THE SABBATH. I by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 21, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 21.

THE SABBATH. I.

By G.

Confusing Simplicity.

THE subject of the Sabbath is a very simple one. It is quite generally called the Sabbath question, but there is no question about it only such as have been raised by men who have tried to find some pretext for not obeying God. All of God's institutions and all of His requirements are simple and easily understood; but the adversary of souls instigates doubts, questions, complications, in order that men may be confused in regard to them. Confusion of doctrine comes of unbelief of the plain Word of God. The very simplicity of language in which the Lord's institutions are presented before us is made an excuse for question. The adversary suggests that there must be more to it than is implied in the commandment. Satanic wisdom (which is the proper name for human wisdom) seeks to enlarge upon the simplicity of divine expression, and to bring out something that God is supposed to have kept back.

This is illustrated in the case of the temptation of Eve. The commandment of the Lord was brief and plain: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” There is nothing in this language that a four-year-old child of ordinary intelligence, even in this degenerate age of sin, can not understand. But Satan, when he gained the woman's attention, suggested that there was something behind that which God had purposely kept back. And of course that which the deceiver said had been kept back was directly contradictory to what the Lord had said. Satan boldly asserted, “Ye shall not surely die,” and then proceeded to reason out his assertion: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Thus the subject of life and death became a “question,” a “problem,” which men have ever since been endeavoring to solve from the standpoint of the wisdom of this world. The result is “confusion, and every evil work.”

Another illustration, if further illustration be necessary, is found in the traditions of the Jewish elders. They deemed it essential to the keeping of the commandments of God by the people, that arbitrary detailed rules of life be added to the instructions given by the Lord. They followed this principle until the real import of the law was veiled in mystery and confusion. When Jesus was on earth, He reproved their perversion of truth in adding their own doctrines to the commandments of God. He said that they made the commandment of God of none effect

by their tradition. Of their service He said, “In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

It is pertinent to the subject in hand to remember that these Jewish traditions were especially applied to Sabbath observance. While the Jews, after the Babylonian captivity, were always very scrupulous as to the day of the Sabbath, and did not again go into open idolatry, they were led into so many absurd ceremonials in its observance that the commandment was made of none effect. There was none of the spirit of true Sabbath observance in their human formalities. They no more kept the Sabbath in the spirit of the commandment than do they who ignore it in regard to the day of God's appointment, and set up a tradition of man. For, like those who uphold the day of human appointment, they were disposed to compel the observance of their human traditions and to inflict human penalties for non-observance. They were especially bitter against Jesus Christ because of His disregard of their Sabbath traditions. The Pharisees said, “This man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath-day;” yet He always observed the Sabbath in the real spirit of the commandment, and defended His course against their charges of Sabbath-breaking.

As a result of this principle of questioning and ignoring the Word of God, more than one-half of the world do not recognize any Sabbath at all, and more than ninety-nine per cent of the remainder observe sabbaths of human institution. Some of the latter class (the Mohammedans) keep the sixth day—the day before the Lord's day, and a large majority of professing Christians observe the first day of the week—the day after the Sabbath of the Lord's appointment. The confusion regarding the Sabbath “question” could hardly be more to the pleasing of him who first suggested doubts concerning the plain Word of God.

Thus it is that man's perversion of the plain Word by the substitution of human tradition has even made it a question in the minds of men whether we have a Sabbath at all, other than as men may choose to institute and observe it. And this will always be a question in the mind of those who are not willing to come to the Word of the Lord in its simplicity for instruction. That we have a Sabbath of the Lord is evident from the fact that He once made a Sabbath, and made it for man.

Passing for the time the Scripture proof of this statement, we appeal to those who do not regard the Scripture as proof, and ask, Is it at all probable that man would ever have thought of such a thing himself? There is nothing in nature to suggest such a thing as a weekly cycle, or any particular day as a day of rest. The revolution of the planets suggests signs and marks the month and the year, but there is nothing of a material nature to suggest or mark the week. The day is marked by the revolution of the earth on its axis, and the physical fatigue of the daylight activity induces sleep and rest. All this is natural. But there is nothing to induce an extra physical rest on any particular day. There is nothing in nature to suggest worship as an original idea of the creature.

So here are three things—the week, the Sabbath, and worship—that must have been suggested to man by appointment of a higher mind. That higher mind was the mind of God, the Creator. The fact that men observe sabbaths is evidence that God first made a Sabbath; and men, in instituting other sabbaths, not only aimed to imitate God in the matter of form, but to do something in the way of assumed improvement. The existence of formal worship among men is proof that God at one time instituted worship, and that man, in setting up other systems of worship, was merely trying to imitate what God had established. Being disinclined to obey God, the carnal mind would fain do something which would answer a like purpose, and for which he could himself claim the credit. The French Government endeavored to establish a ten-day week in defiance of God, but it soon failed.

Therefore the very existence of sabbath institutions in the world is evidence that God made a Sabbath for man. And the fact that He once made it is proof that He still recognizes its existence; for “the Word of the Lord endureth forever.” Then this Word must be our basis of truth on the subject, and from this standpoint, in a future article, we will show the origin and institution of the Sabbath. G.