WHY KEEP SUNDAY? by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 24, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 47.

WHY KEEP SUNDAY?

By T.

It may strike some as being rather queer to ask, “Why keep Sunday?” Does not nearly everybody keep Sunday? And do they not do it because it is a Christian duty?

The Bible is, or at least should be, the only guide for the Christian’s faith and practise. And the Bible instruction concerning the weekly rest day reads as follows:—

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20:8–11.

All will readily recognize the foregoing scripture as the Sabbath commandment. It is the Lord’s own definite statement, and perfectly plain instruction concerning His day of rest.

He says, “Remember the Sabbath day.” This is even stronger than a command; it is a divine decree, not only of what should be done, but of what would be done. And, after giving this direct instruction, the Lord would take

every pains to see that facts were kept alive in the world that would enable men to know both how and when to remember His sacred day of rest.

Not only are we told to “remember the Sabbath day,” but just as definitely are we informed that the “seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Everyone knows that Sunday is not the “seventh” day; it is the first day of the week, and the day commonly called Saturday is the seventh day. The Lord’s commandment is very explicit. It tells us in such a short sentence, and in such easy, simple words, that the seventh day is the Sabbath, that we could not misunderstand the Lord’s meaning if we tried.

“But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Observe that the foregoing sentence contains only two words of two syllables; all the rest of the words have only one syllable each. Now, since the Lord has made it so very plain, so that even a child who is just beginning to lisp his first simple words can understand it, let us ask again, Why do you keep Sunday, which is the first day of the week, while the Father in heaven so plainly says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God”?

Do you love the Lord? Then remember that He says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” It is not a sabbath of some human origin, but it is the Sabbath of thy God. Then “the Lord thy God” has instituted a day of rest which he calls His Sabbath. It is not a sabbath of some particular race or country or age, but is the Lord’s Sabbath—yes, it is thy Lord’s Sabbath—and, therefore, it is for all races and countries and ages.

But you query, Has not God changed His day of rest from the seventh to the first day? His own answer to you is, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Mal. 3:6. And again He says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.

Then our Lord tells us, “I change not.” He even emphasizes this fact by saying that He has “no variableness,” and not even the “shadow of turning.” So it must be evident to the believer in the Word of God that He who changes not would make a Sabbath that would need no changing; for He could not preserve His unchanging character and change His Sabbath.

The Lord’s Sabbath is the same that it has always been. And He makes it plain what that Sabbath is and just when it comes to us in the weekly cycle. Now why should we keep Sunday? You will be called upon to answer before God sometime. Why not give the matter careful and candid attention now, so that when we stand before His judgment-throne, it may be with joy, and not with grief and shame? T.