The Sabbath Unchanged by H. C. Balsbaugh

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 15, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 27.

The Sabbath Unchanged

By H. C. Balsbaugh

By H. C. Balsbaugh

Its Sanctity and Identity Preserved Forever

“REMEMBER the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Ex. 20:8. Here God exhorts believers to remember the Sabbath day. He called it definitely the seventh day and a rest day, and blessed and sanctified it (Gen. 2:2, 3), which indicates its holy character above the other days. The other six days were “working days.” Eze. 46:1.

The exhortation to remember the day is assurance that God would preserve its identity. Also the fact that all of the Ten Commandments were written in tables of stone is assurance of their enduring character. Stone, and writing in stone symbolize perpetuity. The pyramids of Egypt and very ancient monuments and tablets with their inscriptions, are well known illustrations. Besides perpetuity, the great importance of all the Ten Commandments is established by the record that God Himself wrote them. Deut. 5:22; Ex. 32:16.

“The Sabbath Was Made for Man,” Mark 2:27

By this saying Christ shows plainly that from the very beginning the Sabbath was made for the benefit of man, and that it continues changeless as long as there is a man. Of its purpose and identity up to the time of Christ’s resurrection there is no doubt, for the women did not at once anoint His body, but rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:56. The commandment is found in Ex. 20:8-11.

From the resurrection until Christ will come again the “sure word of prophecy” keeps track of the Sabbath day. The prophecy of Rev. 14:12 says, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” These are the people of God who live just at the time of Christ’s second coming, or in the last generation. See verses 13 to 18 and Matt. 24:34, 30.

The commandments of God are the Ten Commandments. Thus in keeping the commandments of God truly, we must keep the Sabbath commandment, which says the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week.

Not only does the Sabbath and its identity continue throughout all time, but it will be known and kept in eternity. Isa. 66:22, 23. The whole Bible is in perfect harmony with these several proofs on the Sabbath. It is a chain of proofs that makes evident that nothing would ever occur to change or lose the identity of the Sabbath day.

Sunday

The identity of Sunday as being the first day of the week is sometimes questioned. Ancient and modern history, and all nations, designate Sunday as the first day of the week; likewise all encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, and calendars; likewise ministers of the gospel all over the world. Ministers do not contend that Sunday is not the first day of the week, but that it is now the sabbath, or Lord’s day, because Christ’s resurrection was on the first day of the week. There is no ground for the belief that Monday is the first day of the week.

The Spirit and Sum of the Matter

The Sabbath is now a subject of much controversy. A spirit of controversy mostly hides the truth of this matter from us. As another plain help to know the truth about the Sabbath, consider Christ’s words in Matt. 5:17, 18. They were spoken in simplicity and in the spirit of love. In the great variety of His teaching in the discourse called the “Sermon on the Mount,” He strictly honored the law (the Ten Commandments) and magnified it, as prophesied in Isa. 42:21. Further on in the sermon He identifies it as the law of Ten Commandments (Matt. 5:21, 22, 27, 28), and shows its hitherto unknown depths and perfection. He declared this law perfect by saying that “one jot or one tittle [the least part] shall in no wise pass from the law.” By these words the Sabbath commandment being a part of this law, stands unchanged forever.

If there was no other scripture in the whole Bible except Matt. 5:17, 18, to show that the Sabbath could not be changed and that its identity would not be lost, this plain, exact statement is enough to convince us of the truth. It is a declaration that the providence of God is ever upon the Sabbath to preserve its sanctity and identity.