DOES NOT COUNT WITH GOD.
By T. E. Bowen
SO often it is said, "I do not believe God is very particular as to what day you keep for the Sabbath, just so you keep one." But stop a moment. How do you know He does not care? When you hire a man to work for you, do you not expect that he will pay some attention to your wishes? Most assuredly. To illustrate: Mr. Jones tells John to take the team and go to Petersburg with a load of grain, and on his return trip bring a load of coal. John starts out for the city bright and early, a distance of ten miles. When only a little distance from home he is hailed by neighbor Smith. "Where are you going, John, with Jones' team?" "Am going to Petersburg." "Must Jones have his coal to-day, and is it necessary that that grain goes into town to-day?" "Well," John in surprise says, "I did not ask him about that, but I suppose he knows his own business, and consequently I have nothing to say as to whether it must be done to-day or some other day. I am simply obeying his orders." "To be sure," Smith remarks, "I suppose he knows his own business, but what I was getting at, I am very anxious to get my plowing along, and would like Jones' team to help me out. It is such a nice day. We are on good terms, and I am sure it will be all right with Jones. It will make no difference with him." "Yes, but how do I know?" suggests John. "I know it won't," puts in Smith. "Jones is such a good-natured fellow he won't care. Better unhook. See this nice field. If I could only have you to-day, just to-day, we would be able to get through. I'll fix it all up with Jones, so it will be all right for you, and you may be sure both of you will be paid well." And John goes to plowing for Smith. Presently Jones drives down the road and comes up to his load of grain beside Smith's field. "What can this mean? This is surely my wagon, and that is my grain. What can be the matter? Wagon is not broken. Well! well!" he mused to himself. Presently John comes suddenly around the corner and discovers "good-natured Jones" down by the wagon. His heart beats very fast, but no use running. "Gone to work for Smith, I see," calls out Jones. "Yes," stammers out the hired man, "He said,"— "Well," interrupted Jones, "I do not know as it is important just now as to what 'he said,' you can bring that team here and hitch onto this wagon, and the rest we will attend to later." And John, should he be discharged, had no one to blame but himself. To his own sorrow, he ascertains Smith is no friend of the "good-natured" neighbor Jones, but was simply serving himself. John's labor for Smith did not count with Jones for obedience. Far from it. Likewise the earnest Sunday-keeping of many profits nothing with God. It can not be accredited as obedience, or service by the Lord; for He says, "Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:9, 10. "Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations." Ex. 31:13. We are still among the generations—down into the very last one—and surely the "all generations" means us, and still the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people. Jesus kept the seventh-day Sabbath during His entire lifetime on earth. See Luke 4:16. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah—a Jew. John 4:22. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, because He is our Lord, and the Sabbath was made by Him for us. Mark 2:27, 28. He has not changed it, because the Lord of the Sabbath never changes. He does everything perfect and right on the start; hence no need for change. Heb. 13:8. Very pertinently He asked the unbelieving scribes of old, "Why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say." As then, so now, obedience only counts with the Lord.