The Sign of the Sabbath
I am reading through the Bible this year and today I read Exodus 31. Although I know that I have read this chapter over half a dozen times, today I noticed something profound in verses 12-17.
Exodus 31:12-17 says,
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe my sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."
I had been aware of the connection between observance of the sabbath and the seventh day of creation, but I had not seen that one of the purposes of the sabbath was to show Israel that it was the Lord who sanctifies them (and not the observance of the Law or performance of sacrifices/rituals delineated in the previous chapters of Exodus). Grace is presented here in the Old Testament! This statement shows that God is the one who gives people right standing before Him, not our actions. This is huge. Yes, God gave the nation of Israel His standards and expected them to be obedient. But, He also clearly states here that it is God who sanctifies them. The sabbath was to be a weekly reminder/sign to the people of Israel that "I am the Lord who sanctifies you." What a wonderful grace God extended to them in this weekly refreshment and reminder that it is He who sanctifies (and thus He must be the object of their faith, not their observance of the Law alone).
In the New Testament Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. The rest we are to observe is for our benefit. In the Exodus passage it says that when the Lord rested on the seventh day of creation He was refreshed. The sabbath is also said to serve as a sign that it is the Lord who sanctifies. In New Testament practice, the church gathers on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2, etc.) and from what can be discerned from the book of Acts, communion was taken at each gathering. Communion or the Lord's Supper was given to us by Christ and in it we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Communion, then, serves as our reminder that it is Jesus Christ who gives us our standing before God. We are also taught that God is the One who sanctifies us throughout Scripture, such as the High Priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus prays "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth." and also throughout Romans and Hebrews. The idea of entering God's rest is taught throughout the Bible, not just in reference to the sabbath taught in Exodus. Hebrews 4, states "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter my rest,' although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day, 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works'; and again in this passage, 'they shall not enter my rest.' Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
What I have learned from this study is that I need frequent reminders that it is God who sanctifies me and that it is the finished work of Christ that makes me right with God. I need to be told often that it is by grace that I have been saved and that it is by grace that I stand and can approach God. I can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. I have access to God through Jesus Christ, and there is help and mercy for me in my time of need. Praise the Lord! Praise His Name! Oh that all may know of His marvelous grace to us! God, through His Spirit, has been leading me to a deeper understanding of His grace in my sanctification and in my walk with Him. Oh how foolish and forgetful I am. I need to take advantage of communion and Sunday worship to refresh my memory concerning the gospel of my salvation and the finished work of Christ. These thoughts may not be very well organized, and they certainly are not as organized as I wish they were. But, I hope that these thoughts may encourage fellow believers to soak in the Word of God, to remind themselves of the Gospel of Grace, and praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His finished work.
Exodus 31:12-17 says,
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'You shall surely observe my sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed."
I had been aware of the connection between observance of the sabbath and the seventh day of creation, but I had not seen that one of the purposes of the sabbath was to show Israel that it was the Lord who sanctifies them (and not the observance of the Law or performance of sacrifices/rituals delineated in the previous chapters of Exodus). Grace is presented here in the Old Testament! This statement shows that God is the one who gives people right standing before Him, not our actions. This is huge. Yes, God gave the nation of Israel His standards and expected them to be obedient. But, He also clearly states here that it is God who sanctifies them. The sabbath was to be a weekly reminder/sign to the people of Israel that "I am the Lord who sanctifies you." What a wonderful grace God extended to them in this weekly refreshment and reminder that it is He who sanctifies (and thus He must be the object of their faith, not their observance of the Law alone).
In the New Testament Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. The rest we are to observe is for our benefit. In the Exodus passage it says that when the Lord rested on the seventh day of creation He was refreshed. The sabbath is also said to serve as a sign that it is the Lord who sanctifies. In New Testament practice, the church gathers on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2, etc.) and from what can be discerned from the book of Acts, communion was taken at each gathering. Communion or the Lord's Supper was given to us by Christ and in it we proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Communion, then, serves as our reminder that it is Jesus Christ who gives us our standing before God. We are also taught that God is the One who sanctifies us throughout Scripture, such as the High Priestly prayer in John 17 Jesus prays "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth." and also throughout Romans and Hebrews. The idea of entering God's rest is taught throughout the Bible, not just in reference to the sabbath taught in Exodus. Hebrews 4, states "Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 'As I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter my rest,' although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day, 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works'; and again in this passage, 'they shall not enter my rest.' Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, 'Today,' saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 'Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.' For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
What I have learned from this study is that I need frequent reminders that it is God who sanctifies me and that it is the finished work of Christ that makes me right with God. I need to be told often that it is by grace that I have been saved and that it is by grace that I stand and can approach God. I can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace. I have access to God through Jesus Christ, and there is help and mercy for me in my time of need. Praise the Lord! Praise His Name! Oh that all may know of His marvelous grace to us! God, through His Spirit, has been leading me to a deeper understanding of His grace in my sanctification and in my walk with Him. Oh how foolish and forgetful I am. I need to take advantage of communion and Sunday worship to refresh my memory concerning the gospel of my salvation and the finished work of Christ. These thoughts may not be very well organized, and they certainly are not as organized as I wish they were. But, I hope that these thoughts may encourage fellow believers to soak in the Word of God, to remind themselves of the Gospel of Grace, and praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His finished work.
posted by Sharyne @ 5:34 PM
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