The Joy of Sabbath-Keeping
By T. E. Bowen
CHRIST gave us a perfect example in Sabbath-keeping. His life stands forth reflecting the peaceful light and glory of heaven in the keeping of the Sabbath, against the dark background of Jewish unbelief, bigotry, and meaningless rites and ceremonies. The Saviour of men brushed these human traditions aside in His heroic work of giving to man once more the Sabbath in its original purity. It cost the Saviour His life to do so. The Son of God counted not His own life too precious to accomplish not only the work of preserving the Sabbath as a part of that holy law which was, according to His own word, to remain unchanged while heaven and earth should stand, but as well that the manner in which it was to be observed should be cleansed from all human defilement of tradition. It was the deep-seated hate incurred by His persistent works of healing on the Sabbath-day, that ultimately accomplished His being nailed to the cross. This being true, the Sabbath question is certainly one of no small moment. And over it the last battle in the great controversy between good and evil, righteousness and sin, will be waged. The Joy of Sabbath-Keeping.
To the child of God the Sabbath will become more and more precious. It is something of deeper meaning than the laying aside of His work. It will, indeed, be a day of holy joy and pleasure to him. It truly becomes a delight. True Sabbath-keeping never can become irksome. If in our experience this is true, something is wrong. We are not keeping the Sabbath, but the day on which it comes. It is possible to so observe the Sabbath that the character of selfish man is reflected, rather than the character of a loving heavenly Father. This is done by fixing the eyes on the ceremonies which may come into the service of God on that day, instead of seeing Him who is invisible—the Lamb of God which taketh away sin. The Object in Giving the Day.
The object of God in giving to man the Sabbath was to keep him in perfect accord in character with Himself. In Eden, when the Sabbath was first given to man, Adam and Eve had not lost their innocence. Their lives were unstained by disobedience. Upon the Sabbath they would have come into the very presence of God, and become more and more one with Him. They would have entered deeper and still deeper into the unfathomable purposes of His great creative love. But sin put its blackened hand upon the scene. Eden was lost, innocence gone, and the door to sin opened thru which the flood-tide of misery and wo was to rush into our world. Preserved Despite Difficulties.
Notwithstanding this, God preserved to the race His Sabbath. Thru that He designed, thru His beloved Son, to again come near unto the race. No wonder that the enemy of all righteousness opposed with desperate hate every attempt of the Son of God to restore to man this greatest gift of God’s love to man outside of the Son Himself. This day of all days, when the invisible God comes near His people upon earth, is fraught with special blessing. God designs to reveal Himself to the humble worshiper in an especial manner upon this day, restoring to him strength to win god-like character, lost thru sin and disobedience. No wonder that Satan, the adversary, should interpose his Satanic presence at the gateway leading to such untold blessedness, and seek to turn men and women aside from the true Sabbath by introducing a spurious rival,—a day God never has blessed, nor ever will, for man’s day of holy rest and worship. Yes, it is not to be wondered at that such a fierce conflict was waged over the Sabbath with the Son of God Himself, and renewed again here at the end of earth’s present history. Ah! friend, dost thou acknowledge Jesus for thy Redeemer? The seventh-day Sabbath stands forth as a sign or pledge of His power as Creator to redeem. Will you turn your back upon that?