The Sabbath was Made for Man
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Jesus did not say that the Sabbath was made for the Jews but rather “for man,” that is, mankind. It was at creation that the Sabbath was set aside (sanctified) for man.[1] It was given a universal application from the day mankind was created in Adam.[1]
The Sabbath has been given to us by a loving creator to unite us with Him. The heart of the Sabbath is relationship, the acknowledgment that God is worthy of our most supreme devotion, our deepest allegiance, and our total loyalty. To lightly disregard the Sabbath, to treat the Sabbath as common, ordinary, or as any other day, is to destroy the essence of our faith relationship with God.[2]
Mark 2 (v. 27) And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath."
Even though it says here, the Sabbath was made for Man, some christians use this verse to substantiate that it is not man's obligation since he was not made to keep the Sabbath, but rather it was made for man to do what he or she chooses with it.
If you are able to "do anything you want" with something, then it would be evidence that you must own it.
All through the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, we find the Sabbath belongs to God and not man, not even to the Jews. Yes, it was made for man but it does not belong to him.[1]
I gave them My Sabbaths....................(Image #1)
That is why Israel was instructed by God: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep.…” (Exodus 31:13).
Who owns the Sabbath is mentioned in the next verse of Mark chpt 2:
Mark 2 (v. 28) Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.
As a matter of fact, which day is the Lord’s Day?
Rev 1 (v. 10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day....( Is this Sunday or the Sabbath day? )
Because there is nothing in this immediate verse to establish the day to be either Sunday or Saturday, we must allow Scripture, and not tradition, to interpret Scripture….Since we are discussing the Lord’s Day and whether or not Jesus confirmed the seventh-day, it is only proper to allow Him to speak for Himself.[3]
Luke 6 (v. 5) ....The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.
So it is clear that the Sabbath day is connected with the Lordship of Jesus. Exodus chapter 20, sheds further insight into which day….[3]
Exod 20 (v. 10) ....but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
So, if the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord, and Jesus is also Lord of the Sabbath, then that would have to mean: the Sabbath is the Lord's Day!! Yes, the 7th day Sabbath is the Lord’s day, and it was never changed in the bible!!
“Wherefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath”.…Because the Sabbath was made for man, it is the Lord’s day. It belongs to Christ.…Since He made all things, He made the Sabbath. By Him it was set apart as a memorial
of the work of creation.[4]
It points to Him as both the Creator and the Sanctifier. It declares that He who created all things in heaven and in earth, and by whom all things hold together, is the head of the church, and that by His power we are reconciled to
God.[4]
The object Lesson for Sabbath observance is in the fact:
God’s perfect work of creation, proved to man, that He could anticipate all of our needs, so that we could trust Him, and be God-dependent rather than self-dependent.
Gen 1 (v. 29) And God said, “See, I have given you every herb....and every tree whose fruit yields seed....for food.”
Gen 2 (v. 8) The Lord God planted a garden.... (v. 9) And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.
Image #2
Keeping the Sabbath, only testifies that we are trusting in the God of the universe to provide for us, instead of trusting in ourselves.
Everybody else in the world, is working on the Sabbath, for that (time & a-half) overtime pay; in fear of not being able to provide for themselves.
The bible teaches us, that God will provide for all of our needs, if we will only trust in Him.
Matt 6 (v. 25) Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
(v. 26) Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (v. 32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (v. 33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Image #3
And how do you seek first the kingdom of God?
John 14 (v. 6) Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
We seek the kingdom of God, by seeking for the King of that kingdom!
Eph 3 (v. 17) that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
Col 1 (v. 27) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
When we find Jesus in this life, we have found everything that is in the kingdom.
Luke 17 (v. 20) Now when He was asked....when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation.... (v. 21) For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”
The pattern in this lesson, is that God completes a task, and then picks a day to celebrate it, after He is finished working.
Sabbath rest is a celebration of a completed work by God. It has no merit in it.
Sabbath rest has significance, if we are doing it to celebrate it with Christ, a perfect and complete creation, and now, a perfect and complete redemption; then it has a blessing for us.
If we don’t receive any merit for it, then what is the blessing in it for us?
References:
1. Savior of the world Bible Course, (2000), Lesson 15, “Entering God’s Rest.”
2. Mark Finley. (2002). Satisfied: How God can meet your deepest needs, p.73. Pacific Press.
3. Dan Jarrard, (2008). Why I am a Sabbath-keeping Christian, p.25
4. E.G. White, The Desire of Ages, p.288, par.2
Image #1: The Lamb’s Servant, (2015). I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between them and Me. Retrieved from https://lambsservant.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/torah-in-the-book-of-the-acts-of-the-apostles-chapter-13-part-2/
Image #2: Spirit of Prophecy, (2014). The seal and sign of God. Retrieved from http://www.spirit-of-prophecy-1844.com/sabbath-test.php
Image #3: Gods Hot Spot, (2015). Seeking the king of God’s kingdom. Retrieved from https://godshotspot.wordpress.com/2015/06/
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