Did God Change the Sabbath?
Friday, April 10, 2009 at 06:04PM Comments Off In honor of Good Friday, and to demonstrate that things aren't always what they seem, I thought it apropos to entertain the question, "Did God change the Sabbath?" The question of whether or not the Sabbath should be celebrated on Saturday or Sunday has been hotly debated for years.
Seventh Day Adventists will fight tooth and nail for the belief that God never changed the Sabbath. I believe God did change the Sabbath, and for this reason, we are not to celebrate our rest on Saturday. Now, before you "Sunday Sabbath" fans start to high-five each other, let me also make it clear - I believe God did indeed change the Sabbath. But He did not change it to Sunday. For this reason, we are not to celebrate our rest on Sunday either!
No more do we need to bicker about what day the Sabbath is, because it isn't a day at all! Dear Reader, isn't that exciting?!How can this be? Well, we often only consider this question in terms of two choices: Saturday or Sunday. But I believe there is a third option, one that we almost never even consider, because we are too busy focusing on the wrong thing. You see, I believe God changed the Sabbath from a day to a Person. That's right: God changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Jesus Christ. Consider this:
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17, emphasis mine).
All of the Old Testament rituals and laws were a shadow of things to come! In this manner, the calendar sabbath was just a sign which points to the real Sabbath - Christ. He is our rest, not from our 9-5 jobs and our household chores, but from our toil to release the burden of sin.
Now, if we go with the idea that God did change the Sabbath, not from Saturday to Sunday, but from Saturday to Jesus, then is it still possible to break the Commandment which says we must honor the Sabbath and keep it holy? Absolutely! It's not that the 4th Commandment goes away, rather, it has merely been fulfilled. Jesus said He didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. In this sense, we break the Sabbath whenever we dishonor Christ. Anyone who fails to keep the Sabbath holy is violating a command to honor Jesus:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, emphasis mine).
Jesus is inviting us to take rest in Him. People who do not honor the new Sabbath - people who insist on working, working, working their way into heaven instead of entering into His rest - will find on Judgment Day the wrath of God kindled against them, no matter what day of the week they choose to "rest" or go to church. No more do we need to bicker about what day the Sabbath is, because it isn't a day at all! It's not about a day of the week. It's all about the Lord. Dear Reader, isn't that exciting?!
So why then do we meet on Sunday as a church? We meet on the first day of the week to celebrate His resurrection. It's not really a Sabbath at all, but a celebration! Sunday is a weekly reminder of the glorious day that He rose from the grave and conquered death. Our sins have been washed away. No more will we have to toil in an effort to keep the law, an impossible task! No, because He is risen, we can have rest in Him. This is why Sunday is referred to as "The Lord's Day" in Scripture.
This is good news for all who put their faith and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin. It is also good news for those of us who still wish to honor God by keeping the Commandments, not in an effort to earn salvation, but as a means of repentance and an expression of gratitude to God for what He has done for us. We don't have to worry that we are displeasing God if we are called into work on a Sunday, because if we should work on Sunday, we are not breaking the Sabbath. But if we should attempt work our way to heaven, we are breaking the Sabbath:
And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" (Matthew 7:23)
As stated above, in God's kingdom, things aren't always what they seem! May you find your rest in Him this Holiest of Lord's Days: Resurrection Sunday.
Reader Comments (40)
I like you "alternative" explanation. Good thoughts, and thank you for sharing this!
I agree with you... God changed Sabbath from Saturday to Jesus... He is now our rest... our eternal rest...
Very well written!
Very few teach this truth. We have been blessed to have a pastor that teaches "walking in Spirit" and "reckoning ourselves to be dead in Christ".
Every day is the Lord's Day when are resting in His work of salvation.
"He Lives! He Lives! He lives within my heart!"
Amen sister.
What do you do with Mat 24:20 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a sabbath? Seems like Jesus thought the sabbath would still be around in the last days.
There's enough 'hints' to substantiate any view...I just always get hung up on this verse. Seems there will be a day of rest, whether Sat or Sun, to me.
Hi, Shannan. You raise a good point. I agree, there is still a "sabbath" in the sense that we should take a day off from work to rest. It is necessary for our bodies to rest in order to function. Many pastors take Monday as their day of rest, because they are working on Sunday. So I do agree it is sensible, healthy, and right for us to have a day of rest.
I would say in reference to Matthew 24:20 that having to flee on a sabbath would simply mean that an added hardship would be present. I would imagine if I worked hard all week, and then flee on my day of rest, I would be lose that resting period, which would mean added hardship for my body. It would make things harder on me, just as if I had to flee during winter as opposed to a time when it was not so cold.
When Jesus said the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath, I believe he was referring to the calendar sabbath, because we were all made for the glory of the Sabbath called Christ. But it is probably a good idea to have a calendar sabbath anyway, because it is to our benefit to rest our physical bodies.
Thanks for stopping by!
This is wonderful!
The Lord has been putting it on my heart lately that I'm not "resting" in Him. Oh sure, I trust Him rather than my works to save me, but if you could see into my soul, you would see very little rest there. I still worry and get upset far too easily.
I want to know this rest much more deeply. Thank you for this beautiful perspective!
Betsy, your comment reminded me of another side to this -- that we frequently forget to "rest" in Him when we are too busy to spend time with Him! (I am guilty of this for certain.) Jesus provided another example of how we might consider Him the real Sabbath when we look at the story of Mary and Martha. We don't want to be so busy that we forget to rest and delight in Him.
I wish I had thought of that when I wrote this! Thanks for the reminder!
My dear friend we are on the same page...Hebrews says it all..and in fact we have one more sabbath left and that is when we enter into our eternal rest in heaven. (Hebrews chapter 4)
OOOh this is a great blog! Love this article - it's right on there!
I got something for ya's all to ponder here though concering Jennifer's question about "praying that your flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath".
The sabbath was created for man (particularly the son of man) that Christ rest after his work was finished. The original account back in Genesis "God rested on the seventh day..." is actually future tense. That "7th day" he rested was the day after the crucifixian. Jesus's body rested in the tomb and rose again on the first day (same day as the first day of creation - "let there be light" - Boom there it is!)
In Acts - Pete states that they are already in "the last days" as described in Joel. My hunch is that the begining of the "last days" started with the resurrection. New era - new covenant; the testator had died - come resurrection the new covenant is now in effect.
Connect this now to the question of "the last days". Is this statement in referrence to the end of the old covenant or the end of this heavens and earth? If it's in connection to the Old Covenant than the last of the "sabbaths" (last of the Old Covenant sabbath - since Jesus himself is now the new sabbath) was the day between the crucifixian and the resurrection.
So now, if they were to pray that their flight be not in the winter or on the sabbath - and that final sabbath is really connected to the 24 hours between the death and resurrection of Chist - what do you think that means?
Oooooh - who's up to the challenge of unraveling that one???
PS - pardon my bad spelling!
Ms. Modern Fashion Cents, I am still pondering what you've said here after all these weeks. It is truly fascinating. If you are saying that Jesus is the Sabbath (which I think He is)and that the old sabbath was done away with upon the resurrection, I would agree with that. However, I still don't know what it would mean for Him to say "pray your flight is not on the sabbath" if He was referring to Himself. For this reason, I think there is some credence to Shannan's assertion that there probably was still a "sabbath" in an OT sense, simply because we do need to rest.
It is very interesting and I thank you for your contribution to the conversation.
A hint to the "pray that your flight be not (in the winter or) on the Sabbath..." could have to do with what happened Friday.
Just before Jesus died he said "It is finished." Because he had completed the atonement - he could rest on the sabbath. Now if Jesus would have had to break the sabbath because his work wasn't completed - all His people would still be "in flight" (running from the wrath of God) on the sabbath (when they were suppose to have found their rest).
Now the theological implications of this on salvation are huge. If Jesus hadn't finished his work before the sabbath set in - that would mean that all the redeemed would have been eternally lost.
Jesus himself would have returned to the Father - simply on the basis of his own righteousness because the justice of God prevents Him from condemning a
righteous man. Jesus would have returned empty handed though.
So the admonition to pray that your flight be not on the sabbath was really a pleading for your redeption.
Now the flight be not in winter thing. Earlier in the gospels Jesus had said look up for the feilds are ripe for harvest. The harvest comes just before the winter. Jesus was in the temple preaching until the Tuesday before the crucifixian.
Here's where it gets interesting. Late that afternoon Jesus is sitting on the Mt. of Olives and says something to the effect that now is the time Satan is cast to the earth. (It's in the book of John - can't remember the verse off hand) In the book of Revelation - when Satan is cast down - he's bound for 1000 years in the bottomless pit.
That night Jesus goes to someone's house for dinner (think it's Simon the leper?) and some un-named woman pours oil over his head. He states that she's done this for his burial. This is Teusday night, most likely right after sundown. Exactly 3 24 hour periods later (Teusday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) Jesus is dead! There's your 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.
Notice Jesus is not in public anywhere. He's not preaching to anyone - the harvest of that covenant was over - this was "the winter". They weren't "fleeing in the winter" because Jesus was still physically there. He was still alive.
Now the apostles fled when Jesus was arrested. Now my assumption is that those who had died - including John the Baptist and all to be redeemed that had died before him (Old Testament) who were awaiting enterance into heaven had "fled" too. They'd fled the wrath of God. This is what I think was the "great tribulation". They fled for fear that the atonement would not be completed and that they'd be eturnally lost.
Now you get to the book of Revelation and immediatly after the lamb appears before the throne - to open the scrolls - so do all these people. And the passage states that these are those who've come out of (the) great tribulation.
So now resurrection comes and you have a totally new covenant. The enacting of the new covenant actually happened at the point Jesus died - the proof of his victory being the resurrection. (that's another theological topic though).
So anyways - the old has passed and Christ is the new testament sabbath. Remeber - if you wish to keep a portion of the old covenant than you are a debter to the whole law!
Hows this jive with "new covanent law". What coudn't be fulfilled in the flesh because of the sin nature of men is now completed in the believer through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So intrinsic in the new covanant is the "moral law" of the old since the Holy Spirit as God can't break His own laws. This is why Paul admonishes the churches saying that if you are truely born again - one evidence should be that you are living a moral life.
So, can you pick a day to rest - physically speaking - sure - it's a good idea. Is it mandatory like it was in the Old Testament - no. Again, all things are lawful for me but not all things are profitable.
This is what grace is about - it truely brings you choices and a will that's freed enough from the bondage of sin to make those kinds of choices. Of course no one is perfectly freed from their fallen estate - but a believers relationship to sin is profoundly different after redemption.
Here's an excellent http://www.porticochurch.com/messages/4th_Commandment_20090531.mp3" rel="nofollow">sermon on the Sabbath, for any who are interested. It would be interesting for the Sabbath to point toward the redemption found in Christ, since it was instituted before the fall. In other words, the Sabbath was instituted before there was any need for a Redeemer. What, then, would it have meant for Adam? And why would that be any different for the rest of humanity? Some things to consider...
Dear Author,
As a follow-up to the previous post, I'd like to offer a commentary on your article, with all due respect.
You wrote:
QUOTE: "In honor of Good Friday, and to demonstrate that things aren't always what they seem, I thought it apropos to entertain the question, "Did God change the Sabbath?" The question of whether or not the Sabbath should be celebrated on Saturday or Sunday has been hotly debated for years, and in many cases, it has been debated in vain.
Seventh Day Adventists will fight tooth and nail for the belief that God never changed the Sabbath."
The Holy Spirit of God moves like the wind. His influence is always pressing on individuals. His function is to convict of sin, righteousness and judgement as well as to lead to all truth. The truth is worth fighting for. Debates may seem in vain, but those who listen are being influenced either for or against the truth.
QUOTE: "Seventh Day Adventists will fight tooth and nail for the belief that God never changed the Sabbath. Well, they are wrong. God did change the Sabbath, and for this reason, we are not to celebrate our rest on Saturday. Now, before you "Sunday Sabbath" fans start to high-five each other, let me also make it clear - God did indeed change the Sabbath. But He did not change it to Sunday. For this reason, we are not to celebrate our rest on Sunday either!"
Do you have any Scriptural warrant for your claims above...
QUOTE: "No more do we need to bicker about what day the Sabbath is, because it isn't a day at all!"
As I'm writing, I notice a 'Please note' above my comments' box. Under this note, I'm reminded that "we need to be accountable for what we say on the internet..." Dear friend, as for your above statement, have you prayerfully considered the implications of your comment.
Pro 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Where has God said that the Sabbath day is not a day?
QUOTE: "Dear Reader, isn't that exciting?!How can this be? Well, we often only consider this question in terms of two choices: Saturday or Sunday. But I believe there is a third option, one that we almost never even consider, because we are too busy focusing on the wrong thing. You see, I believe God changed the Sabbath from a day to a Person. That's right: God changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Jesus Christ. Consider this:
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17, emphasis mine).
All of the Old Testament rituals and laws were a shadow of things to come!"
Please note that the passage you've quoted (Colossians 2) specifically says that these things "ARE a shadow of THINGS TO COME." Paul wrote after Calvary and yet declared that these things ARE (present tense) a shadow of things to come (i.e. of something yet future). The greek agrees perfectly with this translation. The apostle never said they WERE a shadow of things to come.
Continued...
Continued...
QUOTE: "In this manner, the calendar sabbath was just a sign which points to the real Sabbath - Christ. He is our rest, not from our 9-5 jobs and our household chores, but from our toil to release the burden of sin.
Now, if we go with the idea that God did change the Sabbath, not from Saturday to Sunday, but from Saturday to Jesus, then is it still possible to break the Commandment which says we must honor the Sabbath and keep it holy? Absolutely! It's not that the 4th Commandment goes away, rather, it has merely been fulfilled. Jesus said He didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. In this sense, we break the Sabbath whenever we dishonor Christ. Anyone who fails to keep the Sabbath holy is violating a command to honor Jesus:
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, emphasis mine).
Jesus is inviting us to take rest in Him. People who do not honor the new Sabbath - people who insist on working, working, working their way into heaven instead of entering into His rest - will find on Judgment Day the wrath of God kindled against them, no matter what day of the week they choose to "rest" or go to church. No more do we need to bicker about what day the Sabbath is, because it isn't a day at all! It's not about a day of the week. It's all about the Lord. Dear Reader, isn't that exciting?!"
My first post to you sufficiently exposes your error of interpretation here.
QUOTE: "So why then do we meet on Sunday as a church? We meet on the first day of the week to celebrate His resurrection. It's not really a Sabbath at all, but a celebration! Sunday is a weekly reminder of the glorious day that He rose from the grave and conquered death."
There is no Scriptural support for your position here. Please give the Bible chapter and verse to show that Sunday commemorates Christ's resurrection.
Observing Sunday in honour of His raising from the dead is simply a tradition of man that is contrary to the commandment of God. The truth is that it is in baptism, that we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
QUOTE: "Our sins have been washed away. No more will we have to toil in an effort to keep the law, an impossible task! No, because He is risen, we can have rest in Him. This is why Sunday is referred to as "The Lord's Day" in Scripture."
The exact phrase, 'The Lord's Day' is only mentioned once in Scripture. It is mentioned by John. Now, please consider the following.
John calls the seventh day of the week the “Sabbath” in John 5:9, 10, 16, 18; 7:22, 23; 9:14, 16; 19:31.
John calls Sunday the “first day of the week” in John 20:1, 19.
Why would John then suddenly call Sunday "The Lord's Day" in Revelation 1:10?
God bless!
Anonymous, I have a few questions for you that I’d like you to consider:
1) What is your definition of “keeping the Sabbath holy?” In the most orthodox communities, no work is done whatsoever. Do you do any work at all on the Sabbath? Do you operate any electrical appliances? Do you operate a vehicle? Or do you simply regard keeping the Sabbath as a matter of simply having a day off from work and going to church? If it is the latter, I’m confident there would be many who would challenge you as to whether or not you are really holding closely to that commandment as you claim.
2) I’m curious, Anonymous – is your pastor or minister a paid employee of your church? What do you think the Lord will say when every pastor or minister on earth has to give an account for what they’ve done? What do you think the Lord will say when they tell him that not only did they work on the Sabbath, but they broke the commandment knowingly and intentionally? Or are pastors and ministers “exempt” from keeping this commandment?
I do not take issue with your perspective on this. I just disagree because it is not congruent with the freedom and liberty we now have in Christ. For the record, I have never said we are to do away with the commandment. I personally observe the “Sabbath” on Sundays. But every day is a Sabbath rest from my sins. Isn’t this what the Christian faith is really about?
On the other hand, I do take issue with what you’ve stated here:
As I'm writing, I notice a 'Please note' above my comments' box. Under this note, I'm reminded that "we need to be accountable for what we say on the internet..." Dear friend, as for your above statement, have you prayerfully considered the implications of your comment.
Yes, Anonymous, I have. That is my real name and face attached to this blog. I stand by what I have written. Have you? You have chosen to leave a very lengthy comment on my blog, but have not chosen to be accountable for your own words. Why have you chosen to post as “Anonymous?” Is it right for you to point to an alleged speck in my eye when you ignore a possible log in your own? Did you read the Tim Challies article at all?
Nevertheless, although I disagree with them, I chose to post your comments because I thought you were able to articulate your points well and because I believe in allowing people to hear both sides of an issue so they can make their own decisions. And so I thank you for your comments.
At the recommendation of one of our male advisors, I have chosen to keep comments open on this post. However, I will no longer be publishing anonymous comments on this particular article. The anonymous feature is available for those readers who wish to comment on other articles and yet remain anonymous due to a delicate situation that requires them to protect their identities (i.e. domestic abuse, confession of sin, etc.). If you are leaving a comment only to state a particular position on this subject, we will not publish it unless we have a general idea who you are and where you stand doctrinally. We hope this doesn't cause offense. Thank you for your cooperation and please feel free to continue in the discussion.
Ms. MFC -- I never did tell you that your last comment on this post was equally fascinating. Thank you SO MUCH for that perspective. I enjoyed it immensely!
Also, out of fairness to "Anonymous," I'd like to offer the scriptures that s/he (?) asked for. I would submit Hebrews 4:1-11 as well as Hebrews 8:13. The passage in Hebrews 4:11 especially appears to support what Ms. MFC has contributed to the conversation.
Now these scriptures do not directly state that God changed the Sabbath from a day to a Person, however we can infer this based on scriptures like this and the ones I provided in the original post. Just as there are no scriptures deliberately making mention of the Trinity, we can infer that the Trinity exists by juxtaposing several scriptures side by side. I hope this helps.
Jennifer - I'm glad you "re-opened" this post for more comments.
Because I got a couple of great Greek "monkey wrenches" to throw in here! LOL
Before I pull out my "monkey wrenches" though, I want to comment on the question Elessar posed concerning Adam - What the Sabbath meant for Adam?
Adam and the Sabbath:
There are two opposing "schools" of theological thought that would address this question in different ways. For those who may be on more of an "Arminian" bent - they may approach this question with the assumption that God knew nothing about the fall at the point of creation.
Of course (on the other hand) if one believes in the omniscience (sp?) of God - He'd have to know what was "coming down the pike".
So, with God knowing the inevitibility of the fall; the question of Adam and the Sabbath becomes quite easy to answer. Even if Adam didn't understand what a "day of rest" was all about; it'd soon be painfully clear to him that he'd need rest. He'd need it in a way he'd never known before! He'd need redemption!
I'd stated in my first post that the phrase "God rested on the seventh day" is actually in the future tense in the Hebrew. Couple that with the incidence of the Pharisees dismay at the disciples picking ears of corn on the Sabbath. Jesus's answer to them is that his Father has continued to work even unto this day; and so does he himself (Jesus).
Now from a practical stand point we know that plants and animals still grow on Saturdays, the sun still shines, the rain still falls. Every living thing where within the "breath of life" is found does not cease to "labor" in that life just because it's Saturday. It's very obvious that God is "working" in the maintaining of this creation because if He wasn't - we would't be here writing in this blog.
So there's the "simple" answer as to the question of Adam. Now for the "complicated" answer. LOL
Before Adam transgressed would he have needed a redeemer? Now, on the surface that question seems like it'd have a real simple "no brainer" answer. Does it really though? I'll post here some things from Genesis and the book of John, give you my own assesment and let ya'all make up your own minds on that question.
In the very first verses of Genesis we have the earth being without form and void and darkness being upon the face of the deep. Now the phrase "darkness upon the face of the deep" is interesting because the "darkness" is "the with-holding of light" that's upon the face of "the abyss".
When we take this over to the opening of John, we get a "definition" of what it means. At the commencement of creation "the Word" already existed. Here's where it gets interesting because the Greek actually says: "... and the Word continously existed superceeding god." The Watch Tower Society seriously butcher the meaning of this in their translation; but the King James doesn't really do it justice either. King Jimmy translates it "and the Word was God".
King James translates an accurate meaning, although misses an important neuance. The Word was "the God" that superceeded a power that was already present. God had imposed His creation into this "darkness" that was upon the face of the deep. This power (or god) resisted "the light" and attempted to supress the light. This darkness is a perpetually destructive force that God proved His supiority over by creating life.
In simple terms God labled it as "evil" (This is why Adam and Eve were confronted with the tree of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil. Evil already exited - creation was just ignorant of it before the fall.)
Science calles this perpetualy destructive force enthropy. This is why the conception of life is so puzzling to science. The creation of new organizisms is completly contradictory to the law of enthropy!
So, having Adam, Eve and the rest of creation suspended by God's sovereign power into this perpetually destructive force called evil - we can see why and how the fall was so very diabolical!
Did Adam need a Redeemer before the fall? From the judicial stand point - no. From the practical stand point - absolutely. Because Adam lacked all the "omni(s)" that God possesses; his requirement of a sacrifice was inevitable.
The first "weak link" that rocked the whole created order was Eve. ("Satan" - what ever Satan constitues; I personally don't have an answer for, that I'm satisfied with. Traditionally, people have believed that he was a fallen angel; yet nothing in God's created order had "fallen" until Adam ate the fruit. So, what was Satan? I don't know. I'm not inclined to think he was a fallen angel - but that's a different topic altogether.)
If we look real carefully at the text we see that Eve ate the fruit because she wanted the knowledge of good and evil. It never says that Eve wanted to be like God in the totality of who He was! No, it says she ate the fruit because it was "desireable to make one wise". Her intention was not evil. The way she went about trying to satisfy the hunger (pardon the pun) for that knowledge is what brought her into direct conflict with God.
Adam on the other hand jumped into this mess with both feet. If he'd refused to eat the fruit and instead just went to God ("Houston, we got a problem!") God's answer would have still been - "You need a Sacrifice." (ie you need a Redeemer!)
Adam and Eve were not created with a nature that could withstand the knowledge of good and evil without being corrupted by that knowledge. (They were not eternal.) In order to conquar this perpetually destructive darkness; God himself had to enter into it and overcome it's final outcome (death) with life. This is why Jesus had to physically rise from the dead!
So here is what I believe was the reason for making mention of a day of rest back in Genisis. Again, we have a "day" really ending up being a Person!
Now, the "Greek Monkey Wrenches" I mentioned earlier I'm going to put in another post. This one is already pretty long and my 'ol flesh is weak. (My eyes are blurring out looking at the computer screen and I'm falling asleep!)
So, "I'll be back!" (Jennifer, I'm glad you re-opened the posting for this thread. It's a good topic. Made my brain work for it's supper tonight!)
Jennifer,
I appreciate that you consider the Sabbath a topic worth discussing. However, I would encourage you to continue studying the issue because your reasoning does not sufficiently justify your conclusion.
As Elessar pointed out, the Sabbath was instituted before the Fall so it cannot foreshadow Redemption.
Also, please note that Heb 4 makes it clear that we have not yet entered that rest. The entire passage in Hebrews is an exhortation to persevere. Thus it is not possible to say the weekly Sabbath is done away with because Christ is our rest, because the author of Hebrews is very emphatic that we have not entered the rest he is speaking of!
God made a covenant of works with Adam, the reward of which was life everlasting. Adam had the hope that he would one day enter God's rest once he had fulfilled his probationary period of testing. The Sabbath was a weekly reminder of that rest, just as it is for us today. The difference is that Adam saw it as something he had to work for, we see it as something accomplished for us, thus the change in day because of the change in motivation.
1) It is a red herring to point to how "orthodox" Jews practice the Sabbath today. We do not look to them to interpret Scripture. Jesus corrected the Pharisees distortion of the Sabbath laws and we should learn from Him.
is your pastor or minister a paid employee of your church? What do you think the Lord will say when every pastor or minister on earth has to give an account for what they’ve done?
You need to calm your zeal a little. Have you read Matthew 12? Jesus explains that those who serve the Lord on the Sabbath by doing His work do not profane the Sabbath (priests/disciples).
I do not take issue with your perspective on this. I just disagree because it is not congruent with the freedom and liberty we now have in Christ.
The freedom we have in Christ is freedom to sin.
Ms. MFC, I'm afraid your solution to what Elessar mentioned is insufficient. The shadows that Paul refers to in Col 2 were understood by true believers to be shadows pointing to something greater. From their inauguration they pointed to Christ and believers knew that. The weekly Sabbath could not point Adam to a redeemer that he did not know he needed. To say that God knew it would one day point to a Redeemer is to avoid the issue.
Furthermore, it is clear that Paul is referring to the Sabbaths mentioned in Lev 23 that were added in addition to the weekly Sabbath. Any festival that God required Israelites to rest on was called a Sabbath.
I'd stated in my first post that the phrase "God rested on the seventh day" is actually in the future tense in the Hebrew. Couple that with the incidence of the Pharisees dismay at the disciples picking ears of corn on the Sabbath. Jesus's answer to them is that his Father has continued to work even unto this day; and so does he himself (Jesus).
Now from a practical stand point we know that plants and animals still grow on Saturdays, the sun still shines, the rain still falls. Every living thing where within the "breath of life" is found does not cease to "labor" in that life just because it's Saturday. It's very obvious that God is "working" in the maintaining of this creation because if He wasn't - we would't be here writing in this blog.
Ms. MFC, I am not a Hebrew scholar, but I'm guessing you're not either. Can you please reference where you read that the Hebrew in Gen 2:2 is future tense? Why doesn't any translation reflect this? Why do they all say that He rested on the seventh day? Why don't they say He was going to rest on the seventh day? Furthermore, why does Ex 20 point Israelites back to God's rest as a motivation for their rest?
As far as God continuing to work... again, you are simply ignoring what Gen 2:2 says. It says God rested. However, we need to understand what He rested from. Did He rest from all work? No, He rested from the work he had done (note the NET and NASB translation). He rested from the work of creation. This is important to remember as we rest from our work. We are not to rest from all work, but from the work we do the rest of the week.
Your reference to Jesus saying the Father and He are working is in reference to Redemption. And Jesus does not offer that as an excuse for what He is doing (He was healing in John 10, not the wheat) because He did not need an excuse. Healing is lawful on the Sabbath. His comment was to hint towards His work of Redemption, just like when He says something greater than the temple is here.
God rested from His work of Creation. Adam fell and then God began his work of Redemption. God completed His work of Redemption and so now we honor Him by resting on the day He rested from His work of Redemption.
oops The freedom we have in Christ is [NOT] freedom to sin.
Brandon, thank you so much for sharing your identity. I do consider it a courtesy to the rest of us participating in this conversation. (I want to ensure that we are discussing these issues with actual Christians and not being distracted by those who would just perpetuate discussions for the sake of creating discord.) And so I truly thank you.
I appreciate your argument, and Elessar’s. However, I believe entirely that the creation process itself, and everything that was instituted before the fall is, in fact, indicative of Christ. Consider the fact that the earth was in a sense “buried” under water, but was brought forth on the third day. Is that a mere coincidence, or is that indicative of the work of Christ? Consider the fact that God created marriage before the fall. Was marriage created for the sake of marriage, or was it a foreshadowing of Christ? Consider Ephesians 5:27-28. Paul is discussing Christ’s model, then says we are to emulate our marriages after His example. God did not get the idea to betroth Himself to the church from the institution of marriage. On the contrary, He instituted marriage as a symbol of what was to come. Is it not equally possible that the day of rest is to signify our rest in Christ?
I also appreciate your arguments concerning Hebrews 4 and Colossians 2. Yes, the work of God is not finished yet. There will come a day when we will rest from all we know here. However, I do believe that there is sufficient evidence that the rest has already come and is still yet to come. Using the marital example again, when two people are married, they often look forward to their future together. But this does not negate the fact that their future exists in a sense now, in the present. Corresponding to this, Jesus defined eternal life in John 17:3 as “knowing God.” I have eternal life now, in the present. I will also enjoy eternal life in the future, when I stand in glory with God. So I don’t see my view as being inconsistent with the future tense of Hebrews 4 and Colossians 2.
Again, I appreciate your comments, however I am not sure exactly what your goal is in participating in this discussion. My goal was not to inspire debate, but simply to encourage and inspire people to place an emphasis on Christ, rather than the symbols used in the Bible to foreshadow Him. I do not believe I’m in sin, or that I have embraced a false teaching. At the most, I believe I hold a different view than you. Is your intention to simply state an alternate view, or is it something more? I ask because you seem very passionate about this. I do not judge you for your view. However, I am inspired by my view because it truly has given me a deeper appreciation for all Christ has done, and the perfection of His plan, down to the smallest detail. To bring my sense of understanding of the Sabbath back to a mere day just seems to reduce my faith to a series of rules. Again, I observe my “Sabbath” on Sunday because I love God, and He says if we love Him, we will obey His commandments. This is why I personally continue to observe a Sabbath "day". However, I do not embrace any of those commandments as a vehicle by which I can achieve God’s favor.