The Bible is my rule of life. It is easy for me to easily change my way of life if it can be shown me that the idea behind the sabbath is different from what I have thought it to be.
Sabbath Understanding
The following is what I understand the sabbath to be:
- It is God’s holy day, not ours. It belongs to Him.
- Scripture
- Isa 58:13,14 “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”
- Ex 20:10 “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… “
- He appointed it after He Himself had rested on it after finishing the work of creation.
- Scriptures
- Gen 2:2 “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”
- Ex 31:16,17 “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, [for] a perpetual covenant. It [is] a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.“
- He blessed that one specific day of the six days on which He himself had rested and also sanctified it (set it apart for holy use).
- Scriptures
- Gen 2:3 “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”
- He invites humanity to keep that day holy which was a memorial of His creative work.
- Scriptures
- Ex 20: 10 “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… for (or because) 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”
- In other words, when I keep His Sabbath day holy I testify that He is the Creator and not the Big Bang.
- By keeping His sabbath I accept the institution which He calls His sign between Him and His people.
- Scriptures
- Exo 31:12,13 “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for (or because) it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.”
- Eze 20:19,20 “I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God.”
- The sabbath is a feast, (Hebrew moed) or more appropriately an appointed time, in which God calls His people to gather before Him.
- Scripture
- Lev 23:3 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim [to be] holy convocations, [even] these [are] my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.”
- In other words I believe God set apart the Sabbath also as a time in which He meets with His people, where His presence is more actively felt among them. (It is only His presence that can make something holy, sanctified or blessed. And the seventh day has these.) It is an appointed time, or as some would day it, weekly appointment with the Creator. And I would like to avail myself for the gathering which He calls for. I do not want to miss an opportunity to be with Him because I feel my great need for Him.
- These ‘appointed times’ in which His people gather before Him we are told will continue even in the world to come,
- Scripture
- Isa 66:22,23 “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. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”
Argument Against the Sabbath
The following are reasons why I do not agree with the common arguments put forth against the seventh day sabbath:
1. Jewish
I cannot say that the sabbath was a Jewish thing only meant for the Jews because how then will I explain it being given in Eden before sin and to Adam. Adam was not a Jew.
- Likewise, if it is a Jewish custom why is it continuing in the new heaven and new earth? Does that mean the new heaven and the new earth is only for the Jews then?
- In addition, Isaiah also gave this prophecy concerning strangers or gentiles, “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…” Isaiah 56:6 If it was only meant to be a a jewish thing why is there a presentation of the sons of strangers keeping it?
- Now say if someone was to ask me to abandon the sabbath because it is a Jewish thing, is it not too much ask? I’ll have to concede in abandoning the sabbath that I am not part of God’s people, The sabbath and all its blessing was not made for me and also that I shall not be part of the new heaven and the new earth for those that dwell therein do gather sabbath after sabbath to worship the LORD. Is that not too much to ask? Does the Bible warrant me to do that?
- The Bible tells me I am a Hebrew (Gal 3:29) and also a Jew (Rom 2:28,29) if I am in Christ. And all the promises of God, including those in the Old Testament, also apply to me. (2Cor 1:20) I am counted together with the believing Jews as His people for I have been grafted into the plant which the original Jews are a part of. (Rom 11:13-24) How do I then cast away mine heritage like that through the belief that the sabbath was a jewish thing and deprive myself of all the blessings in the sabbath? God forbid!
2. One day out of seven
The second view point which I find hard to take is that the whole point of the sabbath is just to rest one day out of the seven. And that we can choose whichever day we want. I do not think that is the case.
If God chose a day Himself, rested on it to give an example, blessed it and set it apart for holy use and never intimated giving to man the freedom to appoint a day for himself why would I venture to do it? If I disregard His holy day and chose another day will I also command Him to bless it too? Will I command Him to sanctify it? For how can I, a sinful human being, sanctify or make anything holy? Or should I be content to rest on a day (1-6) that has not His blessing and is not sanctified? Is it not much easier and safer to just come into conformity with the stipulated appointed time which He has chosen?
3. Bible Teachings
The third view point that I find hard to take is that the Bible teaches us that it, both the day and the sabbath concept, does not matter anymore through the verses below:
- “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.” {Rom 14:4,5}
- “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days…” {Col 2:16}
- “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” {Gal 4:9-11}
I do not find in these verses the ‘liberty’ supposedly given.
I find that when it is said, that these verses teach that it does not matter what day one chooses to worship, people knowingly or unknowingly charge Paul with teaching people to transgress the law of God, the ten commandments.
Let me explain.
Jesus Christ said…
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
No jot or tittle was to pass from the law as long the heaven and earth still stood. But with the teaching of picking any day of the seven as the sabbath, a few jots and tittles must necessarily pass away and some added for the law must necessarily change to, “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but one day out of the seven, thou shalt keep as a sabbath unto 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 thy cattle nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is and rested on one day out of the seven. Wherefore He blessed and hallowed any day out of the seven that you may choose to sabbath in.“
This is not the law of God as He spoke it Sinai. It is adding and removing to and from the words of His own mouth. And though the people might not say it out rightly that they have added and removed from the direct words of Jehovah yet in their belief and practice they bear a clear testimony of the work of removing and adding to the words of Jehovah.
This work the LORD has forbidden for me to work upon my soul and therefore I take His words just as they came out of His mouth, “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… for (or because) 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.”
For me to ignore the seventh day and not keep it holy is not to live in obedience to the fourth commandment as it reads. It is breaking the fourth commandment and is therefore sin. “For sin is the transgression of the law.” 1st John 3:8
Jesus Christ went further and said…
“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.”
Did Paul break the least of the commandments? Did he teach others to do so? Did he break the sabbath commandment? Did he teach others to not observe the seventh day sabbath as the sabbath of the LORD?
For the honour and dignity of the ministry of Paul I cannot consent to say that he did for the testimony of his own life is quite different…
“Reading along to the 13th of Acts 16, we find Paul establishing the Churches (see 4,5,) and at Philippi he holds his meeting, (not in the Jews Synagogue) but at the river’s side, on the Sabbath day. A little from this it is said that Paul is in Thessalonica preaching on the Sabbath days. Luke says this was his manner! What was it? Why, to preach on the Sabbath days. Observe here was three Sabbaths in succession. Acts 17:2. A little while from this Paul locates himself in Corinth (Acts 18:4), and there preaches to the Jews and Greeks (or Gentiles) a year and six months every Sabbath. Now this must have been seventy-eight in succession. Before this he was in Antioch. “And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue the GENTILES besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.” 13:42, 44.”
Paul did not break the sabbath commandment. The testimony from his life is quite clear that he kept the sabbath commandment.
Now, do we say that he advocated by his words for people to walk differently than he did (not to keep the seventh day sabbath)? While he himself had said…
“Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” (1st Cor 4:16) And again “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1st Cor 11:1)
Nay, I would claim that he did not teach anyone not to observe the seventh day sabbath. If he did he would have been ‘preaching wine and drinking water’. And that is a charge upon his character and his ministry that I cannot make.