The Lord
2008-10-20 08:41:23 UTC
The Sabbath was hallowed at the creation. As ordained for man, it had its
origin when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God
shouted for joy." Job 38:7. Peace brooded over the world; for earth was in
harmony with heaven. "God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it
was very good;" and He rested in the joy of His completed work. Gen. 1:31.
Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, "God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it,"--set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of
rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God's
power and His love. The Scripture says, "He hath made His wonderful works to
be remembered." "The things that are made," declare "the invisible things of
Him since the creation of the world," "even His everlasting power and
divinity." Gen. 2:3; Ps. 111:4; Rom. 1:20, R. V.
All things were created by the Son of God. "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without
Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. And since the Sabbath
is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power
of Christ.
The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with
the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the
music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden
in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find
comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to
the soul. He "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:6. . . .
The Sabbath was embodied in the law given from Sinai; but it was not then
first made known as a day of rest. The people of Israel had a knowledge of
it before they came to Sinai. On the way thither the Sabbath was kept. When
some profaned it, the Lord reproved them, saying, "How long refuse ye to
keep My commandments and My laws?" Ex. 16:28.
The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made
known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is
of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment
forms a part, Christ declares, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in nowise pass from the law." So long as the heavens and the
earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power.
And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be
honored by all beneath the sun. "From one Sabbath to another" the
inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before Me,
saith the Lord." Matt. 5:18; Isa. 66:23. . . .
"Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full
of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the
Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by Him; and
without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. Since He made
all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of
the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the
Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in
earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and
that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He
said, "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,"--make them holy. Ezek.
20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it
is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power,
the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel
of God.
And the Lord says, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing
thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa.
58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and
redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight
themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an
evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost
peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every
object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor
and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28.
origin when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God
shouted for joy." Job 38:7. Peace brooded over the world; for earth was in
harmony with heaven. "God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it
was very good;" and He rested in the joy of His completed work. Gen. 1:31.
Because He had rested upon the Sabbath, "God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it,"--set it apart to a holy use. He gave it to Adam as a day of
rest. It was a memorial of the work of creation, and thus a sign of God's
power and His love. The Scripture says, "He hath made His wonderful works to
be remembered." "The things that are made," declare "the invisible things of
Him since the creation of the world," "even His everlasting power and
divinity." Gen. 2:3; Ps. 111:4; Rom. 1:20, R. V.
All things were created by the Son of God. "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God. . . . All things were made by Him; and without
Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:1-3. And since the Sabbath
is a memorial of the work of creation, it is a token of the love and power
of Christ.
The Sabbath calls our thoughts to nature, and brings us into communion with
the Creator. In the song of the bird, the sighing of the trees, and the
music of the sea, we still may hear His voice who talked with Adam in Eden
in the cool of the day. And as we behold His power in nature we find
comfort, for the word that created all things is that which speaks life to
the soul. He "who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:6. . . .
The Sabbath was embodied in the law given from Sinai; but it was not then
first made known as a day of rest. The people of Israel had a knowledge of
it before they came to Sinai. On the way thither the Sabbath was kept. When
some profaned it, the Lord reproved them, saying, "How long refuse ye to
keep My commandments and My laws?" Ex. 16:28.
The Sabbath was not for Israel merely, but for the world. It had been made
known to man in Eden, and, like the other precepts of the Decalogue, it is
of imperishable obligation. Of that law of which the fourth commandment
forms a part, Christ declares, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in nowise pass from the law." So long as the heavens and the
earth endure, the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator's power.
And when Eden shall bloom on earth again, God's holy rest day will be
honored by all beneath the sun. "From one Sabbath to another" the
inhabitants of the glorified new earth shall go up "to worship before Me,
saith the Lord." Matt. 5:18; Isa. 66:23. . . .
"Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." These words are full
of instruction and comfort. Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the
Lord's day. It belongs to Christ. For "all things were made by Him; and
without Him was not anything made that was made." John 1:3. Since He made
all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial of
the work of creation. It points to Him as both the Creator and the
Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in
earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and
that by His power we are reconciled to God. For, speaking of Israel, He
said, "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,"--make them holy. Ezek.
20:12. Then the Sabbath is a sign of Christ's power to make us holy. And it
is given to all whom Christ makes holy. As a sign of His sanctifying power,
the Sabbath is given to all who through Christ become a part of the Israel
of God.
And the Lord says, "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing
thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the
Lord, honorable; . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord." Isa.
58:13, 14. To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ's creative and
redeeming power, it will be a delight. Seeing Christ in it, they delight
themselves in Him. The Sabbath points them to the works of creation as an
evidence of His mighty power in redemption. While it calls to mind the lost
peace of Eden, it tells of peace restored through the Saviour. And every
object in nature repeats His invitation, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor
and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28.