Sabbath: The Creation Completed
Read for This Week’s Study: Genesis 1, Ps. 8:3, Rom. 8:19-22, Lev. 11:14-22, Gen. 2:1-3,Mark 2:28.
Memory Text: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work” ( Genesis 2:2, NIV).
This week’s lesson reviews the Bible’s brief description of the last three Creation days and the Sabbath rest. This description is found in Genesis 1-2:1-3, but numerous references to it exist in other parts of Scripture. One of the most striking aspects of the Creation account is its division into days of Creation. Why did He choose to make the seven-day time cycle that we call a week? Scripture does not tell us directly, but we can look for clues. Perhaps the most important clue is the Sabbath itself, which reserves a special time for communion between God and humanity. It may be that God established the week to provide a period of time suitable for ordinary work, yet with a regular period of time set aside as a reminder of our relationship to God (see Mark 2:28). This would help humans to remember that God is the true provider and that we are totally dependent upon Him. Whatever the reason, it is apparent that the Genesis Creation account reveals a Creation done with exceeding care and purpose. Nothing is left to chance.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 19.
(1)
just a thought , what if Adam was created on day 4.
Humanity was/is the crown of creation...the perfection of God's work. God wouldn't have created Adam before everything was perfect. This shows that God NEVER wanted us to suffer or be in need of anything except for His love. Had he created Adam on the 4th day...Adam wouldn't have found everything in place as he did when he was created on that special day
i think God has designed each and every thing to make the earth habitable for man. So man as the crown of creation ,i think had to come last.
Peter> Perhaps we would have a shorter work week. 🙂 For sure sin would have entered the world 2 days sooner!
Perfectly and precisely planned and executed, all in order and without rush or need for retrospect or hindsight due to omissions or errors. Awesome God.
Since humanity - Adam and Eve were entrusted with the stewardship or management of the Garden of Eden, pehaps God wanted them to appeciate every thing that He had created in the previous five days so they they would see all the beauty of the creative power of God and acknowledgte that they were to have dominion over all that were made before their coming into existence - a well designed scheme of things and not be default. It would be illogical in my view to have man created on the fourth day as he would have appreciated the goodness of Gods's ceation.
Hello, Could somebody please answer my questions...Is it a sin to go to church on Sabbath (Saturday) to our SDA church and to other Protestant church (Church of England) on Sundays as well? My husband thinks that by going to both churches he can meet more fellow believers. And my second question is...Can somebody who is new to our SDA church and is not keeping the Sabbath 100% still be saved? Could you please confirm your answers with the bible texts? Many thanks & God bless, Renata
Renata. Very important questions.Now human being livingtoday has ever seen God, We all follow Him by Faith. This should be our driving force. Heb 10:38.
Genesis 1-2:3 gives us clear understanding how we came into being and why we Should observe the Seventh day (Sabbath). Also Ex 20:8-11 is very clear. If We take God at His word, and how is He speaking to us today,is it not through the Bible- His word. We believe and accept that the Bible is the word of God, If that is what you also believe withiut doubt, Isee no reason why you should worship Him on a day His Word (Bible)has not recommended.
On your second questions,How can someone who is SDA and does not keep the Sabbath be saved? How can someone keep that which he / shae has no belief or faith in. Understanding the Importance and connection between us as creation and God as creator is vital in our Sabbath worship. Read Mark 2:27-28. The other text that is dera to me is Isaiah 58.13-14.These words contained in here were spoken by the Lord Himself, we believe that God does not as much I believe you also believe.
I would also Refer you to Writings of Sister white, Patriarchs & Prophets, some first Chapters that talks about creation and also Desire of Ages the topic which talks about the Sabbath, then you will understand without doubt the relationship that exists between creation and creator.
I will provide specific Chapters and pages in the books I have mentioned, I cant remember them now the specific pages and chapters.
I hope you will this will help as other brethten will add where I have not touched.
God bless
Renata. I promised to bring you the exact pages and chapers in the books of Sister white I refered you to yesterday. From Desire of Ages about 'THE SABBATH' its chapter 29 pages 281-289 and from Patriarchs and Prophests about 'THE CREATION' its chapter 2 pages 44-51.
I hope the will hel a great deal to answer your concerns.
God richly bless us as we strive to do His will.
Renata: The Sabbath is important to a born again seventh-day Adventist. It is one of the fundamental beliefs that the seventh-day Adventist church is built on. Without keeping the sabbath, then we would not be seventh day Christians. The name seventh day Adventist means that we keep the seventh day sabbath and look forward to the second coming of the Lord and Saviour. When God finished with his creation, and rested on the seventh day from all his work, it's not the God was tired and needed rest but he did that so that he could enjoy fellowship and communion with Adam and Eve. God also sanctified and blessed the day. The sabbath was the only day that He sanctified and blessed. He could have just finished with creation on the seventh day and no mention of resting. So the sabbath was established at creation to remind us of God's creative powers and for us to worship Him and glorify his name and also for us to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him. One can not be a true seventh say Adventist Christian without keeping the seventh day sabbath as mentioned in the Bible. We will be judged based on what we know and what we do.
I am very eager to read more about this main truth and one of the doctrine of our church about the real meaning of the Seventh Day. What a blessing as we are but truly I am not even perfect for the memeber of the Seventh Day members because I know my perfect is not what God's perfect I am a sinner and unclean in his presence but I know the bible is only the way to be look forward for the next comming of my Saviour.
Renata, Jesus said "Other sheep have I which are not of this fold". I am confident that Jesus understands us visiting his other sheep, and there may be opportunities missed if we are not open-minded about where to find them. While being sensible to avoid satanic activities, the mission of this church would never be complete if we do not witness to His other sheep in the places they can be found. Jesus went to Samaria to appoint his first foreign missionary.
By God's grace, we should all live up to the light that we have been given. When Jesus instructed the disciples in mission work, He told them to preach, baptize, and teach. As in other aspects of life, we continue to learn after we are baptized. As we learn more, we grow as Christians.
The baptized person has made a public statement of their intention, but they will spend the rest of their life learning how to live more like Jesus every day. If I decide today to play the piano, I will not be a superstar tomorrow. It will take years of daily work and I still won't be perfect.
Jesus says that "All have sinned". I have observed that the people who appear most truly saintly are those who admit every day that they are sinners, saved only by the sacrifice of Jesus.
I still don't understand why people still have different ideas about the sabbath worship. Why should people say the old testament has passed away, but still quote from it in times of need? God have mercy upon all of us.
I am happy to be in the Seventh-Day Adventist church and to study the Sabbath School as well.
Can someone help me about the quotation from 1 John 5:16,17? It baffles me a lot.
It is my understanding that there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven and that is the unpardonable sin which is a stubborn, defiant sin that will not change no matter what is done (Mat 12:31, 32; Heb 6:4-6). That is the one sin for which prayer is useless. Only God knows when a person has reached that point, God will work with all others for as it is written, "A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory" (Matt. 12:20 NKJV). He is the one above all others that forgives 70 times 7 (Mat 18:21-22).
Enock. We don't say that the Old Testament has passed away, only that we are under a new covenant. Could it be that there are different views about how to keep the Sabbath because the Bible doesn't say very much about it?
Renata, Romans 14:5-9 says this “One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
I quoted all of that to say this, God wants us to be either all in or all out. Partial commitment is detestable in God’s sight.
However, we must be careful not to judge others by human standards. Salvation is God’s gift through Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. Therefore, only God can determine who is saved and not saved. Our part to play in our salvation is confessing that “Jesus is Lord” and “believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.” Romans 10:9
Now, we must understand that confessing in the Greek is the word “homologeo,” which is two separate Greek words “homo” meaning same and “logo” meaning word. The type of confessing Paul was mentioning in Romans was that saved people voice the same conclusion about Jesus, that Jesus is “Lord” or “ruler, master.” Meaning that saved people acknowledge that Jesus is the commander of their life and as a result have given permission for Jesus to control every aspect of their behavior, thought, opinion, etc. However, in order to confess with our mouth, we must genuinely believe in our heart. Believing isn’t simply saying something haphazardly. Believing is having unwavering confidence that something is true.
Paul wrote that this belief must occur in the “heart.” Historically, the heart was considered the seat of the emotions. Meaning that every emotion must be centered in the confidence that Jesus was raised from the dead. When this occurs, our actions follow whatever Jesus demands of our life, despite our wavering emotions based upon our present circumstance.
With that being my foundation of my response, let me now respond by saying that someone who is new to the SDA church is on a journey lead by Jesus. A person who is new or old to the SDA church should have the same mindset “Jesus is Lord.” If along the journey that Jesus and Jesus ONLY is saying that person needs to “keep the Sabbath 100%” (whatever that may mean) then they should “keep the Sabbath 100%”
Many people change things because humanity, pastor’s, elders, etc ask a person to change something without consulting Jesus. Jesus is Lord. Whatever “sin” is, should only be renounced under the directorship of Holy Spirit’s conviction (John 16:8) because unless real conviction comes and settles in someone’s heart “there will be no real change in the life” Steps to Christ page 23.
In fact read the Repentance chapter in the book Steps to Christ by Ellen White. Awesome Book! As a new SDA, you must understand that there are STEPS to CHRIST. That is called Sanctification. It’s a process as we grow deeper in our love for Christ. Everyday we stand and live out the confession that Jesus is Lord, we grow and things of this world falls off.
Mon:creation in psalms;we ought to compose and sing songs that go hand in hand with the Bible lest we bring confussions among brethren.
PSALMS 47:7