page l 1 l 2 l l

- 1 -

 

The Seventh Day Sabbath and Feast Sabbaths

Part II

 

Feast Days and Sabbath Days

The Jews still observe the seventh day Sabbath, and they also observe six annual feasts, also called Sabbaths, which could fall on any day of the week. God, Himself, declared the seventh day Sabbath “holy” at Creation (Genesis 2:1-3) and told the Children of Israel to remember the Sabbath He gave them in the Ten Commandments. Additionally, He created six Sabbath feasts for Israel’s benefit shortly after the Exodus, and the specifications for each feast were defined in the laws of Moses. (Exodus 12:14-17; 34:23; Leviticus 16: 29-31; 23:16, 24, 34) The Jews regarded the convergence of a Sabbath feast and a seventh day Sabbath as a “high Sabbath” or a “special Sabbath.” (John 19:31)

 

The laws of Moses were not an extension of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are a timeless and unilateral covenant between God and man (Deuteronomy 5: 3-22; 4:13), whereas the laws of Moses were written by man and were based upon a mutual agreement or bilateral covenant between Israel and God. (Exodus 19: 5,6) From their inception, the laws of Moses were temporary laws – they were designed to end when Messiah died. To emphasize the difference between the laws of Moses and the Ten Commandments, the laws of Moses were written on parchment. The Decalogue (Ten Commandments written on stone) rested inside the Ark of the Covenant, but the law of Moses were kept “in a pocket” outside the Ark. (Deuteronomy 31: 24-26)

 

The use of the word “law” can be confusing in the New Testament. Sometimes, the word referred to the Ten Commandments. (Romans 3: 31; 7: 7) On other occasions, the word referred to the laws of Moses. (Acts 21:20; 23:3) Moreover, sometimes, the word “law” referred to the first five books of the Bible. (John 12:34; Luke 24:44) The Jews often debated the differences between the Ten Commandments and the laws of Moses. Some Jews thought that all of God’s laws were equal in nature. Other Jews disagreed. One day, Jesus was asked, “Which is the greatest commandment in the law?” and Jesus answered saying, “…’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as your self.’ All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)

 

People in the United States should find it fairly easy to understand certain differences between laws. For example, the Constitution is the highest and most important law in the U.S. Constitution. State laws vary from state to state. For example, the speed limit in one state may differ from that of another state. Ohio has a state income tax, but Texas does not. State laws are not an extension of the U.S. Constitution. State laws cannot trample on the rights that are protected by the Constitution, but state laws are just as obligatory as constitutional laws.

 

The Royal Law (that is, the King’s law which is the highest law) is fulfilled through love. (James 2:8; Romans 13:10) Paul wrote, “The entire law [that is, the entire second tablet of the Ten Commandments] is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:14, insertion mine) Of course, Paul is not saying that we should love our neighbor more than we love God. He would never say that. Paul spoke as he did because loving God above everything else was not part of the discussion. (Matthew 22: 37-40)

 

Love for God and love for our neighbor is defined by the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments define how love is to be expressed to God and the last six commandments define how love is expressed to our neighbor. You might ask, “How is love defined in the commandment, “Thou shalt not steal?’” The answer is simple: When we come to a place where we love our neighbor more than anything he possesses, the intent of “thou shalt not steal” is fulfilled. When we refuse to take something that belongs to another person because of love, God is pleased (and so is our neighbor).

 

The Ten Commandments represent God’s will for all mankind at all times.  The King’s law reaches beyond the highest human thought. (Isaiah 55:9) The Ten Commandments are stated in the negative because we live in a carnal world. The carnal nature is diametrically opposed to the spiritual nature. (Romans 8) In other words, God wrote the Ten Commandments in such a way that even carnal minded people could benefit from them. For example, if a carnal person refrains from stealing because God said it was wrong to steal, then it is good for everyone. Society requires law and order. However, if a spiritual person’s motive not to steal is because he loves his neighbor as himself, then this is much better because the glory of the law is fulfilled. When the Ten Commandments are written in the heart, they reflect the behavior of a born again person. In other words, when a spiritual person loves God and his neighbor as himself, the Ten Commandments “in action” become how love is expressed. 

 

Christian Squirming

 

Most Christians are caught in a difficult situation with respect to the Ten Commandments. They widely accept nine of the commandments as the will of God; however, the fourth commandment is a totally different story. Thousands of books have been written on this topic and the defense always builds its case on textual distortion. This is foolish. What is wrong with the fourth commandment? Why is it so undesirable? Why do people hate the idea of giving God the respect He is due on the day that He has made holy?

 

Let me be clear: Compliance with the Ten Commandments does not bring a human being in favor with God. The Pharisees were careful to obey the Ten Commandments, but that did not draw them close to God! Obeying the seventh commandment will not merit salvation and neither will observing the seventh day. Obedience merely brings the person into favor with the law. If the law is good and beneficial, the obedient person becomes the beneficiary of that law. If everyone obeyed the letter of the law as written in the Ten Commandments, planet Earth would be a much-improved place to live! There would be no killing, stealing, adultery, or cursing, and furthermore, there would be a wonderful day of rest each week!  God gave the Ten Commandments to humanity for the benefit and welfare of the nations.

 

Paul experienced the difference between living under the law as a means to achieving salvation versus living under the law to discover the enabling power of God’s grace. As a Pharisee, Paul had been rigorous in his obedience to the Ten Commandments and the laws of Moses because he believed that salvation was achieved through perfect obedience. After he was converted, he discovered a profound truth. His efforts were in vain. Salvation comes as a gift from God, granted to everyone who is willing to trust and obey God. Does faith eliminate God’s law? Yes and No. Yes, faith eliminates the law as the way to salvation. No, faith does not eliminate our obligation to obey the law. Paul wrote, “Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.” (Romans 3:31)

 

After Paul came to know Jesus and the plan of salvation, he began to understand the higher purpose of the Ten Commandments. He saw everything in a totally different light. In fact, he saw that instead of being the perfect Pharisee he thought he was, he was actually a corrupt human being! Notice his words [insertion mine]:

 

“For when we were controlled by the sinful [carnal] nature, [we were not aware of] the sinful passions [that controlled us until they were] aroused by [a true knowledge of] the law [of God. Then we discovered that evil passions] were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death [even though we thought we were pleasing God]. [I was persecuting Christians thinking I was doing God a service. I was totally ignorant, blinded by my religion, but I didn’t know it then.] But now, [after hearing the gracious offer of God, I reject my former ways] by dying to what once bound us [the foolishness of rigorous obedience that merits salvation], we have been released from the [sinless perfection demanded by the] law so that we serve [God and man] in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of [trying to work our way to Heaven by obeying] the written code.

 

What shall we say, then? Is the law sin [a transgression against mankind]? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law [the tenth commandment] had not said, “Do not covet.” [After I began to understand my evil passions with respect to the spiritual goal of the law, I saw my weakness within.] But [my attraction and propensity for] sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the [knowledge of the tenth] commandment, produced in me [a conflict. I discovered] every kind of covetous desire [within me, whereas, I had thought I was in perfect obedience with the law].  

 

For apart from law, sin is [non-existent] dead. [In other words, where there is no law, there is no sin!] Once I was alive [my self-righteousness was very pleased, but I was] apart from [truly understanding the spiritual nature of God’s] law; but when [my heart was changed and a spiritual understanding of] the [tenth] commandment came, [my self-righteous nature was offended because the power of] sin sprang to life and I [willingly] died [to my self-righteousness]. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life [in the Spirit] actually brought death [to self-righteousness].

 

For sin [within me], seizing the opportunity afforded by the [tenth] commandment, deceived me [I thought I was a good person before God since I had not violated the law], and through [a correct understanding] the commandment [the Spirit] put me [and all of my self-righteousness] to death. So then, [I now see that] the law is holy, and the commandments is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then become death [the end of me] to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin [within my carnal heart], it [the law] produced death in me [by killing my self-righteousness] through what was good, so that through [a spiritual understanding of] the [tenth] commandment sin might become utterly sinful.” (Romans 7: 5-13)

 

Paul wrote this passage after he had been a Christian for about 30 years. His words reveal two profound points. First, Paul chose the tenth commandment to make his point because he discovered that he had a serious weakness for coveting. As a young man, Paul coveted the praise and adulation of the Pharisees. Once he understood the spiritual value of the law, the tenth commandment proved that he was a common sinner. Second, Paul insists that apart form the law there is no sin! Again, it seems so silly for Christians to nail the Ten Commandments to the cross and then revive nine of them for the purpose of having some definition of sin. John wrote, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) James adds, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10) Again, I have to ask, “What is wrong with the fourth commandment?”

 

Sabbath Feasts

 

There is a big difference between observing a weekly seventh day Sabbath and an annual feast day Sabbath. The fourth commandment forbids work on the seventh day. From a carnal point of view, that is the sum and substance of the fourth commandment. Feast day laws were entirely different. They required many specific activities internal to the observance of the feast. For example, the law of Moses stated that Passover observance required selecting, slaying, and roasting a lamb at a certain time on certain days. (See Exodus 12 and Numbers 28: 16-25.) The Day of Atonement required sacrificing a young bull, one ram and seven male lambs that were one year old. (Numbers 29:8) The Feast of Tabernacles required a very intricate series of burnt offerings for eight days. (Numbers 29: 12-40) The Feast of Pentecost also required a specific series of burnt offerings. (Numbers 28: 26-31)

 

Now that we know what the Mosaic law required with respect to the feasts, I have to ask: “Where in the Bible does it say that you can observe a feast day without meeting the requirements of that feast?”  When Israel was in Babylonian captivity, feast days were not celebrated because the exiles could not carry out the specific requirements of the feast days. (See Hosea 2: 8-11.) Some people argue at great length that the commands establishing the observance of the feast days are separate and distinct from the commands requiring certain activities on those days. This is nonsense. Such a division is fabricated and a distortion of Scripture. God never separated the observance of a feast day from the activities required of a feast. The annual feasts cannot be observed without obeying all that the law demands. Remember, James said if we break the law on one point, we break the whole thing. This is true for the Ten Commandments and it was true for the laws of Moses.