The Bible Sabbath by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 15, 1915

The Bible Sabbath

By F. M. W.

The discussion over the rest day for the human family is becoming world-wide. This is indicated in the agitation over the question of the national rest day in our State legislatures and national Congress, and in the space devoted to the consideration of the question in the various church assemblies and religious journals. Which day should be observed as the Sabbath of the Lord? Taking the Word of God as a guide, this is a question which admits of but one answer. Many reasons might be given from the Scriptures of Truth as to why the seventh day only should be regarded as the Sabbath of the Lord. The following considerations afford sufficient basis for this conclusion:—

1. The seventh-day Sabbath is the Lord’s day. “Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:28. The Sabbath became the Lord’s day by virtue of his great creative act. Jesus Christ is declared in the Scriptures of Truth to be the Creator of all things. See Col. 1:15-18; John 1:1-3. After he had finished his labor in the creation of this world, and pronounced everything that he had made good, he chose one day out of the weekly cycle and set it apart as a memorial of his creative work. By three distinct acts this memorial was established. These also three acts are recorded in Gen. 2:1-3. “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.” (a) God rested on the seventh day. This constituted the seventh day his rest day; (b) God blessed the seventh day. His blessing upon it made it holy time; (c) after resting on the day and making it holy time, he then sanctified it and set it apart for the human family. Thus our Saviour declares in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” This creation of the Sabbath constituted the Lord Jesus Christ its Lord.

2. The Sabbath commandment was made a part of the great moral law. Ex. 20:8-11. The Creator descended upon Mt. Sinai, and with the greatest display of celestial glory which the world ever beheld, he spoke with his own voice these great ten words. In the very bosom of this law, buttressed before and behind by the other commandments, as if to guard it from the attacks of the fallen one, the Sabbath commandment was placed. This commandment, with the other nine, was written with the finger of God on tables of stone, an implication of its enduring nature. This law, including the Sabbath commandment, is of perpetual obligation upon the children of God in all ages.

3. The Lord constituted the Sabbath institution a sign between him and Israel forever. Ex. 31:13-18. The term Israel applies not only to God’s people of the Jewish race, but to his children in all ages. Rom. 2:28, 29; Gal. 3:29. The Sabbath was therefore made a sign of sanctification between God and his children in all ages of the church.

4. Christ not only created the Sabbath and thus became its Lord, but during his earthly ministry became man’s example in Sabbath observance. Read Luke 4:16; Matt. 12:1-12.

5. The Sabbath was observed not only by Jesus Christ, but by his disciples of the early church as well. After his death, those who were most intimately associated with him prepared spices and ointments on the sixth day; but the Sabbath drawing on, the record states that they left off their work and “rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” Luke 23:56. On the first day of the week they did the work which they would not do on the Sabbath. Luke 24:21.

6. The great apostle to the Gentiles also observed the Sabbath of the Lord. It was customary for him to make this his regular day of public worship. Acts 17:1-3; 18:4, 11.

7. Finally, the Sabbath of the Lord, that same institution which was instituted in Eden before man sinned, will be observed in the future state when Eden is restored. Isa. 66:22, 23. Thus the original purpose of God with respect to his holy day will be carried out. He designed that the Sabbath should be kept by a holy nation, giving it to Adam in his innocency. Sin came in and perverted the truth of God and turned aside for a little time God’s purpose. While sin may apparently delay the action of God’s plans, it can never defeat them. The arrow of God’s truth will reach the mark at last. Every purpose of God will carry through the eternal ages. Thus the Sabbath, like a golden arch, spans the abyss of sin and reaches from Paradise in the beginning to Paradise restored. Through the Scriptures of Truth it is recognized emphatically as a Christian institution, and as Christians we should observe the day which the Lord has made holy, and rejoice therein. F. M. W.