The Day of the Sabbath

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Jan 24, 1884

The Day of the Sabbath.

TRUE STATE OF THE CONTROVERSY.

At the beginning of our examination of this question we stated that the Sabbath controversy is entirely over the day. All classes are willing to accept a Sabbath—a day of rest and worship, or a day of “rest and recreation,”—if they can have the privilege of choosing the day. God chose a day for his rest, and sanctified it as a season of worship and a memorial of his work of creation, and made plain in the Scriptures which is that day, and his will concerning it. But almost all classes unite in rejecting it and choosing another in its stead. They cannot at all agree in any reason for their action, because it has not the truth of revelation for its ground. When they argue the question they come in as direct conflict with one another as they do with us, and sometimes even more so; yet, strange as it may appear, they always agree in the result. This is owing to the fact that they have the same object in view; they are impelled by the same desire, namely, to exercise their own will and pleasure in the matter of one of God’s commandments. This is not a harsh judgment, considering how plain the commandment is which specifies the seventh day as the Sabbath of the Lord, and imperatively requires its observance.

But the present state of the controversy is peculiar. As stated in our first article, it has greatly changed in the present generation. Half a century ago the Sunday-Sabbath believers were rigid believers in the inspiration and credibility of the Bible; at the present time there is no other class of people who are doing so much to destroy faith in the Bible, and to undermine its authority as a reliable book of information on points of duty. Notice the positions now assumed by them, as evidence of the correctness of our affirmation.

1. The Bible plainly says that God made the world in six days; that he rested on the seventh day—the seventh day from “the beginning,” from which point the seven days of the week were reckoned—and blessed and sanctified it because on it he had rested from “all his work.”

In contrast with this, men are now putting forth the idea that the original Sabbath was related only to the creation of man, and that the day chosen being the first complete day which Adam saw, it is now proper to call the first day the Sabbath, and not the seventh.

2. In the fourth commandment, Ex. 20, God himself said the seventh day was his own Sabbath or rest, because in it he rested from all his work of creating and forming the world; and that he blessed and sanctified it for that reason. And he never gave any other reason.

In contrast with these words of the Lord, men now say the seventh-day Sabbath was instituted because God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, which idea is maintained only by denying the words of the Lord in Ex. 20, and perverting the words of Moses in Deut. 5 and other places.

Another contrast is presented by men saying that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is not the seventh day in fact, but the sixth day; that the Sabbath given to Israel was not the day on which God rested when he made the world, but the day preceding. This view claims as a Bible fact that of which the Bible never speaks, namely, a change of the day; and it denies that which God in his commandment plainly declared.

3. The New Testament states in plain terms that certain things took place on “the first day of the week.”

In contrast with this declaration men now say it was not the first day of the week at all; that it was truly the seventh day, the day which God sanctified when he made the world.

This last position has one merit, and only that; which is, that it admits that the uniform teaching of the Protestant Church, in which it follows the lead of the Catholic Church, namely, that the Sabbath was changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week, by Christ, or the apostles, or by all together, is all wrong; that the first day of the week was not and is not the Sabbath. But this admission is not made to further the cause of truth, but to evade the truth of the fourth commandment, and is therefore productive of the same evil as the long-established theory which it so completely yields.

If we trace the history of the effort to exalt the “day of the sun” to the place of the Sabbath of the Lord God, we shall find that this is only one of many changes of methods and positions which have taken place. And these changes of front are made because the Sunday rest-day, as an institution, has no Bible evidence in its favor. If it rested on Bible facts and declarations there would be no need of such changes, because such facts and declarations would always remain to be produced against any theory which was contrary to them.

Now we appeal to the reader. 1. There are no facts in all the Bible more plainly stated than these in Genesis, that God blessed the seventh day from the beginning, because it was his rest-day from all his work of creation. 2. There are no facts in the Bible more plainly stated than these in the fourth commandment, that the seventh day therein commanded is the Sabbath of the Lord God, blessed and hallowed because that in it he rested from the work of creation. 3. There are no facts in all the Bible more plainly stated than these, that the day called the Sabbath in the New Testament was the day enjoined in the commandment, and that it was succeeded by the first day of the week. And this it must have been, as one week follows another. If such plain truths as these—truths which point out our duties as creatures to our Creator—can be set aside by the church and church teachers; if they may be made void, virtually declared untrue, and contrary declarations substituted for them, without detriment to the moral and Christian standing of those who use them so, then, we ask, how shall it be proved that the words of the Bible ought to be maintained, and that its declarations and precepts have authority to govern our actions? We verily believe that Robert Ingersoll and all who are associated with him in his efforts, are not doing as much to undermine the truths of the Bible, and to destroy the confidence of the people in it as a book to be implicitly believed and obeyed, as are those who teach as above noticed, namely, that its plainest declarations may be set aside, ignored, or contradicted, without displeasing God or endangering our standing in the Judgment.

Reader, in contending for “the day of the Sabbath,” the sanctified rest-day of Jehovah, the Creator of all things, we are following no “whimsey,” nor “cunningly devised fables,” but rather exalting and honoring the word of the Most High God. His word is above everything. Indeed it is declared that he has magnified his word above all his name. Ps. 138:2. Once only, in the history of our fallen race, he spoke precepts with his own voice, in the hearing of all his people. Then the terrors of his majesty were displayed as never before or since were they displayed on earth. Then he said: “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.” Then he declared that the day of that commandment was blest and hallowed because that in it he had rested from all his creative work. Yet men dare to lift up their hands against the commandment, and trample upon, yes, despise the institution of Jehovah. And while doing this they claim to be his own peculiar people! Was ever blindness so great, and presumption so strong? How well is their action described by the prophet: “Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God.” Isa. 58:2.

By the same prophet the Lord said, “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isa. 66:2. Surely they who turn away from his commandment which he spoke with his own voice do not tremble at his word. They follow the multitude in the broad way, and walk after the counsel of their own hearts. To such the Lord speaks thus: “Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men; therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.” Isa. 29:13, 14. And that this is strikingly fulfilled, witness the fallacies and contradictions of those who make void the fourth commandment to follow the traditions of men.

While men cast contempt upon the seventh-day Sabbath—the only day honored and sanctified of Jehovah,—and say that it is a matter of indifference whether it be kept or not, or that it is even more pious to keep another day in its stead (cf. Matt. 15:3–9), the Lord has, in many ways and at many times, shown that he highly esteems it, and that he has at once related it to our good and to his own glory. Thus he says:—

“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, honorable; and shalt honor 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.” Isa. 58:13, 14.

This promise, this security, is good to him who trembles at Jehovah’s word. But of him who will not heed his commandment he has said: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Prov. 28:9. O that men would hear and heed his word while the warning is being given, before it shall be too late, when they will call and plead in vain. See Rev. 14:9–12; Matt. 7:21–23.