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.

The Binding of Satan

The Binding of Satan

In ancient times, Satan had virtually free reign on earth – always under the rule of YHWH. The accounts in Job make this latter point clear: see Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-6; Satan could go no further than God specified.

With this rule in mind, we can understand the behavior of evil people and nations in the ancient world – carnal individuals and large groups acting out in their depraved natures according to the rule of YHWH. The well-known conflict between Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 shows us how unregenerate people are influenced to follow after demonic idols. This is what happens when the Spirit of God does not restrict carnal people.

In Daniel 7 we see the beast (teeth of iron, nails of bronze, ten horns), and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21-22) This shows that Satan was running amuck, until the Ancient of Days appeared to bind him, passing judgment on behalf of His saints

Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, with Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.

Luke 4:5-6 So he took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil said to Him, “I will give You their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want.”

We have this in Acts 16:16, “In past generations He allowed all the nations to go their own way,”. The implication being that since Christ came and inaugurated His kingdom, the nations were not free to go their own way. What caused the change?

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, Satan was Bound.

Mark 3:26-27 (HCSB) “And if Satan rebels against himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished! On the other hand, no one can enter a strong man’s house and rob his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he will rob his house.”

John 12:31-33 (HCSB) “”Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.

Luke 10:17-18 The Seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash.

Colossians 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.

After Satan was bound, Jesus was close to His ascension.

John 14:30 I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over Me.

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.

1 Corinthians 10:26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it. (citing Psalm 24:1) Though Satan had “ownership” of the kingdom of the world, God owns everything.

Satan, the strong man, was bound; yet he prowls like a lion. Satan was bound, yet he holds the whole word under his sway. Satan was bound and can deceive many. So how was he bound?

From Hal Brunson:

How can you possibly say that Satan has been bound so as not to deceive the nations?” Only in this sense—Satan is bound so that he longer exercises unilateral dominion over the nations as God calls his elect from among the inhabitants of the world. Did not Jesus Himself prophesy that there would “arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect”? (Matt 24:24) While Satan may indeed blind the nations partially, he cannot blind them completely, for God has ordained that He should call out His redeemed people from “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Rev 5:9) God’s will remains inexorable and immutable in this matter, and no power in earth or heaven, not even Satan’s power, can prevent the salvation of “the Israel of God.”

People who deny that Satan is currently bound are either a.) blinded by assumptions that are not supported by Scripture, or b.) unable to accept that binding a person does not necessarily mean the complete and total disabling of that person. There is coming a day when that binding will be complete, just our sanctification will be. But that day is not now. We live in the inaugurated kingdom which will be consummated upon the return of Christ. Just as His kingdom is not yet complete or total, neither is the binding of Satan. Just as His kingdom will be complete and total when He returns, so will Satan's binding.

Hebrews 1 - The Supreme Son

 Was blessed to teach the main service this past Sunday at Community Baptist. The sermon was from Hebrews 1 - The Supreme Son. My desire was to help the saints see with eyes of faith the Lord Jesus a little bit better.

Genesis 29:31-30:24; Discord in the Family

Two things present themselves in this passage: 1.) God is involved in the lives of His people, and 2.) people are by nature sinners: jealous and self-interested. What should we learn from this, what instruction has this same God given us in our day? Unity, not uniformity. Serving one another, not self. Keeping our focus on glorifying the Lord in all we do and say. And yet we see in Scripture, saints falling prey to the same selfish ambition revealed in our passage.

 Diversity in gifting for unity in service; this is our calling in Christ. Not diversity in perversity for celebrating debauchery; this is the call of the world.

The world tells us we need to think and speak as the world or we are hateful bigots. The Lord Jesus says don't think too highly of self but also to hate evil and love truth. This is why the world hated Him and will hate us.

We are to outdo one another in love, which covers a multitude of sins. This does not mean we white wash sin; it means we do not focus on sins against us but on loving one another in spite of personal offenses. Forgive 7x70. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ - He bore our burdens on the cross!

Justification by Faith

Rom 5:1-2 (HCSB) "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

The word "righteous" in this verse shows up as "justified" in some other translations. Strong's defines the Greek word as:

G1344 δικαιόω dikaioo (d̮iy-kai-o'-ō) v.
1. to regard as righteous.
2. (judicially) to regard as innocent.
[from G1342]
KJV: free, justify(-ier), be righteous

Acts 13:38-39 (HCSB) "Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, and everyone who believes in Him is justified from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses."

Rom 3:21-22 (HCSB) "But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed — attested by the Law and the Prophets ​— that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction."   

Note this, dear saints: We have been declared righteous, been justified, by faith. We have peace with God, accessed by faith - we stand in grace that Christ has lavished upon us in redeeming us from our sin. These are explicit, showing justification being tied our believing on Jesus - not the date of His crucifixion.

Eph 2:8-10 (HCSB) "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them." Again - saved through faith, exercised by those who were regenerated. We have good works to do, which were prepared some time ago - we did not exist but He has - always - and He chose us for salvation, applied that to us as humans in time, and causes us to walk as He ordains.

Since Scripture cannot be broken, there is no need to put meaning into passages such as Romans 4:25 to support an unwarranted claim that we were justified when Christ died or when He was raised up from the dead. Those two acts are instrumental in justifying us - if Christ be not raised we are without hope! If He did not deink our cup of wrath, we are doomed!

But nothing in Scripture mandates we think we existed in some fashion in the first century and were actually buried with Him or justified then. 

Genesis 29:1-30 Honor and Deception

 

Genesis 27:41 - 28:9 Man's Will and God's Will

This passage displays man working what his little heart desires and God's will being done. All men everywhere are used by God in the working out of His divine will and none can stay His hand.

And in the preview picture, it looks like I have a bad case of gas.