Sabbath

Bible Study Guides – The Sabbath

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June 15, 2008 – June 21, 2008

Key Text

“Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I [am] the Lord that sanctify them. . . . And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the Lord your God.” Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

Study Help: The Desire of Ages, 201–213.

Introduction

“Like the Sabbath, the week originated at creation, and it has been preserved and brought down to us through Bible history. God Himself measured off the first week as a sample for successive weeks to the close of time. Like every other, it consisted of seven literal days. Six days were employed in the work of creation; upon the seventh, God rested, and he then blessed this day, and set it apart as a day of rest for man.” Christian Education, 190.

1 What did the Creator do on the seventh day? Genesis 2:2.

Note: “The weekly cycle of seven literal days, six for labor, and the seventh for rest, which has been preserved and brought down through Bible history, originated in the great facts of the first seven days.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 90.

“He [God] rested, not as one weary, but as well pleased with the fruits of His wisdom and goodness and the manifestations of His glory.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 47.

2 Besides resting on the seventh day, what else did the Lord do? Genesis 2:3.

Note: “After resting upon the seventh day, God sanctified it, or set it apart, as a day of rest for man. Following the example of the Creator, man was to rest upon this sacred day, that as he should look upon the heavens and the earth, he might reflect upon God’s great work of creation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 47.

3 Before giving the Ten Commandments at Sinai, what specific instructions did the Lord give to His people? Exodus 16:22–30.

Note: “God requires that His holy day be as sacredly observed now as in the time of Israel. The command given to the Hebrews should be regarded by all Christians as an injunction from Jehovah to them. The day before the Sabbath should be made a day of preparation, that everything may be in readiness for its sacred hours. In no case should our own business be allowed to encroach upon holy time. God has directed that the sick and suffering be cared for; the labor required to make them comfortable is a work of mercy, and no violation of the Sabbath; but all unnecessary work should be avoided. Many carelessly put off till the beginning of the Sabbath little things that might have been done on the day of preparation. This should not be. Work that is neglected until the beginning of the Sabbath should remain undone until it is past. This course might help the memory of these thoughtless ones, and make them careful to do their own work on the six working days.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

4 What miracles did the Lord perform in connection with Sabbath observance? Exodus 16:16–27.

Note: “Every week during their long sojourn in the wilderness the Israelites witnessed a threefold miracle, designed to impress their minds with the sacredness of the Sabbath: a double quantity of manna fell on the sixth day, none on the seventh, and the portion needed for the Sabbath was preserved sweet and pure, when if any were kept over at any other time it became unfit for use.

“In the circumstances connected with the giving of the manna, we have conclusive evidence that the Sabbath was not instituted, as many claim, when the law was given at Sinai. Before the Israelites came to Sinai they understood the Sabbath to be obligatory upon them. In being obliged to gather every Friday a double portion of manna in preparation for the Sabbath, when none would fall, the sacred nature of the day of rest was continually impressed upon them. And when some of the people went out on the Sabbath to gather manna, the Lord asked, ‘How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?’ ” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296, 297.

5 In reference to God’s example at the end of creation, what does He require of His people? Exodus 20:8–11.

Note: “God saw that a Sabbath was essential for man, even in Paradise. He needed to lay aside his own interests and pursuits for one day of the seven, that he might more fully contemplate the works of God and meditate upon His power and goodness. He needed a Sabbath to remind him more vividly of God and to awaken gratitude because all that he enjoyed and possessed came from the beneficent hand of the Creator.

“God designs that the Sabbath shall direct the minds of men to the contemplation of His created works. Nature speaks to their senses, declaring that there is a living God, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler of all. … The beauty that clothes the earth is a token of God’s love. We may behold it in the everlasting hills, in the lofty trees, in the opening buds and the delicate flowers. All speak to us of God. The Sabbath, ever pointing to Him who made them all, bids men open the great book of nature and trace therein the wisdom, the power, and the love of the Creator.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 48.

6 What is included in the fourth commandment? Isaiah 58:13, 14.

Note: “All who keep the seventh day signify by this act that they are worshipers of Jehovah. Thus the Sabbath is the sign of man’s allegiance to God as long as there are any upon the earth to serve Him. The fourth commandment is the only one of all the ten in which are found both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It is the only one that shows by whose authority the law is given. Thus it contains the seal of God, affixed to His law as evidence of its authenticity and binding force.

“God has given men six days wherein to labor, and He requires that their own work be done in the six working days. Acts of necessity and mercy are permitted on the Sabbath, the sick and suffering are at all times to be cared for; but unnecessary labor is to be strictly avoided. … Those who discuss business matters or lay plans on the Sabbath are regarded by God as though engaged in the actual transaction of business. To keep the Sabbath holy, we should not even allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 307.

7 What is the relation between creation and the Sabbath? Exodus 31:13–17.

Note: “God’s memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath, the sign of His work in creating the world, has been displaced by the man of sin. God’s people have a special work to do in repairing the breach that has been made in His law; and the nearer we approach the end, the more urgent this work becomes. All who love God will show that they bear His sign by keeping His commandments. They are the restorers of paths to dwell in. … Genuine medical missionary work is bound up inseparably with the keeping of God’s commandments, of which the Sabbath is especially mentioned, since it is the great memorial of God’s creative work. Its observance is bound up with the work of restoring the moral image of God in man. This is the ministry which God’s people are to carry forward at this time. This ministry, rightly performed, will bring rich blessings to the church.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 265, 266.

8 How does sanctification relate to the Sabbath? Ezekiel 20:12, 20.

Note: “The Sabbath given to the world as the sign of God as the Creator is also the sign of Him as the Sanctifier. The power that created all things is the power that re-creates the soul in His own likeness. To those who keep holy the Sabbath day it is the sign of sanctification. True sanctification is harmony with God, oneness with Him in character. It is received through obedience to those principles that are the transcript of His character. And the Sabbath is the sign of obedience. He who from the heart obeys the fourth commandment will obey the whole law. He is sanctified through obedience.

“To us as to Israel the Sabbath is given ‘for a perpetual covenant.’ [Exodus 31:16.] To those who reverence His holy day the Sabbath is a sign that God recognizes them as His chosen people. It is a pledge that He will fulfill to them His covenant. Every soul who accepts the sign of God’s government places himself under the divine, everlasting covenant. He fastens himself to the golden chain of obedience, every link of which is a promise.

“The fourth commandment alone of all the ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Those who obey this commandment take upon themselves His name, and all the blessings it involves are theirs. ” Testimonies, vol. 6, 350.

9 What reforms were needed before and after the captivity of Israel and Judah? Jeremiah 17:19–27; Nehemiah 13:15–22.

10 What reformation is needed today? Isaiah 56:1–8.

Note: “Far more sacredness is attached to the Sabbath than is given it by many professed Sabbathkeepers. The Lord has been greatly dishonored by those who have not kept the Sabbath according to the commandment, either in the letter or in the spirit. He calls for a reform in the observance of the Sabbath.

“At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said: ‘Remember.’ He knew that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He said: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ Exodus 20:8.

“All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep it according to the commandment. We are not merely to observe the Sabbath as a legal matter. We are to understand its spiritual bearing upon all the transactions of life. All who regard the Sabbath as a sign between them and God, showing that He is the God who sanctifies them, will represent the principles of His government. They will bring into daily practice the laws of His kingdom. Daily it will be their prayer that the sanctification of the Sabbath may rest upon them. Every day they will have the companionship of Christ and will exemplify the perfection of His character. Every day their light will shine forth to others in good works.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 353, 354.

Additional Reading

“Not all our people are as particular as they should be in regard to Sabbath observance. May God help them to reform. It becomes the head of every family to plant his feet firmly on the platform of obedience.” Counsels on Health, 491.

“Everything that can possibly be done on the six days which God has given to you, should be done. You should not rob God of one hour of holy time. Great blessings are promised to those who place a high estimate upon the Sabbath and realize the obligations resting upon them in regard to its observance.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 702.

“Parents should have a thorough understanding with their family that the sacred hours of the Sabbath are to be spent to God’s glory. They should be up with the sun, and have plenty of time to prepare for Sabbath school without getting into a rush, and perhaps losing self-control. If the proper preparations have been made the previous day, there will be abundance of time to review the lesson studied during the week; and both parents and children can go to the school with the assurance that they have the lessons well learned.” Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 54.

“Those who, from whatever cause, are obliged to work on the Sabbath, are always in peril; they feel the loss, and from doing works of necessity, they fall into the habit of doing things on the Sabbath that are not necessary. The sense of its sacredness is lost, and the holy commandment is of no effect. A special effort should be made to bring about a reform in regard to Sabbath observance.” Medical Ministry, 215.

“The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the great final conflict in which all the world will act a part. Men have honored Satan’s principles above the principles that rule in the heavens. They have accepted the spurious sabbath, which Satan has exalted as the sign of his authority. But God has set His seal upon His royal requirement. Each sabbath institution bears the name of its author, an ineffaceable mark that shows the authority of each. It is our work to lead the people to understand this. We are to show them that it is of vital consequence whether they bear the mark of God’s kingdom or the mark of the kingdom of rebellion, for they acknowledge themselves subjects of the kingdom whose mark they bear. God has called us to uplift the standard of His downtrodden Sabbath. How important, then, that our example in Sabbathkeeping should be right.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 352, 353.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Question – Is it Sabbath-breaking for me…

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Question:

Is it Sabbath-breaking for me, who keeps Saturday as the Sabbath holy unto the Lord, to sell patterns to a lady who does her sewing on Saturday?

Answer:

The Bible has much to say about buying and selling and about how to keep the Sabbath.

The children of Israel bought and sold to idolaters. There are several examples of this. In Genesis 23, the record is given of Abraham buying a gravesite from the children of Heth. When the children of Israel were passing through the desert, Moses offered to buy water from the Edomites (Numbers 20.), and when Solomon built the temple, he bought and sold to the heathen. (II Chronicles 4, 5.)

Jesus said, in Mark 2:27, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath has been given to us as a gift from God. The Sabbath is also a sign to the people of God that they belong to Him and that He is their God. (Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:20.)

If we are God’s people and He is our God, we will keep the Sabbath according to the Ten Commandments. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. If we do not love the Lord, we will not be blessed by keeping His commandments. He also stated this another way: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:37–40.

Jesus also said, “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. In other words, God does not discriminate between those who serve Him and those who do not. He blesses them all with the natural resources.

We find in the Bible that man was made to be a free moral being, and he has the right to choose to serve whomever he wishes. As Joshua said, “If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.

Elijah said, to the people of Israel, “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord [be] God, follow Him: but if Baal, [then] follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21.

In the fourth commandment, God recognizes the rights of property ownership, as He specifically states, “thy stranger within thy gates”: “The seventh day [is] the sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates.” Exodus 20:10. He does not say that you are responsible for the stranger outside thy gates. We should recognize ownership as well.

Once you sell a pattern, you are not responsible for what the buyer does with it, because it belongs to them. Thus we may conclude that it is not wrong to sell to non-Sabbathkeepers. It is the buyer’s choice as to how and when the product will be used.

Tour of Waldensian Valleys

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In February, I received an invitation to join a tour of the Waldensian Valleys in northern Italy. Having read about the Waldensians in The Great Controversy, I had always been impressed by their steadfast adherence to the word of God as given in the Bible and intrigued by their determination to remain true to that word in spite of the efforts of the papacy to force them to yield to the authority of the “church.”

I eagerly signed up and looked forward with great anticipation to the trip, never having been to Europe before.

Prior to the trip, tour participants received detailed instructions regarding a rendezvous point at the airport in Milan. Each member was to have a brightly colored sign, inscribed “WALDENSIAN TOUR,” which enabled us to gather at the airport in Milan without too much difficulty.

We climbed into three nine-passenger vans and left Milan for La Gianavella, the youth hostel where we were to make our headquarters for the next week. La Gianavella is a historical structure dating back to the 17th century, built by Josué Janavel (1617-1690), a prominent hero who fought against the Savoy Duke, persecutor of the Waldensian people and representative of papal authority. The hostel overlooks the Rorà valley, hidden in a chestnut woodland. It is reached by a tortuous and winding one lane dirt road, high up in the Italian Alps.

From my previous reading about the Waldensians in The Great Controversy and in J. A. Wylie’s History of the Waldenses, I had assumed that this sect faithfully adhered to the commandments of God. I learned during this trip that the primary point of contention between the Waldensians and the papacy was where authority lay – the church versus the Bible, and was not specifically a Sabbath vs. Sunday issue. I knew that historically the Waldensians were Sabbath keepers and assumed that they continued to remain faithful to the fourth commandment to this day.

I was startled and dismayed to learn that in 1975, they entered into an “integration covenant” with the Italian Methodist churches, having ultimately capitulated to the rules of the church as opposed to the law of God.

In spite of this disappointing discovery, it was inspiring to visit several of the Waldensian churches scattered throughout the valleys of the Italian Alps and learn the history of their valiant fight against papal authority, which dates back to the 12th century. It then took less than a hundred years for the Waldensians to be declared heretical and subjected to intense persecution.

In the 16th century, Waldensian leaders embraced the Protestant Reformation and joined various local Protestant regional entities. As early as 1631, Protestant scholars and Waldensian theologians themselves began to regard the Waldensians as early forerunners of the Reformation, who had maintained the apostolic faith in the face of Catholic oppression. The group was nearly annihilated in the 17th century and was confronted with organized and general discrimination in the centuries that followed.

When the Waldensians were chased from the Pellice Valley by the Duke of Savoy, they retreated into several deep valleys in the Italian Alps, eventually establishing churches, where their presence is still very prominent. The world headquarters of the Waldensian Church, its synod, is located in Torre Pellice, a now thriving town in northern Italy. The Waldensian Museum is located across a pedestrian thoroughfare from the synod building. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation when we were there.

Our visit included stops at one of the caves where several hundred Waldensians hid from their persecutors, similar to the one where many were suffocated when the entrance was blocked, barricaded with flammable materials, and set afire—simply because they would not capitulate to papal authority.

Another inspiring site we visited was the precipice where those faithful to God’s word were thrown to their deaths unless they acknowledged the authority of the “church” as superior to the Bible.

Being a father and a grandfather, I had quite an emotional experience as I envisioned whole families making the steep trek up the mountain to their deaths, the fathers attempting to reassure their children of the love of God in spite of their ultimate fate.

We also visited the “infirmary,” where the Waldensians attempted to hide their elderly and infirm, a narrow, almost inaccessible ledge, invisible from above, that could be reached only by an extremely difficult descent through a narrow gap between huge boulders.

The determination and strong will of these faithful souls became more and more apparent as we toured the various places where they clung so tenaciously to their beliefs, beliefs which were based solely and completely on the Bible.

Perhaps, then, you can imagine my shock when I learned that today, the majority of those adhering to the Waldensian faith are Sunday keepers. It took centuries for the papacy to gain the victory, which testifies to the relentless efforts the enemy of souls exerts to lead souls astray.

What a lesson this is for us today. Will we, individually or as a sect, eventually yield to Satan’s subtle but relentless efforts to dissuade God’s people from the path of truth and righteousness? Or will we remain faithful to God’s word, even when threatened with death?

NOTE: For further information on the current beliefs of the Waldensian Methodist church, visit their website at www.chiesavaldese.org/aria_video_category.php?video_category=2. Although the original is in Italian, Google will translate it into English. It is a sad revelation of the current state of a once-faithful people.

 John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

Sabbath in the Time of Jesus

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The Sabbath, along with marriage, was first introduced in the Garden of Eden to our first parents. Since then there has been a controversy over the day that the Creator set aside to be a blessing to His people. When on earth, Jesus had many controversies with the Jews over the Sabbath. Who better to understand the meaning of Sabbath than the Creator Himself, but the Jews had conjured up a lot of manmade rules they thought would make them holy. They used these manmade rules to judge others, even Jesus, accusing Him of breaking the Sabbath.

By distorting the actual words of Jesus, Christians today believe that He invalidated the Sabbath. It is claimed that the Sabbath was blotted out by Jesus’ death on the cross. The texts commonly used to try to prove this are Colossians 2:14–17.

Paul says, “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. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Therefore, let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon, or sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (literal translation).

We know that Jesus’ death did not blot out the Sabbath, and that Colossians 2:14–17 is not talking about the blotting out of the Sabbath, for the following reasons:

  1. In verse 14, Paul uses the phrase, “blotting out the handwriting.” The Ten Commandments were not handwritten. We all write by hand but God does not, He uses His finger. “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18).

Deuteronomy 9:10 says, “Then the Lord delivered to me (Moses) two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.”

  1. The Sabbath of the Lord was made before sin entered the world. It is not, therefore, one of those things “which are a shadow of things to come” that foreshadow redemption from sin. It was given as a memorial of creation.
  2. The Sabbath was made for man before the fall. It is not one of those things that are against him, and contrary to him, as Paul said of the ordinances in Colossians 2:14. The Sabbath was given to be a blessing to man.
  3. When the ceremonial sabbaths were ordained, they were carefully distinguished from the seventh-day Sabbath, which is called the Sabbath of the Lord.

Leviticus 23 describes all of the ceremonial sabbaths:

  • the Passover, “the fourteenth day of the first month” (verse 5);
  • the Feast of Unleavened Bread on “the fifteenth day” (verse 6);
  • “the seventh day” of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (verse 8);
  • the Feast of the Firstfruits, the wave sheaf (verses 9–11).

Remember, there was a Passover, then a first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the fifteenth day. Then the next day (the sixteenth day), stated in verse 11, was “the day after the sabbath [when] the priest shall wave” the wave sheaf.

Let’s look at the order of events from the crucifixion of Christ until He returns:

  • Christ was crucified on Friday, or Good Friday. That was Passover, the fourteenth day of the first month.
  • The fifteenth day, which was the seventh-day Sabbath, was also a ceremonial Sabbath. That is why it was called in the gospel of John, “a high day” (John 19:31). It was the first Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first ceremonial Sabbath.
  • The sixteenth day was a Sunday, the day they were to wave the wave sheaf. The wave sheaf represented the firstfruits. Jesus Christ and those who were raised with Him were the firstfruits. 1 Corinthians 15:23 says, “… each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Christ rose on the exact day so that type (the foreshadow) would meet antitype (the real).
  • The Feast of Weeks followed: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 23:15, 16). Fifty days later was Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out.
  • Then came the Feast of Trumpets (verse 23), which was the first day of the seventh month to warn the people that the Day of Judgment was coming.
  • The Day of Atonement was next (verses 26–33), which was the tenth day of the seventh month.
  • Then the Feast of Tabernacles (verse 34) began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

After these ceremonial sabbaths are listed, Moses says in verses 37 and 38, “These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—besides the Sabbaths of the Lord.” [Emphasis supplied.] Notice that these are ceremonial sabbaths, yearly feast days, that are in addition to the Sabbaths of the Lord, in addition to your vows and your freewill offerings. When the ceremonial sabbaths were ordained, they were carefully distinguished from the Sabbaths of the Lord.

5.  The Sabbath of the Lord does not owe its existence to any handwriting of any ordinances, but is contained in the                  heart of the Ten Commandments, which Jesus said He did not come to destroy (Luke 16:17) or blot out by His                      death.

  1. The effort of Jesus throughout His entire ministry was to redeem the Sabbath from the thralldom of the Jewish doctors and to vindicate it as a merciful institution. Jesus claimed that it was lawful to do what He did on the Sabbath. He said, “If you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:7, 8).

Jesus claimed to be keeping the Sabbath, not according to Jewish traditions, but according to the law of God. “So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Arise and stand here.’ And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’ And looking around at them all, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other” (Luke 6:7–10, literal translation).

Jesus continually pointed out the hypocrisy of the Jews, especially in regard to the Sabbath. While criticizing Him for healing on Sabbath, they circumcised babies if the eighth day fell on Sabbath (John 7:21–24).

While Jesus redeemed the Sabbath from the thralldom of Jewish customs, He did not invalidate or depreciate it.

  1. The Lord’s instruction to His disciples concerning their flight from Jerusalem, which was to occur many years after the crucifixion, recognized the sacredness of the Sabbath, as found in Matthew 24:20: “Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

Opponents of the Sabbath came up with the argument against this verse saying they could not flee on the Sabbath because the gates of Jerusalem would be shut and they could not get out. This is pure speculation and not only can it not be proven, there is pretty good evidence that it just wasn’t so.

Nehemiah 13:15–19 says, “In those days I saw people in Judea treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, ‘What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.’ So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.”

Verse 22 says, “And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.”

The gates were guarded to prevent people from hauling their carts back and forth on the Sabbath with all their merchandise for selling. A person was not prohibited from going in or out of the city on the Sabbath. Jesus often came from the Mount of Olives and into the temple to teach the people on the Sabbath.

Jeremiah said, “Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates. Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers” ’ ” (Jeremiah 17:20–22).

These instructions were given to prevent trading and carrying on business on the Sabbath. It was not wrong to carry something on the Sabbath. Jesus was accused when He healed the man by the pool of Bethsaida on the Sabbath day when He told him to take his bed and go. The man rolled up his mat, his bed, and put it on his shoulder. When he started to walk away, he was accused of breaking the Sabbath. It was not wrong to carry his mat with him on the Sabbath. He would need it when it was time to sleep again.

Our Lord’s instruction to His disciples concerning their flight from Jerusalem, many years after His crucifixion, recognized the sacredness of the Sabbath (Matthew 24:20).

  1. The Sabbath in the new earth will be a perpetual reminder of the Creation. “ ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘So shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

It would make no sense that in the new earth throughout eternity that every Sabbath all flesh is to come and worship before the Lord if the Sabbath was obliterated at the cross.

  1. Many years after the crucifixion of Christ, the authority of the fourth commandment was recognized. We read in Luke 23:54–56, written many years after the cross: “That day (when Jesus died on the cross) was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near. And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”
  2. The royal law, which was not abolished, includes the ten commandments and consequently embraces and enforces the Sabbath of the Lord. James 2:10–12 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” There is no doubt that the “law of liberty” is the Ten Commandments.
  3. The Ten Commandments are not ten separate laws, but one law. By breaking any part of the ten, the whole law is broken. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them’ ” (Exodus 24:12).

Notice, it is the law that God has written. That is singular—one law. If you break one, you are a law-breaker. Psalm 89:34 says, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.”

Some argue that time may have been lost. Therefore, how do we really know which day the Biblical Sabbath was? The death of Jesus confirms time. Luke 23:54 says, “That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.” The Christian world today calls the day that Jesus died on the cross Good Friday. So Good Friday is the day before the Sabbath. “They returned, prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (verse 56).

“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared” (Luke 24:1). This passage of Scripture raises several points:

  • It contains an express recognition of the fourth commandment. It was written many years after the crucifixion of Jesus.
  • It is the most remarkable case of Sabbath observance in the whole Bible. The Lord of the Sabbath was dead, and preparation was being made to embalm Him. But, when the Sabbath drew on, the preparations were suspended while they rested according to the Sabbath.
  • It shows that the Sabbath is the day before the first day of the week that we call Sunday, thus identifying the seventh day in the commandment as our Saturday.
  • It is a direct testimony that the knowledge of the true seventh-day was preserved as late as the crucifixion, for it says, “They observed the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

Many think that when Jesus rose from the dead, the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first day of the week. To determine the truth of those assertions, look at all the records in the New Testament of these events:

Matthew 28:1: “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” He had already risen.

Mark 16:1, 2: “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.”

Mark 16:9: “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.”

Luke 24:1: “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”

John 20:1; 19: “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ ”

Some conclusions can be drawn from these verses:

  1. There is no mention of any change of the Sabbath.
  2. They carefully distinguish between the Sabbath and the first day of the week.
  3. They apply no sacred title to the first day of the week, and they do not refer to it as a Sabbath.
  4. They make no mention of Christ resting on the first day of the week, which would be absolutely essential if the first day of the week was a rest day. The word Sabbath means rest. Throughout the Old Testament the word Sabbath from Genesis and on can be translated rest or rest day.

In order for the rest day to be transferred to Sunday, Jesus would had to have rested on this first Sunday. The trouble is, these verses make no mention of Christ resting on the first day of the week.

  1. They make no mention of God removing His blessing from the seventh day. Remember, after God had completed His creation He rested on the seventh day, He blessed it and sanctified it and made it holy (Genesis 2:2, 3).
  2. They give no precept in support of first day observance, nor do they contain a hint of the manner in which the first day of the week can be enforced by authority of the fourth commandment.

When people read these verses, it is claimed that Jesus met with His disciples on the first day of the week after His resurrection. Let’s examine this claim.

In Luke 24:29 Jesus is walking with two disciples on the way to Emmaus. It says, “But they constrained Him, saying, ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ And He went in to stay with them.”

It was the first day of the week and the sun was just about to go down. They prepared a meal, sat down and as Jesus blessed the food they noticed the nail prints in His hand. They recognized Him, and instantly He vanished, and they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us” (verse 32)? They were so excited about the most wonderful news that they didn’t even eat their meal and left the food right there on the table. “So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together” (verse 33). Emmaus was about seven miles from Jerusalem along a hilly and rocky road that they travelled after dark.

In Jewish time the evening and the morning were one day, meaning the next day began at sunset.

  • The first meeting that Jesus had with His disciples was not on Sunday but after sunset on what we would now call Sunday evening, the beginning of Monday.
  • The second meeting would be either Monday or Tuesday, however you would reckon it. The first meeting was on Sunday night, or the beginning of Monday. In John 20:26 it says, “And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’ ”
  • The third meeting, we are not told what day of the week it was, but that the disciples had been out fishing all night.
  • The fourth meeting when He met with them all as a group was forty days after the resurrection on the day He ascended to heaven. Forty days after the resurrection (Sunday), was actually a Friday.

There is no evidence to show that there was any change or transfer of holiness or any blessing given to Sunday as the first day of the week, a day to go to church, or anything else—Sunday sacredness is a manmade institution. The memorial for Christ’s death and resurrection is baptism and the communion service—the ordinances of the New Covenant.

We are told that the Sabbath/Sunday issue will be the conflict that divides the whole world into two camps at the end of the world. “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Daniel and the Lions

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Daniel was part of the very elite of Babylon. The highest position was that of the King; beneath him were the presidents, and beneath them were the princes. Daniel had been made a president, and was preferred over all of the other presidents and princes because he had an excellent spirit. (Daniel 6:1–3.)

There were those in the kingdom who became jealous of the success Daniel accrued. They tried everything to find a flaw in his character in an attempt to remove him from his position, but they were unable to find one single flaw with him. As determined as these jealous people were, they devised a plan whereby Daniel would be forced to break the law of his God, or face the consequences.

The king at the time was a Media-Persian, Darius. He had come into power after the death of Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar. Darius was approached by all the presidents and princes, and it was suggested by them that a royal statute be passed, that if any man worships or prays to any god or man other than the king for 30 days, he should be thrown into the lions’ den.

Darius passed the law, leaving Daniel with a choice to make. He could follow the law of King Darius, or he could follow the law of His God. Daniel decided to return to his house. As was normal, he got on his knees and prayed. Daniel prayed three times a day, setting himself by the open window and lifting his face to God. Daniel chose to change nothing about the way he prayed—not even by closing his window.

The men that had suggested the decree, expecting Daniel to carry on as usual, saw Daniel praying and immediately told King Darius what they had seen. The king had no choice but to follow the punishment as set out in the decree—to cast Daniel into the lions’ den.

Now the King was very displeased about this. He valued Daniel very highly in his kingdom and did not want to throw him to the lions. But Darius could not change the law, for the laws of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. When the time came for Daniel to be thrown to the lions, the king said, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.” Daniel was thrown in, and a stone placed over the entrance. (Daniel 6:16, 17.)

On the king’s return to the den, he ordered the stone to be rolled away. Now, as he looked into the den, he saw that Daniel was untouched by the lions, and was overjoyed to see Daniel alive! Daniel turned to Darius and said, “My God hath sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.” (Daniel 6:22.)

Darius was extremely angry with the men that had accused Daniel, and ordered Daniel’s accusers to receive the same punishment—to be thrown into the lions’ den. Seeing the power of God, Darius proceeded to write to all the people in his kingdom, telling them to worship the living God of Daniel. (Daniel 6:26.)

So there we have the story of Daniel and the lions’ den. Daniel had been given the highest position available beneath King Darius. In this world today, there are many people who consider themselves to be powerful. In fact, there are very many who believe that their success and safety will continue forever. But not even the God-fearing Daniel was safe from harm. He too had to face his trials, and none of his own power could save him. Only the power of God would be sufficient to save his life.

The very foundation of Daniel’s life, the very reason he was serving King Darius in one of the greatest positions within the kingdom, was his love for God and His Word. Think about your own life for a moment. For what things in your life can you thank God? If we follow God’s laws, if we ask God to guide us in all things, He will bless us in so many ways with more blessing than we can imagine. Daniel did all these things; He followed God and kept His laws. But Daniel was still thrown to the lions. The jealous people in the kingdom conspired against him and used the one thing they knew Daniel would not break—God’s law—against him.

When the decree was passed, Daniel had to make a decision: stop praying to God and avoid being thrown to the lions, or continue praying and face almost certain death. Daniel showed us that he was able, through strength in God, to stand strong; he showed the courage that we all associate with his name even today. He went back home and prayed with the windows open, proclaiming to all that he would rather die than displease the God he loved.

Daniel did not deliberately antagonize those who were out to get him. He did not go to his window to pray to infuriate the men who were trying to destroy him. He prayed in this manner to let the people know that God is bigger than they, and no law should be acknowledged if it is contrary to God’s law.

How many times are the foundations of our lives challenged in such a manner? Most likely there are not many up to this point, but we are rapidly coming upon a time when our rock will be shaken and God’s people opposed en masse—the national Sunday law. There will come a time when a law will be drawn which will require all people to worship on Sunday. When that law comes, we also will have a decision to make. Whatever the punishment may be, we will need to choose between worshipping on the seventh-day Sabbath, or on the first day of the week. So what will we do? Will we follow in the footsteps of Daniel; do we continue to follow the law of the Lord, regardless of the consequences?

We will have a very difficult decision to make. Our whole lives will depend on this decision. Now, there will be no need to go out to the world and advertise the fact that we are breaking a set law, but we will need to follow Daniel’s example and obey God under all pressure. If we follow the law of man, we may not be persecuted and thrown into the lions’ den right away, but we will face something far worse: missing out on the gift of eternal life.

Such a decision may seem insurmountable and impossible to make; however, in considering the other possibility, relenting the law of God has far more odious consequences than those imposed by man for the disobedience to His law. We need to be ready to follow Christ: to put all of our faith in Him who will strengthen us; to follow Christ to the letter of His law. There is no sin in God’s eyes that is not abhorrent or small. If we cannot follow God in the small things, there is no possibility of following Him when more serious matters are at stake.

There are three examples in the Bible of “small sins.” These three examples all involve food as temptation. Those tempted were Adam and Eve, Daniel, and Jesus. Adam was tempted with fruit, Daniel with meat, and Jesus with bread. Now, Adam did not stay strong; he accepted the lies of the serpent, and in so doing, rejected God. He gave in to sin, and sin has forever since plagued mankind. Daniel, however, did not give in, and the faith he showed in God was rewarded with his powerful position in the kingdom. And as for Jesus, did He sin? No! He was able to fight temptation and go on to live a sin-free life. The key is to overcome in the small things, that the big things may also be conquered. Daniel could have chosen to eat the meat, but he did not. Jesus could have turned the stone into bread, but He did not, despite His hunger in the wilderness. And when the time came for bigger tests, the faith they showed in the small things led them to show greater faith in the big things. Do not let the small things stop us from overcoming the big things. We need to prepare ourselves every day for the final steps of our Christian walk. We need to start to overcome the small things now. The question is: in the battle for your salvation, which choice will you make? Will you stay true to God, or will you give up? Remember, Daniel did not give up. Yes, he was thrown to the lions, but that was not a hindrance. And because of his faithfulness, God did not give up on him either. God delivered Daniel from the mouths of the lions, and in the same way, He will deliver us from evil.

Ellen G. White tells us that, “It may be a difficult matter for men in high positions to pursue the path of undeviating integrity whether they shall receive praise or censure. Yet this is the only safe course. All the rewards which they might gain by selling their honor would be only as the breath from polluted lips, as dross to be consumed in the fire. Those who have moral courage to stand in opposition to the vices and errors of their fellow-men—it may be of those whom the world honor—will receive hatred, insult, and abusive falsehood. They may be thrust down from their high position, because they would not be bought or sold, because they could not be induced by bribes or threats to stain their hands with iniquity. Everything on earth may seem to conspire against them; but God has set his seal upon his own work. They may be regarded by their fellow-men as weak, unmanly, unfit to hold office; but how differently does the Most High regard them. Those who despise them are the really ignorant. While the storms of calumny and reviling may pursue the man of integrity through life, and beat upon his grave, God has the ‘well done’ prepared for him. Folly and iniquity will at best yield only a life of unrest and discontent, and at its close a thorny dying pillow. And how many, as they view their course of action and its results, are led to end with their own hands their disgraceful career. And beyond all this waits the Judgment, and the final, irrevocable doom, Depart!” The Signs of the Times, February 2, 1882.

The fast approaching end will not be a time of ease. The decisions that will soon be facing the believers will be very difficult ones, but, like Daniel, we must make the right choice, or be faced with far worse consequences. We need to grow in Christ. We need Christ in our hearts and minds for Him to renew us. We need His strength to help us take the right path.

Daniel Murray lives in England and works in company law. He can be reached by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Question – Is it right to go out to eat in restaurants on the Sabbath?

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Question – Is it right for Seventh-day Adventists to go out to eat in restaurants on the Sabbath?

This question has come up through the years. One thing we do know is that we are to keep the Sabbath holy. It is a day to learn how to enjoy fellowship with the Lord, and it is well for God’s people to eat together and enjoy one another’s friendship with brotherly love.

We know that the Lord does not expect us to fast every Sabbath; however, there is advice given about the preparation of food for the Sabbath both in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, so we will look at the subject of food on Sabbath a little bit.

When the children of Israel were traveling through the wilderness, the Lord gave them special instructions about preparing their food for the Sabbath. This is what happened, and the response: “And it came to pass, [that] on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one [man]: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This [is that] which the Lord hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” Exodus 16:22, 23.

Here is a paragraph from the pen of inspiration in our day: “Then search the Scriptures, parents. Be not only hearers, but doers of the Word. Meet God’s standard in the education of your children. Let them see that you are preparing for the Sabbath on the working days of the week. All preparation should be made, every stitch taken, on the six working days; all cooking for the Sabbath should be done on the preparation day. It is possible to do this, and if you make it a rule, you can do it. The commandment is, ‘Bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe [boil] that ye will seethe, for tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath.’ That day is not to be given to the cooking of food, or pleasure seeking, or worldly employment. Explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them help themselves and their parents in their preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment. Lead your children to consider the Sabbath a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honorable. Do not allow yourself to spend the precious hours of the Sabbath in your bed. The heads of the house should be astir early.” Lake Union Herald, April 14, 1909.

This is another quotation from the pen of Ellen White: “We should not provide for the Sabbath a more liberal supply or a greater variety of food than for other days. Instead of this the food should be more simple, and less should be eaten, in order that the mind may be clear and vigorous to comprehend spiritual things. Overeating befogs the brain. The most precious words may be heard and not appreciated, because the mind is confused by an improper diet. By overeating on the Sabbath, many have done more than they think to dishonor God.

“While cooking upon the Sabbath should be avoided, it is not necessary to eat cold food. In cold weather let the food prepared the day before be heated. And let the meals, though simple, be palatable and attractive. Provide something that will be regarded as a treat, something the family does not have every day.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 357.

When you eat out at a restaurant, the food is most likely not prepared for the Sabbath a day ahead of time, and besides that, you are really doing business on the Sabbath day. You are buying your food on Sabbath, and it should be purchased on one of the six working days.

May God bless you, and we can eat our Sabbath meal in heaven soon!

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

Bible Study Guides – The Seal of God

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July 19, 2009 – July 25, 2009

Key Text

“And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.” Ezekiel 9:4.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 207–216; The Great Controversy, 653–661.

Introduction

“Although the nations are mustering their forces for war and bloodshed, the command to the angels is still in force, that they hold the four winds until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 221, 222.

1 In contrast to those entrusted as guardians of God’s temple, what was Ezekiel shown? Ezekiel 9:1–4.

Note: “What is the seal of the living God, which is placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1161.

2 How does the seal of God relate to faithful Sabbath keepers today? Revelation 14:1; Exodus 31:13, 14.

Note: “Those that overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, will be the favored ones who shall receive the seal of the living God. Those whose hands are not clean, whose hearts are not pure, will not have the seal of the living God. Those who are planning sin and acting it will be passed by. Only those who, in their attitude before God, are filling the position of those who are repenting and confessing their sins in the great anti-typical day of atonement, will be recognized and marked as worthy of God’s protection. The names of those who are steadfastly looking and waiting and watching for the appearing of their Saviour–more earnestly and wishfully than they who wait for the morning–will be numbered with those who are sealed.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 445.

3 Discuss the seriousness of the sealing message. Ezekiel 9:10. How does this message relate to the third angel of Revelation 14:9–12?

Note: “Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 212.

“The most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals is contained in the third angel’s message. That must be a terrible sin which calls down the wrath of God unmingled with mercy. Men are not to be left in darkness concerning this important matter; the warning against this sin is to be given to the world before the visitation of God’s judgments, that all may know why they are to be inflicted, and have opportunity to escape them.” The Great Controversy, 449, 450.

4 What should cause us to think soberly about the sealing message? Jeremiah 25:33.

Note: “Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons. Already a few drops of God’s wrath have fallen upon the earth; but when the seven last plagues shall be poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation, then it will be forever too late to repent and find shelter. No atoning blood will then wash away the stains of sin.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 212.

5 When the destroying angel goes forth, who suffers first and why? Ezekiel 9:5–7.

Note: “Here we see that the church—the Lord’s sanctuary—was the first to feel the stroke of the wrath of God. The ancient men, those to whom God had given great light and who had stood as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people, had betrayed their trust. They had taken the position that we need not look for miracles and the marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. Times have changed. These words strengthen their unbelief, and they say: The Lord will not do good, neither will He do evil. He is too merciful to visit His people in judgment. Thus ‘Peace and safety’ is the cry from men who will never again lift up their voice like a trumpet to show God’s people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins. These dumb dogs that would not bark are the ones who feel the just vengeance of an offended God.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 211.

6 What is especially offensive to God? Ezekiel 9:8, 9.

Note: “The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel secure in their deceptions and, because of His long-suffering, say that the Lord seeth not, and then act as though He had forsaken the earth. But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 211, 212.

7 What will come upon the whole earth as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads? Revelation 16:1.

Note: “The angel with the writer’s ink horn is to place a mark upon the foreheads of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel follows this angel.

“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and prepared for the shaking, it will come. In deed it has begun already, the judgments of God are now upon the land, to give us warning, that we may know what is coming” “Ellen G. White Comments” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1161.

8 How did several prophets describe the destruction that is coming upon the world? Isaiah 26:21; Jeremiah 25:31; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 2.

Note: “When He [Jesus] leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old.” The Great Controversy, 614.

“In the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the earth—priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and low.” Ibid., 657.

9 What was shown to John the Revelator? Revelation 7:2–4. How must we prepare to receive the seal of God?

Note: “Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God–candidates for heaven.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 216.

10 What is promised to those who receive the seal of God? Malachi 3:17; Revelation 21:7.

Note: “The day of wrath to the enemies of God is the day of final deliverance to His church. The prophet declares: ‘Strengthen ye the weak hands, And confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: Behold, your God will come with vengeance, Even God with a recompense; He will come and save you.’ ‘He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.’ Isaiah 35:3, 4; 25:8. And as the prophet beholds the Lord of glory descending from heaven with all the holy angels, to gather the remnant church from among the nations of earth, he hears the waiting ones unite in the exultant cry: ‘Lo, this is our God; We have waited for Him, And He will save us: This is the Lord; We have waited for Him, We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’ Isaiah 25:9.” Prophets and Kings, 727, 728.

“Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” Maranatha, 241.

Additional Reading

“‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.’ [Exodus 20:8–11.]

“The Sabbath is not introduced as a new institution but as having been founded at creation. It is to be remembered and observed as the memorial of the Creator’s work. Pointing to God as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, it distinguishes the true God from all false gods. All who keep the seventh day signify by this act that they are worshipers of Jehovah. Thus the Sabbath is the sign of man’s allegiance to God as long as there are any upon the earth to serve Him. The fourth commandment is the only one of all the ten in which are found both the name and the title of the Lawgiver. It is the only one that shows by whose authority the law is given. Thus it contains the seal of God, affixed to His law as evidence of its authenticity and binding force.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 307.

“Let us remember that while the work we have to do may not be our choice, it is to be accepted as God’s choice for us. Whether pleasing or unpleasing, we are to do the duty that lies nearest. ‘Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.’ Ecclesiastes 9:10.

“If the Lord desires us to bear a message to Nineveh, it will not be as pleasing to Him for us to go to Joppa or to Capernaum. He has reasons for sending us to the place toward which our feet have been directed. At that very place there may be someone in need of the help we can give. He who sent Philip to the Ethiopian councilor, Peter to the Roman centurion, and the little Israelitish maiden to the help of Naaman, the Syrian captain, sends men and women and youth today as His representatives to those in need of divine help and guidance.” The Ministry of Healing, 472, 473.

“Our plans are not always God’s plans. He may see that it is best for us and for His cause to refuse our very best intentions, as He did in the case of David. But of one thing we may be assured, He will bless and use in the advancement of His cause those who sincerely devote themselves and all they have to His glory. If He sees it best not to grant their desires He will counterbalance the refusal by giving them tokens of His love and entrusting to them another service.” Ibid., 473.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Great Abominations

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July 12, 2009 – July 18, 2009

Key Text

“Behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, [were] about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east.” Ezekiel 8:16.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 9, 232–244; Prophets and Kings, 178–189; 448, 449.

Introduction

“Men have honored Satan’s principles above the principles that rule in the heavens. They have accepted the spurious sabbath, which Satan has exalted as the sign of his authority.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 352.

1 What vision was Ezekiel given to behold? Ezekiel 8:1–5. Why is “jealousy” mentioned in the context of God’s house of worship? Exodus 20:1–6.

Note: “The close and sacred relation of God to His people is represented under the figure of marriage. Idolatry being spiritual adultery, the displeasure of God against it is fitly called jealousy.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 306.

“Our God is a jealous God, and he requires that we worship Him in spirit and in truth, and in the beauty of holiness.” The Signs of the Times, October 15, 1885.

2 In what sense do professed Christians provoke “godly jealousy” today? II Corinthians 11:2–4. How can we be secure against the deceptions of Satan? II Corinthians 13:5; John 14:6; I John 5:12.

Note: “We need an abiding Christ. We need to eat His word. He is the Bread of Life. The revealed word is our photograph of Christ. The world can only be expelled from the soul by filling the soul with Christ. Just as the life of the body is produced by the temporal food eaten, so the life of the soul is produced by the spiritual food eaten. He who would have spiritual life and vigor must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God.” Bible Training School, March 1, 1903.

3 How was God’s holy sanctuary being desecrated? Ezekiel 8:6–11. How does man degrade himself through idolatry? Romans 1:22–27.

Note: “How can man be elevated by adoring what is no higher than himself and may be symbolized by his own handiwork? If men could become so blinded to the power, the majesty, and the glory of the infinite God as to represent Him by a graven image, or even by a beast or reptile; if they could so forget their own divine relationship, formed in the image of their Maker as to bow down to these revolting and senseless objects—then the way was open for foul license; the evil passions of the heart would be unrestrained, and Satan would have full sway.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 335.

4 What self-deception did the ancients of the house of Israel reveal as they became bold in sin? Ezekiel 8:12. How may we be in danger of deceiving ourselves? Isaiah 29:13–15.

Note: “The Lord has shown us His way; shall we walk in it? or shall we, finite and erring as we are, walk in our own counsel, and practice the principles which He has warned us against?” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 382.

5 What was the next step in the downward spiral of defilement in God’s sanctuary? Ezekiel 8:13, 14. How does this process of apostasy stand as a warning to us? II Chronicles 36:14.

Note: “No outward shrine may be visible; there may be no image for the eye to rest upon; yet thousands are following after the gods of this world—after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart. Multitudes have a wrong conception of God and His attributes, and are as truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal. Many even of those who claim to be Christians have allied themselves with influences that are unalterably opposed to God and His truth. Thus they are led to turn away from the divine and to exalt the human.” Prophets and Kings, 177, 178.

6 What was the most serious offense shown to Ezekiel? Ezekiel 8:15, 16. Today, how has most of Christendom been deceived into adopting a form of sun worship? Daniel 7:25.

Note: “Satan, working through unconsecrated leaders of the church, tampered with the fourth commandment … and essayed to set aside the ancient Sabbath, the day which God had blessed and sanctified (Genesis 2:2, 3), and in its stead to exalt the festival observed by the heathen as ‘the venerable day of the sun.’ ” The Great Controversy, 52.

“Through the setting up of a false sabbath, the enemy thought to change times and laws. But has he really succeeded in changing God’s law? The words of the thirty-first chapter of Exodus are the answer. He who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, has declared of the seventh-day Sabbath: ‘It is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations.’ ‘It is a sign… forever.’ Exodus 31:13, 17. The changed signpost is pointing the wrong way, but God has not changed. He is still the mighty God of Israel.” Prophets and Kings, 184, 185.

7 How did Christ condemn the practice of putting tradition above the Word of God? Matthew 15:9, 13. What should all Christians realize about the Lord’s Sabbath? Mark 2:27, 28; Luke 23:56.

Note: “Christ rested in the tomb on the Sabbath day, and when holy beings of both heaven and earth were astir on the morning of the first day of the week, He rose from the grave to renew His work of teaching His disciples. But this fact does not consecrate the first day of the week, and make it a Sabbath.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1113.

“Protestants now urge that the resurrection of Christ on Sunday made it the Christian Sabbath. But Scripture evidence is lacking. No such honor was given to the day by Christ or His apostles. The observance of Sunday as a Christian institution had its origin in that ‘mystery of lawlessness’ (11 Thessalonians 2:7, R.V.) which, even in Paul’s day, had begun its work.” The Great Controversy, 54.

8 As sincere Christian believers become aware of the facts regarding the unauthorized Sabbath/Sunday change, what does the Lord require of them? Acts 17:30.

Note: “The day of the sun, Sunday, was a day devoted to the most vile of the heathen worship, for it was celebrated in connection with sun-worship. This Sunday-sabbath has been accepted by many who know it to be the foundling of heathenism, which has been cherished and nourished by the Church of Rome, and by her clothed in the garments of sanctity. But while many are now aware of its origin, there are true Christians in every church who do not know the origin of the Sunday-sabbath, and believe that they are keeping the day which God sanctified and blest. This is true of worshipers even in the Catholic Church; and while this ignorance and integrity remain, God accepts of their sincerity; but when light shall fall upon their pathway, God requires them to come into harmony with His law, and to observe the Sabbath of his appointing.” The Signs of the Times, November 19, 1894.

9 How did God respond to the false worship in Ezekiel’s day? Ezekiel 8:17, 18. In our day, how will God’s people be pressured to conform to false worship? Revelation 13:11–17.

Note: “The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. But in the very act of enforcing a religious duty by secular power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast.” The Great Controversy, 448, 449.

“Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the mark of the beast.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 976.

10 As believers in God’s word, what is our present duty? Mark 13:34–37.

Note: “It is our duty, as we see the signs of approaching peril, to arouse to action. Let none sit in calm expectation of the evil, comforting themselves with the belief that this work must go on because prophecy has foretold it, and that the Lord will shelter His people. We are not doing the will of God if we sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent, effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish the work which has so long been neglected.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 713, 714.

“Those who would not receive the mark of the beast and his image when the decree goes forth, must have decision now to say, Nay, we will not regard the institution of the beast.” Early Writings, 67. [Emphasis in original.]

Additional Reading

“ ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me’ Exodus 20:3. … It is not alone in denying the existence of God or in bowing down to idols of wood and stone that this first commandment is broken. By many who profess to be followers of Christ, its principles are infringed, but the Lord of heaven does not acknowledge those as His children who are cherishing in their hearts anything that takes the place which God alone should hold. With many the gratification of appetite holds sway, while with others dress and love of the world are given the first place in the heart. …

“God has given us many things in this life upon which to bestow our affections, but when we carry to excess that which in itself is lawful we become idolaters. … Anything that separates our affections from God and lessens our interest in eternal things is an idol. Those who use the precious time given them by God—time that has been purchased at an infinite cost—in embellishing their homes for display, in following the fashions and customs of the world, are not only robbing their own souls of spiritual food, but are failing to give God His due. The time thus spent in the gratification of selfish desires might be employed in obtaining a knowledge of the Word of God, in cultivating our talents, that we might render intelligent service to our Creator. … God will not share a divided heart. If the world absorbs our attention, He cannot reign supreme. If this diminishes our devotion for God, it is idolatry in His eyes. …

“ ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth’ (John 4:24). When our hearts are tuned to praise our Maker, not only in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs but also in our lives, we shall live in communion with Heaven. … There will be gratitude in the heart and in the home, in private as well as in public devotion. This constitutes the true worship of God.” That I May Know Him, 322.

“The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind, giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit’s working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul. For such worshipers He is seeking. He waits to receive them and to make them His sons and daughters.” My Life Today, 46.

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Our Time and Talents Belong to God

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January 22, 2006 – January 28, 2006

Key Text

“He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him, [even] length of days for ever and ever.” Psalm 21:4.

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 325–350.

Introduction

“All men have been bought with this infinite price. By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being. Whether believers or unbelievers, all men are the Lord’s property. All are called to do service for Him, and for the manner in which they have met this claim, all will be required to render an account at the great judgment day.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 326.

1 How does the psalmist acknowledge our accountability for the use of our time? Psalm 90:12.

note: “Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342.

“Your time is God’s, and as Christians, we must use it to the glory of God. God has graciously entrusted us with twenty four hours in each day and night. This is a precious treasure by which much good can be accomplished. How are we using God’s golden opportunities? We must, as Christians, set the Lord always before us, if we would not lose precious hours in uselessness, and have nothing to show for our time. . . .

“Time is a talent committed to our trust that may be shamefully misused. Every child of God, man, woman, youth or child, should consider and appreciate the value of the moments of time.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 80.

2 Who is the giver of time to mankind? Psalms 91:16; 21:4.

note: “If they [the children of Israel] would keep His commandments, God promised to give them the finest of the wheat, and bring them honey out of the rock. With long life would He satisfy them, and show them His salvation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 289.

“The Lord has precious promises in this life for those who keep His law. He says, ‘My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.’ Proverbs 3:1–4.

“But a better than earthly reward awaits those who, basing their work on the solid Rock, build up symmetrical characters, in accordance with the living word. For them is prepared ‘a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.’ Hebrews 11:10.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 63.

3 What recognition of His ownership of our time does the Lord require of all? Exodus 20:8–10. When did God set apart the day for rest and worship? Verse 11; Genesis 2:1–3.

note: “In Eden, God set up the memorial of His work of creation, in placing His blessing upon the seventh day. The Sabbath was committed to Adam, the father and representative of the whole human family. Its observance was to be an act of grateful acknowledgment, on the part of all who should dwell upon the earth, that God was their Creator and their rightful Sovereign; that they were the work of His hands and the subjects of His authority. Thus the institution was wholly commemorative, and given to all mankind.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 48.

4 What blessing comes to those who, by Sabbath observance, recognize God’s ownership of time? Exodus 31:13. What blessings are promised to those who acknowledge the Sabbath as belonging to the Lord? Isaiah 58:13, 14.

note: “The value of the Sabbath as a means of education is beyond estimate. Whatever of ours God claims from us, He returns again, enriched, transfigured, with His own glory. The tithe that He claimed from Israel was devoted to preserving among men, in its glorious beauty, the pattern of His temple in the heavens, the token of His presence on the earth. So the portion of our time which He claims is given again to us, bearing His name and seal. . . . The Sabbath is a sign of creative and redeeming power; it points to God as the source of life and knowledge; it recalls man’s primeval glory, and thus witnesses to God’s purpose to re-create us in His own image.” Education, 250.

“The Sabbath was made for man, to be a blessing to him by calling his mind from secular labor to contemplate the goodness and glory of God. It is necessary that the people of God assemble to talk of Him, to interchange thoughts and ideas in regard to the truths contained in His word, and to devote a portion of time to appropriate prayer. But these seasons, even upon the Sabbath, should not be made tedious by their length and lack of interest. . . .

“All who love God should do what they can to make the Sabbath a delight, holy and honorable. They cannot do this by seeking their own pleasure in sinful, forbidden amusements. Yet they can do much to exalt the Sabbath in their families and make it the most interesting day of the week. We should devote time to interesting our children. A change will have a happy influence upon them. We can walk out with them in the open air; we can sit with them in the groves and in the bright sunshine, and give their restless minds something to feed upon by conversing with them upon the works of God, and can inspire them with love and reverence by calling their attention to the beautiful objects in nature.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 584, 585.

5 What instruction is given concerning the general use of our time? Romans 12:11.

note: “The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. . . .

“Every moment is freighted with eternal consequences. We are to stand as minute men, ready for service at a moment’s notice. The opportunity that is now ours to speak to some needy soul the word of life may never offer again. God may say to that one, ‘This night thy soul shall be required of thee,’ and through our neglect he may not be ready. (Luke 12:20.) In the great judgment day, how shall we render our account to God?” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342, 343.

“The preciousness of life is to be appreciated because this life belongs to the Master. . . . There are in the providence of God particular periods when we must arise in response to the call of God, and make use of our time, our intellect, our whole being, body, soul, and spirit, fulfilling to the utmost of our ability the requirements of God.” Pamphlet 135, 10.

6 What lesson did Christ seek to teach His friends in Bethany? Luke 10:38–42.

note: “Life is too solemn to be absorbed in temporal and earthly matters, in a treadmill of care and anxiety for the things that are but an atom in comparison with the things of eternal interest. Yet God has called us to serve Him in the temporal affairs of life. Diligence in this work is as much a part of true religion as is devotion.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 343.

7 What admonition is especially given to the people of these last days? Ephesians 5:16.

note: “We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 342.

8 By what parable does Jesus teach our accountability to God for every mental and physical attainment? Matthew 25:14, 15.

note: “The talents that Christ entrusts to His church represent especially the gifts and blessings imparted by the Holy Spirit. . . .

“The special gifts of the Spirit are not the only talents represented in the parable. It includes all gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or spiritual. All are to be employed in Christ’s service. In becoming His disciples, we surrender ourselves to Him with all that we are and have. These gifts He returns to us purified and ennobled, to be used for His glory in blessing our fellow men.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 327, 328.

9 What course did the three servants mentioned in Question 8 pursue? On the lord’s return, what accounting was required? What rewards were given to the faithful? What punishment to the negligent? Matthew 25:16–30.

note: “We shall individually be held responsible for doing one jot less than we have ability to do. The Lord measures with exactness every possibility for service. The unused capabilities are as much brought into account as are those that are improved. For all that we might become through the right use of our talents God holds us responsible. We shall be judged according to what we ought to have done, but did not accomplish because we did not use our powers to glorify God. Even if we do not lose our souls, we shall realize in eternity the result of our unused talents. For all the knowledge and ability that we might have gained and did not, there will be an eternal loss.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 363.

10 How completely will true love to God absorb our faculties? How will this love be manifested? Mark 12:30.

note: “Every man is required to do the work assigned him of God. We should be willing to render small services, doing the things that are to be done, which someone must do, improving the little opportunities. If these are the only opportunities we should still work faithfully. He who wastes hours, days, and weeks, because he is unwilling to do the work that offers, humble though it may be, will be called to render an account to God for his misspent time. . . . He is the Lord’s servant. He is not to waste his time.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 181.

11 What reward awaits the loyal servant who consecrates all to his Lord? Matthew 25:31–34.

note: “Heaven is worth everything to us. We must not run any risk in this matter. We must take no venture here. We must know that our steps are ordered by the Lord. May God help us in the great work of overcoming. He has crowns for those that overcome. He has white robes for the righteous. He has an eternal world of glory for those who seek for glory, honor, and immortality. Everyone who enters the city of God will enter it as a conqueror. He will not enter it as a condemned criminal, but as a son of God. And the welcome given to everyone who enters there will be, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Matthew 25:34.” Temperance, 114.

“The atonement of Christ makes all who will be saved His own chosen. All that stand as Christ’s faithful soldiers will consecrate themselves and all their small and their large possessions to the Lord, to advance His work in this world. Their humble homes, and necessary equipments for business will be used as lent of God. Surplus property will be disposed of for Him.” The Gospel Herald, December 1, 1901.

12 By what service will this loyalty of God’s children have been shown? Matthew 25:35–40.

note: “His followers are not to feel themselves detached from the perishing world around them. They are a part of the great web of humanity, and heaven looks upon them as brothers to sinners as well as to saints.” The Ministry of Healing, 104.

“He who becomes a child of God should henceforth look upon himself as a link in the chain let down to save the world, one with Christ in His plan of mercy, going forth with Him to seek and save the lost. . . .

“We need not go to Nazareth, to Capernaum, or to Bethany, in order to walk in the steps of Jesus. We shall find His footprints beside the sickbed, in the hovels of poverty, in the crowded alleys of the great cities, and in every place where there are human hearts in need of consolation.

“We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the suffering and afflicted. We are to minister to the despairing, and to inspire hope in the hopeless.” Ibid., 105, 106.

Ask the Pastor: Sabbath Communion

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Question:

Is it right for our church to have the foot washing and ordinances services on the Sabbath? Jesus did not institute them on that day. Most all of our churches do it then, but does this make it right?

Answer:

The closing events in the life of Jesus brought Him to the upper room to celebrate the Passover with the disciples before He went to the cross. It was at this time that the Passover changed and became the Lord’s Supper. The old covenant religious observations, including the Passover, forever passed from the scene at the cross.

The occasion of the foot washing is recorded in John 13. The setting provided Jesus with the opportunity to teach the disciples how to deal with their feelings about one another and the contention of who was the greatest. Not one of them wanted to lower himself to the level of a servant, whose duty it generally was to wash the feet of guests. They wanted to preach and to teach and to cast out devils and to heal the sick. But ministry involves more than these things. It qualifies itself by having a servant’s heart. When none of the disciples wanted to render a servant’s duties, even to the Lord Himself, Jesus took the basin, girded Himself with a towel, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.

After He was finished, He began to explain to them the purpose of what he had done. “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for [so] I am. If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Verses 13–17.

The issue here, as far as example is concerned, is not about on which day it is done but what the attitude is concerning service to our fellow men. We must be willing to serve on any day when needed. Happiness will be produced, if we know what to do and are doing it.

The ordinances are not restricted to any certain day. The Sabbath provides occasion and opportunity for these remembrances to take place for the greatest number of church members and visitors. We are to enter into the ordinances with the attitude of remembering what Jesus has done for us and not restrict ourselves to some certain time frame. The same is true of the communion service. The importance of this service is to remember. The time frame is, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” 1 Corinthians 11:26. The idea is what happens, not when it happens.

Pastor Mike Baugher is a retired minister of the gospel. If you have a question you would like Pastor Mike to answer, e-mail it to: landmarks@stepstolife.org, or mail it to: LandMarks, Steps to Life, P. O. Box 782828, Wichita, KS 67278.