The Sabbath Day
A personal study on the doctrine of
the Sabbath that changed to the Lord's Day explained by Scripture.
A
brief and common inquiry into understanding the perpetuity and change of
the Sabbath to the Lord’s Day as presented in the Old and New
Testaments.
By Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
The American culture is
engrossed with its varied freedoms. These
freedoms are the signature mark of the country, even from its inception as
a nation. However, in
subsequent years, morality has become more and more abhorred, or rather,
it is has become more and more a matter of personal taste.
Freedom has become licentiousness.
This appears as a result of post-modernity’s relativistic
mindset. What is right for some is not right for others.
What morals one person may hold may not necessarily be the same set
of morals for another. Those who attend church are not immune to this relativism.
Christian people who live in the world will be affected by the
world in some degree or another. That is why the Apostle James tells us that we should keep
ourselves from being spotted by the world, or why the Apostle John
exhorts us “not [to] love the world or anything in the world.”
The world can have a varied affect on the mindset of the Christian.
Not only are Christians subject to subversive worldviews but a
large amount of pressure faces them by the mere fact that the church is
not like the world and the world takes notice.
1 Peter 4:4 tells us “Wherein
they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of
riot, speaking evil of you:” The
world thinks it is a strange thing when the Christian acts in a manner
different than the world. When Christians set themselves apart from sin,
the world takes notice. Such
is the obvious witness of keeping a day holy unto the Lord.
One affect of
post-modernity can be seen in the attitude that most of Christendom holds
towards the moral law of God. Not
only is there widespread ignorance about the Law, but there is a great
amount of detestation against it. And
of all the aspects of the moral law which are detested, one is singled out
as being utterly abolished by the coming of Christ and of the dispensation
of grace: it is the 4th commandment.
Though the need to take up the issue of the moral Law as a whole
and apply it to the life of the church is ever pressing upon 21st
century Christendom, my
intention here is to restrict my time to the 4th commandment.
It may serve as a litmus test to the way some ignore the Law all
together, or others use sly theological tactics to dismiss it as part of
the Jewish ceremonial regulations given to Theocratic Israel.
Some, like the heretical Antinomians, reject the Law altogether
appealing to the theological position that the church is now under grace
and does not need the Law. Others,
who are partial Antinomians, reject one or two of the commandments, but
keep the rest. This form of
relativism plagues the church and will continue to weaken it.
As the prescription for holiness, the 10 commandments, is rejected,
the church will continue to act more and more like the world it lives in.
I am certainly not espousing that the keeping of the Law will
result in the justification of the believer.
No, certainly not. The life of Jesus Christ and His atonement satisfy the
requirements of the Law for those for whom He died. But that is not to say that since Christ died for me I am
able to murder, kill, dishonor my parents, or dishonor the Sabbath.
I am still bound to obedience, but not legalism.
In this paper I desire to
set forth some summary statements and theological ideas which I believe
show the unmovable character of the moral law, and the 4th
commandment specifically in the life of the believer.
Believers are not exempt from the moral Law of God.
Even pagans are not exempt from the moral Law of God.
But there are many who, in their desire to obey Christ, keep nine
of the ten commandments, believing that the Sabbath has been abrogated in
the New Testament. I desire
to show that this idea is foreign to the Bible, and that the destruction
of one commandment is the destruction of the entire Decalogue.
Also, I will demonstrate the doctrinal position surrounding the 4th
commandment, and the application of it in the Old Testament and New
Testament.
The Foundation:
When the task of building
a house has begun, the laborers start building the house by installing the
windows. After this, the roof is put on, then the walls are erected,
then the foundation is laid, and then the electrical and plumbing is
installed. Now those who are
thinking people know that this is certainly not the way in which a
house is built. The house
must first be planned, then the ground cleared, the sand poured and
leveled, the mold set, the foundation poured, and so on.
The structure of the house is not built until all is in place, and
even then, some of the last parts of the house are things such as windows
and the roof. Houses are built from the drawing board up.
I have had the privilege
of teaching the material you are about to read in a class for young adults
in a reformed Baptist Church. Having
grown up in the church, those attending the class knew the 4th
commandment very well. The
Law is reiterated twice in the Pentateuch (Exodus 20 and Deut 5).
The commandment is recorded this way in Exodus 20:8, “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, thou,
nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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.” The group I was teaching had memorized their catechism
and they had lived in a church environment which encouraged and
disciplined them to keep the Sabbath holy.
The day was referred to as the “Lord’s Day” being the
designation of the New Testament early church and their example for
meeting after the resurrection of Christ.
However, though one grows up in the church surrounded and engrained
by such ideas, many questions arise on this point when children mature
into young adults. As a
result of this, in my first class, we began with prayer, and then I drew
upon a white-board with blue markers for illustrative purposes.
I made two columns, one marked “do’s” and the other marked
“don’ts”. Then I turned
to the class and asked them what I should write concerning the acceptable
and non-acceptable practices of the Lord’s Day.
Some responded with a desire to see what my list looked like and
prompted me to scribble down the do’s and don’ts from my
personal “list.” They sat
in eager expectation of the list I would create and unburden them with the
responsibility of having think about the principles and practices of the
Lord’s Day themselves. I
took my eraser and erased the board and then sat down.
No doubt, those attending the class were disappointed.
They wanted a “list” of what
is acceptable and what is not acceptable on the Lord’s Day before we had
even discovered from the Bible that there was such a thing as the
Christian Sabbath. They
wanted to know if they could buy butter on the Lord’s Day if butter was
not a mandatory “necessity” for the meal.
I told them they would have to wait until the end of the series
before making that decision.
Studying the sabbath
cannot be done by assumption. The Puritan’s wrote vigorously on the
subject of the 4th commandment, with the exception of a select
few (and to my disappointment John Bunyan denied the 4th
commandment as part of the moral Law, though he accepted the Lord’s Day
with vigor). The Puritans
upheld the teaching that the moral Law of God was binding on every
Christian for obedience, but not for justification.
Thus, their assessment demonstrated that the 4th
commandment was binding from the beginning, and then continued into
the New Testament as The Lord’s Day.
In their endeavor to preach, teach and write concerning this
doctrine of the “Lord’s Day” they relied on the Bible.
Their adherence to the Reformation’s “Sola Scriptura” shined
through brilliantly regarding this doctrine.
Most Reformed Theologians in holding to the solas of the
Reformation, apply this to the moral Law and the 4th
commandment as well. Most
Reformed Theologians through the last 500 years of church history hold, or
held, that there is such a thing as the Christian Sabbath.
In traversing even further than this to the very inception of the
New Testament church, we will find that the second generation
church also held this view as well.
But this was not for the sake of tradition, but because they had a
steady conviction that the Bible was true.
Shall we trust history or the words of the Bible?
If there a question as to whether the Christian Sabbath exists or
not, or if the 4th commandment is truly binding upon the
Christian, then let the Scriptures speak and they will vindicate
themselves.
The Nature of God’s
Revealed Will
I believe most Christians
would like a manual for their life. I
know some may say that the Bible is their manual for life, but that is not
what I mean. Some would like
a Bible just for themselves; a manual which explicitly told them what
to do in every circumstance and in every situation.
The Bible would voluminous if God were to specifically and
intricately answer every question for every instance.
However, God gave us a book which not only does tell us things
explicitly, (like do not murder), but He also teaches us things implicitly
as well (like hating someone is murder).
Sometimes we must pick at the mind of God to arrive at the answers
we desire and seek. We do not
have every answer explicitly and intricately stated for every individual
in every situation, but we do have the general teachings which contain
explicit instructions for every area of life.
Some teachings are just not as plain as others.
It would be nice if every doctrine were explicit and straight
forward, but not every doctrine is that way. We would love to have a clear
revelation of every doctrine in the Bible.
We would take greater comfort to point to chapter and verse which
state plainly the doctrine at hand. But
with many things in the Bible this is not so.
Sometimes we must dig deep into the recess of the Bible,
harmonizing the Old Testament with the New Testament in order to come to
an understanding concerning a given doctrine.
How would you answer this
question, “Is God sovereign as to the manner in which He will speak to
His people in His Word?” I
hope you would answer in the affirmative.
God is sovereign in the way He speaks to His people.
He has spoken to them in the Word, and the Word of God demonstrates
the authority of God in every area of our life.
When God speaks to us in His Word, in expressed terms, or in saying
several other things which necessarily imply the truth, and from which we
may plainly perceive it, should we listen?
It is very easy to listen when God says “Love your neighbor.”
Jesus is explicit when he explains many of the commandments in the
Sermon on the Mount. He
preaches about not murdering, then explains that we should not hate our
brother as well. This seems
straight forward no matter how much we may not like our brother.
Christ also tells us that we should love our enemies.
Though it be hard, it is not cryptic.
However, there are doctrines contained in the Word of God which are
very difficult to understand. For
instance, there is no chapter and verse which states, “God is one God in
three persons, all of one substance, but as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”
We do have a number of verses, which, if compiled together gives us
an excellent doctrine of the Trinity; we can be sure of it as it is
revealed in the Word of God. Another
difficult doctrine is the hypostatic union.
How do the natures of Jesus Christ as man and God fit together?
What is the glue that binds them?
We find references in John 1 which tell us that Jesus is the Word
and that He dwelt among us, but there are no direct, specific verses which
state exactly how His natures stick together.
We believe the doctrine through the many Scriptures compiled
together which emphatically demonstrates that Jesus had both a human and
divine nature. However,
chapter and verse of their explanation is not found.
Does this mean we should discard these doctrines? Certainly not.
If God reveals something
to His people in a way that facilitates their ability to understand what
He says, He should be obeyed, even if it is not expressed in plain terms.
Whether the Bible explicatively states the doctrine or idea, or we
must take great pains in understanding the doctrine, in either case, God
is sovereign in the way He has revealed Himself to us and the doctrine
should be obeyed. Simply
because the doctrine is cryptic, or exegetically difficult, does not
warrant, in any fashion, that we may reject the doctrine.
The doctrine of the Christian Sabbath is very difficult and
exegetically tedious. It is a
hard doctrine to master and may take a Christian years to
understand as they traverse the various Scriptures and exegete the meat,
and necessary inferences, which build the doctrine together.
The point thus far is this, no matter how God reveals His
commandments and doctrines in the Bible, it is still our responsibility to
know them thoroughly, however long it takes.
How important is the 4th
commandment? If you are an
anti-sabbatarian, and you have not studied this doctrine, and the doctrine
turns out to be right, then if you were to live to be 49, 7 years of your
life would have been lived in flagrant violation of the moral law.
When one law is broken, they are all broken.
The 4th commandment regulates a 7th of life.
We cannot afford to be confused on this point.
If the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath is revealed in the Bible,
no matter how cryptically or explicitly it may be seen, it ought to be
observed. If such a great
portion of your life is regulated by such a command in obedience to
Christ, then the Christian is bound to be thoroughly acquainted with such
an important doctrine for life and godliness.
It is hard enough not to sin each day.
How greater is Christ’s atonement for sin if we dismiss a seventh
of our life obligation to Him in profaning the service of the Lord’s
Day? We would have nailed Him
to the cross all the more.
It is also worthy to note
that one must be exceedingly careful when dealing with the moral Law.
Jesus said that if we break one of the least of these commandments,
and teach others to do so, we will be called least in the Kingdom of
heaven. Matthew 5:19, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these
least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least
in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same
shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
This is no small matter.
We must have a clear and biblically founded understanding of the
moral Law and of the 4th commandment lest we cause weaker
brothers to stumble and bring shame upon ourselves as ones who will be
called least in God’s Kingdom.
If we are not sure about the doctrine and would not be able to
silence the gainsayer on the issues brought up concerning the doctrine,
then we should hold our opinions until a later time when it is clear in
our mind. Many preachers
today, most in fact, do not believe in the binding nature and design of
the moral Law. They preach an
Antinomian Gospel which echoes time and time again that the church is not
under the Law but under grace. This
idea will be taken up later and in more detail. In any case, the propagation of this idea is quite extensive
in Christendom today. Mix
this with the relativism of secularism and you have a very difficult
theological battle to deal with on this exegetically difficult doctrine. And it must be noted, those who are anti-sabbatarians would
be compelled and obliged to say that Sabbatarians are “least” in the
Kingdom of heaven because they cause men to stumble.
They are obliged to believe we are lesser Christians as a result of
the command of Christ. Are
they ready to accuse us of such things?
The Indispensability
of the Moral Law
God’s special
government to rational creatures is different than those of a rock or
tree. It is a special
government because men can think rationally. Thus, God enters into a relationship with them through laws.
Rational creatures are ruled by laws which obligate obedience
before God. These laws they
are obliged to follow. God is
not impartial in these morals laws, but imposes them on every rational
creature.
The Creator commands the
obedience of the creature. This
is the Creator/creature distinction which is evident from the light of
nature. Since there is a
Creator, and we are creatures, we are to obey His commands.
Those obligations imposed upon rational creatures are called
commands or laws. The commands demonstrate the unique relationship the creature
has with the Creator. All
things have a relationship to God. Rocks,
trees, squirrels, rivers, etc, all have some type of relationship with the
Creator. Men, however, have a
unique relationship being rational creatures.
Adam was fashioned in a way in which he was able to freely enter
into a relationship with the Creator.
God placed Adam in the garden and imposed on him certain
obligations. Genesis 2:16-17 says, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,
thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die.” Adam
was not to eat of the tree. God
did not restrict him from
making a house out of the wood, or to study the bark, or to dissect the
fruit. God never forbid him
to abstain from scientific study of the tree in the midst of the garden
– but He did command Him not to eat it.
It was Eve, in her confusion about what God had said, who told the
serpent that they were to not “touch it.”
God had never said that, nor implied it.
Adam entered into what is
known as a covenant with God – a relationship based on stipulations.
Adam’s covenant is a covenant of works. He was commanded not to do something, and did it
anyway. As a result, he fell
from grace and all his progeny with him.
Genesis 3:23-24, “Therefore
the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground
from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the
east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned
every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” The
Westminster Larger Catechism says this of the moral law in question 92,
“What did God at first reveal unto man as the rule of his obedience?
Answer: The rule of obedience
revealed to Adam in the estate of innocence, and to all mankind in him,
besides a special command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, was the moral law (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:17; Rom.
2:14-15; 10:5).” Thus we see that covenants which God will make with men are
managed by laws.
Many contend that the
moral Law was given at Sinai and that the Jews alone were privileged with
the “law” of God. In some sense, like receiving the special revelation of God,
this is true. However, the
moral law is not bound by special revelation.
Natural law, and conscience, play a large part in understanding
this. Paul’s arguments in
Romans 2:14 (“For
when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things
contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto
themselves.”) concerning the law is important.
If men do not have the tablets of the Law does this mean that they
are free to do what they please? Do
Gentile barbarians have a freedom to kill?
Are they free from the charge?
There are a great many tribes still living in the deep woods of
Africa and South America who are barbarous.
They have never heard of Christ, or of the Law of God.
Are they excused from the Law?
Not at all. (Rom.
3:31; 7:25; 13:8-10; I Cor. 9:21; Gal. 5:14; Eph. 6:2-3; I John 2:3-4, 7;
Rom. 3:20; 7:7-8 and I John 3:4 with Rom. 6:15)
God governs the moral
nature of all men through His Laws. These
Laws will regulate everything men do, whether they obey or disobey. The Gentiles do not need the tablets of the Law to be
regulated by the moral Law. They
become a law unto themselves in such cases (study Romans 2:14). In these Laws God governs rational creatures in two ways:
partly in making the Law itself and partly in establishing it.
A law is made by commanding or forbidding.
God commands or forbids certain actions, thoughts, and intents
among men. But a law is also established by promising or
threatening something. This
is what it means to enter into a covenant with God through His special
government with rational creatures. For
instance, in Genesis 2:16-17 God commands Adam not to eat of the tree,
then promises life to him, “do this and live”.
The opposite of this is equally true.
There is the threat and promise “violate this command and die.”
God’s revealed mind
to us of His character
God’s unique
relationship with men is based in and through Laws which reflect His
character. What is the
character of God’s image in the hearts of men? What should it reflect?
God’s character is the pattern of what God’s image should be in
man. Leviticus 19:2 says,
“Be holy as I am Holy.” This
is reiterated in the New Testament by the Apostle in 1 Peter 1:15.
The nature of God determines what is morally right, and then the
will of God imposes that standard upon His creatures as a moral
obligation. What is right is
not deemed good by God’s decree and command, but His decree and command
set forth what His nature already reflects as good and right.
How then may we define the moral Law of God? “The Law of God is
the perfect reflection of His nature and will and binds all rational
creatures to perfect conformity in character and conduct.”
The Westminster Larger Catechism states this in question 91,
“What is the duty which God requireth of man? Answer: The duty which God
requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will (Rom. 12:1-2; Micah
6:8; I Sam. 15:22).”
The Law of God defined in
this way is clearly revealed in the Scriptures.
It would be recommended that the reader complete a study of the
numerous times which the Old Testament uses the various phrases “the
law,” “the Law of Moses,” “the Law of God”, etc.
The Larger Catechism explains it this way in question 93, “What
is the moral law? Answer: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God
to mankind, directing and binding everyone to personal, perfect, and
perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition
of the whole man, soul and body, and in performance of all those duties of
holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man: promising life
upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it. (Deut.
5:1-3, 31, 33; Luke 10:26-27; Gal. 3:10; I Thess. 5:23; Luke 1:75; Acts
14:16; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:10, 12)
The moral law is plainly
revealed in the Bible as that which is binding for all time and for all
men. The 4th
commandment in particular will bear this out later being an ordinance from
the beginning of creation. But since the fall in Adam, the law continues to be effective
in the lives of men even though the formal tablets of the law were not
given until 400 years later. Otherwise,
Adam’ s banishment, Cain’s punishment for killing his brother,
Lamech’s rebellion, Noah’s drunkenness and the like could not be
judged by the moral law. God’s
punishment of Cain is ill warranted.
But we know this is a fallacy.
God says to Cain, “If
thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well,
sin lieth at the door.” (Genesis 4:6)
Later, God curses him for his transgression, “And now art thou cursed from the earth,”
(Genesis 4:11). As a result of this, the effect of the moral Law ought
to stop every murderous hand from committing sin.
But Cain was punished and marked as a transgressor, as a wicked
man. Later, Lamech boasts
that he is much more wicked than Cain and ought to be punished seven times
more. Not only does he
exemplify this wicked attitude, but he revels in the thought as well. Another passage in Genesis 6:5 says, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually.”
In this passage alone concerning the Deluge (the flood which was to
come), the wickedness of man was great in the earth.
How do we know what wickedness is?
How did Noah know that men were wicked?
Why did Noah preach to them? (2 Peter 2:5) He did so because the moral Law does not need tablets of
stone to be binding on the hearts of men.
The Larger Catechism says this in question 94, “Is there any use
of the moral law to man since the fall? Answer:
Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and
life by the moral law; yet there is great use thereof, as well common to
all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate (Rom.
8:3; Gal. 2:16; I Tim. 1:8).”
No one who has read
through the Bible can deny that the Law is plainly revealed in the
Scriptures. Exodus 20 and
Deut 5 both reiterate the moral law in its entirety.
Notice that the reiteration of the moral Law to the people of
Israel in Deut. 5 is not the Levitical ceremonial law or the national
judicial law, but the moral law first given in Exodus 20.
This is the everlasting and continually binding moral Law of God
upon all rational creatures. It is perfect, Psalm 19:7, “the law is perfect.”
Christ came to fulfill this law perfectly in his active obedience,
Matthew 5:17 “Think
not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
destroy, but to fulfill.” Nothing
may be added to this at all, or taken away from it, Rom. 13:9ff says, “For
this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not
steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if
there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying,
namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
This is the whole of the second table of the Law, and all
rational creatures are to abide by it.
How much of the Moral
Law are we to keep?
Ask a Christian who is an
anti-sabbatarian these questions: Should we worship other gods such as
Molech or Chemosh? Should we
make golden calves and bow down to them?
Shall we use the name of God in a profane manner?
Shall we rebel against our parents?
Shall we murder, commit adultery, fornicate, lie, steal, or covet
another’s possessions? If
it seems so clear to the Christian that is addressed these questions that
such commandments ought not to be broken, how then do they square this
with New Testament’s instruction concerning the law?
If the 4th commandment contains an allowable exclusivity
from being kept in the New Testament, why then, are other laws excluded
from the same warrant since the whole 10 constitute the moral Law in the
Old Testament? In James 2:10
we are told that he who breaks one commandment breaks the whole Law.
This is binding on the Christian.
James does not say, “He who breaks one commandment, except for
the 4th, breaks the whole law.”
Jesus Christ nor His apostles ever abrogated the 4th
commandment. Some attempt to
reason that since the New Testament does not formally speak about the 4th
commandment, and teaching concerning its adherence is not stated then we
can dismiss it. But this is an unattainable fallacy.
The Law is not done away
with but rather fulfilled in Christ.
Jesus kept every commandment, including the Sabbath, and fulfilled
the requirements of those commandments before God perfectly.
Even the Christian establishes the law by his obedience, Romans
3:31 states, “Do
we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary,
we establish the law.”
Is there a need for
the moral Law? Or are we
under grace?
Appeal is made to the
grace of Christ in the New Testament in order to avoid the duty of heeding
the moral law. The belief of Antinomians, or Semi-Antinomians, is that
since Christ has died for us, then we are not obligated to keep the Law;
we are under the Gospel dispensation and under the grace of Christ in this
new church age. As a result
of this dispensational mindset, many throw away the Law altogether.
They believe it is not binding and live a life of carnality under
the guise of Christianity. The
reader may recall the past controversy over Lordship Salvation which arose
concerning this issue. Others
who are not totally Antinomian, remove certain laws they dislike from the
10 commandments. For
instance, Roman Catholics remove the second commandment (Thou shalt not
many unto thee any graven images) since much of their liturgy contains
images of the saints and of Christ’s cross as a crucifix.
Some remove the 4th commandment because they dislike the
idea that God regulates the entire day and that worship should be given to
God through the entirety of the whole day.
Anti-sabbatarians do not like the idea since that would mean
activities such as homework, mowing the lawn, going to Superbowl parties,
birthday parties and like, would be excluded.
This is not attractive to many since their work week is so
“short” and they need the whole “weekend” to accomplish their own
pleasures, designs and desires. However, Anti-sabbatarians do not really
live out their position. For
example, I do not know of one Anti-sabbatarian who’s conscience would be
unaffected by attending church on Sunday morning then immediately going to
the amusement park right after church.
Most Anti-sabbatarians would not be so liberal on the Lord’s Day.
They would use the day for
their own personal recreation, but not to the extreme of attending an
amusement park. Do they
really believe their position then? If
the Lord’s Day is simply another day, why would the amusement park be a
hindrance right after taking communion in church?
Though John Bunyan is
exegetically weak in his understanding of the moral law, even he said
“The man who does not know the nature of the law cannot know the nature
of sin. And he who does not know the nature of sin cannot know the nature
of the Savior.” Ignorance
concerning the law will procure a number of wrong theological conclusions
all throughout Biblical theology. For
instance, sin is the transgression of the Law.
Therefore, if there is no Law then there is no sin.
Justification is the verdict of the Law.
Therefore, if there is no Law, there will be no need for
justification. Sanctification
is the believer’s fulfillment of the Law.
If there is not Law, there will be no need to be sanctified.
Galatians 3:23-25 states, “But
before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith
which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to
bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith
has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
Paul says that the Law was tutoring us towards the fulfillment in
Jesus Christ. After Christ
came in fulfilling and establishing the Law, the tutoring ended.
Christ redeems us from the curse of the Law which we cannot
fulfill, then leads us by the hand back to the Law that we may be obedient
to it as a result of our new life in Him.
The Law, now, does not justify us – Christ did that – rather,
the Law now sanctifies us that we may reflect the character of God seen in
the Law we are keeping. This
is called holiness.
Natural Law and the
Sabbath
If any argument is
brought up against the continuity of the moral law in order to discard the
4th commandment, the one which is used most is the appeal to
reason. There are appeals to
the Theocratic Ceremonial Law and to certain New Testament passages which
will be discussed later, but the appeal to reason and to natural theology
is often the first to be utilized against Sabbath keeping.
The argument goes like this: since natural men cannot, by the
light of nature, abide by this commandment since they would have no idea
that a Sabbath exists, then the law itself is not moral, but ceremonial.
Thus, since the ceremonial law is abolished in Jesus Christ, the
need to keep the Sabbath, in any form, is abolished as well.
To his detriment, this is the argument that John Bunyan used being
one of the very few exceptions to Puritan theology at that time concerning
the 4th commandment. (Note: John Bunyan was a strict adherer to
the Lord’s Day, but he did not believe this was as a result of the
association to the 4th commandment.
He took his proof from the New Testament passages which speak of
the Lord’s Day. However, without the foundation of the 4th
commandment, Bunyan simply contradicts himself in saying the Christian is
“bound” by a New Testament Lord’s Day since he refutes himself in
saying there is not moral obligation to do so under the Law. However, Bunyan’s line of reasoning is ill-founded.)
In the light of nature we
are able to use certain arguments to prove the existence of God.
In proving the existence of God in these various ways, rational men
may come to know the invisible attributes and divine power of God (cf.
Romans 1:18ff). Some say that
this kind of reasoning is not applicable to the 4th
commandment. They say “Men
cannot rationally come to an understanding of the 4th
commandment through the light of nature – they need special revelation
in the Scriptures to understand this.”
It is true that every person cannot come to a comprehensive
Biblical theology on every one of the commandments from the light of
nature. However, just as we
come to a knowledge that there is a God, we can know that he ought to be
worshipped and at an appointed time separate from other times.
If this is true, then the nature of the moral law seen in the 4th
commandment is eternally binding. As
it is revealed in Exodus 20 and Deut. 5 the 4th commandment
would be included with the rest of the eternally binding commandments.
If there is warrant from natural theology in any respect concerning
the 4th commandment, then it is still a part of the moral Law.
Let us first use the idea
of business to set a precedence. Can
the affairs of business be adequately contrived while sleeping?
If I go to the grocery store and want to buy milk, can the cashier
both be sleeping and sell me milk at the same time?
Obviously not. The two
actions are mutually exclusive. Must
there be an engagement of the mind on the action to sell me milk?
Absolutely. Is there a set
and appointed time of business in general?
Yes there is. If I go
to the grocery store and read their hours of operation they are open for
business from 6:00am to 11:00pm. If
I arrive at the store and desire that the cashier allow me to buy milk at
2:00am I will not obtain my milk. The
cashier is home in bed sleeping. So
I must ask myself “Is one time better than another for buying milk to
take place?” I am obliged
to answer in the affirmative. It is much better to buy milk during the hours of operation
than to stand outside a closed grocery store at 2:00am. I am further obliged to ask if this is exclusive to the
United States? I am obliged
to say “no it is not.” Is
this exclusive to any one in any country in particular?
I am obliged again to say “No.”
When people are sleeping, they cannot sell me any milk and give me
change and a receipt for my purchase.
I then would ask, “Is this the norm through the entire history of
the world?” Again, if I am cognitively alert, the answer is “Yes.”
One time is better than another for buying milk no matter where I
am in the world or at what period of history.
The illustration above is
not without its proper use. In
thinking about the 10 commandments we see that the 1st
commandment regards the object of worship, the 2nd commandment
regards the means of worship, the third regards the manner and the 4th
regards the time of worship. Can I, through the light of reason, know that the Creator who
created the world and all things it in, who has demonstrated His invisible
attributes and divine power throughout creation, requires a time to
worship Him? The answer is
“Yes, absolutely.” If
there is a Creator, and I know this, then I am bound to worship Him.
He is the Creator who deserves worship.
I am obliged, as a created being to worship the One who created me.
I can know many things about this Creator – all of His invisible
attributes (eternality, invisibility, infiniteness, perfection, etc) are
clearly seen. As I come to a
knowledge about Him, then I ought to worship Him.
We see this in the various tribal cults through Africa and South
America – men who have some light about a Creator begin to worship.
Men are intrinsically made in that light – they need religion
(cf. Romans 1:18ff).
As a result of my
knowledge concerning the Creator/creature distinction, I am obliged to
worship the God who made the universe, and who made me.
I would reason in this manner: “Should there be fixed times spent
in formal worship to this God? Yes,
because He is the Creator and deserves that worship.
Can I formally worship God and sleep at the same time?
No I cannot. Can I be
about other business and formally worship God at the same time?
No I cannot. Must I
set aside a time for worship? Yes, I must.”
The 4th commandment then enhances the light of nature
and tell me exactly when that time is to be – one day in seven.
The light of nature can tell me there is a formal time to worship
God apart from other times, but the only thing it cannot tell me is the length
of time for that worship. It
is not known unless God reveals it in special revelation.
The same is said for God Himself – men are able to know He
exists, but a fuller revelation of His nature and will is only revealed in
the Bible. This does not
abrogate the nature of God because it is not completely seen and
understood by the light of nature.
The next question I
should asked as a redeemed Christian concerning this commandment is this,
“Should there be fixed times spent by the church for religious
exercises?” The answer is
an ardent “Yes!” We know
from special revelation that the church should meet together during the
congregations stated meetings (cf. Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42).
We are also aware that the light of nature says we should be
engaged in formal worship. This means we cannot sleep and formally worship
God, or buy milk and formally worship God, at the same time (cf. John
4:24). We know the mind ought
not to be engaged with other things simultaneously while we are
worshipping the Creator, lest we dishonor Him and sin.
Is it then fair to say that there are suitable times to worship?
Most assuredly. Are certain times more suitable than others?
Again, most assuredly. Why
is this so? We can implement the idea of work here in contrast to
worship. Should we work and
gather for worship at the same time?
No. Why?
Because we cannot give ourselves to formal worship if we are
working at our jobs, or doing homework, or watching TV.
Is it fair to say that these times should be fixed and settled,
that church may agree that time set should be the same for all?
Definitely. Why is
this so? This is so not only
because the special revelation of God commands us to assemble when the
church meets (Heb 10:24-25) but the light of nature tells us that we would
be interrupted if this were not so, and chaos would reign.
For example, Men would interrupt one another and the formal worship
of God could never be done corporately.
Let us imagine that a church has 3 elders.
Each elder has 10 people which like to listen to their sermons in
particular. All 33 people (3 elders plus 30 people) make up one body or
one church. What if at 10:30
Pastor Harry stepped up to the podium with his 10 people listening in the
pew and began preaching. This
would seem fine. However, at
10:45 Pastor John stands beside Pastor Harry and begins preaching as well.
10 more people join the ranks in the pew and there to be 2
preachers preaching at once. But
at 11:00am Pastor Frank stands up at the same pulpit with Pastor Harry and
Pastor John and his 10 people take their places in the pew with the
others. He then begins
preaching. There are 3 men
preaching 3 sermons off the same pulpit.
Is this not chaos? Thus,
we know that one time of formal worship is better than other times of
formal worship. The preachers need to take turns. They cannot all preach at one time. There must be a set time of formal worship for God agreed
upon between the people and the pastors, otherwise, formal worship cannot
take place.
The next question we
would be faced with is the frequency of worship.
Is once a year too often? Once
a month? Once a week? Once
a Day? Once an hour? What is suitable to this?
We know from the light of nature that some proportion of time,
whether exactly known or not, is better than another.
We can come to understand, though, that one length of time is
better than another. How
so? Ask yourself this
question, “Is one hour an acceptable length of time for a Sabbath Day,
or not?” Since the majority of Christendom dislikes the 4th
commandment the answer to this is “Yes.
A 20 minute sermon, a few announcements, prayer and a few songs is
enough for a Sabbath.” However,
after scrutinizing this, the answer must be “Absolutely not.”
One hour is not enough time. How
would the light of nature show this?
We know there is a distinction between things of the world and the
things of formal worship. We
have been discussing how the light of nature shows us that we should set
aside a time of worship. That
“setting aside” shows us there are other worldly pursuits which we
engaged in. One hour would
not be enough time to formally worship the Creator because worldly things
would crowd in too much onto spiritual things.
Jonathan Edwards says rightly that there would not be enough time
to properly focus the mind on God, and we would be about worldly things
again too quickly. Formal
worship would not impact us as it should.
Our minds would be clouded by the business of other things too
quickly afterward, or too soon before the gathering for formal worship.
Things being so short, that which is the “worldly” would mix
with that which is “religious.”
So we see the light of
nature teaches us much about a time of formal worship.
It shows us there should be a time to worship God apart from other
times. There should be an
orderliness to it. There
should be a specific length of time for it.
God’s special revelation will fill in the blanks and enhance this
moral command to worship one day out of seven as we look at the Scriptures
themselves.
Genesis 2, subsequent
years, and the Sabbath of God
The 4th
commandment has its origins in the creation ordinance of God.
But before we link the special revelation of Exodus 20 and
Deuteronomy 5 with the creation ordinance itself, I would like to deal
with the Genesis accounts. Genesis
2:1-3 states, “Thus
the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 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. 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.”
God creates the world then rests.
The day on which He rested is the seventh day.
It is a special day blessed by Him and sanctified by Him.
First, is God to be obeyed by example alone?
Ephesians 5:1 says we are to be “imitators of God” as beloved
children. If God acts, then
we ought to act, as much as is humanly possible, to step in accord with
those actions. If God is holy
we should be holy. Calvin
rightly says, “It is no small stimulus to any action, for a man to know
that he is imitating his Creator.”
What then is the pattern which God has established before the fall
of man from the Garden? The
pattern is this: work six days and rest one day.
What kind of day was the
seventh day? The seventh day
was a holy day, hallowed by God, different than the six previous.
In other words, God separated the whole day for a special reason
which included holiness and blessing.
He separated it from secular and common use and dedicated it to
divine worship. How do we
come to this conclusion? Blessing
and sanctification are done for man not for God.
Would God have been robbed of something if He did not make the
seventh day for Himself or hallowed it?
Certainly not. The
Sabbath was made for Adam, not God. By
this example, Adam should work six days and rest one.
This, being a creation
ordinance, before sin entered the world, is binding upon all men.
This was not only for Adam, but for Adam and all his progeny.
Adam loved God perfectly while in innocence, with all his mind and
strength, and he was issued the Sabbath, a holy resting day devoted solely
to the separation of formal worship before God, his Creator.
If this day was so important for Adam, especially being in the
state of innocence, is it then more valuable for a fallen man?
Assuredly. The very
first day that Adam enjoyed was the Sabbath Day.
On the sixth day he was created, on the seventh he rested on the
day God rested. We often
forget this. God made man to
enjoy the Sabbath rest.
At this point, the
gainsayer leaps in and then states that for the next 450 years there is no
mention of the Sabbath at any time. This
proves that the Sabbath was not binding upon men until the Law given at
Sinai. My response, first,
would be this, “Would silence necessarily dictate that it was not so?”
The gainsayer says “Yes.”
Scriptures disagrees with him.
For instance, how are men forgiven?
Men are forgiven by blood sacrifices.
Well, since the time of Abel until the flood, which is a span of
over 1500 years, there is no mention in the Scriptures at all of
blood sacrifices. Does this
mean blood sacrifices were not needed for the forgiveness of sin?
Or, from the death of Moses until Jeremiah (8 centuries) there is
no mention of circumcision. Does
this mean God did not desire men to be circumcised?
Or, the Sabbath day, after the Law is given, is not mentioned in
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel and 1 Kings— does this mean that
silence dictates to us that there was no Sabbath even after the law given?
Absolutely not.
The argument from silence
that the Patriarchs did not observe the Sabbath is an exegetically poor
position, and indefensible. The
pattern set by God in Genesis 2 echoes through the entire book of Genesis.
In Genesis 4:3 we find this, “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of
the ground an offering unto the LORD.”
The words “process of time” are literally translated
“end of days.” At the end
of days, Cain offered a sacrifice for formal worship.
This is very interesting though not conclusive.
However, it definitely indicates that Cain offered formal sacrifice
for worship with his brother Abel at the “end of days.” Could this be a allusion to the Sabbath?
Possibly.
What importance does the
number 7 have through the book? The
number seven is very important all through the Bible, not only Genesis. But in the book of Genesis it is used frequently: in 7:2
there are 7 clean animals; in 7:4 there are 7 days (For yet seven days, and I will cause it to
rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights.); in 8:10, 12
there are 7 more days (And
he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of
the ark.); in 29:27, a wedding festival lasted through one week; we
also notice that 7 is a length of time customary for domestic service with
Jacob and Laban; in 50:10, there is a week used for a funeral. Why the number 7? Why
one week? Why not two weeks
or 12 days? Why not 4 days?
Because the pattern of the seven days is set by God as a pre-fallen
creation ordinance which the Patriarchs were well acquainted.
But how do we know they kept the Sabbath?
We find the answer to this among the Israelites before they
received the moral Law.
In Exodus 12:3-20, we
find the institution of the Passover when as yet there were no Levitical
institutions appointed to last a week.
The Passover was one week long, and this is known before the Law is
formally given, or the ceremonial law was in place.
But more interestingly, Exodus 16:22-30 demonstrates that the
Israelites knew how to prepare and keep the Sabbath before the Law had
been given. In the account of
the manna, the Sabbath was enforced even before they settled at Sinai to
receive the Law. The text is
as follows, “And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they
gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of
the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that
which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto
the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will
seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the
morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did
not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to
day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in
the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is
the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there
went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they
found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my
commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the
sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days;
abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the
seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”
It must be seen that the people gathered twice as much manna on the
sixth day before Moses or elders told them to do so.
Verse 22 shows that the rulers went to Moses
to tell him what the people were already doing. This
was done before they had been told by the elders to do it!
Their doing so was what prompted the elders to inquire of Moses
about the subject! Next, verse 29 shows the past tense of the verb concerning
Moses’ inquiry about the people’s action.
“The Lord has given you”, the verb is past tense.
The people of Israel already knew about the Sabbath.
And is it not interesting that God allowed a double portion to be
given to them on the sixth day before He told them what the seventh
day was even about? The
Israelites acted upon God’s already established ordinance and gathered a
double portion before they had been instructed by the Law to do so.
How did they know? Because
they knew of the creation ordinance which is binding upon them, and all
men, for all time. Why did
God give them a double portion without saying what this double portion was
for? They should have known due to the creation ordinance in
Genesis 2.
God’s Clarity of the
4th commandment
Is the command moral or
ceremonial? Is God clear in
His presentation of the Jewish Sabbath to His people?
Yes, God is very clear. The
Old Testament witnesses to this Jewish Sabbath over 100 times. This Jewish Sabbath is also given to the Israelites more
clearly in the formal Law and is moral in its nature.
It is that aspect of the first table of the Law which gives the
length of time of worship.
(Remember, object, means, manner and time make up the first table
of the Law.) The definition
of the Law, again, is “The law of God is the perfect reflection of His
nature and will and binds all rational creatures to perfect conformity in
character and conduct.” This
Law is not excluded from the other 9. It is part of the Decalogue.
God did not give this Law during the ceremonial procedures or
Levitical Laws concerning judiciary circumstances.
It was given as part of the table of the covenant.
It is remarkable that it is placed in the middle of the code
instead of at the end or beginning. Possibly,
one may desire to throw away the “hanging” Law at the end of the code,
or the “shadowy Law” at the beginning, but how can so many rip the
Sabbath Law from the middle of the code and believe they have warrant to
do so? If this is done,
worship is defaced of the length of time God requires of us in formal
worship. Part of the purpose
of the Sabbath is to hinder the mixture of the sacred and profane.
God desires His worship secluded from the world.
He does not desire it mixed.
In the Old Testament
there are other shadows of the Sabbath which have passed away as annexed
laws bound up in the Jewish Theocracy and ceremonial Law.
These are the ceremonial sabbaths which are not the same as the
morally binding weekly Sabbath. For
example, the Levites were to number 7 sabbaths then mark 50 days as stated
in Lev. 23:16, “Even
unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and
ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.”
This was a special ceremonial case.
The seventh year was special as stated in Ex. 23:11.
Indentured servants were released on the seventh year which was a
type of sabbath as given in Deut. 15:12.
These, and like sabbaths have passed away as part and parcel of the
ceremonial and judicial laws. Paul will affirm this in Colossians 2:16, as we will see
later.
The 4th
commandment says, “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, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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.”
(Exodus 20:8-11) We find that
the commandment’s character is both positive and negative.
Positively the command states that Jews must “remember the
Sabbath Day.” Negatively it
states “thou shalt do no work.” The
Jews must be actively engaged in the remembrance of the Sabbath, and
actively set aside their common “work” for that whole day. It is a command to sanctify that day and dedicate it
completely to God.
This particular command
begins unlike any of the others. God
commands that the Jews “Remember…”
The Hebrew zaw-kar' is a primitive root word meaning “to
remember, recall, call to mind.” This commandment, unlike the others, is
more explicit, more detailed, has more classes specified, and is sustained
by more reasons than the others.
The most detailed and picturesque of the 10 commandments is that
which is most abused. God is
so clear in the command that it is amazing so many desire to remove it as
part of a ceremony (whichever ceremony that may be) in the Levitical
ceremonial Law.
It also must be noticed
that the commandment does not specify a day, but a pattern.
This overthrows the contention that the 4th commandment
is part of the ceremonial law at the outset.
True, the Sabbath is spoken of, and it is set by the creation
ordinance as the 7th day.
But which 7th day?
The seventh day from what day?
In the Genesis account God does not specify that “Sunday” is
the first day and “Saturday” is the seventh day.
The narrative simply tells us that God set a pattern of six days
work and one day to rest. It
does not specify a day but a pattern. How
so? The question must be
asked, “Where did the Jews begin to know what day the Sabbath was
suppose to be when they gathered the manna?”
The plain fact is that they did not know.
What they did was work for 6 days and then on the 7th
(which happened to be Saturday) they rested.
Their pattern pointed back to the Creation Ordinance of Gen. 2:1-3.
They were in no way mimicking a ceremonial ordinance, but a pattern
– an eternal pattern set for all men for all time. If the Sabbath day was specifically mention as “Saturday”
then “Saturday” would continually and forever be the formal day of
worship. But God, in His
providence, set a pattern for the Jews and then a pattern for the church. The Sabbath rest is not a specific day in its moral aspect,
but a section of time designated by the Lord.
For the Jews this fell on the seventh day, Saturday.
For the church, as we will see, God is able to change the day
without disturbing the moral significance of the pattern.
Christians still hold to six days work and one day rest.
For the Jews, it is impossible that the Jewish weekly Sabbath is
ceremonial simply in this light. The
ceremonial law, which the Jews would have never known, had not even been
given yet.
The Sabbath is set as the
fourth command in the first table of the Law.
The first four commandments deal with worship and God.
The last six deal with the interaction between neighbors.
(Please note that all the commandments deal with God, but they are
divided into the two sections (or two tables) that Christ will later
designate them as “Love God,” (table 1 ) and “Love your neighbor”
(table 2)). The time of
formal worship sets the uniform nature of the first table.
The object, mode, manner and time are set for the believer to
glorify God. As with all
things for the believer, the primary intended goal of this formal worship
is the glory of God, and the secondary goal is the sanctification of the
believer.
Exodus 31:12 states,
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the
children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a
sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that
I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”
The word qadash, “sanctify,” has as its root meaning
“holy.” It means “to
consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be
sanctified, be separate.”
4th
Commandment Exegetically Viewed
The direction of the
command points the people of God upon meditation of God’s past works.
It would be inaccurate for God to tell them to “remember”
something they had not heard before. This would impinge upon the Lord’s
veracity and perspicuity in giving the command the way it is issued.
This indicates plainness of thought and clarity.
The Sabbath of God is revealed secondly in the command but
primarily in the Creation Ordinance which this command reflects in the
latter half. The Creation
Ordinance is taken up in the words which direct the command to the heads
of the household. It is
directed first to husbands, being the head, and then wives being mothers
of children. This is seen by the words “thou, and thy sons, and thy
daughters, etc…” We see
the need for family worship as a definite reminder here.
The moral Law was
completely given at Sinai. There
is no more moral Law left to give. Knowing
it is a perfect representation and reflection of the character of God to
the people, Deuteronomy 5:22 states, “These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the
midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great
voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of
stone, and delivered them unto me.”
The phrase “and he added no more” is quite important.
God commanded Moses, and the people, all that He needed to give
them for moral living in the Law of God.
To break the 4th commandment was a capital offense.
Ex. 31:14 states, “Ye
shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that
defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work
therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.”
Being “cut off” is to be stoned and killed. Through the Old Testament this also has reference to eternal
damnation. But the question
must be asked and answered, “Do ceremonial laws enact capital offenses
such as “death” if they are broken?”
No ceremonial Law ever had a capital offense attached to it.
Only moral Laws have capital offences attached to them.
That is why the defilement of the Sabbath is a sin which is
punishable by death. It is
also important to remember that no ceremonial law is mentioned here –
only moral.
A word study of the 4th
commandment is helpful. The
reader may find the following etymologies useful concerning the Hebrew
words:
“Remember” – zakar,
to call to mind; actively remember
“Sabbath”
- this is the specific use of the word for Sabbath - shabbath
“keep it holy” - qadash,
separate it
“labor” – abad,
to work or to serve one another in work
“to do all your work”
– accomplish all work, occupation
“made” – abad,
same as our work
“rested” –
nuwach, ceased
from it, to repose, be quiet.
“blessed and
hallowed” – barak, to
cause to be adored and, qadash,
separated
Practical
Consideration of the Jewish Sabbath
What were the Jews to do
on the Sabbath day? They were to rest form their common labor and dedicate
themselves wholly to the Lord in worship.
They were not to work since they had 6 days to accomplish this.
The common or profane had no place in the worship of God. This is exemplified by Numbers 15:30-35.
Death was the result of breaking the Sabbath as seen in the
incident with the man who was picking up sticks. The
problem in the passage was that the Sabbath forbid a man from starting a
fire, common labor. The man
seemed to be in the midst of gathering wood to “kindle” a fire.
I believe R.L. Dabney is correct when he states that the climate
would not have prompted the man to need a fire, so he must have been
starting a fire for the purposes of roasting dinner or the like.
It would not have been a problem for him to continue to add fuel to
a fire to keep things cooking through the day out of necessity, but to
work, and begin starting a fire for lack of preparation the day before
would have been in violation of the Sabbath commandment.
He is subsequently stoned for his actions, and this was through the
Lord’s directives.
What typology is seen in
the Old Testament pertaining to the Sabbath?
There are two types seen in the 4th commandment.
The first is the old creation of the cosmos, and the second is the
new redemption from Egypt. The
Genesis 2 Creation Ordinance is plain enough, but there is more that this
commandment commemorates and points forward to.
The commandment is settled within the 10 commandments.
These 10 commandments are prefaced by God who says he has rescued
the people from Egypt, and thus, gives them His Law.
The redemption from Egypt is a type of the redemption to come in
Jesus Christ. The Israelites
are to commemorate the Gen. 2:1-3 passage respectively. But they are also to look forward to the coming Messiah and
the ultimate rest they will have in Him.
In the new Gospel era, we commemorate a Gospel Renovation which
Jesus procures for us.
It is interesting to note
that since the fall of Adam, the Sabbath is always tied to a redemptive
purpose in the plan of God. For
instance, Jeremiah 4:22-28 describes the earth reduced again to
formlessness and the void because of the sin.
“For my people is foolish, they have not known me;
they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise
to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth,
and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no
light. I beheld the
mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the
heavens were fled. I beheld,
and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof
were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be
desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn,
and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed
it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.”
God describes the wickedness of the sin and rebellion of the
people. Such a time
prefigures the “form and void” of pre-creation.
However, in Isaiah 65:17-18 and in Isaiah 66:22 the description of
a new Gospel age is given and the formless void is now created again in
the Messiah as the paradise of God reclaimed by Christ.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the
former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and
rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy… For as the new heavens and the new
earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall
your seed and your name remain.” In the Gospel times the new heaven and earth are poetic
language for the dispensation of the Gospel.
God again will create a new rest in Christ that all believers shall
rest in. However, this new
rest is not complete until the heavenly Jerusalem is filled with the glory
of God in the restored heavens and earth.
The Jewish Sabbath, in it
typology, actually began the moment the Red Sea closed up over the armies
of Pharaoh behind them. Egypt
is seen as the house of bondage Deut. 5:14-15 show us this explicitly, “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, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine
ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates;
that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And
remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD
thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched
out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath
day.” When God delivered
them, they began their rest from bondage. This is a type of the deliverance seen in Christ and the
rescuing from sin, or the spiritual Egypt.
Jonathan Edwards makes a point in his series on the Sabbath that
the raising up of the Israelites out of the waters of the Red sea is like
a spiritual resurrection; a spiritual Christ typology of sin being
vanquished and Christ raising from the dead to trouble the Egyptians. (cf.
Exodus 14:24) This is the antitype of Christ.
The Old Testament
witness to the Sabbath
What does the remaining
texts of the Old Testament tell us about the morally binding Sabbath?
Nehemiah 10:31 and 13:15-22 are striking. In 13:31 it states, “And if the people of the land bring ware or any
victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on
the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year,
and the exaction of every debt.” Nehemiah
noted that the Israelites would not buy anything on the Sabbath day –
this was forbidden. In
13:15-22 it says, “In those days saw I in Judah some treading wine
presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also
wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into
Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day
wherein they sold victuals. There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which
brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the
children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of
Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane
the sabbath day? Did not your
fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon
this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be
dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and
charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of
my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in
on the sabbath day. So the
merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or
twice. Then I testified
against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so
again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on
the sabbath. And I commanded
the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come
and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God,
concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy
mercy.” Nehemiah was
outraged that the people kept bringing back wares for the Israelites to
buy. They were causing the covenant people of God to stumble.
Nehemiah warned that that if they did not cease, that they would
“lay hands on them.” The
Sabbath is not a day for shopping. Shopping
can be done 6 days of the week. The Sabbath is reserved specially for worship.
Psalm 118:22-24 is a
prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah and the work He will
accomplish. This is a most
glorious shadow of the resurrection of Christ and the Lord’s Day.
It states, “The
stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day
which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
What is signified by the stone?
The stone is Christ. The
New Testament interprets this Psalm in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke
20:17, Eph 2:20-22, and 1 Peter 2:4-5.
This idea of a “cornerstone” or “capstone” is immediately
linked with salvation. Jesus Christ was refused, rejected and put to death.
The people rejected him, or as the Psalm states “refused” Him,
but He has become the head cornerstone.
Then the Psalmist says that it is the work of God which has
accomplished this and it is marvelous.
It is a day the Lord has made and we should rejoice and be glad in
it. This is speaking of
Jesus’ triumph over death. The
resurrection of Christ marks the day in which we should be glad (which is
the first of the week). This
day is a day of rest and rejoicing in Christ for His victory over sin.
Making Christ the head or cornerstone is what is marvelous. This is
in His exaltation which began with His resurrection.hich is become the head of the corner.”
Jesus’ resurrection creates a day which is marvelous.
As we will see, the day on which this is done is made a day
of rejoicing, and will later be deemed the Lord’s Day.
Isaiah 56:2-9, “Blessed
is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it;
that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from
doing any evil. Neither let
the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak,
saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let
the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my
sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my
covenant; Even unto them will
I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of
sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall
not be cut off. 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;
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
Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather
others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in
the forest.” What does it mean to “pollute” the Sabbath?
To defile the Sabbath is to neglect the formal worship which this
day requires. This particular
exhortation by the Lord is inclusive of Gentiles as well as Jews.
Gentiles, just as Jews, may be blessed by the observance of the |
