S
Some Sabbathkeepers claim that the Sabbath is a moral absolute and as such continues into the New Covenant.
This analysis shows how the Sabbath and circumcision compare in terms of language in the Old Testament.
Sometimes, they will point out that Sabbath-breaking was punishable by death, and that proves its moral nature. However, the same situation occurred with regards to circumcision. God sought to kill Moses because he failed to circumcise his son.
Anyways, this is one point of many that is covered in Dale Ratzlaff's book Sabbath in Christ that leads one to systematically understand that Old Covenant ceremonial and ritualistic elements including the Sabbath, festivals, clean/unclean meats do not apply to New Covenant Christians. Dale was a former Seventh Day Adventist. I am a former member of Worldwide Church of God, an Armstrongite Sabbath/festival keeping cult, so I appreciate his work in this regard.
Circumcision was the one-time entry sign into the Old Covenant. Sabbathkeeping was the continuing, "remembrance" sign of the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, the one-time entry sign is baptism and the continuing, "remembrance" sign is the Lord's Supper. Totally different covenant, totally different signs. It is not a "Renewed Covenant" like some claim. That is part of the teaching of the Galatians heretics.
SABBATH AND CIRCUMCISION COMPARISON
The purpose of this comparison is to prove that the Sabbath and circumcision are similar in terms of nature. Both are signs of the Old Covenant. Signs are not moral absolutes. They are arbitrary indicators that one is a party to a covenant.
Scripture speaks of them with very similar language, and it is plain that they are similar in terms of nature.
The comparisons below are based mainly on Genesis 17:9-14 and Exodus 31:12-18, 20:12:
C: “You shall keep my My covenant” : Gen 17:9
S: “You shall surely observe My Sabbath: Ex 31:13
C: “Me and you and your descendants” : Gen 17:9
S: “Me and the sons of Israel” : Ex 31:14
C: “And you shall be circumcised : Gen 17:11
S: “You are to observe the Sabbath” : Ex 31:14
C: Throughout your generations” : Gen 17:12
S: Throughout your generations” : Ex 31:13
C: “The sign..between Me and you” : Gen 17:11
S: “A sign between Me and You” : Ex 31:13
C: “An everlasting covenant”: Gen 17:13
S: “A perpetual covenant” : Ex 31:16
C: “Uncircumcised..cut off” : Ex 17:14
S: “Whoever does any work…cut off” : Ex 31:14
C: Servant to be circumcised : Gen 17:12
S: Servant to keep Sabbath : Ex 20:10
C: Sign of circumcision given at time of giving of the Covenant: Gen 17:1-9
S: Sign of Sabbath given at time of giving of the Covenant : Ex 31:18
C: Nonobservance punishable by death (Ex 4:24-26)
S: Nonobservance punishable by death (Num 15:32-36)
C: Circumcision mentioned 6 times
S: Sabbath mentioned six times
The importance of the above comparison is to create the association between circumcision and the Sabbath. Both are signs of the Old Covenant. Circumcision was carried over from the Abrahamic covenant, but it was still one of the signs of the Old Covenant (John 7:23).
Circumcision was the one-time, entry sign into the Old Covenant (Exodus 12:48), and the Sabbath was the continuing, remembrance sign of the Old Covenant (Exodus 20:8).
A sign is not a moral absolute. It is an arbitrary indicator that one is a party to a covenant.
NEW COVENANT SIGNS
The New Covenant is a different covenant, with different signs and different laws.
Baptism is the one-time entry sign into the New Covenant (Matt. 28:19-20). The continuing, remembrance sign of the New Covenant is the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19). Note the similarity in wording between remembrance element of the Sabbath and the Lord’s Supper.
This analysis shows how the Sabbath and circumcision compare in terms of language in the Old Testament.
Sometimes, they will point out that Sabbath-breaking was punishable by death, and that proves its moral nature. However, the same situation occurred with regards to circumcision. God sought to kill Moses because he failed to circumcise his son.
Anyways, this is one point of many that is covered in Dale Ratzlaff's book Sabbath in Christ that leads one to systematically understand that Old Covenant ceremonial and ritualistic elements including the Sabbath, festivals, clean/unclean meats do not apply to New Covenant Christians. Dale was a former Seventh Day Adventist. I am a former member of Worldwide Church of God, an Armstrongite Sabbath/festival keeping cult, so I appreciate his work in this regard.
Circumcision was the one-time entry sign into the Old Covenant. Sabbathkeeping was the continuing, "remembrance" sign of the Old Covenant. In the New Covenant, the one-time entry sign is baptism and the continuing, "remembrance" sign is the Lord's Supper. Totally different covenant, totally different signs. It is not a "Renewed Covenant" like some claim. That is part of the teaching of the Galatians heretics.
SABBATH AND CIRCUMCISION COMPARISON
The purpose of this comparison is to prove that the Sabbath and circumcision are similar in terms of nature. Both are signs of the Old Covenant. Signs are not moral absolutes. They are arbitrary indicators that one is a party to a covenant.
Scripture speaks of them with very similar language, and it is plain that they are similar in terms of nature.
The comparisons below are based mainly on Genesis 17:9-14 and Exodus 31:12-18, 20:12:
C: “You shall keep my My covenant” : Gen 17:9
S: “You shall surely observe My Sabbath: Ex 31:13
C: “Me and you and your descendants” : Gen 17:9
S: “Me and the sons of Israel” : Ex 31:14
C: “And you shall be circumcised : Gen 17:11
S: “You are to observe the Sabbath” : Ex 31:14
C: Throughout your generations” : Gen 17:12
S: Throughout your generations” : Ex 31:13
C: “The sign..between Me and you” : Gen 17:11
S: “A sign between Me and You” : Ex 31:13
C: “An everlasting covenant”: Gen 17:13
S: “A perpetual covenant” : Ex 31:16
C: “Uncircumcised..cut off” : Ex 17:14
S: “Whoever does any work…cut off” : Ex 31:14
C: Servant to be circumcised : Gen 17:12
S: Servant to keep Sabbath : Ex 20:10
C: Sign of circumcision given at time of giving of the Covenant: Gen 17:1-9
S: Sign of Sabbath given at time of giving of the Covenant : Ex 31:18
C: Nonobservance punishable by death (Ex 4:24-26)
S: Nonobservance punishable by death (Num 15:32-36)
C: Circumcision mentioned 6 times
S: Sabbath mentioned six times
The importance of the above comparison is to create the association between circumcision and the Sabbath. Both are signs of the Old Covenant. Circumcision was carried over from the Abrahamic covenant, but it was still one of the signs of the Old Covenant (John 7:23).
Circumcision was the one-time, entry sign into the Old Covenant (Exodus 12:48), and the Sabbath was the continuing, remembrance sign of the Old Covenant (Exodus 20:8).
A sign is not a moral absolute. It is an arbitrary indicator that one is a party to a covenant.
NEW COVENANT SIGNS
The New Covenant is a different covenant, with different signs and different laws.
Baptism is the one-time entry sign into the New Covenant (Matt. 28:19-20). The continuing, remembrance sign of the New Covenant is the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19). Note the similarity in wording between remembrance element of the Sabbath and the Lord’s Supper.