Exposition of Sabbath pt2 � David Lim

Ex 20vv8-11: Establishing the 10 Commandments

20:8 當記念安息日, 守為聖日.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

20:9 六日要勞碌作你一切的工.

Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

20:10 但第七日是向耶和華你的神當守的安息日. (.這一日.) 你和你的兒女,僕婢, 牲畜, 並你城裡寄居的客旅, 無論何工都不可作.

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

20:11 因為六日之內, 耶和華造天, 地, 海, 和其中的萬物, 第七日便安息. 所以耶和華賜福與安息日, 定為聖日.

For 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.

Lev 26v2:

26:2 你們要守我的安息日, 敬我的聖所. 我是耶和華.

Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Deut 5vv12-14: Repeating Ex 20vv8-11

5:12 當照耶和華你神所吩咐的守安息日為聖日.

Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

5:13 六日要勞碌作你一切的工,

Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

5:14 但第七日是向耶和華你神當守的安息日. (.這一日.), 你和你的兒女, 僕婢, 牛, 驢, 牲畜, 並在你城裡寄居的客旅, 無論何工都不可作, 使你的僕婢可以和你一樣安息.

But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

D.Lim: To rest in the Lord. To do His work, to worship Him.

It is a matter of quality and purpose of work, rather than quantity of work.

Surely people breath, walk, talk, lift, put on and remove things. All these are work. The spirit of the law is to do things for our spiritual good which is in the Lord God.

Madtthew 12 vv2-8: See also Mark 2v23-28 and Luke 6v1-5

12:2 法利賽人看見, 就對耶穌說, 看哪, 你的門徒作安息日不可作的事了.

But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.

12:3 耶穌對他們說, (.經上記著.) 大衛和跟從他的人肌餓之時所作的事,你們沒有念過麼.

But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;

12:4 他怎麼進了神的殿, 吃了陳設餅, 這餅不是他和跟從他的人可以吃的, 惟獨祭司才可以吃.

How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?

12:5 再者, 律法上所記的, 當安息日, 祭司在殿裡犯了安息日, 還是沒有罪, 你們沒有念過麼.

Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?

12:6 但我告訴你們, 在這裡有一人比殿更大.

But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.

12:7 [我喜愛憐恤, 不喜愛祭祀.] 你們若明白這話的意思, 就不將無罪的, 當作有罪的了.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

12:8 因為人子是安息日的主.

For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

D.Lim: Christ taught/contended in Matt 12vv3,4 that David did what is right in the sight of God. There is no blame attached to what David did (ate the shewbread and shared it with those accompanied him).

Matt 12v5 � This is the law according to Jesus the Christ(Anointed). Profaning the sabbath in the temple is regarded as blameless.

Moreso, Jesus said in Matt 12v6, that this place having the presence of Christ (The Son of Man, God The Son, the Lord of the sabbath) is the sabbath being taken care of.

There is no sin in Christ.

Mark 2vv23-27 Repeating the naration in Matt 12vv1-8

2:23 耶穌當安息日, 從麥地經過. 祂的門徒行路的時候, 掐了麥穗.

And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

2:24 法利賽人對耶穌說, 看哪, 他們在安息日為甚麼作不可作的事呢.

And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

2:25 耶穌對他們說, (.經上記著.) 大衛和跟從他的人, 缺乏肌餓之時所作的事,你們沒有念過麼.

And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

2:26 他當亞比亞他作大祭司的時候, 怎樣進了神的殿, 吃了陳設餅, 又給跟從他的人吃. 這餅除了祭司以外, 人都不可吃.

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

2:27 又對他們說, 安息日是為人設立的, 人不是為安息日設立的.

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

2:28 所以人子也是安息日的主 Read also Luke 6vv1-5

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Matt 12:12 人比羊何等貴重呢. 所以在安息日作善事是可以的.

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. This saying of Christ occurs once in the Bible.

D.Lim: Very few appearance of these words. Yet they are spoken by Christ our Lord. We do not measure importance of teachings by the frequency of their occurrence; Rather, by their/its intention.

Even in our daily living, what is important is not necessarily most repeated(often found). Eg: Chinese fathers telling their kids that their father loves them. Very rare indeed, yet very important and real.

　

Sabbatarian: The issue is "REST"!

D.Lim: Not so. There are many issues. Ie: Yhwh is Lord of Sabbath. The question and issue is when people (especially those people of God) have need.

Sabbatarian: why do you keep insisting that you can't find a

distinction between work days and the Sabbath? It is

made so very clear in the forth commandment- KJV. The

Seventh day was both blessed and sanctified. To

sanctify something means to set it aside as a distinct

object for worship porpuses. By saying that any day is

equally blessed and sanctified would be to place

yourself in the place of God because you have

sanctifide your own day.

D.Lim: Everyday is made for men. The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. It is man who decide what to do in the God-given days.

Matt 12:12 人比羊何等貴重呢. 所以在安息日作善事是可以的.

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

It is not made very clear in the 4th commandment, may it be KJV or not.

The words of Christ (The Word) is required to understand it. The context of the Word being the whole Word of God.

The Bible contains much more than just one commandment. In fact the Jews are used to follow 613 commandments/laws. And Christians have the New Testament to rely on as well.

Taking the 4th commandment alone is taking a pre-text. Failing to interpret it in the context of the whole plan of God.

All festivals are sanctified. The 1st day of the week is sanctified and called the Lord�s Day.

Christians break bread daily and worship daily. It is lacking to worship on the Sabbath alone. God is not a 7th day only God.

We do not measure importance of teachings by the frequency of their occurrence; Rather, by their/its intention.

Sabbatarian: By saying that any day is

equally blessed and sanctified would be to place

yourself in the place of God because you have

sanctifide your own day.

D.Lim: I did not create the Lord�s Day. It is from the Scriptures (though having few appearance). To set it apart or aside is to set Scriptures aside.

D.Lim: Read also, Matt 12vv9-14, Mark 3vv1-6, Luke 6vv6-11

Matt 12 vv11-12:

12:11 耶穌說, 你們中間誰有一隻羊, 當安息日掉在坑裡, 不把他抓住拉上來呢.

And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out?

12:12 人比羊何等貴重呢. 所以在安息日作善事是可以的.

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

This saying of Christ in Matt 12v12 occurs once in the Bible.

　

Sabbatarian: In fact, it is also unwise

because God warned us about how the Beast would try to

change His law...and that we should not follow the

Beast.

D.Lim: Not following the spirit of Scriptures and the words therein Scriptures and to make a distinction of the 7th day, not worshipping the Lord Jesus on the Lord�s Day, is not showing any strength in the Truth.

Taking pre-texts is not being truthful.

Sabbatarian: Distinctions are important to God. He provided manna

to the hebrews on the 6 working days but not on the

Sabbath. Why? Is God arbitrary? But man continues to

try to erase the distinction between the Holy and the

unholy.

D.Lim: Distinctions are important. That does not mean anyone has to differentiate things according to the rules, pattern, theories, ideas, formats of somebody who is not God.

Read Mark 2vv23-27, and the repeated naration in Matt 12vv2-8.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

D.Lim: Firstly, they are guiltless. Secondly, but not less important, God desires mercy, not legalism and punishment.

Sabbatarian: even if I could convince you that the Sabbath was

never changed by Jesus or the apostles, you would

still say that the "spirit" has shown you differently.

D.Lim: Oh! Could you?

What would happen and what will be the reply if I said the same things?

We are to trust the Spirit Holy and to walk in Him. All education and reasoning are secondary, and need conformation with the Spirit of God. This is the sequence of importance.

The fact is that even the plain text shows a different picture to that of Sabbatarians.

And the Worldwide Church of God came to allow for freedom of action and interpretation for its members. No rigid rule is found. Even their founder, Herbert Armstrong told them to seek the truth by themselves, and not to trust every word he uttered.

Read Mark 2vv23-27, and the repeated naration in Matt 12vv2-8.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Sabbatarian: Here is biblical proof that the Sabbath ould not

possibly have been changed.

Luke 23:52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the

body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped

it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn

in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath

drew on.

55 And the women also, which came with him from

Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and

how his body was laid.

56 And they returned, and prepared spices and

ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the

commandment.

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very

early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre,

bringing the spices which they had prepared, and

certain others with them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the

sepulchre.

D.Lim: The Sabbath on Luke 23v54 is Wednesday evening to Thursday evening. It is the Day of Passover.

No mentioning that the Sabbath in Luke 23vv54 �56 is the 7th day.

D.Lim: Otherwise the women would have come to the tomb on Friday according to Jewish custom.

And taking the Roman Catholic calender, which is in error, Christ was buried on Good Friday just before sunset and the Sabbath of the 7th day. This would not allow the women to return and prepare spices and ointments. No time to buy them or to collect them, after mourning and burying Christ after 3pm on Good Friday.

Sabbatarian: The sequence clearly goes...Good

Friday--Sabbath--Resurection Sunday.

D.Lim: There is no alleged clarity.

If Christ were buried on the evening of Good Friday. This would give evening of Good Friday (perhaps 2 hours of sunlight left) to be counted as 1 day; Friday evening after sunset as the beginning of Sabbath (7th day) Saturday day time as 2nd day; Saturday sunset as beginning of the 1st day, counted as 1 day.So, 2 days and 2 nights, instead of 3 days and 3 nights.

How can you be more wrong, in following Roman Catholic customs, and in regards to the Sabbath and

Jewish festival?

Sabbatarian: Even after the crusifixion the Sabbath had not been

changed. So we must ask ourselves "can God's law be

changed after the Cross"?

D.Lim: God�s Law has not changed.

Read Mark 2vv23-27, and the repeated naration in Matt 12vv2-8.

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Sabbatarian: Here is some commentary by Joe Crews on this

subject...

D.Lim: Who is this Joe what??? Feeling weak? Needing some extra hand in this?

Sabbatarian: I had just finished preaching on the subject of the

Sabbath in one of my evangelistic crusades. As I

stepped off the platform to greet the people as they

left, three young men blocked my way in the aisle. One

of them addressed me in quite a loud voice - loud

enough to cause about fifty people near the front of

the auditorium to stop and listen.

D.Lim: This is then. And now, I have to give commentary to commentary as well!

Sabbatarian: "Brother Joe," he said, "we were disappointed tonight

with the way you put us back under the Old Covenant.

Don't you realize that we are living under the New

Covenant now, and should keep Sunday instead of the

Sabbath?"

D.Lim: Indeed, we Gentiles are living exclusively in the New Testament. Jewish believers still have to follow both OT and NT for the OT is exclusively for them.

I am not a NT only believer. I see nothing wrong taking a restful day on Sabbath and worshipping the Lord God on the 7th day. In fact, I even go to synagogue to worship with my Jewish brethren.

But, I do not worship the Lord exclusively on the 7th day. For there is the Lord�s Day. And afterall, we worship God and pray daily.

D.Lim: How and why? And what Scriptural reference? Well, afterall (not for a start as I have started), there is the "40 days prayer and fasting". We pray and have communion with God, worshipping daily.

And the 24 elders, Seraphim and Cherubim worship continuously.

D.Lim: Also, no reference in Scriptures for believers to rest 2 days in a week. So, if the Lord�s Day is for worshipping God, the very 1 day is spent for most people who needs to work 5 to 6 days a week.

And Sabbatarians, mostly, fail to work for their bosses on Sundays as compensation to early Friday vacation and Saturday vacation.

Sabbatarian: Although most of the congregation were leaving the

building, the group near the front gathered closer to

hear all that the young men were saying. It was

obvious that I would have to take the time to answer

this trio's challenging question. As I suspected, they

turned out to be young seminarians in training at a

local Bible college. Eagerly they held their Bibles in

their hands and waited triumphantly for me to answer.

D.Lim: Education and age have little to do with God given wisdom and knowhow.

The acceptance and use of idea that more occurrence means more importance is non-biblical, and not found in Scriptural teachings, and yet so widely used by students and graduates of seminaries.

Sabbatarian: Usually, I do not like to debate controversial matters

in a public forum, for fear of stirring combative

natures, but there seemed no way to avoid dealing with

these ministerial students. Anyway, they had my path

completely blocked, and the circle of listeners looked

at me expectantly for some explanation.

D.Lim: I was surround at times. There are always ways out, especially in church situation. It is wrong to assume or express "no way out". We are not living such violent societies in the West.

Sabbatarian: "Well, it seems as though you have studied the subject

of the covenants quite deeply," I suggested.

D.Lim: Wonder how it is known that these 3 are from seminaries.

Sabbatarian: "Oh, yes," they affirmed, "we know all about the

covenants."

D.Lim: That is their opinion being expressed by others. No certainty expressed or confirmed here.

Sabbatarian: "Good," I replied. "You undoubtedly know when the Old

Covenant was instituted." One of them spoke up

quickly, "It was started at Mt. Sinai."

D.Lim: There was the covenant with Adam and Eve; the covenant with Abraham much earlier.

And Job was earlier than Moses.

The 10 commandments alone do not represent the OT.

Sabbatarian: "And how was it ratified?" I asked. Without a moment's

hesitation one of them answered, "By the sprinkling of

the blood of an ox."

D.Lim: Abraham and Job and Abel were sprinkling blood. And God made leather clothes for Adam and Eve.

Sabbatarian: "Very good," I commented, "and how was the New

Covenant ratified?" All three chorused the answer, "By

the blood of Jesus on the cross."

D.Lim: If ratification means establishing the foundation and beginning, then it is done with long ago.

A mis-use of words and language is played upon here.

Sabbatarian: I commended the young men for their knowledge of the

Scriptures and asked them to read me two verses out of

their own Bibles - Hebrews 9:16, 17 and Galatians

3:15. They responded eagerly to the invitation, and

read the verses, commenting on each one after reading.

"We agree that the New Covenant did not go into effect

until after Christ died, and nothing can be added or

taken away after He ratified it on he cross," the

spokesman for the group asserted. All three nodded

their heads emphatically over this point.

Sabbatarian: I said, "Now you must answer two more questions for

me. Here's the first one, and you must think carefully

to give me the correct answer: When did Sunday-keeping

begin?" There was a moment of shocked silence, and

then another, and another. The boys looked at each

other, and then down at their feet, and then back at

me. I gently prodded them for the answer, "Surely you

can tell me the answer to this question. You have

known all the others, and have answered correctly.

When and why do you think people began keeping

Sunday?"

D.Lim: Sunday keeping began in Acts after the first Pentecost.

Sabbatarian: Finally, one of them said, "We keep Sunday in honor of

the resurrection of Jesus." I said, "Then I must ask

you my last question. How could Sundaykeeping be a

part of the New Covenant? You just stated that nothing

could be added after the death of Christ. He died on

Friday and was resurrected on Sunday. If Sunday was

added after Jesus died, it could never be a part of

the New Covenant, could it?"

D.Lim: Much of Scriptures (NT) are written and established after the death and ressurection of Christ.

A mistake made by 3 does not make a Sabbatarian or 2 or 3 right.

Dieing on Friday? What a Roman Catholic mentality! What stupidity!

　

Sabbatarian: The three young men shuffled their feet, looked

helplessly around, and one of them said, "We'll study

into that and talk to you later." Then they fled from

that auditorium as fast as they could go. I can assure

you, also, that they never returned to talk further

about the covenants.

D.Lim: Read Mark 2vv23-27, and the repeated naration in Matt 12vv2-8.

.. I will have mercy, and not sacrifice . .

Sabbatarian: The fact is that Sundaykeeping, even if it had started

on the day of the resurrection, would have been three

days too late to get into the New Covenant. Both Bible

and history prove that Sunday was never observed by

the apostolic church. It was added much, much later as

a result of the gradual apostasy which developed in

the early centuries of the church and which culminated

in the pagan accommodation of Constantine in 330 A.D.

D.Lim: This "The fact" is wrong.

The OT does not get completed right with Moses.

The naration of David is regarded as the law by Jesus and His opponents the Jews.

The OT ends with Malachi. And the NT ends with Revelation; not the death of Christ.

\0/ \0/ \0/

Mark 3vv2-5:

3:2 眾人窺探耶穌, 在安息日醫治不醫治, 意思是要控告耶穌.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

3:3 耶穌對那枯乾一隻手的人說, 起來, 站在當中.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

3:4 又問眾人說, 在安息日行善行惡, 救命害命, 那樣是可以的呢. 他們都不作聲.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

3:5 耶穌怒目周圍看他們, 憂愁他們的心剛硬, 就對那人說, 伸出手來. 他把手一伸, 手就復了原.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

D.Lim: The Sabbath is for doing good. Rest if resting is good. Work for the good if the opportunities present themselves.

John 19v31:

19:31 猶太人因這日是預備日, 又因那安息日是個大日, 就求彼拉多叫人打斷他們的腿, 把他們拿去, 免得屍首當安息日留在十字架上.

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. -KJV

D.Lim: This sabbath is a high day � holy day! Not a restful day!

It was part of the days of Passover; high days, sabbath.

The wording is not that the sabbath was coming; but that it was the preparation. That sabbath! Not the coming sabbath!

Do Sabbatarians worship or rest during the 7 days of Passover? And Pentecost?

Acts 13:27 耶路撒冷居住的人, 和他們的官長, 因為不認識基督, 也不明白每日安息日所讀眾先知的書, 就把基督定了死罪, 正應了先知的預言.

For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.

D.Lim: The OT does not consist of Moses only.

Hebrews 4 vv9-11:

4:9 這樣看來, 必另有一安息日的安息, 為神的子民存留.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

4:10 因為那進入安息的, 乃是歇了自己的工, 正如神歇了他的工一樣.

For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

4:11 所以我們務必竭力進入那安息, 免得有人學那不信從的樣子跌倒了.

Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

D.Lim: The OT sabbath is only a shadow of what is to come. Strive to this Godly Rest reserved for His people. Let each sabbath be a reminder for the goodness of God Almighty.

Matt 12:12 人比羊何等貴重呢. 所以在安息日作善事是可以的.

How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. -KJV

D.Lim: Abstaining from work on Sabbath and rest is good. Helping the needy is also doing good. Both are good. So, what is to be done? To do the good part that benefit(building up in well-being rather than tearing down) is the spirit of the law.

So Christ said in Matt 12v12 � it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

It is also lawful to do good daily, all the time. Hence, all days are sanctified by the Lord, to do good.

Lets be 7 days Christians/believers, and not just 7th day Christians/believers.

Lets die to sin daily. Lets avoid sinning daily. And Glory be to God.