I see your point. The Lord even demanded the destruction of peoples who God knew were only evil. God does not want evil around us, but for us to live in peace. The Lord knew these people would reject His word.
But what this post is trying to establish is whether we are classed as one of those people who the OT law was not for because they would reject it, or if it is for us who accept the one true God. In romans 2:28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. We are gentiles who have been drafted in, so surely that means we can be included when the Lord spoke to the Israelites.
May I correct these misrepresentation of "what I think". I think the Lord gave us a Sabbath at creation. I think I am not a judge of any people, I may not judge anyone on the basis of when they go to church. My belief in the Sabbath does not mean that I will not go to my church on Sunday, that is the day they hold church, so it would be judging myself.
I also think that denying that God established Sabbath at creation is denying scripture. That is not a judgment of any people, they are free to live their life with the Lord as they choose, and I am sure the Lord does not accept or reject anyone because of His Sabbath. That is done through faith in the Lord.
Besides, my belief in these Genesis verses has nothing to do with this post.
Thanks for your calm and measured answers. I hope mine is taken in this spirit too - simply a swap pf understanding of a certain matter. I address the Law first, and the Sabbath second since it is an ordinance of the Law.
The Law was given for three things
- It was to be a way of life for a People that had God dwelling in their midst. No other Nation had this privilege but Israel (Deut.26:16-19). God is a holy God and the creation around Him must be hallowed. Israel were to have a certain moral standard, dress and diet code and an everyday lifestyle that represented Who God was.
- It was to be a testimony before men of God's righteousness and subsequent blessing to those who obey and worship Him
- It was to give God, man and the earth its due.
No man except our Lord Jesus was able to conform to this. They broke the Law just days after agreeing to it by building the golden calf. But since it formed the conditions of a blood Covenant with God, it is still in force today. It will form the conditions of the New Covenant with united Israel in the coming Millennial, or Messianic age (Jer.31-33). That is the reason that it must remain till heaven and earth pass. It was given to Israel alone and it remains for Israel alone.
The Sabbath was for God
Without going into all the proofs, we observe that God made the heavens and the earth. God is a God of order and so He made a orderly government of natural Laws to govern nature, and an angelic government to govern the living creatures. He is the Maker of the principalities and powers. Since God made all things in good order (Isa.45:18), the chaos that ensued in Genesis 1:2 was a result of the attempted overthrow of God's order. The darkness and covering with water are sure signs of God's judgment. But God, being that very God of order, cannot indefinitely look upon disorder. So in 6, 24-hour periods, God
worked to restore the earth to a pristine condition. By the end of the sixth day, God had achieved three things that would, or should, allow Him to sit back and
rest. They are;
- The earth was again running on its Laws, e.g. Gen.1:11-12.
- God had a new and exotic creature, a man in His image and likeness, in place to both subdue and rule the earth
- God had presented the man with a source of His divine nature to equip the man to be both a testimony of God and to empower him for the job
- God could REST while His man subdued and ruled
- God called the seventh day - the Sabbath, and hallowed it for Himself. At no time did God state, imply or introduce a restriction on the man concerning this day, except to eat and to subdue and rule to His benefit and the earth's benefit
Time passed and Adam refused to eat from the Tree of life, and instead of ruling, became SUBJECT to an angel - Satan. The earth descended into chaos again and after covering the earth with water again, God raised up Noah. His descendants turned to worship the heavenly host and again the earth was judged by the division of men. Time passed and God called out another man - Abraham, with which to recover His original plan. Abraham was promised to be multiplied, produce kings and subdue and own a choice piece of earth - Canaan. This promise is extended to Abraham's seed. From Adam till the seventh generation of Abraham, the Sabbath is not mentioned. Thus, there can be no talk of the Sabbath binding men before the Law was given, and since it forms part of the Law,
it only pertains to Israel.
But since the eighth generation of Abraham, to whom is promised
"the Gates of his enemies" ("Gates" in parable means "government" - Deut.21:19, 22:15, etc.), would subdue and rule Canaan, God was in a position to officiate a Sabbath again. The Good Land was beautiful and fruitful like Eden. It had God, and His man - Israel, in position to subdue and rule, and it had men under Law - His testimony - in place. God could REST. The Sabbath Rest was a declaration of a reality that God's government was in place. But it was not universal. It pertained only to Israel and their Land with its borders.
But another startling fact emerges. God's first Sabbath is NOT defined by the
"evening and the morning". Adam was made last on the 6th day. So his first official day was the Sabbath. And the threat of God was that Adam would die
IN the day he ate of the forbidden Tree. Adam did eat, and did die - at 930 years. Likewise, the time from Joshua's crossing of the Jordan to the deportation of the last of Israel to Babylon, was just under 1,000 years. But, from Hebrews Chapters 3 and 4, where a FUTURE Sabbath Rest is predicted, we learn that the Israelites who (i) died in the wilderness, and (ii) the Israel of David - the kingdom IN the Land who were carried out of the Land,
angered God because He did NOT get His Sabbath. However, the Holy Spirit predicts that God will get His Sabbath. And if the first Sabbath - that of Adam's time, and the next Sabbath, that of Israel's time, were defined by 1,000 years, we quickly find when the next Sabbath is. There are two;
- A Future REST where Christ, the Second Man, subdues BOTH principalities and powers AND men (Rev.19:15). And since the Sabbath is defined by 1,000 years, there is only ONE more period given in the Bible of 1,000 years - the Millennial Kingdom of Revelation 20, commencing with Christ's return
- Those who are IN Christ have entered a Sabbath. That is, in the Church, the New Man made of men who are being transformed into the image of Christ are present on earth and although it is not given to them to subdue men, it is given to them to subdue principalities and powers of the air (Eph.6) - exactly like our Lord did (Lk.11:20), and God should be able to REST
In the Church age God has Sabbath, but it is NOT that of Israel. It is the occupying commission of the Church on earth. Israel are dispersed and under foreign kings. Their Temple is gone and their King - Jesus, does not feast the Passover during the Church age (Lk.22:15-16). In a discussion with Jews in John Chapter 5, our Lord Jesus says that God has to WORK (5:17). Israel's Lawful Sabbath was still intact then, but GOD'S SABBATH was gone. Then, in 70 AD, with the State of Israel gone, and the Temple gone, Israel cannot fulfill the Sabbath of God. Their land is gone. God's men are gone The testimony of God by the Temple and the People are gone.
For the Church, the Sabbath is when they (i) behave like Christ, and (ii) successfully resist the principalities and powers. Those so involved will be made co-kings with Christ when He subdues ALL and rules the whole earth (Rev.20:4-6). Those of the Church who are defeated go into the Millennial Kingdom in defeat. And Israel will be restored (Ezek.37, Act.15:14-16) and feast (i) her Lawful Sabbaths, and (ii) not be removed from her Land again thus fulfilling the future Sabbath Rest of 1,000 years.
- The true Sabbath of the Law is suspended until Israel are all, as a united nation, in her Land with her King - Jesus
- The True Sabbath of creation is the Millennial, or Messianic Kingdom
- The spiritual Sabbath is being fulfilled by the overcomers of the Church who have no "day" but a lifestyle
- God's Sabbath is when His Man Jesus is King of the Nation of Israel AND King of the earth's kings - the 1,000 year reign
If you feel you need to celebrate a day and call it YOUR Sabbath - you are free to do so (Rom.14:4-6). If you feel that the Law of Moses dictates a DAY, then you have to decide. If you are IN Christ then the Law of Moses is abolished and nailed to the cross for the New Man. If you feel that you must keep this Law, you have to keep them all (Gal.3:10). But sadly then, you are under a curse, you have made Christ's death of none effect and you have fallen from grace (Gal.5:4).
Up to you brother/sister.
God bless.
