Key Text: 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 20:11).
The Ten Commandments (the “ten words”) is the code which contains the essence of the spiritual life of Israel. Israel was surrounded by people who worshiped other gods and the presence of murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and the lack of respect was on their conscience prior to the days of Moses. These evils are forbidden in the Ten Commandments and they applied to the people who were on their way to the land which had been given to Abraham and his descendants v 12. Perhaps, the observance of the Sabbath was
unknown to other nations, though it may have been already known in the family of Abraham. Sabbath is also found in connection with the giving of the manna (Ex. 16:21-30), where a double portion was given on the 6th day of the week. The Sabbath was meant to be a blessing to man and not a burden. For example, in the Deuteronomic 5:12 legislation, the importance and value of Sabbath was assigned for philanthropic and humanitarian purposes: “that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.”
God instituted the Sabbath and He calls the people to remember it as He said, “Do not forget that when I had finished My creation, I rested on the seventh day… and blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” v 11. Under the Christian dispensation, “rest in glory” remains for the people of God as it continues until time is swallowed up in eternity. To the Christian, the Sabbath is the sign of both the divinity and the deity of Christ. The proper observance of the true Sabbath would preserve them from idolatry, being a constant reminder of the one God, the Creator of all things. The Prophet Jeremiah hallowed the Sabbath day and found favor with God. Does this show that the spiritual observance of the Sabbath – a supreme test of the right relation to God?
Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome which was composed of heathens and Jews was written to offer them the blessings of the Messiah’s kingdom. It was written at a time when the spirit of Christianity was but little understood and no apostolic authority established among them to settle religious differences. Condemnation of the servant of another man was intermeddling and considered to be both rash and uncharitable. The Gentile Christian was not bred up in the way of Jews and their prejudices. And, Paul writes, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” v 5.
And, he who cannot eat of all indiscriminately, but is regulated by the precepts in the Mosaic law relative to clean and unclean meats, also “giveth God thanks” v 6. Both are sincere, both upright; both act according to their light. God accepts both, and they should bear with each other. So, In the Apostolic Age, each person was to follow the dictates of his own conscience and know the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which unveils that He will accomplish in consummating time and ushering in eternity (1:1). AMEN!
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