Important Considerations
By Frederick M. Wilcox
Considering the nature of the Sabbath commandment and the circumstances attending its institution, we are brought to important conclusions with reference to its perpetuity and its binding obligations upon mankind. These we may enumerate as follows:— 1. The Sabbath was designed as the great memorial of creation. Every recurring seventh day would speak to the races of men of the Creator of the universe, of the Author of their beings. "God ordained it for an everlasting testimony against atheism and idolatry, for a testimony that the world did not spring into existence by chance or some fortuitous concurrence of atoms, but that his own hand had fashioned everything in beauteous order and made all things very good." It is safe to say that had the Sabbath institution always been remembered by the children of Adam, they would have been saved from the blasting scourge of atheism and infidelity which has taken to a Christless grave so many thousands of our fellows. Just so long as men regard this day, they will see in it a memorial of the handiwork of God, above, beneath, and round about them. 2. The Sabbath institution was designed for the whole race of mankind. This is proved by the fact that it was given to the father and mother of the race. In giving the Sabbath to Adam and his companion, God designed it for their children in every age. The Sabbath was coeval with marriage. It was given at the same time and under the same circumstances. Like the marriage relationship, its use and blessings were to be extended to every race of mankind. 3. The Sabbath was originally designated for a holy race. It was not given to man after sin entered, but before. It was set apart for his use while he still was in his purity and innocency. It is interesting to contemplate that had sin never enshrouded the world, had Adam and his descendants always remained pure and holy, the Sabbath would still be kept by them as the memorial of God. In that event, we who are now living, the whole world, including reader and writer, would be observing the one true Sabbath given to man at the beginning. The Sabbath being designed for a holy race, the contentions of some that those cleansed by the blood of Christ are above its claims are groundless. The vilest sinner who comes to Christ to-day, in the observance of the Sabbath of the Lord is but following God's purpose concerning the inhabitants of this earth in their innocency. Rom. 6:12, 14; Ps. 119:97. 4. The Sabbath is equally adapted to the needs of a sinful race. The change wrought by sin in the character of the human family did not change their relation to Sabbath observance, nor the relation of the Sabbath to them. After the fall the children of God were still required to keep his commandments, and to observe his rest day. Gen. 26:5; Ex. 20:8-11. 5. As the Sabbath was instituted before sin entered, it had no natural organic relation to the sin-offerings, types, ceremonies, or sacrifices introduced in consequence of sin. Hence, when these types met the antitype in the offering of Christ, when the sacrifices ceased at the cross, the Sabbath institution was affected in no degree. Matt. 5:18; Rom. 3:31. 6. The Sabbath existed two thousand years before the Jews existed as a nation; hence it is in no sense Jewish in its origin or character. The passing of the Jewish economy leaves the integrity of the Sabbath institution unimpaired. 7. The Sabbath was not local. It was not confined to the patriarchal age. After the patriarchs had passed away, we find the Lord at Sinai reaffirming its binding obligations upon the children of men. It was recognized by prophet, priest, and apostle, and by Christ. 8. The Sabbath is a moral precept, and imposes a moral obligation. Moral obligations are such as grow out of the attributes of God. Creative power is one of God's distinguishing attributes, that which distinguishes him from the other gods that are worshiped in the world. The Sabbath stands as the memorial of this creative attribute. That the Sabbath is moral in its nature and imposes a moral obligation is shown by the fact that in giving the law from Sinai, God placed the Sabbath in the very bosom of a law that is recognized as the embodiment of all moral principles. This indicates the classification which God gives to this institution. Moral principles are eternal in their existence, and universal in their application. Ex. 20:1-17. 9. While the Sabbath was given to the Jewish nation, God demonstrated even to them its universality by the fact that it was made a binding obligation upon foreigners or strangers and all within the gates of the Jewish people. 10. The universal scope of the Sabbath institution is shown further by the fact that the prophecies of the Bible represent its blessings as extending not alone to one age or to one people, but to all mankind. We must therefore conclude that the Sabbath formed a part of God's great eternal purpose, related alike to all nations, conditions, climes, and countries. No local claims of time or nations or circumstances would affect its far-reaching import or its perpetuity. Isa. 56:1-7. It must therefore be concluded that the Sabbath day is as binding upon the nations of men to-day as when instituted by the Lord six thousand years ago. To deny its claims is to deny the power of God, and to honor and revere the day that God has made is to honor and revere the Lord of the Sabbath, even our Creator and Redeemer. "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: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. 58:13, 14.