June 15, 2021
Over the years, I have struggled with how to interpret and obey the Sabbath law, the fourth commandment of God. Christians have a variety of interpretations regarding the sabbath law.
- Some Christians believe that the sabbath law still applies today. Most of these folks are part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, but other smaller Christian groups also believe in keeping the sabbath day (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset).
- Then there are Christians who believe that we are to keep Sunday as fulfillment of the fourth commandment regarding the sabbath. I think this is true of the Reformers, Puritans, and many others who considered Sunday the Christian or New Testament Sabbath.
- Then there are other Christians who believe all of the 10 commandments, including the Sabbath, were abolished and abrogated by the New Covenant.
How does one make sense of all this?
From Adam until Moses, did mankind observe the 7th day Sabbath?
There is no command or written testimony in scripture that man (Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their children or the Gentiles) rested on the seventh day as God rested on the seventh day. The SDA’s (Seventh Day Adventists) suggest that from the beginning of creation, the sabbath day was observed. If true, it is not attested to in the Bible at all.
While it is true that the gathering of manna, during the time of Moses, hinted that such law might be coming, it was not known or practiced up till then. Moses received the sabbath law when God met with them before they entered the promised land. The sabbath was not the law, and it was not practiced by anyone, as far as we know from the Bible, up to the time of Moses. This period from Adam to Moses involves many centuries.
In Exodus chapter 20, Moses receives the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath commandment. It was based on the fact that God rested on the seventh day after 6 days of creation. God rested from His creative acts not just for one day, the sabbath, but thereafter. It was not one day of rest but a perpetual rest. His work of creation was finished; therefore, He ceased. God was not tired, just finished with His creative work. Sometime after God created Adam and Eve, they sinned and God provided a sacrifice for them. His new work of redemption began, and His creative work had ceased.
In the sabbath law, work would resume on the first day of the following week, and this weekly cycle would repeat forever, or for a very long time.
In Deuteronomy 5, Moses talks about the sabbath law as one of the 10 commandments, but relates it to Israel’s slavery in Egypt, when they worked 7 days every week. Nothing is said about creation in this chapter, and God ceases His creative work on the seventh day.
In both these chapters containing the 10 commandments, the sabbath law is given, and the creation week and Israel’s slavery in Egypt provide the explanation, the principle, and foundation for this commandment.
What about the command to keep the 7th-year sabbath?
Israel was required to work for 6 years and then let all their land rest for an entire 7th year. It was a mandatory 12-month sabbath for them and the land. Do current sabbath keepers rest for a whole year, every seven years, as they rest for one day of each week? I think not.
I am not sure how the SDAs address this command, but I suspect that they attribute this to the ordinances of God that they maintain went away when Christ finished His work on the cross. However, this seventh-year sabbath is not a feast day or an ordinance that went away when Christ offered up Himself for our sins any more than the weekly sabbath was. It is a seventh-year sabbath command, much like the 7th-day sabbath command. Below, I will give Biblical evidence that some of the ordinances were not and have not been abolished.
Resting on the sabbath was not a law that we know of from Adam until Moses. Did mankind have any rules, for which they were held accountable, before Moses received the 10 commandments?
We know from the story about Adam and Eve that God issued a command that they violated. They knew the law and the consequences of disobeying it. It is also made known to us that Cain killed Abel, and God punished him for his sin. Cain knew it was wrong to kill his brother, but he did it anyway. We are not told explicitly, in these early verses of Genesis, that murder was a violation of God’s law. If God spoke about this to Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, we are not told. Somehow, Cain knew it was wrong, and he was held accountable for killing his brother. How do we explain that?
If there were other laws that God made known to humanity, we are not told how He did it or what they were specifically. Do we know anything about these laws? Scripture proclaims that man was made in the image and likeness of God. This is not suggesting that we have the physical or natural attributes of God, but that we have the moral attributes, including sovereignty over our ethical choices. God created us with the faculties of intellect, emotions, and a will. Moreover, God created us rational and moral beings, knowing the difference between right and wrong, knowing the difference between virtue and vice. We were created to love virtue and hate vice. The moral law of God, knowing right from wrong, is ours by creation centuries before it was given explicitly by God to Moses and the world. When the Mosaic law was given, its principles were not foreign to Israel or any other living person. These Mosaic laws were declaratory. God wrote down the very laws He created within us revealed in our nature. This natural law corresponds with and flows out of our nature, and is suited to our necessities and relations as human beings. Even the heathen nations had this internal moral law. God created all mankind with a conscience that affirmed the right and objected to the wrong with guilt and blame. Cain knew it was wrong to kill his brother because that is the way he was created. That testimony resided in his intellect and his conscience.
Romans 1 tells us that God has revealed Himself to all humanity through His creation, even to those who have never read His word, in the Bible. Therefore, everyone is without excuse for not obeying and acknowledging God’s authority.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which many be known of God is manifest in them: for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, the glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Romans 1:18-21.
The word of God says, “they hold the truth in unrighteousness”. Based on this fact, we understand that humanity knows there is the one and only Creator God who alone should be worshiped and obeyed. And we realize that all people know it is wrong to murder, rape, lie, steal, and harm another person. This was all known before the law of Moses was declared in stone. Accordingly, this must be true for all of the 10 commandments save the sabbath. All these nine other commandments were made part of our moral nature to which our conscience testified before there was a written law from God. The sabbath commandment is different than all the rest. This command was a special sign between God and the nation of Israel only. This sign set them apart from all other countries.
At the time of Noah, God decided that the earth must be judged, and He sent a flood to destroy it because it was so evil. This wickedness was a sin or a transgression of the natural or moral law of God revealed in our nature and our conscience. The flood happened hundreds of years before the 10 commandments were given to Moses and the nation of Israel. God destroyed the ancient world, save for Noah and his family, because humanity’s wickedness was great on the earth. Those alive at this time were not living up to the light they had, but had given themselves over to darkness.
To summarize, we were created rational moral beings knowing the difference between right and wrong. This is natural law or moral law. This law existed from creation and is the basis for human accountability before and after the flood. This natural law was declared explicitly when God gave Moses the 10 commandments and the ordinances. It was not a new law but the very law God created in us that makes us unique in all His creation. Behold the following word from God through Paul.
“But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath. Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, also of the Gentile: But glory, honor and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first and also of the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without the law shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another:)” Romans 2:8-15 KJV.
It is written that the Gentiles, who did not have the law of God written on stone, did have the natural law of God written in their hearts because they were created in the image and likeness of God Almighty, their conscience bearing witness to this truth. When the Gentiles violated this moral or natural law, it was sin. When the Jew violated the law written on stone and in the ordinances, it was sin. The written law of God given to Moses was the same moral law or natural law that God put in the human heart. The 10 commandments declared explicitly in greater detail the scope of the natural or moral law.
With the advent of Jesus Christ, the moral law of God contained in the commandments of God was explained in even greater scope and application. For instance, Jesus said that if you lust after a woman in your heart, you have committed adultery even if the act of adultery has not been consummated. And this is why the natural or moral law can never be abolished or abrogated. It is the law of our nature in creation.
What do we learn from the New Testament?
Does the NT affirm the continuing applicability of the sabbath law? In the NT, obedience to the sabbath law is not repeated as a command that continues. Jesus never did violate the moral law of God, which of course means He never violated the 10 Commandments. However, Jesus did intentionally violate the sabbath law to reveal to the Jews their corruption and misunderstanding of the sabbath law. Jesus claimed to be Lord of the sabbath, and He was. The sabbath law was amid the 10 commandments as a sign to the Jewish nation based on the creation narrative. God created a perfect world that was corrupted by man’s sin and could only be restored to Edenic perfection by a return to righteousness. It was a reminder to the Jews that only through repentance could this take place.
If one considers 1 Corinthians 6, Ephesians 5, and Galatians 5, where the reader is told that in no uncertain terms, those who practice unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God and of Christ, we discover something about the sabbath law. Neglecting the sabbath is conspicuous by its absence from the list of sins cited in these three chapters. Yet the rest of the list of sins are all clear violations of the remaining nine commandments.
In the Old Testament, one notable sin brought judgment on the nation of Israel, and that was their continual sabbath breaking. Yet it is nowhere mentioned in the New Testament, as a violation of the law or a sin that will exclude a person from the kingdom of God. Moreover, other New Testament passages are disputed, but also seem to state that the sabbath commandment is no longer applicable.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that John MacArthur agrees and believes that 9 of the 10 commandments are perpetually obligatory because they are founded on the natural or moral law created in us at birth, as I have already outlined. He believes that Jesus did away with the sabbath law because it was a unique sign to the nation of Israel. And the surrounding nations would be able to know clearly that these people served a different God. The sabbath day is a sign, much like circumcision was a sign with Abraham during his day, and the rainbow was a unique sign to Noah that God would never again flood the world. Mr. MacArthur believes the 7 day week is exceptional in all cultures around the world as a reminder that in 6 days God created everything and He rested on the 7th day. As a sign, exclusively to the nation of Israel, it was not part of the moral law that will always be obligatory. It was a reminder that man forfeited paradise by sin, and it can only be restored by a return to righteousness. Jesus did away with the sabbath law as part of the religion of Israel, which was to be replaced, but the moral law is never to be abrogated or abolished.
Let us say that I am wrong and that keeping the sabbath is still required today. What exactly is required of us?
In Exodus 20, God says that we are not to work on this day and that no one in our household is to work. Plus, we are not to have others work for us. Does that mean we can’t travel on the sabbath? What about heating and cooling our homes and churches? If we do that, then someone is working to keep our utilities working. How do we keep this commandment? There is nothing in this passage that states that we should gather together for church on the sabbath. Are we to stay at home?
And what exactly are we obligated to do on the day? What is not and what is acceptable on the sabbath varies significantly within the SDA denomination. Is watching TV acceptable? Is there a time limit on it? Is there a law that tells us what shows on TV are acceptable and which ones are not? How far can someone travel on that day? It is supposed to be a day devoted to God. Does that mean that the only thing a person can do on that day is to read the Bible and pray? Or does it only mean that we are not permitted to do regular work that day, the work we do during the week for which we get paid?
I watched a Seventh Day Adventist teacher explain the requirement of the sabbath today. His understanding seemed very legalistic, even for me. For example, he said children could wade in the water and get their feet wet but not swim. This whole thing appears to be according to the letter and not the spirit.
And what about the 7th-year sabbath? Why is that not still binding if the 7th day sabbath is still binding? In Exodus 23:10 and 11, both the 7th day and 7th year sabbath are described as times of rest. If the 7th day rest was required of Israel and the 7th year also, why then don’t SDA’s rest every 7 years?
Has the law been done away with?
Chapter 3 of my book, When Lies Become Truth, deals with this question. Many Christians today believe the moral law, and the 10 commandments, as well as the entire Mosaic law, have been abrogated or abolished in the New Testament. They must have forgotten the fact that Jesus said, “Think not that I came to abolish the law, but to fulfill it”. Many Christians today believe that Jesus came to abrogate or abolish the law in direct contradiction to His words. And by that they mean, that not only have the ceremonial aspects of the law been done away with, but that the Mosaic law containing the 10 commandments and the natural law from which the 10 commandments flow is also done away with and replaced with the law/letter/love of Christ. How then is the law of Christ different from the law in the Old Testament? How is it different from the natural or moral law that God gave us at our creation? The writer I quoted in chapter 3 stated that the ethical principles of the Old Testament law are contained in the New Testament law of Christ. Is a moral principle not a law in the New Testament and only a law in the Old Testament? In the New Testament, is it just good advice that we can disregard if it doesn’t fit with our plans?
Therefore, if the New Testament law of Christ embodies the Old Testament moral law, then how are the two different? Would the love of Christ allow us to have other Gods before Him, to make idols and worship them, to take the name of God in vain, to commit adultery, would it allow us to steal, lie, and covet our neighbor’s wife and things? Obviously not. Are the two laws different? If they are, how are they different? Some Christians today believe that the real difference is that New Testament Christians are no longer held eternally accountable for their actions, except that they may suffer a loss of rewards or position in heaven and a loss of fellowship with God here on earth.
The 10 commandments were placed in the ark, and the ordinances were placed next to the ark in the holy of holies. Therefore, the ten last forever and the ordinances pass away according to some sabbath keepers that I have become familiar with.
Seventh Day Adventist folks make mention of this to convince us that the 10 commandments, written by the finger of God, are more important and still applicable today. In contrast, the other laws written down by Moses, but given to Moses by God, are those laws or ordinances that have passed away. Is that accurate?
One of the 10 commandments is “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” That is all that is said in the text written by the finger of God. Are we to assume that sex with animals is no longer prohibited as part of the law of God since it is not contained in the commandment against committing adultery, but contained in the ordinances? What about fornication, homosexuality, and sodomy? What about incest? And then what do we do with the ordinances that prohibit witchcraft and occult practices? Are they okay today?
The 10 commandments state “thou shalt not steal”. But what about the law requiring restitution contained in the ordinances? Is that no longer required? Can thieves keep what they have stolen? The ordinances God gave Moses also contain moral requirements that are still binding on all people not just Christians. Let us remember that God destroyed Israel and other nations because they practiced evil deeds. Heathen or Gentile nations did not have the Mosaic Law. Still, they did have the natural or moral law of God imprinted in their minds and hearts, which made them responsible for their evil practices such as child sacrifice, sodomy, witchcraft, adultery, theft, and murder.
The Bible indicates that the 10 commandments were given to the nation of Israel, and the New Testament believer is grafted into Israel today; therefore, we are under obligation to the sabbath commandments according to SDAs.
In the Old Testament, the Mosaic law was given to the nation of Israel, and that is especially true regarding the sabbaths. Exodus 31:17 “It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever:…” However, the moral law was known by all nations and all peoples, not just Israel, but the sabbath laws were peculiar to Israel and set it apart from other nations. Likewise, the law regarding circumcision set the nation of Israel apart from all other nations. In the NT, it says that a believer is part of saved Israel and is grafted into the natural branch, which is Israel. But this is a reference to spiritual Israel, not the nation of Israel. NT believers are part of spiritual or saved Israel but are not part of the nation of Israel. That is the distinction that is often overlooked.
The ordinances regarding the sabbath day or sabbath year observance are just as authoritative as the Decalogue itself. The ordinances regarding the sabbath state that you shall not kindle a fire on the sabbath, and if you do, you shall be killed. Neither of these things is practiced today. In the 10 commandments, it is said that you shall not do any work, and that applies to all of your household, nor shall you cause any to work. That seems to suggest that turning on electricity, water, and gas on the sabbath day is prohibited because someone needs to work to provide you with that power. Exactly what can you do on the sabbath day? Sounds like you can’t even have a fire to keep warm or cook or drive your car, which kindles a fire with gas. Therefore, it is hard to see how SDA believers keep the sabbath. When was the last time they stoned someone for breaking the sabbath law? It seems to me that knowing what can and can’t be done on the sabbath is critical.
And let’s not forget the 7th year’s sabbath, which is a year of rest, not just one day of rest. Is that too obligatory? I agree that the feast days spoke of Christ to come and are fulfilled by His ministry on earth. But the 7th year’s sabbath is more like the 7th day sabbath than a feast or holy day. Why is it not obligatory today if the 7th day rest is obligatory today?
We, as believers, enter into the Sabbath rest of God by faith in Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we have salvation, and we are to rest in that understanding that we, as sinners, could never merit our salvation by our work. Sinners must have a savior, and they must rest in His provision.
For the real believer in Jesus Christ, every day should be a fulfillment of the law regarding the Sabbath because believers rest in Christ’s finished work for us. What Christ did out of love in securing our salvation is the procuring cause of salvation, the “that for the sake of which”. Meeting the conditions of salvation is the “that not without which”. Meeting the conditions of salvation qualifies us to receive the gift of salvation. It has more to do with our walk of faith and state of our heart than a particular day of the week and what we do or don’t do on that one day. Every day belongs to Christ, not just one day a week.
Hebrews 4 talks about entering into the Sabbath rest of God by faith and references the creation of God. God rested after 6 days of creative work, and that rest is continuous. Is that not the rest of faith we are encouraged to enter into by faith in Jesus Christ?
