Monday: Universal Concerns
Read Genesis 2:1-3. What does this tell us about the universality of the Sabbath?
If we truly observe the Sabbath, we will not remain satisfied with only our own rest (Exod. 23:12), redemption (Deut. 5:12-15), and ultimate restoration in the new earth (Isa. 66:22-23).
Image © Review & Herald Publishing from GoodSalt.com
Indeed, the seventh-day Sabbath tells us that God is the Creator and Rest Provider of all who live on this earth. The universality of the Sabbath rest implies a commonality among all of us, rich or poor. The common Fatherhood of God means a common equality and concern among human beings.
Also, as we saw yesterday, the concern for social justice extends from weekly Sabbaths to sabbatical years and to the year of jubilee. The principles behind the three Sabbaths portrayed in Leviticus 23:1-44 and Leviticus 25:1-55 extend to Christians as well. The seventh-day Sabbath will forever point back to Creation, as well as forward to the Cross and new earth. It will strengthen our relationship with our compassionate Creator and Savior, thus bringing us closer to the ones He deeply loves-people who have deep needs, who are poor or suffering.
Please note, however, that the Sabbath year and the year of jubilee illustrate eternal principles, but this doesn’t mean that we are to literally observe these festivals now. We aren’t. Unlike the seventh-day Sabbath, which was instituted at the Creation in a pre-Fall world, these are among the ceremonial Sabbaths that were a “shadow of things to come” (Col. 2:16-17), pointing forward to the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus and then ending with His death on the cross. Instead, these ceremonial Sabbaths point to a principle in regard to how we should treat others, especially those in need. As a redeemed people, Israel had an obligation to be a light to the world, showing forth God’s mercy to others with no partiality. With thanksgiving they were to represent God’s character to those who didn’t know Him.
| Read Amos 8:4-7. What was going on here, and how can we make sure that we, in our dealings with others, aren’t guilty of doing the same thing? What significance, too, do you find, given the context, in the words “ ‘Surely I will never forget any of their works’ ”? |
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why most people oppose only the SABBATH command out of 10 commandments
I think opposition to the Sabbath is probably too strong a word. In our secular world most people simply ignore the Sabbath. Among Christians most Sunday keepers would think that they are keeping the Sabbath by going to church on Sunday. There are some people who do know the difference and who vocally oppose the Sabbath, but we need to be circumspect in the way we discuss the issue with them. I suggest that if we are going to convince people about the Sabbath, we need to show them how beautiful the Sabbath is for us. Sometimes I we give the message that the Sabbath is just for going to church and unfortunately that is the wrong message.
Unfortunately the enemy of souls is very busy making sure we live contrary to the will of God and that is the reason why he has deceived the whole world to believe that the law of God was nailed to the cross specially the sabbath since it points to God as our creator.
Esther
Yes, some will manifest indifference towards the observance of the Sabbath, but they also hold that the ten commandments were abrogated at the cross, so its ignorance that is the issue here. If they are willing to listen, perhaps a little Bible study might help.
In my experience they don't deny the 9 commandments, they go with the popularity of Sunday worship, justifing it by observance of Christ resurection. One preacher was asked about the Seventh-day-Adventist, He said they have the right Sabbath, but they have prophecy wrong. Yet he still chose to worship on Sunday, because his congregation would tell him to find a job at an SDA church. Of course he would also have to give into the guidance of the Holy Spirit reguarding the correct prophecy and the investigative judgement.
Pls can someone help me this pressing text Col. 2:16-17. I really want a deep understanding of that quote.
It's simple Godwin that the sabbath or what u drink or eat cannot save u,if those things could save u , it would be no need for christ to come and die
col 2:16-17 is about meat and drink offerings and other feast days.
Valerie Anderson IF indeed Col 2:16-17 is about meat and drink offerings AND other feast days what is it about those feast days that are against us for in verse 14 is says "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us?"
Daniel, please note that Col 2:16-17 says nothing about offerings or festivals being *against* us. It says that these were a *shadow* of things to come.
Col 2:13-15 refers to forgiveness of sins which blotted out the "handwriting of ordinances against us." (It does not refer to Sabbaths or offerings.) As I understand it, this refers to a judgment against us, on the basis of our actual guilt - brought against us by the "accuser of the brethren." By dying in our place, Christ "triumphed over" all the forces of evil.
Godwin Adiaba I find your question refreshing. Most will just go with the "status quo" not really studying it for themselves. One must never forget that ALL Scripture must harmonize. We find in Daniel 9:27 what God said through His servant what would be "nailed" to the cross and taken out of the way.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27 AV)
Nowhere does it say anything about the feast days! In the text found in Colossians 2:14 we find something has been blotted out, something that is AGAINST us! I have yet to find an answer to this question from anyone! "What is it about Passover that is against us? How about Pentecost? I have asked the same question about all of the feast days!
So IF indeed Colossians 2 MUST be in harmony with Daniel 9 and the rest of Scripture what could Paul be referring to? In verse 14 we see a reverence to ordinances being blotted out because they are against us. IF a person use the Biblical directive, line upon line, precept upon precept they will find that by doing a word search of the Greek word translated "ordinances" they will both in the New Testament and in the Greek Old Testament the word, "dogma" is used exclusively dealing with the laws of MEN, the traditions of MEN! Check it out for yourself! So in that light what Paul is saying in verses 16 and 17 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect to a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" according to the traditions of men!!! Why? Because they are indeed against us and are of no help in our walk with God! Remember what Christ said about the traditions of men? Paul was just making it clear what Christ meant! Paul goes on to say "Which ARE (present tense) a shadow of things to come! Each of those feast days teaches us something about the plan of salvation in the life of each of us! Think about each of them, what do they tell us about God working in our lives, what they tell us about OUR response to His plan.
Daniel, Without Christ, we are all condemned to die, but He did away with the judgment against all those who trust in Him. (Please see my comment above.)
[Please note that a discussion of Col. 2:13-15, and a discussion of feast days is off the topic of this lesson. The lesson author rightly points out that the seventh-day Sabbath is never called a "shadow" of anything, but the discussion of the actual "shadow" rites and festivals is beyond the scope of this lesson.]
Oh also Godwin one last thought. To confirm what I have posted look at the last few verses of Colossians 2.
Colossians 2:20-22 KJV Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Thanks a million times mr. Daniel Shannon. I get it clearly now. Very grateful. God bless u for this insight.
All these pointed to Christ and now that He came,their relevance became insignificant. However,the Sabbath rest day remains. It was the Sabbaths that ended.God bless.
Kalulu Ronald what is it about any of the feast days, the Sabbatical year and the Year of Jubilee that has become insignificant? Did you read last Friday's suggestion to read the chapter entitled "God's Care For the Poor"?
Daniel, all the feast days were closely tied to a) the sanctuary services, centered on offerings and b) the agricultural year in Palestine.
Since the sanctuary services ended at the cross and the followers of Christ are spread throughout the world into areas that have a very different agricultural year, it is fair to say that the feast days themselves have only significance in principle, not in literal application.
God gave these guide lines for the welfare of His people, and, yes, we can learn from the Sabbatical year. Its literal application would seem to apply particularly to farmers, but it seems to me that cover crops and regular fallowing of fields would serve the same purpose.
Interpreting the sabbatical years and feasts as obligations for Christians seems a wrongful application, possibly leading to ignoring the *real* meaning God intended. See, for instance, Isaiah 1:14 "Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them." If God said that to His people at a time when the sanctuary services when His people were still living in Palestine, how much more this is applicable today when the sanctuary services have ended, and His people no longer live mainly in Palestine!
What God wants from us now is *spiritual* worship (John 4:23), demonstrated in works of justice, mercy and humility, not a literal keeping of feasts meant for worshipers in Palestine before the cross.
it is sad that mostly the Sabbath presented to non Sabbath keepers is the Sabbath concerned with only our own rest, such a Sabbath will not turn people to Christ but away as did the pharisees. So God help us to show the universality of the Sabbath in addressing universal concerns to a hopeless society. But l have a question, is it okay to attend church programs only on the Sabbath as we do, and reserve other days for community service or the Sabbath should be the best day to do most of them
Zulu,
Your question brings to mind a thought from Mrs. White. It relates to the early SDA efforts in the southern states of America, where a strong feeling for Sunday sacredness and worship existed.
"On Sunday there is the very best opportunity for those who are missionaries to hold Sunday schools, and come to the people in the simplest manner possible, telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, and educating them in the Scriptures... [However,] we cannot work in all localities in the same way...
While laboring to introduce the truth, we must accommodate ourselves as much as possible to the field and the circumstances of those for whom we labor...
[We] must move as the Lord shall direct [us], but let [us] consider that [we] can do the best missionary work on Sunday." (The Southern Work [1895] p.68)
In my view, there is a time when community service should be done on Sabbath, but for the main part I think that broad community-service-tasks are best done on other days.
Zulu...it’s always best to look to Jesus for His examples to us. Doing good on the Sabbath (helping those in need) was very important to the Lord. He healed many. Many of their diseases were chronic in nature so He could have waited until another day but He didn’t. He chose to touch their area of direst physical need when He encountered them. They were not merely a “lesson” for the Jewish leaders regarding the Sabbath. They were real people that Jesus loved and desired to help in their time of need. He wants us to follow His example , always remembering that Jesus’ acts towards others were not simply community service but were total acts of love. That kind of love for others can only be gained by knowing the Creator on a deep and personal level.
Let me ask you also. Will you be resting if you go and do community work like spraying people's homes on Sabbath?
It depends. I would not do things like that as a rule, especially if I could come back and do it later. Having said that, I was ingathering once on Sabbath and saw an old man pushing his lawn mower around. I told him to have a rest while I finished the lawn mowing for him. I don't think for a moment I broke the Sabbath, but I would not be mowing lawns every Sabbath.
In the comments found in the last paragraph we find this: "Unlike the seventh-day Sabbath, which was instituted at the Creation in a pre-Fall world, these are among the ceremonial Sabbaths that were a “shadow of things to come” (Col. 2:16-17), pointing forward to the ministry and sacrifice of Jesus and then ending with His death on the cross."
First off the overwhelming number of translations I have 99% of them do NOT say WERE a "shadow of things to come" BUT "ARE a shadow of things to come," PRESENT tense.
Secondly because we have NOT given the "land" IT's Sabbath rest we find the earth, the soil no longer provides that which we need to grow sound plants.
Thirdly the "year of the Jubilee" does indeed point forward to when Christ comes the Second time not the first time. Neither of those have been fulfilled at the Cross.
I find in the very last chapter of the Old Testament a very confusing statement that many either seem to ignore or want to ignore. Help me to understand where the author is coming from here.
“1 ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 ¶ Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, WITH the statutes and judgments.” (Malachi 4:1-4)
We continue to convince ourselves that Col 2:16 has no reference to the 7th-day Sabbath even in the face of the Truth. We must retain and maintain the ‘authority’ to judge (and condemn) others over “the day of worship”. Since Sabbath might well be the foundation and life of our existence we will defy any presentation or any being which/who declares otherwise. The Jews did the same thing to Christ - Lord of Sabbath. They even killed Him because of Sabbath(John 5:16-18).
See how the feasts, new moon, and all sabbaths are linked by God Himself: Ezk 45:17 - 46:12; Hos 2:11; Num 28:1-11; 1 Chr 23:31; 2 Chr 2:4; 31:3; Isa 1:13-15.
The Word says that God ceased work on the 7th ‘day’ and was “refreshed”. Imagine God, the Eternal Being, working under the constraint of time, light, and darkness! Jesus later advised diligent work during the day because night comes when none can work(Jhn 9:4). God was so affected that He need a refreshing, a restoration back to His Eternal Self. God is Spirit. That refreshing, restoring rest is SPIRITUAL. The prototype, “true” Sabbath is spiritual. It is timeless, endless. That is why, with respect to God, that “day” never “ended” - no “evening and morning was the 7th day” was recorded, although the 24 hr period did come to an end with respect to us. The feast of the Passover according to Law lasts 7 days, but we celebrate it timelessly(1 Cor 5:7,8).
God delivered Israel from PHYSICAL slavery, as a type, and gave them the 7th day Sabbath as a memorial of their deliverance, a day of physical rest from physical labor(Dt 5:15). We declare it to be a memorial of creation.This God declared to be a SIGN, like Circumcision, of the covenant(Old, Mt Sinai) between Him and Israel of the flesh, a sign of Sanctification(Ex 31:12-17). This covenant was introduced according to God’s purpose and would serve as a teacher until Christ by whom and for whom all things were made(Gal 3:19-26).
God specifically distinguished His rest from the 7th day rest given to Israel by swearing “truly they shall not enter My rest”(Ps 95:11). The physical rest is a type and shadow of the True rest(Heb 10:1)What fallen man, dead in trespasses and sins, really needed was deliverance from spiritual death and slavery to Sin, reconciliation and rest. The Old covenant, with its sacrifices, washings, feasts, new moons, sabbaths could not deliver this(Heb 7:19; 10:1). Here comes the Christ, the Deliverer, the Sanctifier(Heb 2:11), Moses anti-type - the One greater than all that came before, greater than the temple He said. He showed that the regular rules of Sabbath and temple must give way to the Lord of Sabbath(Mat 12:3-7). The Old covenant must give way to the New - the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Ministry of the Spirit(2 Cor 3). Even the Sabbatic 7th year law foresaw the the Ministry of Christ - “but on 7th year you shall let it rest and lie fallow so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the *beast of the field* may eat”(Ex 23:1; Rom 1:16; Acts 10:12-15). Israel must rest from their "work" so that Gentiles might be saved.
The Sabbath of the New Covenant is always TODAY(Heb 4), because the promised source of the true rest is Christ, the Sabbath of the New Covenant(Mat 11:28-30).
The quote from Amos is very important because we sin by commission and omission
The just weight may not only apply to the scale
We can do so by neglecting to treat someone fairly or we fail to give information that is beneficial
A person may not be aware of all that is offered in an institution and going the second mile to inform them of what can be useful for them is essential
When the day is done the question is have I done all to help or did I hinder
May we strive by God's grace to give our best in all things daily as we serve others
All are sinners in need of Gods grace and the marginalized also need to understand how loving God is and so by showing kindness to them on the sabbath shows that we don't put things over God who is Lord of the sabbath.
Jesus said get up your bed and go. Question,did the healed work on Sabbath or not?
No, he did not. We need to remember that the Pharisees had honed the art of defining what was right and wrong for Sabbath observance to the extent that they lost the meaning and the joy of the Sabbath.
There is another Jewish tradition that welcomes the Sabbath with great joy and have a special meal to celebrate its arrival every week. I have seen Jews who celebrate the Sabbath this way; makes you feel you want to worship on Sabbath!
I think before we get to verses Col 16-17 we should look at verses Col 11-15 which give us a clue of what the following verses mean. Here Paul compares:
putting off sin
buried in baptism
raised from the dead
made alive
forgiving your trespasses
wiping out our sins that were written in God's books
all by dying on the Cross for us.
In this chapter I see Paul talking about the difference between how and who we were before accepting Jesus and how we are afterwards.
He main message is in verse 8: Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Remember we need to read all of Paul not just one or two verses.
Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
The fact that the sabbath is universal means to me that there can never be a good reason not to provide rest for someone. We have commonality and that means in the eyes of God we are equal, why not provide an environment of equality for them in my heart?
The question at the end of the lesson reminds me of Isaiah 58;6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
May God help us to keep the Sabbath and practice mercy and justice.
Thank you, Khutsan, for brig8ng us back to the point of this lesson.
This is on fact the sane text that cane to my mind.
Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man, and here in Genesis 2 is the only record of the Sabbath being made. Jesus language includes all men, as the Sabbath was given to all men through Adam.
The passage from Amos reveals that when self becomes supreme, ungodliness towards others will be the practice, and as Solomon tells us, “every work will be brought into judgment...”