Monday: The Sabbath and Creation
It is because our world so desperately needs the reassuring message of Creation that God gave us the Sabbath. In the mid-1800s when the evolutionary hypothesis was taking the intellectual world by storm, God sent a message of incredible hope. We have been studying this message, found in Revelation 14:6-7.
Satan has made every attempt to distort the idea of Creation because he hates Jesus and does not want Him to receive the worship due Him as our Creator and Redeemer.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing from GoodSalt.com
The Sabbath is at the center of the great controversy over Christ’s worthiness to receive worship as our Creator. God’s last-day message is one that calls all humanity back to worshiping Christ as the Creator of heaven and earth. The basis of all worship is the fact that He created us.
Read Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:8-11, and Deuteronomy 5:12-15 in the context of Revelation 14:6-7. How do we see in the Sabbath commandment the link between Creation and Redemption, as well?
Sabbath is an eternal symbol of our rest in Him. It is a special sign of loyalty to the Creator (Ezekiel 20:12, Ezekiel 20:20). Rather than an arbitrary legalistic requirement, it reveals that true rest from righteousness by works is found in Him. The Sabbath speaks of a God who has achieved for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Scripture calls us to rest in His love and care each Sabbath. Sabbath is a symbol of rest, not works; of grace, not legalism; of assurance, not condemnation; of depending upon Him, not upon ourselves. Each Sabbath we rejoice in His goodness, and praise Him for the salvation that can be found only in Christ.
The Sabbath is also the eternal link between the perfection of Eden in the past and the glory of the new heavens and the new earth in the future (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:1).
The Sabbath calls us back to our roots. It’s a link to our family of origin. The Sabbath has been observed continuously since time began. It is an unbroken connection back through time to our creation. It keeps us focused on the glorious truth that we are children of God. It calls us to an intimate, close relationship with Him.
| How is the Sabbath commandment hinted at in Revelation 14:6-7, and why is it important to our end-time message? (See Exodus 20:8-11.) |
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The really big message of the creation story is about the relationship we had with God and the fact that the relationship was broken by sin. The big message of the Sabbath today is the reminder that this relationship is to be restored. We can argue all we like about the continuity of the week and so on but the technical justification is nonsense if we forget that the Sabbath is really about relationships.
The truth is that our relationship with God is intimately tied up with our relationship with one another. Sadly, we have the potential to fill our Sabbaths with activities that have little to do with relationships.
And I will put in a gentle plug for Sabbath School discussion groups here. In recent years we have seen the gradual demise of Sabbath School and I think we need to bring back the small group atmosphere where folk can join in and share; where they can express their ideas - even wrong ones - in the spirit of fellowship and spiritual growth. A Sabbath shared is a double blessing.
If we are to make the Sabbath meaningful, we must think of Sabbath as much more than just going to church on a different day to everyone else.
Points about the Sabbath on today's Lesson
1. We are called on the Sabbath day not only to rest, But also to praise and thanking GOD for his goodness to us, his gift of Salvation and his amazing and great power of making something out of no something (Creation). See exodus 20:8-11, deutronomy 5:12-15 and Genesis 2:1-3.
2. Revelation 14:7, wants us to "Worship GOD, the creator" 👈 This means that GOD is also calling us to keep the Sabbath also (Because it is Sabbath that tell us, He is a creator and more a saviour).
Be blessed!!!
Why is the Sabbath keeping one of the 10 Commandments "interpretedly" changed? We, humans, think we're smart. It was so much easier to obey that single order not to eat the fruit... but our ancestors decided to eat it in the search for knowledge. Unfortunately, all that we got afterward was never sustainable. And thousands of years later, we're still trying to minimize self-destruction. So much easier to go back to the origin. Today, we have this chance! Now. As simple as it is.
The Sabbath commandment has a different, but extremely important function in the moral Law, but it is not in and of itself a “moral” commandment. This special commandment establishes the credibility and authority of the One who has given the other nine commandments. Without the 4th commandment there is no separation from other gods, false prophets, mere men, etc. who can give “rules” to live by, but have no inherent authority to require it of others, nor does disobedience to their commands result in consequences without external intervention. They must arbitrarily impose such punishments, and make threats of these punishments for compliance. Their laws are governed by other sinful men, cameras, fear, etc. If someone breaks their law in secret there is no punishment for their actions, they essentially reap the rewards of their crime without consequence. However, God’s Law does not necessitate external enforcers to ensure compliance. For His Law is the Law of Life, and inherent in any deviation from it (sin) breeds its own punishment. Therefore, God does not need to enforce compliance by arbitrarily punishing the disobedient by His own hand, because their own choice carries the punishment from the inherent cost of deviation (sin). If someone breaks God’s Law in secret, there are consequences even without a witness, because life is the witness. The 4th commandment is essentially saying, “Here’s the requirement of this particular commandment, and I have the right to make such a requirement for your life. Who am I? I am the Creator of the heavens, earth, and sea. By your obedience to this commandment, you show that you acknowledge, agree and worship the Lawgiver who by their own Person is also deserving of your adherence to His other nine commandments. Also, the Sabbath commandment has more benefits included that range from mental, emotional and physical well-being; rest is extremely important for a functioning human being.
God does not merely give us “rules” to live by (10 commandments), but He lays out the laws by which life operates. These are not arbitrary decrees, but are reality-based revelations. We are not told, “thou shalt not steal,” because God doesn’t like thieves, we are told to not steal, because stealing interrupts, violates and corrupts the order of life. Thus bringing misery, pain, and a host of other consequences that negatively affect our quality of life. The Sabbath commandment is saying, “I am trustworthy and if you agree, do this in remembrance of Me.”
The lesson writer states that the ‘Sabbath is an eternal symbol of our rest in Him – that this is to be seen as a special sign of loyalty to the Creator.’ The following Scripture states - ”that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.” – Ezekiel 20:12, 20. To be loyal requires to first acknowledge Him to be the Creator, and once this has been resolved, God's blessings of sanctification will follow.
Yes, man needs sanctification, and the day of rest is the perfect time to reflect on our relationship with Him who establishes the sanctification of this living soul called 'human'; it is His gift to humanity.
Isaiah speaks to the new replacing the old - ”….. ; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind’ - Isaiah 65:17. We will not even be aware anymore that we had an ‘old’ earth in which we had to set aside time to reflect on the goodness of the LORD who brought Salvation to mankind.
I see the new earth as a totally new creation; much like the first one ‘where righteousness’ dwelled and man had an undisturbed relationship with our Creator Father. If there is anything outside of thanking God for His gift of our Salvation, we could recommit ourselves every Sabbath to living now in the ways we will be living on the new earth.
Paul defends the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only Truth which is able to stand on its own, able to defend itself by the power of its perfection/harmony. The believer stands on solid ground as he/she lives confidently its marvelous Truth - 2Cor.10:3-6.
Excellent thoughts, Brigitte! Personally, I see the "not be remembered nor come into mind (literally, come upon the heart)" declaration as things now being so wonderfully good that we can't be bothered with remembering how bad things used to be, not being the least bit troubled by any of that, and feeling that it's not even worth mentioning. I hate to think we'd be afflicted with amnesia!
I love this, but I think it should be a daily recommitment.
Blessings to you, my sister.
Yes, indeed - Christine! 🙂