THE HOLY SABBATH OF THE LORD.
By B. F. Snook
BY B. F. SNOOK.
(Continued.)
IN our first article we proved conclusively that the Sabbath of the Lord was instituted in the garden of Eden by the act of God in blessing and sanctifying the seventh day. We will next answer some of the objections urged against the above and proceed with the chain of argument proposed in the introduction.
1. It is objected that the Sabbath did not exist before the promulgation of the law on Mt. Sinai, and Neh. ix, 13, 14, is adduced as proof: "Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and madest known unto them thy holy Sabbath." Therefore it is claimed the Sabbath did not exist prior to that time.
We reply to the above, first, that such play upon the text is entirely unwarrantable; for if the same reasoning is applied to other scriptures of the same form we can very easily prove that God did not exist before he made himself known to the same people. Proof, Eze. xx, 5. "And say unto them thus saith the Lord God in the day when I chose Israel and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt." Now any reasoning by which Neh. ix, 14 can be forced to prove the non-existence of the Sabbath prior to the giving of the command, will apply to the above with equal force to prove the non-existence of God prior to his making himself known to his people in Egypt. The reasoning of the objector, therefore, is fallacious.
We again reply that instead of the declaration of Nehemiah proving the non-existence of the Sabbath before they came to Sinai, it is a strong argument in favor of the truth upon this subject. To illustrate: God made himself known to his people in Egypt. If he never had existed before that event he never could have made himself known to them; therefore he must have had an existence before he made himself known. This is true also relative to the Sabbath: God could not make something known that was not in existence. He did make the Sabbath known on Mt. Sinai; therefore it existed before that event.
This is most unanswerably proven by the xviih. of Exodus. "This is that which the Lord hath said, to-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord." "But the seventh day which is the Sabbath of the Lord." Verses 23-26. Now when did the Lord say what Moses said he did say? This was not less than thirty-three days before the command was given on Sinai. Do you say God said so in the wilderness? If so, where is the proof? If so, how could he say this is that which the Lord hath said?
Again: It is objected that admitting that the Sabbath existed before it was commanded, the people could not have known it, or it could not have been made known; for, say they, how can you make known something that is already known?
We answer, first that God made himself known to his people in Egypt, yet they were not ignorant of him; for they cried to him constantly on account of their bondage. Ex. ii, 23, 24; iii, 7. Therefore God could make the Sabbath known to his people when they knew something about it. And that they knew something of it before it was made known on the mount, is absolutely certain from Ex. xvi.
We have now finished the objections urged against the position taken in our first article, have turned them against the objector and made them harmonize with the plain teaching of the inspired word on this important subject. Every objection that comes against the Lord's holy day from the same source, must and will meet the same deserved fate, and fall powerless at the feet of him who is carnally minded enough to urge it.
Next in order the nature and obligation of the Sabbath demand our attention.
I. Its nature. The Sabbath is a holy day, a blessed and sanctified day, day of sacred rest honored with the holy name of Jehovah. Isa. lviii, 13,
This day of all the seven is best.
The day which the Almighty blest,
The day in Eden sanctified
Ere man had for transgression died.
O then thou blest and holy day,
Welcome thy coming and thy stay;
Thou bringest me my Maker's name,
To love while life and strength remain.
1. It is commemorative. The Sabbath was instituted by Jehovah to commemorate his rest from the works of creation on the seventh day. God wrought, then rested. Man is required to work and then rest in commemoration of his rest. 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; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is. Ex. xx, 9, 10. Here we have the great reason assigned by God himself why we should rest on the Sabbath day; because in it he rested. As long therefore, as it remains a fact that Jehovah rested on the Sabbath, the Sabbath is commemorative of that act.
But just here we meet with an objection, namely, that the Sabbath commemorates the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt; and Deut. v, 15 is brought up as proof. It reads, "And 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 an outstretched arm, therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day." The objection resting on this text is positive evidence that the objector has a sinking theory, for in support of no other would an attempt be made to catch at such a straw. God delivered you from Egypt; therefore commanded you to keep the Sabbath; therefore the Sabbath was peculiar to the Jews and commemorated their deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
Let us test the weight of this objection by presenting a similar one based upon a text of the same phraseology. Deut. xxiv, 17, 18. Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment to pledge. But shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence; Therefore I command thee to do this thing. 1st. Thou wast a bondman in Egypt. 2nd. God delivered thee thence; therefore thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment to pledge; and therefore obedience to this command is peculiar to the Jews, and commemorates their deliverance from bondage. Truly the legs of the lame are unequal. This objection (notwithstanding it is much relied upon) when brought to the standard of truth is found to have tekel written in black letters on its very brow, and never fails to discover its weakness to him whose mind is enlightened by the spirit of truth.
The plain sense of the above text, the basis of the objector's hope for an excuse to break the Sabbath, is evidently this: When they were in Egypt they were slaves and could not obey God. When this declaration was made they were delivered from bondage and were blessed with liberty to obey God. Therefore he commanded them to keep the Sabbath, because in it he had rested from all his work. Ex. xx, 9–11. God was good and kind to them and delivered them from servitude; therefore they must not pervert the judgment of the stranger or fatherless, for they then would not treat others as God treated them.
2. It is a sign, token; something by which170another thing is made known; a memorial, or monument to preserve the memory of a thing; a mark of distinction. Web.
Eze. xx, 12, 19, 20. Moreover also 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. I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes and do them, and hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you that ye may know that I am the Lord your God. Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ex. xxxi, 13. 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; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh he rested and was refreshed. Ex. xxxi, 16, 17.
From the above scriptures we learn,
1st. That the Sabbath is a sign, seal, token, mark or memorial of God. This is proved by the fact that in the Sabbath command God is revealed as the creator of heaven and earth, the sea and all things therein. It is therefore the great monument more precious than marble or gold, on which is indelibly graven the name and knowledge of Israel's God. It has been faithful to its trust nearly six thousand years, and has ever stood prepared to minister to the skeptic a sure cure for his soul destroying unbelief. And now, notwithstanding the invasions committed against it by the enemies of God, it raises its majestic front to all the world, and on its time-worn brow is written defiance to the allied powers of darkness. They cannot obliterate one single letter of the great name of its Author with which it is intrusted.
2nd. We learn also that those who obey God in other respects and hallow the Sabbath know that Jehovah is the God that doth sanctify them. John testifies to the same: By this we do know that we know him if we love God and keep his commandments. 1 Epiz. v, 2. Those therefore who love God and keep his commandments know him, and the name of their God is written in their forehead or mind.
3rd. The Sabbath is a sign only to him that keeps it. Hallow my Sabbaths and they shall be a sign between me and you. Eze. xx, 20. From this scripture we naturally conclude that if a man would have the sign of God a sign to him that God doth sanctify him he must hallow God's sign and keep it.
4th. The Sabbath is a sign of God forever—a perpetual covenant—a sign between him and the children of Israel forever. Israel are those who by obedience prevail with God. Therefore the Sabbath is a sign forever to all that obey God. How important it is that we keep this command. God's name belongs to it. If we disregard and profane it, we disregard the great name of him who said, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.
(To be Continued)