Tuesday: The Sabbath and Creation
Today the seventh-day Sabbath is heavily under attack in secular society and in religious communities. This fact can be seen in the work schedules of global corporations; in the attempted change of the calendar in many European countries designating Monday as the first day of the week and Sunday as the seventh day; and by the recent papal encyclical on climate change that calls the seventh-day Sabbath “the Jewish Sabbath” and encourages the world to observe a day of rest to alleviate global warming (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, Vatican City: Vatican Press, 2015, pages 172, 173).
Read Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:8-11, Mark 2:27, and Revelation 14:7. How is the understanding of the Creation week tied to the fourth commandment? How is this tied to the Three Angels’ Messages?
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
The Bible says, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done” (Gen. 2:2, NKJV). “After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man”. — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 47. This is why Jesus can say, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27, NKJV). Jesus could make this authoritative statement because He made or created the Sabbath as the eternal sign and seal of God’s covenant with His people. The Sabbath was not for the Hebrew people only, but for all humanity.
Genesis indicates three things that Jesus did after He created the Sabbath day. First, He “rested” (Gen. 2:2), giving us a divine example of His desire to rest with us. Second, He “blessed” the seventh day (Gen. 2:3). In the Creation narrative, animals are blessed (Gen. 1:22), and Adam and Eve are blessed (Gen. 1:28), but the only day specifically blessed is the seventh day. Third, God “sanctified it” (Gen. 2:3) or “made it holy”.
No other day in the Bible receives these three designations. These three actions are repeated in the fourth commandment, though, when God writes with His own finger and points back to Creation as the foundation for the Sabbath (Exod. 20:11).
| A comparison of Revelation 14:7 and Exodus 20:11 reveals the Sabbath commandment to be the basis for worshiping the Creator. How does this direct link to the Sabbath tie into last day events? |
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In yesterday's study I shared this:
"The way the days of creation are expressed coming to the Sabbath is one in which all of creation found its completion in the Sabbath. That is, the Sabbath was creation's destiny. The word ended or finished (kalah) used twice in the first three verses of the second chapter, carries the connotation of "coming to an end." Perhaps illustrated as if a ship, after a long journey, slips into the harbor and docks, or a train ceasing its movement at the depot. It gives the Sabbath this sense of fulfillment and fullness enriching creation itself."
This study brings out another aspect of how profound the Sabbath day is to God and His creation order. The first Sabbath given three distinct designations of value and importance. God Himself rested. God Himself blessed. God Himself sanctified. In God's resting their is the invitation for us to do the very same, and receive the blessings put into the Sabbath shared with Him. Thus, it is sanctified, set apart for a holy purpose for which a holy God makes that which enters by faith, holy as well.
It is unfortunate, though not surprising, that the devil is doing all he can to keep us from receiving the rich endowment of the Sabbath graces. Men doing his bidding find it of no consequence in their eyes to shift things around on the calendar to get the Sabbath to look like a sixth day, and so forth. The basis of worship of God is creation, for which the Sabbath is a sign and seal of. The counterfeit is a sign and seal of self-righteousness, self-worship because it is done outside of God's will and way. Note how creation and worship are central to Revelation 13 under the guise of counterfeit-deception.
Hi Kevin -
You can expand the meaning of 'God Himself rested. God Himself blessed. God Himself sanctified', when you consider that we are in Jesus and Jesus is in God, the Father.
There really can not only be an 'outward' observance of the 7th day - His Sabbath.
We, as His children, partake in His rest and are blessed and sanctified because He IS and created us.
We cease from works because we recognize that we are created, a vessel for His Glory to testify to His mighty power of Creation that ended and set aside for us the Sabbath day to remember Him.
Thank you, Brigitte:
I have found the Sabbath truth to be both and inward and outward experience. I have a sermon series of what Christ as done for us through the three days of the crucifixion/death/resurrection. Time doesn't permit me to share that, but is something to note.
The commandment says six days we labor and the seventh we rest. With Adam and Eve they had just been created and hadn't even worked a day by the time the first Sabbath comes. The meaning I get from that is humanity began with rest and out of that rest we work. Hence, what we do in the spiritual life. We have to start in rest which we receive in Christ and our of resting in Him we work.
Thank you so much I brothers and Sisters may God be with you always m learning a lot from you people, please move on with the Word of God...sorry to keep you out of this powerful Study ,my Question is still in Genesis about "Cain getting a wife from a distant land please help me on this one ...which wife when they was only His Parents and his brother Abel...last I understand that we shouldn't light Fire on the Sabbath but now we using Stoves?...Mr Toni
Donald,
The real question is how did all people on the earth descend from Adam & Eve and then from Noah and his sons?
Cain and Seth must have married a sister or a niece, remember that Adam lived 800 years after Seth was born and had more sons and daughters, but there were no other people. Cain must have taken his wife with him when he went to Nod, east of Eden.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them (Adam & Eve). And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it
Gen 3:20 KJV And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Act 17:26 KJV And (God) hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth,
Noah’s grandchildren must have married siblings,or first cousins — there were no other people Gen 9:19.
Abraham married his half-sister Gen 20:11-12,
Isaac married Rebekah, the daughter of his cousin Bethuel Gen 24:15, Gen 24:67;
and Jacob married his cousins Leah and Rachel Gen 25:20, Gen 27:43, Gen 28:2.
Clearly, the Bible does not forbid the marriage of close relatives until the time of Moses.
Hello Donald: Happy you are finding the discussions helpful to you. We can and do learn from each other. I hope you keep coming back.
You pose a couple of rather common questions that arise often in topics about the reliability of the bible and the current place the Sabbath is to hold today. Back in the mid to late 1980's I worked for the radio TV ministry Amazing Facts as a bible worker for two years. The questions you are asking did pop up from time to time. I will do my best to give an answer.
First to the wife of Cain. While it is true there is no mention of daughters by Adam and Eve when the story of Cain and Able, and even Seth, are given, we are told in Genesis 5:4 that Adam lived 800 years and had "sons and daughters." While it is possible that Cain, Able and Seth were the first three children daughters were born to him over the course of some 930 years (total years of Adam's life). During all that time there was plenty of time to have many daughters.
The early narrative concerning Cain and Able doesn't give a time line, and it has to be assumed that Cain eventually married a sister. That was the only possible answer. Cain was indeed driven off to a "far land" but at some point had to find a wife among sisters born to Adam and Eve over the course of time. The bible is clear that the entire human race comes from a first set of parents, and that there are no other humans outside of Adam and Eve's creation.
God gave the blessing to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. They did. Cain had to have had married a sister, as did Seth, and then for sometime marriage between nephews and nieces and so forth. That was God's design for an increasing human race.
As to the fire on Sabbath. The prohibition comes in Exodus, not Genesis, and at a precise place and context. Israel had blown their covenant with God within the first 40 days. During this first 40 days Moses had been given instruction about the construction of the portable sanctuary. In that instruction God, at the end, makes a point to Moses that the people needed to keep the Sabbath holy. He gives this emphasis due to the probably tendency for the work on the sanctuary to be rationalized that it could include the Sabbath. After all the Sabbath is holy, the sanctuary and it parts are hold. But God made clear: labor on the sanctuary would be done only six days.
After the failure of Israel to keep the covenant by making a golden calf and worshiping it, Moses breaks the first set of commandments and goes back up the mountain. At the close of this second 40 days on the mount Moses asks to see God's glory. God allows this and Moses leaves the mount with face glowing. It is after this that the second emphasis upon the Sabbath as related to the building of the sanctuary takes place, and this is where the prohibition for making a fire on the Sabbath comes (Exodus 35:3).
Again, God would instruct the Israelites to refrain from doing any work on the Sabbath in building the sanctuary and it is possible that this making a fire on the Sabbath is connected to working on the sanctuary (various metals needed to be melted down, etc.), but also as individuals there was no need of a fire for their dwellings. Why? Deserts get cold at night, even in the heat of summer.
This is where the comments upon the manifestation of God's glory to the people of Israel comes in. Several times God's presence among Israel as of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night is commented upon. This cloud gave covering for the entire camp shielding them from the hot sun of the day. The fire would have been radiating heat upon the camp during the night. Under these conditions a fire would have been totally unnecessary.
Point is: under those conditions. That is, the project of building the sanctuary and the gracious covering of God with His presence. The act of building a fire (which took considerable work to do then) would have been an affront to God and trust in His care. As having come out of slavery the people were needing much instruction on how to be a nation of priest for God, and the importance of Sabbath observance was part of that training.
Hopefully that helps, Donald, and that you continue to come and share and ask as you are able. Blessings.
If I might throw a thought in for consideration...
The meaning of the concept "fulfill" means to 'fill full/y' - that is, to fill BOTH (a) more fully than was the case before fulfillment AND (b) to the point where it is now as filled as it can possibly be (which can included ongoing fulfillment as per John 4:14).
If I borrow Kevin's ship analogy, the notion would be to undertake the final assembly phase of the ship's construction - including launching the ship into the water - such that the ship is now perfectly/fully enabled to begin to do what it was designed to do. Thus, fulfillment is a consummation and commencement process, rather than an end process: rather like the marital ceremony and first night together of the couple becoming one that is the culmination of the union of two people who will now begin their shared life together.
And if we consider a seal in Bible times, when the king's seal/sign (a forerunner to the process of signing with a signature) was placed on a document, the document became 'in effect' - a start point that would from that point be ongoing.
The reason I wonder from this angle is that all other 9 'commandments' (ie: authoritative prescriptions) have a reality basis to them. Thus they are non-arbitrary. And thus I believe so does the Sabbath - that there is something 'natural law' about it was a 'safeguard' and perpetuity to the abundant life that God had just created. Something about what Sabbath was designed to be that fostered created beings reflecting, reaffirming and recommitting to God and to free-will choosing to living a self-giving life (and hence in accordance with the foundational Law of all life/reality)... And likely more...
This would make Sabbath a completely different type of 'rest' (Hebrew translation: ceasing and desisting) than merely having a Sabbath morning sleep-in, going to church instead of work or taking a Sabbath afternoon nap... a type of rest that even incorporates the point Jesus was making in John 5:16,17.
What is it we need to be resting from in order to keep us connected with the way of abundant life? And what is it that this resting from enables us to work to(wards) advancing?
What about the saying that the fact that God rested does not mean we have to emulate him as shown by Adam through all the patriarchs who are not reported to have kept the sabbath. And the commandments don't prove that they were kept before Sinai?
Obed, I’m not clear on what you are saying. Do you mean to say that the Sabbath was not kept until the 10 commandments were given? The 4th commandment says “remember “ the Sabbath day..., which implies that it was something they had forgotten about in their 400 + years of slavery. God was inviting them back into a day of rest, or restoration might be another way of saying it. For us today, Ellen White brings out that we should be preparing for Sabbath all week. How would our church today look if that’s what we were doing? Maybe we wouldn’t even still be here.
Hi brother Obed (which is a Biblical name; Obed was the father of Boaz, Ruth's second husband).
I just wanted to give you some food for thought: There is a reason why 8 of the other commandments begins with "Thou" (I know the 3rd commandment begin with "Honor"), but the Fourth commandment begins with "Remember". This word, "Remember", implies that the information was given or known beforehand, and He (God) is bringing it back to your memory. You can't "Remember" something that you have never heard. For example, most of us have forgotten all about Geometry, but if it is presented to us again, we will "Remember" some of the equations, because it is already stored in our memory. During the Bible day, the oral presentation of facts and knowledge were more powerful then the written presentation in books today, because those important facts were repeated every day to the children to remember them. Moses was able to "Remember" the stories of Adam and Eve, Enoch, Noah, and the genealogy of his generations, and all that is written in the first five books of the Bible.
Also, I want to point out that God doesn't need to Rest at all, He did it for our benefit, as an example for us, because we definitely need to Rest. I look at the Sabbath as a day of Rest and Refreshing. It is the only day that I force myself to not think about all the stresses of this life. Without the Refreshing of my mind and body, I would definitely be more vulnerable to having mental and physical illnesses. God always have a plan, and His plan for the Sabbath was to teach us how to Rest (and a few other things, like "to do good on the Sabbath".
Just because the Bible doesn't explicitly say that the Patriarchs "Rested" on the Sabbath, doesn't mean that they didn't. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God; so, it would be hard to believe that they did not observe the Sabbath with God, and Him was OK with that. I think, and this is my opinion only, that if they had not observed the Sabbath in the Garden of Eden, then we would have had a story in the Bible that they sinned against God by not observing the Sabbath, instead of the story that the Fall came by them eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
But finally, you are right; you don't have to emulate God's example for us. God gives every man, woman, boy and girl the freedom to choose. "Choose you this day whom you will serve..." So, yes, you can "choose" to not observe the Sabbath day, or refuse to choose the Sabbath as the day of Rest. But Revelation 12:17 says about the remnant, "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [as the lesson pointed out today], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ". Also, Revelation 14:12, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." I choose to emulate Jesus, and be among the remnant and the saints.
Thank you Toni, Yes that is what we all beleive in - a fundfamental beleif of the Seventh day Adventist.
I was more wondering if there was nine laws of God before creation which formed the foumndation of God's thrown. This is just something I was trying to work out....
Ah... that provides a different context for your comments. 🙂
I believe there was only *one* Law of God throughout eternity - the law of self-renouncing love. Throughout creation this law was in effect, with all created beings focused on love for God and others, with no focus on self.
On this planet, the Law was more explicitly spelled out as love for God and love for our fellow humans.
On Sinai, this was further spelled out in ten great principles. And then God gave many more "laws" to demonstrate how these principles apply in everyday life. For more details see God’s Law: The One, the Two, the Ten and the Many God’s Law: The One, the Two, the Ten and the Many
Here's the bottom line, either you are going to have confidence in the Bible as God's word, which is this quarter's theme, or you're not. Confidence is not something that you can "try to work out"; you either have confidence or do not. However, You can build on the confidence that you have, but we must all understand that lack of confidence, in anything, is the breeding ground for Doubt.
It's like the great Basketball players, they have confidence in their skills before every game, they belive that they are going to Win the game. Sure, they may not win every game, but the games they don't win doesn't break their confidence, they use it to build upon it. For example, Shaquille O'Neil, one of the great basketball players of our current time, was the worst free-thrown player in history, but he never lost confidence in himself and his abilities; he always played his best, as he continue to practice or work on his free-throw.
So, you can't work out your confidence in the Bible, but you can continue to study the Bible to buildup your confidence in God and His word. Or as I said before, it's ok not to believe the Bible; God always give us a choice.
I sincerely hope it is not your intent to cast Doubt. If it is, again I say, "Choose ye this day whom you will serve..." I have confidence in the Bible, and I choose to believe that God give us 10 (ten) commandments. This is my last reply on this subject, as I choose to let God's word stand on its own.
Lastly, it would seem to me that God thought that the Sabbath was so important to this world that He added it to His Creation plan. After He had made the world, and all the living things in it, in the 6 days, He could have cut the week off right there, having a 6-day week. But instead, He added the Seventh Day to the Creation Week because He knew that we (and all the other living things, "nor thou cattle") would need at least one day of the week to Rest from their labor, hence we have a 7-day week. The fact that His forethought was about my rest and well-being makes me Love Him even more. No Doubt lives here.
God's blessing to you all!
Hello Obed:
You may have missed my original post here, but the Sabbath was creation's destination. God didn't create the Sabbath. He took the day and made it special at the arrival of the ship of Creation to begin a celebration between Creator and creature for all that had been accomplished. The Sabbath can still hold this beautiful meaning of Sabbath in that we are "working out our own salvation" six days and resting in the completed work of Christ for our salvation on the Sabbath.
Six days shall thou labor and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. Ex 20:8-11.
Is rest the opposite of labor and work? What is rest? What is labor and work? Jesus was accused of working on the sabbath when he healed the sick and did what could not remain for other days. Luke 5:3 Jesus asked, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day?
In the verses above Jesus created all things in six day, the following day he had nothing to do because everything was completed. He rested. But what rested in this sense means? The word rest can also mean repose. Rest can be used in different ways. e.g sitting on the couch watching TV, sitting meditating, sitting eating, sleeping, etc.
Rest in the bible was used in different ways e.g sabbath rest, God gave thee rest Deutro 25:19, land rest from war Josh 14:15,
not enter into rest Heb 3:11 ect
What does physical rest/sleeping does to our physical bodies
e.g
1. Helps to regulate the hormones in the body to maintain growth.
2. relaxes, boost and refresh the cells.
3. after rest our memories are restore.
What does spiritual rest means and does that the Lord is calling us into on the Sabbath day?
Remember the sabbath is from sunset on Friday afternoon to Sunset on Saturday afternoon.
Ex 16:22-26 The gathering of the Manna on the sixth day. The manna came in double amount on Friday and no manna came on the sabbath. Why? verse 23, Moses stated tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord, bake what you can bake, seethe what you can seethe and keep it for the next day. This story and this rest not only shows us that God is the creator as in Eden but also he is our Provider, our Sustainer, our Bread of Life. When we rest with him on the sabbath, we are showing our household and others about the God who we serve who rested and called us to rest. We become a testimony to his goodness that he is able to take care of us even when we let go of that one day's pay and be in communion with him. What Jesus did on the Sabbath day was a testimony of his father love and care for the human race. It goes beyond just being off for the Sabbath, but recognizing who God is in our daily lives. That's why we look forward for the Sabbath, a day to commune with God. When we work for six days our entire self and mind cannot comprehend the vast cope of this truth, it is on the Sabbath day that our minds are much clearer when we put aside work and cooking and secular things, then the Holy Spirit can work to its fullest in and through us.
Hebrew 4:11 Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. What powerful words. We see labor and rest mentioned in one text.
I am certainly missing Maurice’s comments! I hope and pray that all is well down under...Royce
I have been busy Royce. You can read what has been occupying my time and brain for the last week here.
Transmission and-Translation
Thank you… Royce
I missed you too Maurice!! And I did read your article; great job. For me, I like your style of writing because you bring life and storytelling into your writings, and everyone loves a good story (from your bird watching stories to your past job experiences). I hope to see more of your comments soon.
God bless us all!
I sure miss Maurice's comments. Hope all is well
I have been very busy for the last week writing my post on the Transmission and Translation of the English Bible. You can read the results of my effort here.
https://ssnet.org/blog/transmission-and-translation-english-bible/
We have been studying Creation of God's handy work and the Sabbath - sabbath as in the creation story begins for the human race on the seventh day.
We, as Seventh-day Adventists, also believe that:
a) God existed before creation (He is the Alpha and the Omega” Rev 1: 8; Rev 22: 13)
b) Sabbath reflect God's character
c) God's Character is the same from the beginning to the end (unchangeable)
d) God's law forms the basis of His Thrown (The law of love being the foundation of the government of God, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness.)
e) God has a Thrown: Palms 103: 19; and Pams 89: 14
f) Sabbath is about the relationship with God, Honour, and respect for Him.
Does this mean that Sabbath in God existed before creation and has always been part of God's Ten laws that form the foundation of God's Thrown? And that Sabbath in creation story was really for the purpose of man, and came into ply only after the creation of man?
I read in Genesis that in the beginning after completing His work on the seventh day, He simply rested, He did not create the sabbath because it was already there. In other words, there is always Sabbath rest in Jesus.
In one of last year's lesson study, we learned from John's vision of God's Throne as paralleled with the architecture of the Ark of Moses in Genesis. And again in Revelation John saw the same picture of God's throne. This similar picture of God’s Thrown was also seen by prophet Ezekiel (Ez 28: 12 – 17)
As SDA's we only preach about Sabbath from creation in Genesis.
Can anyone help clarify if Sabbath in Christ or God did exist prior to creation and begun in heaven? And that the Sabbath beginning at creation, was actually the beginning of sabbath that was blessed, and made holy for the purpose of the human race and to establish that honor, respect, and relationship between humans and God?
Hi Avock Asum - I noticed that you have a similar understanding of the purpose for Sabbath and enjoyed reading about it.
I came to think of the Sabbath as being evidence of the balance of Creation and Rest, Rest being part of Creation - cause and effect. It shows fallen mankind to remember who it is that established all things related to and including Creation and solicits man's grateful response.
There was only so much God did to establish His Creation, which He declared to be perfect before He rested - no less, no more.
He 'rested' only after it was completed perfectly in order for Him to receive its 'feedback' for the purpose of enjoying His perfect work. I am sure that He delighted in His completed, perfect Creation which is based on His perfect righteousness - His Love.
Since HE is the Creator of all things good and perfect, HE is the one to receive the pleasure and joy coming from the 'perfect righteousness' expressed from His Creation.
This is why observing the 7th day is of such great importance for mankind; for the Creator provided a sign for man's redemption through it. Once man accepts his God to be the Creator/Author of the 10 Commandments and acknowledges Him through his 'obedience', everything else that follows is for his benefit.
Man who declares the Creator to be his God by observing His Sabbath acknowledges the source that created and sustains his life. He can enjoy/experience many blessings, including the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against there is no law.
It is like a loop - cause and effect -, because, expressing this Fruit of the Holy Spirit will in return, bring joy to God's 'heart' which will generate more blessings. Gal.5:22
The fruit of His Holy Spirit is His 'gift' to all who abide in His righteousness. God gave it to us with the hope that we will return it to Him through righteous living and good works which is the evidence of our continues faith.
This is the way He will experience the 'pleasure' contained in His righteousness.
Obed, it is my understanding that "time" as we experience it did not exist before Creation when it was also created, accordingly there was no day to be set aside (sanctified) for God to meet with us.
Hi Shirley -
Please, allow me a comment to your post. It is important to understand God's Sabbath to be an intrical part of His Creation.
This day is not an active act of Creation, but God established His Day of Rest for just that - 'Rest'.
I believe that His Rest is the time set aside by Him to enjoy the 'praises' of His Creation.
I understand that, before the Fall, God was always present with His Creation; there was not separation between Him and His Creation, including with man.
Also, before the Fall, God enjoyed His continuous 'Sabbath' and in addition, He was also enjoying the benefit of a complete 'Rest' on the 7th day.
I believe we misunderstand the statement 'the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath. It remains God's day of His Rest, not man's rest.
When you look at the 4th commandment and its directive for man to 'keep it holy'- because this is God's day of His Rest - you can see for what reason it is to be kept holy (honor God's Rest) and who the primary recipient/designee of this act of 'obedience' is - our God, the God of Creation.
Because of God's desire to bring mankind back again into a 'oneness' relationship with Him, it becomes clear that by observing this day of God's Rest we honor the Creator, show who our God is, and through this act are able to draw closer to Him.
Only after the Fall of man did it become needful for the Creator to use the Sabbath to establish His Identity. Man did not 'know' any longer His God. With the 4th Commandment, He established the understanding who He was - The God of Creation - and remind man that through the observance of the Sabbath man could meet and worship His Creator and would be blessed.
Mark 2:27 - The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Man receives the blessings of God by his observance of the Sabbath.
I would like to invite you to look at Sabbath from a perspective that identifies the kind of 'benefits/blessings' which are received by God and man.
In a different post, but related to this, I wrote about Rev.4:11:
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive GLORY and HONOR and power: for thou hast created all things and for thy PLEASURE they are and were created.
As I considered the Creation as being the evidence/Image of 'The Great I AM', I can see that it is 'acceptable/desired' for/by Him to derive His pleasure from Himself - His perfect Creation. He can not derive 'pleasure' from anything less/man made. He derives pleasure from the effects caused by of His own Righteousness.
Now I want to apply this understanding to the Sabbath:
I AM rested on the 7th day to enjoy the 'Fruit of His Labor', in order to experience the 'pleasure' coming back to Him from His Creation through 'obedience/righteousness' - joy, praise, gladness, adoration - all given to Him freely by His Creation and from man made in His image.
By non-observance of the 7th day - His Rest - and not giving Him time to enjoy the effects of His righteousness -, I AM suffers/experiences the loss of His deserved 'pleasure in His own righteousness'.
Because of non-observance, God does not receive the 'pleasing' effects coming from obedience to His righteousness - joy/praise/adoration/gladness from man and His Creation -. When non-observance overtakes observance, God/I AM will react and express His 'displeasure' in various ways.
Man has placed 'what pleases himself' at the center of his life by not observing the Sabbath and made himself the definer/originator/receiver of joy, praise, adoration and gladness which results in self-satisfaction.
It deprives I AM, our God, of the pleasure He would experience at our faithful observance of the Sabbath; the Creator is so to be honored, glorified, and praised.
Hebrews chapter 3 the writer ends with saying those who left Egypt did not make it to the promised land because of their unbelief.
Hebrews Chapter 4 gives detail of their unbelief.
V1-V5
1) Entering his rest still stands
2) The message they heard was of no value because they did share the faith (in other words it was unbelief led them to disobedience)
3) They shall never enter My rest. V4 He again reiterates makes it crystal clear He is referring to the Seventh Day Sabbath.
V6 – V11
1) There still remains a rest
2) They did not enter the rest because of disobedience and unbelief
3) The rest to be entered is the Sabbath rest
4) It takes efforts to enter into that rest because it is contradictory to our nature.
In this passage we see repetition and interpretation all that we studied in the past lessons to make the point those who believe In Christ will enter the rest just as God rested on the Seventh Day the only day God himself rested.
Sabbath belongs to the creator. Instead of resting with the creator, satan had clouded the mind of the people to believe any day of rest is acceptable to the Lord. Thus, removed the foundation of Christian faith from Christ centered message of His work to human invention and robbed the power of Christian faith.
Do not be deceived, there remains a day of rest for the people of God.
Even before sin entered the world, God established Sabbath.
The first day of humanity was the seventh day for God.
Why are we changing the day which rests upon God?
This day can only change if God himself changes creation.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
Worship is center of the great controversy.
Satan constantly challenges the Word of God and tries to change God’s time and law.
Thank you bro Toni and everyone else who responded. Yes that is what we all beleive in - a fundfamental beleif of the Seventh day Adventist.
I was more wondering if there was nine laws of God before creation which formed the foumndation of God's thrown. This is just something I was trying to work out....
But now I am blessded with all your comments.
Thank you so much Shirley, Kevin and Everyone in this Study m fully answer ,please move on with the message of truth ,you are changing lives by the presence of God..may I have a clarity on this one "how about to light a stove,gyzzer to warm water to bath on the Sabbath is it correct?...my last question "what really is the meaning of Speaking in Tongues in the Bible Since...Since some Denominations believe they 1Corinthians12,14,15 Paul especially 14:1 Paul Speaks "Though i speak in Tounges of and of ANGELS... WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THESE ?THANK
Daniel, On your question about the disciples speaking in other languages, work through Acts and find out what it says about these languages, share the result with us and then together let's work out what Paul meant in Corthians.
Daniel, what is the real question - what are the principles involved?
What does fire represent - staying alive.
What is the principle of the Sabbath? The LORD is saying trust me I created you I will keep you alive physically, and believe in Me and I will also give you eternal life.
He demonstrated this with the manna, their daily work was to collect enough to keep them alive for that day, but on Friday God allowed them to collect enough for two days so they didn't have to work to keep themselves alive on Sabbath.
What I did understand when reading The book of Acts 2 is that a tounge means an earthly language but m getting confused of my Friend who worship at a Pentecostal church..He Says on 1Corinthians13,14 Paul Seems to say They are Heavenly Languages that we ought to asks from God as Christians as Spiritual gifts...please help on that
Donald, good in Acts you have discovered that the purpose of the ability of speaking in another language was to share the gospel with other people.
The next step is in Eph 4 and 1Cor 12, why does the Holy Spirit give Spiritual Gifts? What is the purpose of the gifts? Who decides who gets which gift? Does everyone get the same gifts?
Blessings on your journey of discovery.
Thanks a lot Shirley and everyone have a blessed day
Donald, you will have discovered that it is the Holy Spirit that decides who gets which Spiritual Gifts whose purpose is for ministry and edifying the church Eph 4:12 and not all get the same gift.
The next point on the journey is that Paul wrote the whole of 1Cor to correct the errors in that church.
In 1Cor 14:33 he points out that there must order in the church. As far as speaking in a tongue in the church he makes a few points: only one at a time must speak, there must be an interpretation, it is better to prophesy to edify, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand how will it be known, 1Cor 14:9-13, spiritual gifts are for the edification of the church not for individual enrichment. 1Cor 14:22 tongues are for preaching to unbelievers not for those who believe, prophesying is for believers.
The sum of it is that not all get the gift of speaking in tongues there are about 15 times in Acts where people receive the Holy Spirit but don't speak in tongues, if people speak in tongues in the church it must be one at a time and no more than 2 or 3 and there must be an interpreter or they must keep silent 1Cor 14:27-28. The final point in 1Cor 14:26 is whatever message you have to share '
"Let all things be done for edification"
Donald, if you go to the top of SSNET's webpage you will see a tab "Resources", once there choose "Bible Courses at Bible Universe.com" then select "Study Tools" then "Free Book Library" then scroll down to "Understanding Tongues"
This little book is useful for sharing.
I have Understood Shirley ..I now got the picture was busy Studying about this message ,now m fully convinced that Tounges meant literal language..and that in Corinthians they is exchange of laters of Paul and the people of Corinthians !!Not what is now happening in Charismatic Churches...Amen...will look for Bible Courses as well Shirley...