Anything Except What God Says!

In 1 Samuel God wanted to be the king of Israel, but Israel wanted to be like the other nations and have their own king. Instead of being a peculiar people, they wanted to blend in with the world as much as possible. Even today, I hear Christian leaders boast how the church resembles worldly organizations, as though they were the standard, but I digress. The fact is that Israel pleaded for, and got their own king, someone besides God Himself.

Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com

Later, I was reading about Jesus being crucified,

“What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. John 19:15 NLT

When I read this my mind flashed back to Israel saying they didn’t want God to be their king. Here they are telling Pilate give us any king but God!

This week’s lesson talks about Romans 14 and Paul telling us not to judge people by observing certain Sabbaths or days. We understand from Colossians 2:14-17 that Paul is speaking of ceremonial Sabbaths that pointed towards the cross. The weekly Sabbath is spoken of as singular in most Bible versions while ceremonial Sabbaths are spoken of as plural as in Colossians 2 and Romans 14. Also, the weekly Sabbath is not a shadow of the cross as it existed before the need of a cross, (Genesis 2:1-3) and after the cross has accomplished its goal, (Isaiah 66:23, Acts 18:4, Hebrews 4). So we as Adventist Bible students understand that the weekly Sabbath is still in effect, and it was the ceremonial Sabbaths that were a shadow of things to come, and now Paul says don’t judge anyone either way regarding ceremonial Sabbaths.

My point now is this. People will tell me it does not matter which day I keep as the weekly Sabbath, but then they turn around and get frustrated with me for keeping the Bible Sabbath over Sunday. Is this the same mentality of the Jews in 1 Samuel and John 19? Is this not saying, we will have any King but God, and we will keep any Sabbath except for the one God says to keep? Is that within itself a rebellious attitude, saying anything except what God says? If it doesn’t matter what day I keep then why do other Christians get upset when I keep Saturday? Why do they want me to keep any day but the one God said?

The world will always be pressuring us to conform to its ways over God’s ways. Meanwhile Paul writes in Romans:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT

I choose to follow God instead of the world, especially when the world says, “not God’s way but my way!” God’s way is good; it is pleasing to both God and me, and it is perfect. I don’t want to be like those of old who say “anything except what God says.”

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Hi C.C. Jr

The Sabbath clearly stands apart from the annual festivals in Leviticus 23.

You will notice that it is placed ahead of the list of annual feasts as a reminder of it's distinctive nature.

The annual feasts are listed from verse 5 and have nothing to do with the gift of the 7th days Sabbath sanctified and hallowed by the Creator personally as recorded in Genesis 2:2-3, commemorating same.

The 7th day Sabbath was kept prior to the instruction of the feast days (see from Exodus 16:25-26, see also , in verse 28, God's reaction to their disobedience)

Notice that in Exodus 20, the 4th commandment is singled out, not part of the annual feast days. Of special note is that it is that the command existed prior to it's being re-issued at Sinai because God said Remember His Holy 7th day and immediately proceeds to remind mankind, as the 10 commandments were first spoken by God to all the people, both Hebrews and the mixed multitude who had left Egypt with them, and later written in stone by the Finger of God (twice).

It is in memoriam of God's sovereignty and claim of authorship of creation that He set apart His day of choice, the Holy 7th day Sabbath, (Saturday).

In Mathew 12:8; Mark 2:28 Jesus said He is even the Lord of the Sabbath

In Revelation 1:10, John called the Sabbath, the Lord's day

You are right, the Sunday keepers are AGAINST the Sabbath even though they usurped "Lord's-day" to name their day of rest, while in no way reverencing God's Holy Sabbath day, but this is why God gives the instructions in Revelation 14:6-12
to remind all mankind to worship Him Who made heaven and earth and all things therein, thus bringing to mind again the injunction to "Remember", though the Sunday keepers, would prefer instead, that we forget.

http://biblehub.com/kjv/revelation/14.htm

The final test will be about whom we choose to serve...the 7th day Sabbath of God matters...in fact, your choice will become a choice for life or death, who will you choose?

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Comments

Anything Except What God Says! — 10 Comments

beene Mulomba on December 27, 2017 at 3:54 pm said:

how is the sabbath suppose to be kept?

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- William Earnhardt on December 27, 2017 at 5:32 pm said:
  
  Beene, here is a link from the Seventh-day Adventist website, that shares Bible principles for Sabbath keeping. https://www.adventist.org/en/information/official-statements/documents/article/go/-/sabbath-observance/
  
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Enock Ngilazi on December 28, 2017 at 4:29 am said:

Thank you so much.
Sometimes we forget that we are the clay and God is the potter. Telling God what to do is merely saying that we will create for ourselves the life conditions we want, and what we want is often not good for us.

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Wendell Noor on December 29, 2017 at 7:34 pm said:

Thank you for your post. I would like to rephrase the main idea you brought forward with respect to the statement that we are "protestants". (Sabbath afternoon lessons 13)
As seventh day Adventist, we rest on the principle of "sola scriptura", the bible alone as the standard of faith, and consequently we are genuine Christians and all that have gone astray are protestants.
In other words, protestants are the ones that do not accept the bible alone as the standard of faith.

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- Don Litchfield on December 30, 2017 at 1:51 pm said:
  
  Wendell, your comment brought the thought to me that the Roman Catholic religion and its followers are the Protestants and we are the true Catholics (God's church) if we choose to let God be our true King.
  
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C.C. Schmidt Jr on December 31, 2017 at 9:05 am said:

Thank you William! I don't recall the separation being made before between Sabbaths and Sabbath ... I am glad this got so many Amens. Great point - thouth sad - also that Sunday keepers are AGAINST the Sabbath ... There are many more Messianic Sabbath Keepers. One from California and I had a two hour sharing conversation. He a part of a group of about 10. I met him at Your Best Pathway to Health this last week in Phoenix! God is Working! I recently noticed in Leviticus 23 that it is listed 1st among the Festivals as well. Why of why would we spend ANY time searching at broken cisterns!!!

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- Annette E Macintosh on January 1, 2018 at 3:46 pm said:
  
  Hi C.C. Jr
  
  The Sabbath clearly stands apart from the annual festivals in Leviticus 23.
  
  You will notice that it is placed ahead of the list of annual feasts as a reminder of it's distinctive nature.
  
  The annual feasts are listed from verse 5 and have nothing to do with the gift of the 7th days Sabbath sanctified and hallowed by the Creator personally as recorded in Genesis 2:2-3, commemorating same.
  
  The 7th day Sabbath was kept prior to the instruction of the feast days (see from Exodus 16:25-26, see also , in verse 28, God's reaction to their disobedience)
  
  Notice that in Exodus 20, the 4th commandment is singled out, not part of the annual feast days. Of special note is that it is that the command existed prior to it's being re-issued at Sinai because God said Remember His Holy 7th day and immediately proceeds to remind mankind, as the 10 commandments were first spoken by God to all the people, both Hebrews and the mixed multitude who had left Egypt with them, and later written in stone by the Finger of God (twice).
  
  It is in memoriam of God's sovereignty and claim of authorship of creation that He set apart His day of choice, the Holy 7th day Sabbath, (Saturday).
  
  In Mathew 12:8; Mark 2:28 Jesus said He is even the Lord of the Sabbath
  
  In Revelation 1:10, John called the Sabbath, the Lord's day
  
  You are right, the Sunday keepers are AGAINST the Sabbath even though they usurped "Lord's-day" to name their day of rest, while in no way reverencing God's Holy Sabbath day, but this is why God gives the instructions in Revelation 14:6-12
  to remind all mankind to worship Him Who made heaven and earth and all things therein, thus bringing to mind again the injunction to "Remember", though the Sunday keepers, would prefer instead, that we forget.
  
  http://biblehub.com/kjv/revelation/14.htm
  
  The final test will be about whom we choose to serve...the 7th day Sabbath of God matters...in fact, your choice will become a choice for life or death, who will you choose?
  
  (2)
  
  Reply ↓
Bradford Feo on January 1, 2018 at 7:17 pm said:

I have grown in the church since I moved to New Zealand from Samoa, and now in Australia, both my parents were baptised into the church through ministry such as Pathfinders and community outreach programs, my mother was catholic and my father was methodist.

As an adventists I know that the sabbath or the seventh day of the week Saturday is the day of worship, and I know my duties to ensure that I give him praise and the glory through worship and obedience through recognition of his authority by separating this day from the rest, 90% of my friends are Sunday keepers but are very much lovers of His word.

I love the knowledge shown here. when it comes to our brothers and sisters I continue to pray for their good health, Saftey and familys. its not the days that seperate us from them but the knowledge we lack in sharing through His unconditional Love. Thanks for the lesson and I hope to see more in the weeks to come.

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Gashaw Ashagre on January 12, 2018 at 4:56 am said:

Praise be to God for the insights given to you. I always look forward to reading your blogs.

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- William Earnhardt on January 12, 2018 at 9:19 am said:
  
  Thank you for the kind words. Happy Sabbath!
  
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  Reply ↓

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Anything Except What God Says! — 10 Comments

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