p. 1 | It Was Made for Man by Isaac Sanborn

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 2, 1864

It Was Made for Man.

By Isaac Sanborn

AND he said unto them, the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Mark ii, 27.

Some say the Sabbath was made for the Jews only. Others say it was made for man to last only through the Mosaic dispensation. But what saith the Scriptures? "It was made for man" before the distinguishing title of Jew and Gentile existed. See Gen. ii, 2. And on the seventh day God ended (or ceased from) his work, which he had made; and he rested the seventh day from all his work which he had made; and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work, which God created and made.

Here we have learned when the Sabbath was made, and by whom it was made, and how it was made, and that it was made for man; that is, for Adam; and all his children. Therefore we reasonably conclude that it was made for all men, especially as all men acknowledge that the necessity of one day of rest in seven is found in their constitutions. Would it not be reasonable for them to acknowledge also that God knew best which day to select for that purpose? and that day, he says, is the seventh or last day of the week.

That Adam kept the Sabbath we think is made clear by the fact that God sanctified it, which we understand, was telling Adam how to use it. The following is proof of this: "And Moses said unto the Lord, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai; for thou chargest us to set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it." Here it is evident that sanctifying the mount was telling the people how near they might come to it. Ex. xix, 23.

"And Jehu said, Proclaim (margin, Sanctify) a solemn assembly for Baal and they proclaimed it." 2 Kings x, 20. That is, they told the worshippers of Baal what they must do on a certain day. This shows us the use of the term sanctify, when applied to the Sabbath day by the Lord.

We will now notice the Sabbath in connection with the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sin. On the fifteenth day of the second month after they left 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. Ex. xvi, 4. It is evident, then, that God's law existed before they came to Mt. Sinai, and the people were tested upon the fourth commandment of that law, a month before they heard God proclaim it with his own voice. Ex. xvi, 22-28. So God sent the manna, and it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man and all the rulers came and told Moses. Verse 25. And Moses said, Eat that to-day for to-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord, to-day you shall not find it in the field. And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather, and they found none, and the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws.

Thus the Sabbath has once been a test of obedience to show whether the people would be loyal to God or not. Some proved themselves loyal and some did not. So it is now.

The next evidence for the perpetuity of the Sabbath which I shall notice is found in Ex. xix, 5, 6, which was in the third month after they left Egypt. And the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians; and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me, above all people; and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, an holy nation. And Moses came, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him, and all the people answered and said, All that the Lord hath spoken, we will do.

Here the reader will readily discover that the people covenanted with God to obey his voice before they had heard it; and three days after this solemn covenant was made, the Lord came down upon Mt. Sinai. Verse 20. In chap. xx, 1, he says, And the Lord spake all these words saying, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. In verse 8, he says, 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. Where was it made? At Sinai? No; for we have shown that it was made at creation, which God affirms in the command as follows: 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. Here the Lord tells when he made the Sabbath, and how he made it.

As the fourth precept of the great law of ten commands is a matter of much controversy, we believing and teaching that it, with the rest, is still binding on all men, we will give some of the reasons of our faith. First, Moses says that it is God's covenant, "And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire. Ye heard the voice of the words but saw no similitude, only ye heard a voice; and he declared unto you his covenant which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments. And he wrote them upon two tables of stone." It will be readily seen that the fourth command was written on the stone as well as the others.

But the question may arise, How long were these commands to last? Ans. As they grow out of the relation existing between God and man, and man and his fellow man, it seems reasonable that they should exist as long as God and man exist. David says, The works of his, God's, hands, are verity and judgment. All his commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever. He sent redemption unto his people. He hath commanded his covenant forever. Ps. cxi, 7-9. How long does forever and ever last? Ans. As long as the things spoken of can consistently exist. How long can the fourth commandment consistently exist? Ans. As long as God and man exist.

Second, Jesus, the Son of God, and Lord of the Sabbath says, Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill; for verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. From what law? Ans. The one that God commanded forever and ever. Why is it, then, that some say the Sabbath is changed and the law still in force? Jesus says, I came not to destroy the law, which shows that the law spoken of, pre-existed his first advent. Till heaven and earth pass, is a measurement of time, not yet out; therefore there has not been the least change in that law, and cannot be until that till, spoken of by him, runs out.

But Jesus reasons on and says that he came to fulfill the law, and prophets. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, that is to break one, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven; or, as another translation reads, Of no esteem in the reign of Heaven. For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

Again he says, Matt. xv, 1-6, Then came to Jesus scribes and pharisees saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders; for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition; then refers them to the fifth commandment of God and says,

"God commanded saying, Honor thy father and mother; but ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother it is a gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me [that is, put what he had into the treasury of the Lord, but be under no obligation to do anything more for his parents] and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made void the commandment of God by your tradition?" Now why could they not enter into the kingdom? Ans. Because the rule of ten commandments was not kept by them. Is there not great danger now of people breaking one of these ten perpetual commandments through a tradition?

The Catholic church have changed the Sabbath, or thought to do it. See Dan. vii, 25. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. All admit that the acts of the Catholic church are symbolized in this scripture; and the prophet says that the saints and laws were to be given into his hand. Some may inquire, What law? I answer that unchangeable law of ten commandments, in which we are commanded to keep the seventh day holy. But you say, It has been changed. So you think; but here is the power that thought to do it. See Dr. Challoner's Catholic Christian Instructed p. 252 chap. 23. "Ques. What are the days which the church commands to be kept holy? Ans. First the Sunday or the Lord's days which we observe by apostolical tradition instead of the Sabbath. Ques. What warrant have you for keeping the Sunday preferable to the ancient Sabbath which was the Saturday. Ans. We have for it the authority of the Catholic church."

Now I ask in all candor, if Christ or his apostles changed the Sabbath, how can the Catholic church have the honor of doing it? If Christ had in his teaching used such language in regard to the first day and Sabbath, as the Roman church has, then they never could have claimed the honor of changing the Sabbath as they now do.

Here we have a complete fulfillment of that part of the prophecy relating to the change of the law. Dan. vii, 25. It must be evident to every Bible student that the people of God and his law passed into the hands of the Catholic church for twelve-hundred and sixty years, commencing A. D. 538, and ending A. D. 1798, when the civil power was taken away by Napoleon. Mark carefully: The law was to be given into his hand; therefore it was not abolished by Christ 500 years before as some would have us believe. Thus it is the Papal church that has changed the Sabbath, and not Christ or his apostles as some suppose. The giving of the law into his hand and his thinking to change it, seems to be strong evidence in favor of the perpetuity of that law commanding us to keep the Sabbath.

We have now proved that the Sabbath was made for man, that is, all men; and that Christ made it honorable in his teaching and death. And he says, Rev. xxii, 14, Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Conclusion of the whole matter: "Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man." Eccl. xii, 13.

Dear reader, let us heed the admonition that we may enter through the gates into the city of God. Amen.

ISAAC SANBORN.