Your ShelfYour Projects

THE LAW OF GOD

5%

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jul 22, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 28.

Read the full edition

THE LAW OF GOD.

The Sabbath.

(Lesson 16.—Sabbath, August 7.)
1. QUOTE a testimony from the Psalms concerning the perpetuity of the law of God. "Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever." Ps. 119: 152.
2. Is there any exception to this fact? "Thy word is true from the beginning; and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever." Ps. 119: 160.
3. What did Jesus say on this subject? "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5: 18. "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16: 17.
4. What did he say of those who should break one of them, and should teach others to do so? "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven." Matt. 5: 19.
5. Repeat the fourth commandment. "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 manservant, nor thy maidservant, 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.
6. According to the words of Inspiration, how long must this commandment endure? See texts quoted above.
7. How much of it may be changed?—Not "one jot or one tittle."
8. Might not God or Christ change it? Compare Matt. 5: 18 with 2 Tim. 2: 13. The former text says that not one jot nor one tittle shall pass from the law. The latter text says, "He cannot deny himself." If God were to change any portion of the law, he would thereby deny himself. Therefore such a thing is impossible.
9. What reason is given in the fourth commandment for the sanctification of the Sabbath? "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: 11.
10. In how many days did the Lord create the heavens and the earth?—In six days.
11. Where do we find the record of creation?—Gen. 1.
12. What is said of each of these six days of creation? "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Gen. 1: 5. "And God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day." Verse 8. "And the evening and the morning were the third day." Verse 13. "And the evening and the morning were the fourth day." Verse 19. "And the evening and the morning were the fifth day." Verse 23. "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Verse 31.
13. What did God make to rule over these days? "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also." Gen. 1: 16.
14. Then what kind of days are referred to in the first chapter of Genesis?—Days consisting of a dark and a light part, regulated by the sun.
15. What is the length of such days?—Twenty-four hours.
16. At the end of the first six days, what had been done? "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them." Gen. 2: 1.
17. What is said of the seventh day? "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." Gen. 2: 2.
18. Did God do any work on the seventh day? Gen. 2: 2; Ex. 20: 11.
19. After God had rested on the seventh day, what action did he take concerning it? "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." Gen. 2: 3.