The following are notes from a lesson that I had previously done.
Part I The Essence of Sabbath
We determined last week that they were referring to the moral law of God as established in the Decalogue the Ten Commandments.
Ex 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 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. KJV
The essence of the sabbath, is:
1) The acknowledgement of Gods fully sufficient provision for all of our needs (Gen 1:27-2:2, Ex 16) and
2) The acknowledgement of his grace and mercy to us, (which we are to emulate, Gen 3.19, Matt 12.7, Hos 6.6).
Any observance of the sabbath (obedience to the 4th commandment) must be consistent with these necessary bases
Part 2 The Perpetuity of Sabbath
Ex 31:16-17
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.KJV
Part 2b The Metamorphosis of Sabbath
Here then we have the command to observe the sabbath a perpetual covenant, a sign between God and the children of Israel.
Compare this to the biblical command to circumcise an everlasting [perpetual] covenant, a token [sign] between God and the seed [children] of Abraham [the father of Isaac, the father of Jacob/Israel]- A command fulfilled in the current dispensation through the sacrament of baptism (Gen 17:11-13, Col 2:8-12).
Part 3 Is there to be a Christian Sabbath?
Today, as throughout history, the church observes her sabbath on the 1st day. How can that be? First, many will point to the examples in Scripture of believers gathering on the 1st day.
John 20:19
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. KJV
John 20:26
26 And after eight days [which would also be a first day of the week] again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. KJV
But does not the 4th commandment itself prescribe that it be observed on the 7th day of the week?
Ex 20:8-11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 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. KJV
To the Jew which day of the week had been previously established.
Ex 16:23
And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. (AV)
However, within the command itself, there is no day of the week expressly established as the day upon which the sabbath should be observed. It limits its discussion to identifying that one day in seven is to be committed to God, to commemorate Gods full and adequate provision in the creation (and we also understand, his mercy, in that his provision continues).
But the Jewish Sabbath was observed by Jesus himself.
Lu 4:14-16
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (AV)
But does this necessitate that we observe the Jewish Sabbath i.e., the seventh day? No, for Jesus himself told us that there was more to learn than he would teach us before he left.
Joh 16:12-15
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you. (AV) Aside many today point to a lack of specific teaching from Jesus on a matter, to claim that the position of Paul, or another, is without authority.
So, we remain faced with the question, What is expected of the Christian church relative to a sabbath rest. Is there a precedent established in the text?
Acts 20:7
7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. KJV
1 Cor 16:1-2
1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. KJV
Consider also that there is NO OTHER DAY recorded as a day to gather.
Still, it seems the change in the observance of the Sabbath from one day to another would have a reason. And it seems that such a significant change would have a basis discernable within the inspired text. Consider the following:
The Jewish (Saturday) Sabbath commemorates Gods provision, particularly in the task of creation . . .
Ex 20:9 & 11
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
11 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. KJV
But what was the general context of the 10 Comandments?
Ex 20:1-2 Herein lay the context of the full 10 Commandments
And God spake all these words, saying, I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. (AV)
But dose this context of deliverance have specific application to the 4th commandment? Moses believed that it did.
De 5:12-15
Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, 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, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 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 by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. (AV)
To the Jewish mind, the observance of the Sabbath day (a day commemorating Gods provision in creation, and Gods mercy in providing), was also intertwined with the concept of deliverance. What then is the Sabbath to be for the Christian?
Our recreation
2Co 5:16-17
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more. Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (AV)
1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. KJV
Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Our deliverance from bondage our redemption (deliverance from our Egypt) . . .
Ex 6:6
Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I [am] the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: (AV)
Gal 4:3-5
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (AV)
Heb 2:9-15
13 And again, I will put my trust in him [Jesus]. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
reCreation (regeneration) Mercy Deliverance
And when did this resurrection occur?
Mark 16:9, Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. NKJV