Our Bible Reading

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 23, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 33.

Our Bible Reading

The Sabbath as a Twofold Sign

1. In speaking of God's greatness, of what does the psalmist assure us?

"His work is honorable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth forever. He hath made HIS WONDERFUL WORKS TO BE REMEMBERED." Ps. 111: 3, 4.

2. By what means has He made His creative works to be remembered?

"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: . . . 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.

3. Of what great work is the Sabbath a sign?

"I gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I AM THE LORD THAT SANCTIFY THEM." Eze. 20: 12.

4. By what power does God redeem or sanctify His people?

"I am the Lord, your Holy One, the CREATOR of Israel, your King." Isa. 43: 15. "Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and His REDEEMER the Lord of Hosts." Isa. 44: 6. "If any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE [a new creation]." 2 Cor. 5: 17.

NOTE.—One of the special things emphasized all through the Scriptures is the creative power of God; and that because He is Creator He has power to redeem. This is not only true of the Father, but is also emphatically true of the Son. See John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-18. The Sabbath therefore becomes not only a memorial of God's creative power in the past but a sign of His creative power in redeeming and sanctifying man in the present.

5. What is said of God's redeeming power when He brought His children out of Egypt?

"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, SINCE THE DAY THAT GOD CREATED MAN upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been ANY SUCH THING AS THIS GREAT THING is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God essayed to GO AND TAKE HIM A NATION from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?" Deut. 4: 32-34.

6. And why did God manifest all this power?

"Unto thee it was showed, that thou MIGHTEST KNOW THAT THE LORD HE IS GOD; there is none else beside Him." Verse 35.

7. Besides the memorial of God's creative works, what did the Sabbath become to this people who were thus redeemed?

"Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD THY GOD BROUGHT THEE OUT THENCE through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: THEREFORE THE LORD THY GOD COMMANDED THEE TO KEEP THE SABBATH DAY." Deut. 5: 15.

8. With the wonderful creative power of God manifest in the redemption and salvation of Israel, what did Nehemiah say of that time?

"Thou camest down also upon Mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: and MADEST KNOWN UNTO THEM THY HOLY SABBATH." Neh. 9:13, 14.

NOTE.—No careful, unprejudiced student can take into account the wonderful manifestations of God to Israel as they were brought out of Egypt, without seeing the remarkable place which the Sabbath has in God's great plan. It was not only made to the world a memorial of His creative works, that God (Elohim) by the power of His Word created heaven and earth, consequently gave to the world His law; but the Sabbath as a memorial of that creative power became in a very special sense a sign of God's redeeming, sanctifying power to the children of Israel; and so ought it to be to every soul of His children who are redeemed from the Egypt of sin; for every one who truly accepts Christ becomes one of the Israel of God outside of which there is no redemption. It is to Israel alone that the covenants and promises are made.

9. What then does the Sabbath become to the Israel of God forever?

"Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a SIGN BETWEEN ME AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL FOREVER." Ex. 31: 16, 17.