's plan and therefore with His grace.
Then we have the phrase, "and He rested." This is the word shabath
(Sabbath) which means to rest.
Now notice trhat from Genesis 2:2 to Exodus 16:23, a period of 2000
years, there is NO reference to Sabbath on the earth. This is very
important to remember because it has a great deal to do with the
meaning of the Sabbath day.
The only Sabbath day that has ever existed right up to this moment
belongs to Israel, it does not belong to the Church, it has nothing to
do with the believer of the Church Age.
There was no Sabbath before Israel became anation (Exodus), there is
no Sabbath after the Jewish Age which was interrupted by the cross.
The purpose of the Sabbath in Genesis 2:2 and the purpose of the
Sabbath in Exodus 16:23 is the principle of grace.
Why did God rest? It was not becaue he was tired! God does not get
tired. In 6 days the earth was completely restore. There was creation
and restoration and that meant everything neessary for civilsation to
begin. There is nothing else that God can provide and that is why He
is resting. This was true in Gebesis 2:2 and in Exodus 16:23 the Jews
were given an excellent lesson in order that they might learn grace.
For six days they could work but on the seventh day they were not to
work at all.
It was a reminder that they could do nothing for salvation, nor could
they work for any blessing from God. It was a good way to learn but
with the Jews it didn't work. So they had a sabbatical year, and for
one year they couldn't even plant crops and they had to rely
completely on God to provide. After they had seven Sabbatical years
over a period of 49 years they had a fiftieth year, the year of
Jubilee, when they had to give back all the property they had
purchased from someone else. But they never got around to doing this,
they missed some of them out.
The restoration and creation rest of God continued until man's fall
and sin came to the earth through mankind. So it was God's work and
God's grace that provided everything necessary for man on the earth.
So rest or the Sabbath connotes what man enjoys from God's provision.
The Sabbath did not become law until Exodus 20:11. In Exodus 16 the
Sabbath is mentioned in connection with the grace provision of manna,
but the Sabbath was not law to the Jews until Exodus 20.
So what do we have?
The Sabbath was designed by God to teach grace -- Genesis 2:2,3. This
is the innocence Sabbath.
The manna Sabbath comes up next in Exodus 16:14-26. This is not the
same as the Jewish Sabbath. Manna represents divine provision for the
believer in time. The provision of manna is declared to be Sabbath to
indicate the provision of God - the Word - in time for those who feed
on manna (the Word).
Manna was provided for Israel, they didn't earn it or deserve it. The
manna represents the Word of God.
In Isaiah 58:11-14 we have the Jewish Sabbath. The fourth commandment
was instituted as a memorial in Israel to the grace of God. Israel did
not have a universal priesthood (they had a specialised priesthood,
the Levitical priesthood) and therefore Israel had to have some way of
remembering grace. We in the Church Age have the universal priesthood
of the believer; Israel had the Sabbath memorial to grace - Ex
20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15; Leviticus 23:3. Grace was commemorated by
doing no work on the seventh day - Israel only.
In Hebrews 3:11 we have the temporal Sabbath.This is the principle of
faith-rest. This is the transfer of spiritual food to where it becomes
useful, in the soul. This is the normal function of the believer's
life on earth.
Matthew 11:23 is the eternal Sabbath. This is the believer possessing
eternal life and is a reference to the eternal stae in a resurrection
body.
The Sabbatical year of Israel (Exodus 23:10,11; Leviticus 25:3,4;
26:33-36) is used as the establishment test of the grace of God.
Jewish failure in observing this was the basis of determining the
length of its time of discipline in exile - 70 years. The Jews missed
70 Sabbatical years so God gave them to Israel all at once!
The interruption of the Sabbath - Colossians 2:16,17. As the Church
Age interrupts the Jewish Age so the Saturday Sabbath is set aside and
we have in its place an assembly day, the first day of the week. This
is one of the great subjects in Galatians. Sunday as the first day of
the week is a memorial to the grace of God and the beginning of the
Church Age - Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2.
The principle of the Sabbath is that only God can work for man's
benefit. Man cannot produce blessing by his works, his plans or his
schemes.
Graeme.
Nicholas
Graeme wrote:
<<<snipped>>>
that's all well and good what you posted. But one thing you need to do
that you failed to do is this.
Show us in SCRIPTURE where the God of all creation says that the Sabbath
was changed from seventh day to the first day. One verse. Just one? Can
you?
No you cannot.
MAL 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not
Don't put words in His mouth! Use HIS Words to explain HIS will. Or you
will be guilty of a great sin.
EZE 22:28 And her prophets have daubed them with untempered [mortar],
seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord
GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.
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Truth is truth....Nicholas
Rick
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up
into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Graeme
Nicholas <rom...@iroq.rurilnet.org> wrote:
>Graeme wrote:
><<<snipped>>>
>Show us in SCRIPTURE where the God of all creation says that the Sabbath
>was changed from seventh day to the first day. One verse. Just one? Can
>you?
>No you cannot.
>MAL 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not
That verse is true but it has nothing to do with the topic of the
Sabbath.
The Mosaic Law is not the Christian way of life
The Mosaic law is divided into three parts.
First is The decalogue which is a freedom code. The ten commandments
define freedom in terms of morality, privacy, property, authority.
they also express freedom in terms of relationship to God. They define
two categories of freedom in the human race: temporal freedom for all
mankind and, for the believer in Jesus Christ, spiritual freedom to
grow in grace.
2. The ordinances or the spiritual code. The spiritual heritage of
Israel includes a complete Christology and soteriology, communicated
through ritual as well as through the statement of the prophets. There
are the holy days, the operation of the Levitical priesthood, the very
structure of the Tabernacle, the significance of the Levitical
offerings, all of which adds up to a detailed Christology.
Second was the Judgements. This was an establishment code. Every
principle related to the function of a nation is included and these
added up to freedom. Privacy is a great part of freedom, and of course
there is marriage, taxation, military policy, criminal law, diet,
health, sanitation, economic principles. Civil disobedience, violence
and revolution, is rejected.
The recipients of the Mosaic Law was the nation Israel - Exodus 19:3;
Leviticus 26:46; Romans 3:19; 9:4. Specifically the Law was not given
to the Gentiles - Deuteronomy 4:8; Romans 2:12-14. It was not given to
the Church - Acts 15:5,24; Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:19.
The limitations of the Law.
It cannot justify - Romans 3:20 "Because by the works of the law no
flesh shall be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge
of sin". cf verse 28.
It cannot provide eternal salvation - Galatians 3:21-26.
It cannot provide the Holy Spirit - Galatians 3:2.
It cannot solve the problems of the sin nature or real spiritual death
- Romans 8:2-4.
The Mosaic Law in legalism
Hebrews 7:19 "For the law accomplished nothing, but on the other hand
the bringing in of a better hope (Jesus Christ) did, through which we
draw near to God". The word "hope", when it is used in the New
Testament, means "confidence".
Galatians 1:4: "Who gave himself a substitute for our sins, that he
might deliver us from this present evil age, on the basis of the will
of God, even the Father". Verse 6, "I am amazed that you have so
quickly deserted (the word means to desert in battle)from the grace of
Christ to desert in battle] to another gospel" - the Mosaic Law.
Why Christians are not Unthe der Mosaic Law
Codex number two of the Mosaic Law points toward the cross. The cross
was camouflaged and Israel couldn't see it until the Mosaic law came
along and pointed to it with all of its significance.
Remember that the Mosaic law was abrogated as a total code. Therefore,
only what is related to the New Testament is pertinent to the law of
God, sometimes called "the law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus" - Romans
8:2-8.
While the Jews of the Old Testament lived by the Mosaic Law, Church
Age believers live by the protocol plan of God. The incarnation of
Christ stands as a permanent line of demarcation between Israel and
the Church. Therefore, during the incarnation Jesus Christ fulfilled
the Mosaic law on the one hand and through life in the divine
dynasphere (filling of the Spirit) established a precedent for the
Church Age on the other hand.
The Mosaic law does not define the Christian way of life. Matthew 5:17
"Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets: I came
not to abolish, but to fulfil". And even though the Mosaic law is not
a part of the Christian way of life it is still a part of the Word of
God. Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end of the law for the purpose of
righteousness to every one who believes".
The entire Mosaic law is a particular expression of God's eternal and
holy character, according to Exodus 19. It is given to a distinctively
defined group of people, the children of Israel, the Jews - Exodus
19:3; Leviticus 26:46; Romans 2:17-20; 3:19; 9:4. It is given
specifically to Israel and is designed for several explicit purposes.
While the law regulates the lives of the Jews in the dispensation of
Israel, now long past, its primary purpose was to anticipate the first
advent of Christ as noted in Matthew 5:17.
After the law was fulfilled by Jesus Christ this unified code no
longer governs any people or any nation. The regime of the Mosaic law
has ended with its fulfilment in the incarnation. However, the
abrogation of the law by Jesus Christ does not leave either
unbelievers or believers in a state of lawlessness.
In summarising, then, why the believer cannot be under the Law.
1. A believer under the law makes Christ a minister of sin, Galatians
2:17.
2. The believer has died to the law, Galatians 2:19.
3. A believer has received all the benefits of the Spirit through
faith, Galatians 3:1-5.
4. The law brings nothing but condemnation, Galatians 3:10-14.
5. God's promised blessings to Abraham, of which Abrahamic root all
believers partake, antedate the giving of the law. Therefore, the law
cannot be a prior claim, Galatians 3:15-17.
6. The law has no power to give life or sustain life, Galatians 3:21.
7. The law is intended only for the immature while positionally
believers are full-frown sons, Galatians 3:23-4:7.
8. The law is a bondage to the believer, Galatians 4:9.
9. Law and grace are mutually exclusive principles. Therefore, it must
be one or the other, Galatians 4:21-31.
10. The believer has an abiding freedom in Christ, Galatians 5:1.
11. The believer must keep all the law if he would attempt to keep
even part of it, Galatians 5:2-4.
12. The persuasion to put the believer under the law is not from God,
Galatians 5:8.
13. Legalism of the believer does away with the offence of the cross,
Galatians 5:11.
14. All the law is fulfilled by the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:16-24.
15. The life of the believer must be sustained by the same principle
as his new birth or regeneration, Galatians 5:25.
16. The believer's proneness to sin calls for dealings of grace and
not dealings according to the law, Galatians 6:1-5.
17. All who advocate the law for the believer cannot keep it
themselves and there intention is ultimate glory in the flesh,
Galatians 6:13.
..... Dr Charles Lee Feinberg.
Our first conclusion: The termination of the Mosaic law does not leave
either unbeliever or believer in a lawless status quo. God does not
condone lawlessness - Romans 6:15. God's perfect character remains
immutable through all of history. God expressed His perfect virtue or
holiness to mankind long before the Mosaic law existed. And He
continues to prove ethical norms, morality, virtue, and spiritual
instruction after the law has ceased to govern. Before, during, and
after the time when the Mosaic law was in effect in Israel divine law
functioned among the Gentiles to whom the Mosaic law never applied -
taught first in Genesis 26:5 and then in Exodus 19:5; Romans 2:14-16;
1 Corinthians 7:19; 9:20,21.
In the Church Age the operational divine law is not the Mosaic law but
the law of Christ - 1 Cor. 9:20,21; Gal. 6:2. The humanity of Christ
fulfilled the Mosaic law in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church
Age believer obeys the law of Christ by following our Lord's
precedent. This means for us by application living under the filling
of the Holy Spirit and the consistent intake of the Word of God.
Because the first advent of Christ included both the fulfilment and
the culmination of the Mosaic law many practices mandated for the
nation Israel are not included in God's plan for the Church.
While the Mosaic law as a total code became obsolete not only was the
spiritual code fulfilled and replaced but the temporal portions of the
law also ceased to be literally in effect. The temporal aspects of the
Mosaic law like Codex 1 and Codex 3 define freedom within a nation and
they institute the laws of divine establishment for Israel
specifically. During the incarnation our Lord inaugurated new policies
for both the Church and the Millennium. In doing so He restated many
individual commands found in the Mosaic law but if they were not
restated, as noted in the Gospels, for both the Church and for the
Millennium they are not pertinent. This continuity existed because the
source of all divine law has always been the same immutable essence of
God. Although continuity with the Mosaic law exists in both the Church
Age and the Millennium the new policy for both dispensations is not
the Mosaic law itself. The Church Age derives its doctrine form the
New Testament epistles under the classification of the Mystery
Doctrine. And the mystery doctrine is defined very lucidly in Romans
16:25,26; Ephesians 3:2-6; Colossians 1:25-27, not revealed to the Old
Testament writers but now revealed to the New Testament writers. The
Mosaic law was revealed to the Old Testament writers and only that
which is re-mandated is pertinent.
Three great discourses in the New Testament Gospels prophesied divine
policies mandated for the Church Age on the one hand, the second
advent on the other, and thirdly the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
For example, the upper room discourse anticipates prophetically divine
policies for the Church Age - John chapters 12-17. For example,
regarding the 2nd advent the Olivet discourse in Matthew 24 and 25
describes in detail how Jews will survive the last half of the
Tribulation in order to become a cadre for the Millennium. And thirdly
there is a very controversial area of the scripture - the Sermon on
the Mount which is not the Christian way of life but is for the
Millennial reign of Jesus Christ. The sermon on the mount can only be
enforced when Jesus Christ rules on the earth personally.
The New Testament epistles provide the divine mandates for believers
in the Church Age, and if Old Testament precepts apply they do so not
because they belong to the Mosaic law but because they are repeated to
the Church as a part of the function of the Church.
Regarding the principles of establishment found in Codex 1 and 3, some
are restated as the law of Christ or the law of God. Others are
excluded from Church Age function. The excluded principles are still
divine truth but they do not bear the force of law for any nation
except the five Jewish client nations of the past - first the
theocracy of Israel, secondly the united kingdom of Israel, thirdly
the divided kingdoms (the northern and southern kingdoms), and finally
the kingdom of Judah. And in the future there is the possibility that
much of the Mosaic law will apply to client nation Israel in the
Millennium.
It should be noted, however, that wise political leaders in the Church
Age who desire prosperity for their nation will adopt principles in
the Mosaic law and integrate them into their culture and heritage.
However, these principles adapted from the Mosaic law are not and do
not constitute any part of the Christian way of life. During the
Church Age the principle of separation of church and state leaves many
establishment issues simply to the judgement of civil government. For
example capital punishment is restated for the Church Age in Romans
13:4 but some of the specific applications in the Mosaic law are not
confirmed today.
Another point which we need to understand is the present value of the
Mosaic law. The Mosaic law belongs to the Word of God and still has
value for the Church Age believer. Codex number one, the decalogue, is
a case in point. It is still the basis for defining human freedom but
not spiritual freedom. Spiritual freedom is defined in terms of
walking in the filling of the Spirit but temporal freedom is defined
in terms of the precepts which are located in the Mosaic law - the
sacredness of property, the sacredness of life, the right of
self-determination. Hence, like Codex 1 and 2 the Mosaic law contains
truth that applies to every generation of history - the principles of
freedom, authority, property, jurisprudence, and so on. All systems of
freedom are based on absolute truth and that is why most countries
will never have freedom in contemporary history. Why? Because you
cannot have freedom unless the principles of freedom are based on
absolute truth. Relative truth immediately takes you to everything
from psychology, sociology, philosophy, etc. all of which are systems
of relative truth with a relative premise and relative conclusions
which are often very destructive.
When it comes to the freedom of the royal family of God in the Church
Age this freedom is related to life in the filling of the Spirit and
completely excludes the Mosaic law - Galatians 5:1, the "yoke of
slavery" refers to the legalistic believer living under the Mosaic law
which he erroneously assumes is the Christian way of life. The
principle is: Temporal freedom is the heritage of physical birth;
spiritual freedom is the heritage of regeneration, the new birth - 2
Corinthians 3:17.
The Mosaic law is completely excluded from the believer's spiritual
freedom but still has value in defining freedom in the human race.
The characteristics of temporal freedom: Temporal freedom is based on
the laws of divine establishment which were defined, by the way, for
Israel in Codex 1 and 3. Of course it recognises the sacredness of
privacy and property and life. But to make them sacred you must have
them based on absolute truth which recognises the right of every
member of the human race to determine for himself his life.
Self-determination, the function of the volition of the soul, is
sacred because it is a part of the spiritual conflict. And
self-determination demands a personal sense of responsibility for
one's own decisions and the subordination to establishment authority.
The characteristics of spiritual freedom: a. It is not based on the
Mosaic law, Galatians 5:1; b. It is based upon the absolutes of the
Bible, John 8:32; c. It is based on the filling of the Spirit, 2
Corinthians 3:17.
The contrast then between temporal and spiritual freedom is very
important. Temporal freedom is the heritage of physical birth;
spiritual freedom is the heritage of regeneration. Spiritual freedom
is only located in the filling of the Spirit and spiritual freedom can
function with or without the support of temporal freedom. For example
some of the greatest believers in the Roman empire were slaves and
Paul said: "Remain in slavery". You can grow spiritually in slavery
just as easily as you can in temporal freedom. Temporal freedom is
based on human merit; spiritual freedom is based upon divine merit -
grace.
The principle:
1. The Mosaic law has been abrogated as a total code.
2. Only what is restated in the New Testament is pertinent to the
Christian way of life as the law of Christ, as the law of the Spirit
in Christ Jesus.
3. Though abrogated as a code, and not part of the Christian way of
life, the Mosaic law has a definite purpose for the unbeliever.
4. Though abrogated as a code and not a part of the Christian way of
life the Mosaic law is a still part of the canon of scripture.
5. Abrogation of the Mosaic law does not mean cancellation from
scripture for the law is a teacher of sin and is a reflector of God's
perfect standards.
The pre-salvation function of the Mosaic law comes into focus then in
the New Testament.
Romans 3:19: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to
those who are under the law: that every mouth may be closed and all
the world may be accountable to God".
Verse 20: "Because by the works of the law no works shall be justified
in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin".
1 Timothy 1:9,10 - an amplification of Romans 3:19,20: "Realising this
fact, that the law was not made for a righteous man (not for a
believer), but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the
ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who murder
their fathers and mothers, for murderers in general, for fornicators
and homosexuals, for kidnappers and liars, and perjurers, and whatever
else is contrary to sound doctrine."
Galatians 3:24 - What is the purpose of the law? "It has become our
tutor to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith".
Verse 3:25: "But now that faith has come we are no longer under the
tutor"
Verse 26: "For you are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus".
The purpose of the Mosaic law to the unbeliever then is first to
reveal sin but not to remove it. Secondly, the law was not to prevent
sin but to reveal sin. Thirdly, the purpose of the law was to prove
all human beings as sinners, but it was not a standard by which one
might prove himself holy. Man does not become a sinner when he sins.
We sin because we are sinners. We have a sin nature which means
spiritual death. The law was added because of transgressions, it was a
minister of condemnation, it was a minister of spiritual death. The
believer is not under the law; it is not a part of the Christian way
of life.
Precedence:
The incarnation has two precedence functions. First, it is the
dividing line between the dispensation of Israel and the dispensation
of the Church. The incarnation divides forever the dispensation of
Israel and the dispensation of the Church. This is where the
Reformation went astray. It tried to go back to the dispensation of
Israel for the Christian way of life. Second, the dispensation of the
incarnation separates Israel from the Church so that all precedence
for the Church Age is taken from the period of the incarnation, i.e.
the victory of the humanity of Christ.
The principle is that no precedence for the Church Age is taken from
Israel, which means that the Mosaic law has nothing to do with the
Christian way of life.
The plan of God for the Church Age supercedes the ritual plan of God
for Israel. Legalism such as tithing, Sabbath observance, the
substitution of morality for spirituality, originate from the
erroneous premise that the Mosaic law is a part of the Christian way
of life. However, neither salvation nor spirituality are in any way
related to keeping the law. And the substitutionary death of Christ on
the cross fulfilled in detail Codex 2 of the Mosaic law. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the basis for a new
spiritual species and a royal family of God and the plan of God for
the believer. The plan of God for the Church and the Mosaic law are
mutually exclusive.
Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus Christ provides precedence for
the Church Age. The omnipotence of God the Father restored our Lord's
human spirit from the third heaven to His body in the grave. And the
omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit restored our Lord's human soul
(which was located after His physical death in a compartment of Hades
called Paradise) to His body in the grave - Romans 1:4; 8:11; 1 Peter
3:18. Therefore the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is
now available to every believer - for the first time in history.
That brings up again the problem of the interpretation of the Gospels.
In the Gospels Jesus Christ presents Himself to Israel as their
Messiah, the Son of David, the legitimate King of Israel. This is
taught in Romans 1:2ff: "Which he promised before hand through his
prophets in the holy scriptures".
"Concerning his Son who was born of the seed of David according to the
flesh", [All prophesied in the Old Testament].
"Who was declared to be the Son of God in an act of power by the
resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus
Christ our Lord;"
Once again we have the principle: the Mosaic law fades out. The Mosaic
law and the Old Testament advised Israel with regard to the coming of
Messiah. They rejected the whole package. The resurrection was the
beginning of a new way of life for believers that had never existed
before and will never exist after the Church Age. The first advent of
Christ was designed to fulfil the unconditional covenants to Israel.
They were not fulfilled because the One who was going to fulfil them
was rejected. Christ was rejected as Messiah and, therefore, the
fulfilment is postponed until the second advent.
In the presentation of His Messiahship the policy of our Lord's
kingdom was in amplification of the Mosaic law. And what is the
amplification of the Mosaic law? Our Lord said there is something
better coming up when I rule on earth and He demonstrated that He
related it to the Mosaic law but He said it was better - the sermon on
the mount. But when the Messiah was rejected the sermon on the mount
is postponed until the Millennium. But if you study the sermon on the
mount where it says "the law says this but I say that", you find out
something. The Mosaic law will not even be operational in the
Millennium. Something far greater will be operational, something that
approximates virtue. And the Millennium will be the only other
dispensation in history where the believers will have the filling of
the Holy Spirit. So the sermon on the mount is not a part of the
Christian way of life.
The King's House
Good article on the Sabbath. Check out www.kingshouse.org for an article on
the Sabbath.
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Jesus is He your Savior?
http://www.kingshouse.org
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