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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 13, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 49.

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Our Bible Reading

The Sabbath in Israel

1. What charge did Pharaoh bring against Moses and Aaron after these men of God taught the Israelites?
"And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them REST from their burdens." Ex. 5: 5.
NOTE.—The word here rendered "rest" comes from the same root as "Sabbath," so that making them rest from their burdens was equivalent to saying that they were instructed to keep the Sabbath day and so did.
2. Upon what did the Lord test the Israelites as He brought them out of Egypt?
"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may PROVE THEM, whether they will WALK IN MY LAW, or no."
"And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the SEVENTH DAY FOR TO GATHER, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND MY LAWS?" Ex. 16: 4, 27, 28.
3. By what great constant miracle did God point out the specific day to that people?
By the manna's falling constantly six days in the week, by the double portion which fell on the sixth day, by the preserving power which would keep that over the seventh day, by the withholding of the manna on the seventh day, and this continuing for forty years. See Ex. 16: 22-29, 35.
4. In the idolatry of Israel what transgression is specially marked?
"But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and MY SABBATHS THEY GREATLY POLLUTED: then I said, I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them." Eze. 20: 13.
5. What did the Lord forewarn them that their departing from the Sabbath would bring?
"But if ye will not harken unto Me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched." Jer. 17: 27.
6. What did He declare that the keeping of the Sabbath would mean to their kingdom and city?
"And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently harken unto Me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work therein; then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and THIS CITY SHALL REMAIN FOREVER." Jer. 17: 24, 25.
7. What reformation does He demand regarding His Sabbath?
"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words." Isa. 58: 13.
8. What encouraging promise does He give to the Gentiles who would take hold of His Sabbath?
"Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. . . ."
"Also the SONS OF THE STRANGER, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one that KEEPETH THE SABBATH from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer." Isa. 56: 2-7.
9. What is the last reform recorded which was wrought in Israel before Christ came?
"Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and PROFANE THE SABBATH DAY? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day." Neh. 13: 17-19.
10. What reform was taught by our Lord to lift the Sabbath from its burdensome traditions?
"How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is LAWFUL TO DO WELL ON THE SABBATH DAYS. Then saith He to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other." Matt. 12: 12, 13.
11. How long does God design that His Sabbath shall remain among His true Israel?
"It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed." Ex. 31: 17.
"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66: 22, 23.
NOTE.—Israel, God's true Israel, shall be saved with an everlasting salvation. That new earth shall be eternal. Isa. 45: 17, 18. Even so long will God's children observe His Sabbath.