Genesis 40 - In This World You Will Have Trouble

We are seeing how the life of Joseph, prefiguring Christ in so many ways, was not always comfortable and enjoyable. As it was with the Lord Himself, with many trials and much tribulation, so it was with Joseph and will be with every one of His children. Joseph had been lifted up at Potiphar’s house, he is now put down in prison. He had no idea if or when or how he would be rescued again. It’s part of God’s purpose in our lives, to show us trouble as a help to remind us this world is not our home. The promised One would tell us, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) There is nothing we cannot bear, knowing that Jesus has overcome the world – we are His. 

Genesis 38; The Lion, not the tribe

Genesis 38; The Lion, not the tribe.

Gen 38:1-11 Trouble in the Tribe

Gen 38:12-19 Things Get Worse.

Gen 38:20-23 The trap is set

Gen 38:24-26 The Noose Tightens

Gen 38:27-30 Providence Revealed

Conclusion

Hebrews 2:1-4 Our Great Salvation

Our Great Salvation

 Heb 2:1-4 (HCSB)  (click the link above for the sermon)

We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will. 

Is "church" a good word for "ecclesia"?

In two weeks of normal Facebook activity I've collected 20 examples of people using "church" to refer to a location. It's clear from Scripture that "ecclesia" refers to a people - those called out. The ecclesia of Christ is His body, His people called out of the world to Himself. When we use "church" we blur the picture. Early English Bibles used "congregation" - seems like that is something we should return to.

I am NOT saying that the message in every example is wrong - the use of "church" is wrong.

I try to use "church" only in referring to "mega-churches" or "state churches" or any other false "church." Saying we're stuck with it is like telling anabaptists to suck it up and conform to Rome.

People of the Book?

Baptist were once known as "people of The Book" because we were always going back to the Bible to make sure of things.

How easy it is to drift away from what we've been taught.

We don't look to the Bible to see if "church" captures the true meaning of ecclesia - as it relates to the redeemed. Early English Bibles used "congregation" - no lazy talk about "going to congregation" or "don't miss congregation" that comes so easy when we use "church."

We don't look to the Bible to see if preaching is what elders are supposed to within the assembly of saints; whereas its TEACHING elders are required to do.

We don't look to the Bible to see if two or more elders are supposed to be in each congregation because we've become used to the lone ranger "pastor."

We don't look to the Bible to see if the 10th century AD Masoretic Manuscript is the best OT MSS.

We are looked at like we're from Mars if we do question such things. 

Philippians 3:12-4:1 - Pressing Toward the Goal

Already but Not Yet

Phil 3:12-16

This letter was written 3 years before Paul’s death, about 25 years into his service to Christ. This man, who wrote so much of the New Testament, reveals much to us in this passage – of his own continued need of grace for each day.

Phil 3:12-16 (HCSB) Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained.

He opened this chapter by describing the nature and character and behavior of saints (verse 3): For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh. Paul had not reached the goal, was not fully mature. His focus was the heavenly calling – he had been taken hold of by Christ. Paul impresses that those who have reason to worship God rightly, to rejoice in our Savior are those who have been circumcised in heart, who put no trust in our own being.

And yet, Paul has not reached the goal, Paul had found rest from his prior work as a pharisee but he cannot relax in his pursuit of the One Who had apprehended him. We can only pursue Christ if we have found rest in Him.

There is ONE THING he does: forgetting what is behind and reaching, straining forward to what is ahead – the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. One commentator said, “every stage in the upward and onward course of faith runs straight in the line of His will whose mighty, gracious grasp is on me as I go.”

This is what I believe Paul wants us to grasp – all we have, even the desire for godliness – is because we are united with Christ. We are maturing in our faith, a process that will end only at the end of this age – when our Lord returns to judge the nations, gather His own, and make all things new. He exhorts the mature to have this mindset; he tells the less mature that God Himself will reveal it to them.

And his final encouragement in this paragraph is that we all – to the degree we have attained – all walk by the same rule and be of the same mind. About that rule, Gal 6:14-16 (HCSB) But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation. May peace come to all those who follow this standard (or rule), and mercy to the Israel of God!

About the same mind, Phil 2:5-8 (HCSB) Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross.

Self-focus in any form is incompatible with Paul’s instruction.

Phil 3:17-21 (HCSB) Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Paul bids us follow him (and the other apostles) as they were called to serve as examples – as are elders. There is a pattern of walking in the light we can follow if we have eyes to see. Some do not – Paul weeps about these souls who are doomed for damnation. They are set on earthly things. This is the contrast, emphasizing why it’s important for us to have the right focus. This is we have this warning in Hebrews 2: We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. We have this tendency to drift away from our Lord and His ways when our focus is on earthly things.

Our citizenships is in heaven, not in Texas. Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world – it’s of the world to come!

We know it’s not sinful to take care how we live – eat right, live right, be wise in the ways of the world. For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer. 1Tim 4:4-5 (HCSB) We cross the line when how we live – what we eat, wear, etc. – becomes the focus of our lives.

The point of our citizenship being in heaven is that is where the Lord is; heaven is not a place of peace and joy if Christ be not there. At the end if this age, He will return from heaven to gather His own – we who are eagerly looking for Him. As we read in Hebrews 9:27-28 (HCSB) And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment — so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.  

When He returns, He will transform us to be perfectly conformed to His glorious body – having subdued all things, making His enemies His footstool. There can be no greater source of peace and joy than being united and conformed to the glorious Christ! The Lamb of God has taken away our sin and secured for an eternal glory that no man and no thing can take away.

Commentary (H. C. G. Moule) observes:

The whole passage now before us is strongly characteristic of the New Testament way of dealing with sin. In the first place, there is no lack of urgent and explicit warning. The moral and spiritual evil is labelled unmistakably. It is pointed out as a danger not hypothetical but actual; not floating in the air, but embodied in lives and influences. Yet this passage, this heart-searching appeal, while it deals with warning, does not end with it. Its strongest and chosen argument is not fear but hope; not perdition but "the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto Him."

Phil 4:1 sums up what we have read: So then, my brothers, you are dearly loved and longed for — my joy and crown. In this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.  

"We are waiting, we are yearning for Thy voice

Through the long, long summer day and winter night;

We are mourning till Thou bid'st our souls rejoice,

Till Thy coming turns our darkness into light:

Come, Lord Jesus, come again;

We shall see Thee as Thou art,

Then, and not till then,

In Thy glory bear a part;

Then, and not till then,

Thou wilt satisfy each heart."

 

                                                                J. DENHAM SMITH. 

Genesis 34 -Depravity and Decption

This chapter is a sad scene, reflecting poorly mankind. It should serve us as a reminder of how desperately we need the Holy Spirit to will and equip us to do what is right. For sin lurks at our door, seeking to master us.

Big Trip with the Trac

Distrust Among Brothers - Genesis 33

Genesis 33: Distrust Among Brothers.

It's tempting to look at biblical "heroes" as people who had victory over their flesh; set before us as object lessons in morality.

The truth is that no mortal human is presented to us in Scripture as a hero. The greatest of men is weak and sinful. All are given to us to remind us of our need of grace from the only man who conquered sin and death. 

Genesis 31:22-55; Sin in the Camp

From 10 Sept 2023, Sin in the Camp; from Genesis 31:22-55. There is a very real risk of sin causing problems in the home and local assembly of saints. The only remedy is to be found in Christ.

 

The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

God has always related to His creation as a king. The way Moses described YHWH after He had created all things - He rested - conveys the idea of a sovereign who has built his palace and sits down - rests - to enjoy his realm and begin his rule.

During the early days of national Israel's sojourning, God was their King and He communicated with His people through prophets and priests. As national Israel strayed and polluted herself with the culture of the pagans, she demanded a human king as they all had. YHWH permitted this, and the record in Scripture reveals that there was a remnant among the kings of Israel just as there was among her people; but for the most part, kings and people were reprobates.

This was to set the stage for the appearance of the promised Messiah who would be the final King for the people of God. Jessus came proclaiming and explaining what His kingdom was; it is clear that He was not here to become a king in the line of Saul over a small nation in the mid-east any more than He was to be a priest in the line of Aaron. The sovereign rule of this King would be akin to His priestly role - not in human tradition, bound by laws made for humans, but based on His nature: the eternal Son of the living God.

The Kingdom – royalty, rule, realm. Kingdom of heaven vs kingdom of God. According to the Old Testament and the Semitic conception generally, the kingship and the exercise of legislative and judicial authority are inseparably united. There are some who insist the kingdom of heaven is different from the kingdom of God; they claim the kingdom of God is an earthly kingdom of this age which is being established for the revival of national Israel and the kingdom of heaven is a spiritual kingdom being established for Christians. This is odd when we consider that "kingdom of heaven" shows up only in Matthew - the "Jewish" gospel. Why would Matthew use a term that did not fit the Jewish dream? A review of these phrases will reveal they are the same, referring the one kingdom of God, not two. This one kingdom has only regenerated people within; one cannot even see this kingdom unless he is born from above.

Jesus is heralded as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim 6:15), which is a citation of Deuteronomy 10:17. This is another proof that Jesus is God. Also, recall from a previous lesson - we are called "spiritual stones" being built up into a habitation for God. Why would this spiritual habitation need an earthly kingdom? There was an earthly kingdom; it served its purpose and was brought to an end, as Jesus declared, Matt 21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit. By this, Jesus was promising the end of national Israel and the inauguration of the true and final kingdom. This aligns with what Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, wherein He said, “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." (Matt. 5:26) In Matthew's gospel, the word "fulfill" conveys an eschatological or prophetic sense, not the idea of keeping or enforcing. "Fulfilled" means to bring something to it intended, planned end; as we read in Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!”

 

Let's look at some Scripture to see how this kingdom is described.

Luke 16:16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is strongly urged to enter it.” This is a huge truth that we must grasp – the kingdom being announced during the time of Christ is something new and different from that kingdom of David. Recall that God Himself was Israel’s King until His people drifted away and decided they wanted to be like all the pagan nations and have a king them could see and understand, even if these mortal kings turned out to be tyrants. In our time, we see God's people drifting into various movements designed to make the people of the world comfortable in the assembly of saints. YHWH took the kingdom from Solomon (1Kgs 11:11-13 Then the LORD said to Solomon,“Since you have done this and did not keep My covenant and My statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. However, I will not do it during your lifetime because of your father David; I will tear it out of your son’s hand. Yet I will not tear the entire kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son because of my servant David and because of Jerusalem that I chose.”) Recall what Jesus said: Matt 21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit. The nation (Greek word ethnos, meaning people group, not a political nation) that would bear fruit are those from every people, tongue, and tribe that God has called out of the world, into His kingdom of glory.

Matt 5:3 “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Matt 5:10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Matt 13:11 He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them.

These passages show that the children of God inherit the kingdom. Others do as well, but let's look at a couple that demonstrate equality and sameness between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God.

Compare Matt 18:3 “I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" with Mark 10:15 "I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” See also Luke 18:17 I assure you: Whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Same message, same entrance requirements for both - the same kingdom. Entrance by fleshly connection to Abraham doesn't enter in either one.

Same with Matt 19:23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “I assure you: It will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!" and Mark 10:23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” and Luke 18:24 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" The point is not that there are two kingdoms, but that flesh and blood and money cannot gain entrance into the kingdom.

Jesus taught that the kingdom was inaugurated now but would consummate later - when He returns.

Mark 14:25 I assure you: I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way in the kingdom of God.”

Scripture also shows us clearly that this kingdom is fit only for those are of the faith of Abraham, not the flesh of Abraham. In the book of Daniel we have what may be the most clear picture of the kingdom Jesus spoke of, in contrast to the kingdoms of the world. Dan 2:44-45 “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. You saw a stone break off from the mountain without a hand touching it, and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future.” This kingdom is a heavenly kingdom with the one true King ruling and reigning. This kingdom is present in the lives of those who have in Christ in this age and it will cover the new earth in the age to come.

One more note on the unique status of the kingdom of God: all things are by Him and from Him and through Him; we have no ability to bring anything into this relationship. The parable of the talents shows us that even the money we have was given to us by the one Who commands us to be faithful. When it's all said and done, we are unprofitable servants when we have done all that is commanded us, not because our service to God is worthless but because we start from a position of spiritual poverty and have nothing of merit to bring to Him.

 

The ekklesia of Christ – the called-out ones are those in inhabit the Kingdom of God.

Luke 4:43 But He said to them, “I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose.”

Acts 1:3 After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

Acts 14:22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.”

Acts 14:27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

Acts 19:8 Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God.

Acts 20:25 “And now I know that none of you will ever see my face again — everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to."

Acts 28:23 After arranging a day with him, many came to him at his lodging. From dawn to dusk he expounded and witnessed about the kingdom of God. He tried to persuade them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

Acts 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with full boldness and without hindrance.

To be in the kingdom of heaven is to be in union with Christ, for no one can even see this kingdom unless he is born from above. The local assembly of saints is an outpost of this kingdom in this age, as the world rages against the body of Christ. This is why it is crucial we see the kingdom and assembly “the church” as one it is dangerous to allow unbelievers to think they “of us” - unless the Spirit gives life, they are of their father, the devil.

The trend in the US toward so-called “mega-churches” is based on the cultural norm that people will follow a charismatic leader, and having a large congregation indicates God's approval of the work. These “churches” grow large because there is no gospel, no self-denial, no conviction of sin, no exalted Christ, no fear of God in their midst. Unregenerate people who cannot see the kingdom of God are treated as though they are His children. Yet they swept away and tossed about by the clever words and cunning deceit of man-pleasers, failing to understand that the kingdom of God is not a matter of words, but of the power of God; the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Our paedobaptist brothers have a similar problem that should be instructive to us. By failing to grasp the identity of the kingdom, they have concocted a local “church” that welcomes unbelievers who are less than 12 years of age, calling them “covenant children.” They tend to treat their little children as believers, training them to regurgitate biblical and religious doctrines to confirm their status when they approach adult-hood. They put confidence in the flesh, which, according to Jesus, profits nothing. Their congregations cannot be said to be “an assembly of saints” because they have welcomed unbelievers as members. The label foisted upon English speaking Christians, “the church,” gives cover to these people as the identity of that local assembly is not explicitly identified. It's far easier to be relaxed about who can join a “church” than it is to join an assembly of saints. Since no one can be brought into the kingdom by fleshly procreation (you must be born again!), no one should be considered a part of the assembly of saints unless there be evidence of that new spiritual birth.

One commentator:

It is easy here to go to an extreme as well in absolutely denying as in indiscriminately affirming that our Lord made men the sons of God by nature. Some of his utterances, like the parable of the prodigal son, plainly imply that notwithstanding the sinner's estrangement from God a filial relationship continues to exist. The whole trend of his teaching is that redemption restores what has been disturbed by sin. But, granting this, we must not overlook two important considerations which would inevitably lead him to emphasize the newness of the sonship which is enjoyed in the redemptive state. On the one hand, Jesus had too profound a knowledge of the seriousness of sin not to recognize that it must render man unworthy and incapable of sonship in the full, original sense. On the other hand, he had also too high a conception of the transcendent perfection of the kingdom not to find in it in this respect as well as in others something that would far surpass any religious privilege that man could call his own by nature. The kingdom neutralizes the effects of sin, but it does far more than this. It carries man to the highest limit of knowledge and love and service and enjoyment of God of which he is capable, and nothing less than the attainment of this our Lord associates with the term "sonship."

The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God – this is a spiritual kingdom; it is the New Covenant established by the death of Christ. Each member of the body of Christ has an obligation to protect the purity of the congregation he belongs to, not permitting pretenders to become members; how can unbelievers belong to an assembly of saints? Without faith in Christ, one has no part with Him!

The kingdom of God is the body of Christ. If we think in these terms, not being shielded by phrases and systems of theology, we will not be as prone to drift, not as vulnerable to be swayed by cunning men.

In the first place, the kingdom involves the historic unity of Jesus work with the Old Testament work of God. These two constitute one body of supernatural revelation and redemption.

Secondly, the doctrine of the kingdom stands for the principle that the Christian religion is not a mere matter of subjective ideas or experiences, but is related to a great system of objective, supernatural facts and transactions. The kingdom means the renewal of the world through the introduction of supernatural forces.)

Thirdly, the kingdom-idea is the clearest expression of the principle that in the sphere of objective reality, as well as in the sphere of human consciousness, everything is subservient to the glory of God. In this respect the kingdom is the most profoundly religions of all biblical conceptions.

Fourthly, the message of the kingdom imparts to Christianity, as Jesus proclaims it, the professed character of a religion of salvation, and of salvation not primarily by man's own efforts but by the power and grace of God. The kingdom represents the specifically evangelical element in our Lord's teaching. The same principle finds subjective expression in his teaching on faith.

Fifthly, Jesus' doctrine of the kingdom as both inward and outward, coming first in the heart of man and after wards in the external world, upholds the primacy of the spiritual and ethical over the physical. The invisible world of the inner religious life, the righteous ness of the disposition, the sonship of God are in it made supreme, the essence of the kingdom, the ultimate realities to which everything else is subordinate. The inherently ethical character of the kingdom finds subjective expression in the demand for repentance.

Sixthly, that form which the kingdom assumes in the church shows it to be in separably associated with the person and work of Jesus himself. The religion of the kingdom is a religion in which there is not only a place but in which the central place is for the Savior. The church form of the kingdom rightly bears the name of Christianity, because in it on Christ everything depends.

Finally, the thought of the kingdom of God implies the subjection of the entire range of human life in all its forms and spheres to the ends of religion. The kingdom reminds us of the absoluteness, the pervasiveness, the unrestricted dominion, which of right belong to all true religion. It proclaims that religion, and religion alone, can act as the supreme unifying centralizing factor in the life of man, as that which binds all together and perfects all by leading it to its final goal in the service of God. 

A Tale of Two Sabbaths

A Tale of Two Sabbaths

Stuart Brogden

The Bible declares itself to be sufficient for life and godliness for those indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is the concept behind the doctrine of Sola Scriptura. People who truly hold to this doctrine will not embrace dogma that cannot be clearly taught from God’s Word. While there are myriad issues that divide denominations and churches from one another, one’s view of the Sabbath appears to be one of major contention amongst those who embrace the idea of Sola Scriptura. Within this arena there is a coalition who herald the Puritan view of the Sabbath, which is recorded in the Westminster and Second London Baptist confessions. What follows is a comparison between the biblical description of the weekly Sabbath and the confessional views of Christian Sabbatarians, according to the Second London Baptist Confession in chapter 22. Let the reader decide if the Puritans and those confessions had it right or followed traditions of man.

 

Biblical Sabbath	“Christian Sabbath”
Every 7th day (Ex 16:27-30, Ex 20:8-11, 31:15, 35:2; Lev 23:3; Deut 5:14)	Para 7: Claims One day in Seven (Ex20:8). Changed from the last day of the week to the first day of the week (citing 1 Cor 16:1-2; Acts 20:7); claiming “Christian Sabbath” as the Biblical Sabbath was abolished (no Scripture citation).
Rest from all work (Ex 16:23, 25; 20:8-10; 35:2; Lev 23:3; Num 15:32; Deut 5:12-15; Jer 17:21)	Para 8: Rest from all things (Isaiah 58:13; Neh 13:15-22).
Remain in your dwelling (Ex 16:29; Lev 23:3)	Private and public worship are commanded (para 8; no Scripture citation)
It is a sign to the Israelite (Ex 31:13, 16, 17; Lev 24:8; 2 Chr 2:4; Neh 9:14; Ezek 20:12, 20)
Death penalty for violating it, even minor activities such as picking up sticks (Ex 31:14-15; Num 15:32-36)
No fires for cooking, Sabbath day meals were prepared the day before (Ex 35:3)
Ceremonial bread, made in accordance with a strict formula, was presented (Lev 24:8; 1 Chr 9:32)
Offerings – consisting of lambs, grain, and drink (Num 28:9, 10)
Soldiers/priests guard the temple (2 Kings 11:512; 2 Chr 23:4-8)
Gentiles not bound (Deut 5:15; Neh 10:31)	Para 7: Claims “law of nature … by Gods appointment” a “moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages” (no Scripture citation).
Prohibited from business (buying or selling) with Gentiles (Neh 10:31, 13:15-19)
Gentiles invited to join with God’s people and keep the Sabbath (Isaiah 56:1-7)
Israel to keep the Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13)
	Duties of necessity and mercy are permitted (para 8; Matt 12:1-13)
No bearing of burdens (Jer 17:21-27)

 

Notes: 

1.       The Second London Baptist Confession (1689 LBC) cites Exodus 20:8 for setting the Sabbath one day in seven and for binding all men. That verse does not mention the frequency of the Sabbath; verses 10 & 11 both specify the 7^th day, that day which ended the week for the Hebrew nation. Every 7^th day, not one day in seven – that’s the consistent record in Scripture. Neither does that passage mention anyone other than national Israel as the subjects of this covenant and this specific command.

2.       The 1689 LBC then claims 1 Cor 16:1-2 and Acts 20:7 as a record of God having changed the day of observing the Sabbath. Read the texts – narratives showing the practice of the new church on “the day after the Sabbath.” No instruction or record of changing the Sabbath; no record of establishing the “Christian Sabbath” or abolishing the 7^th day Sabbath, which continued on during the Lord’s time on earth and the apostolic era.

3.       Because of the death penalty for minor infractions of the Sabbath command to rest (as shown in Ex 31 & Num 15), it was common in Israel for the people to ask the religious leaders for clarification of what was permissible. This developed into the complex, legalistic list of rules that were infamous in the time of Christ.

4.       The “holy convocation” mentioned in Lev 23:3 is widely considered to have been a call to prayer, praise, and instruction from the Word of God. But the biblical record (Ex 12; Lev 23; Num 28 & 29) shows a consistent requirement to cease work, with cooking meals being the only exception. There is the occasional mention of humbling one’s self, making offerings to God, and the blowing of trumpets. Some of these convocations lasted several days or weeks. There is nothing in Scripture to indicate this was a weekly occurrence of prayer, praise, and preaching; although extra-biblical history does show the post-exile nation adopting the weekly synagogue practice that was well established by the time of Christ.

5.       There are many special Sabbaths, such as the Day of Atonement (Lev 23:32) and the Sabbath year (Lev 25). This comparison is restricted to the weekly Sabbath.

6.       Nehemiah 13:20-22 reveals the only passage in Scripture wherein Gentiles are told about the Sabbath, their merchants being warned to leave the Jews alone on the Sabbath so the Jews won’t be led astray. Gentiles are not commanded by Nehemiah to keep the Sabbath.

7.       In Matthew 12, there is no support for the Mosaic Law permitting acts of mercy. We have Jesus making note that Jewish men would violate their Sabbath to save an animal. Jesus summed up His announcement that He is Lord of/over the Sabbath by saying it was "lawful to do what is good on the Sabbath." Contrary to the Mosaic Law, Jesus didn't define "good" and there's nothing indicating He was revealing the true meaning of the Sabbath law; there is nothing in the Mosaic Law that provides for acts of mercy on the Sabbath. Jesus even said the Jews broke the Sabbath by circumcising on that day, because circumcision was more important.

8.       There is not one Scripture cited by the 1689 showing the weekly Sabbath being addressed to, defined for, imposed on, or required of anyone other than those under the rule of Moses. Nor is there any biblical record of Christians keeping the Sabbath.