ARE CHRISTIANS BOUND TO KEEP THE SABBATH LAW? The Sabbath Law was one of the Ten Commandments giv en by God through His servant Moses. Enacting the law God Almighty said: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do a ll thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt n ot do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made Heaven and earth, 74 the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the se venth day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” – Exodus 20: 8-11. The law was so stringent that its defaulter was mad e to face capital punishment. This being a shadow of things to come was however m odified by Jesus Christ. The Sabbath Law was so strong to the extent that no body is to kindle fire on that day, and the penalty for breaking it was death. Rea d Exodus 35:2,3. In the days of Moses, a certain man who was caught gathering stick s on the sabbath day, was brought before him and Aaron, and all the congregat ion of the people. God’s sentence on the guilty man is hereby contained: “ A nd while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathe red sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brou ght him unto Moses Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in war d, because it was it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him wit hout the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Mos es.” – Numbers 15:32-36. However, the change of the sabbath day from Saturda y to Sunday was made by Emperor Constantine of Rome in 321 A.D. After the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, some of them kept the Sabbath with all seriousness. Trading was not allowed. (Nehemiah 10:31). When Nehemiah th e prophet noticed that some of the Jews were trading on the Sabbath day, he con tended with them, and ordered that the gates of Jerusalem be shut at sunset a day to the Sabbath day and to be opened after that day. To enforce this, Nehemiah p ositioned some of his servants at the gates. – Nehemiah 13:15-17,19. Before his advent on earth, it has been prophesied that people should listen to Jesus Christ – the Messiah and the Greater Prophet. In t his regards, the prophet Moses said: “The LORD thy God will raise unto thee a prop het from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall heark en”. (Deuteronomy 18:15; see also Acts 3:20-23). Furthermore, the scripture say s: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17. By virtue of the authority God vested on Jesus Chri st, he modified the sabbath law amongst others. This is the reason why he did not t each his disciples to keep it. Also, the apostles of Jesus Christ never enjoin oth er Christians to observe the sabbath. Furthermore, Christ showed that it is not wrong to do good works on the sabbath day. This he demonstrated by healing an impotent m an on a sabbath day. – John 5:1-17. Read also Matthew 12:9-12; Mark 3:1-5. He also allowed his disciples “to pluck ears of corn, and to eat.” – Matthew 12:1-8; Mark 2:23-28. The Sabbath, which means rest foreshadowed the real rest God promised His true worshippers and it has not come. It will be in God’ s kingdom fully set up, and this is 75 what we His worshippers should labour for. Writing on this, St. Paul has this to say: “For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then wo uld he not have afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has cease d from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into tha t rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” – Hebrews 4:8-11. The Sabbath law being one of the ordinances blotted out by Jesus Christ, nobody should be judged on it as Paul the apostle said: “B lotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled pr incipalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Le t no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” (Colossians 2:14-17) Christians are not bound to rest on a part icular day but any day. The Sabbath is not to control us as Christ said: “... The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Therefore the Son of man i s Lord also of the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27,28. From all that I have said in this subject, it is cl ear that Christians are not bound to keep the Sabbath Law. I chose to end here on my tal k on the subject: “Are Christians Bound To Keep The Sabbath Law?” Thank yo u for listening to me.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 03:31:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015