Who is us? Although God's rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:3) did foreshadow a future sabbath law, there is no Biblical record of the sabbath before the children of Israel left the land of Egypt.
Not really Dan but allow me by Gods' grace to explain why from the scriptures. Genesis 2:3 shows that God's "seventh day" Sabbath was made on the "
seventh day" of the creation week where God blessed the "seventh day" and made the "seventh day" a holy day of rest for
all mankind (see and compared Mark 2:27-28 with Genesis 2:1-3 and Exodus 20:8-11). Tell me dear friend you claim here that the Sabbath of creation is a "
shadow law" which is not biblical neither is it possible. How can God's 4th commandment "seventh day" weekly Sabbath be a "shadow law" pointing forward to things to come (Colossians 2:17) when it points backwards to the
finished work of creation as a memorial of creation when Gods' 4th commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) says "
Remember" the Sabbath day to keep it holy"? It is impossible for God's 4th commandment to be a "
Shadow law pointing to things to come" because it points backward
not forwards. "Shadows laws" are referring to those laws of the old covenant pointing to the coming of Christ as well as God's plan of salvation for mankind under the new covenant. Why it is impossible that the Sabbath is a "shadow law" was made for mankind at a time when there was
no sin and or plan of salvation given because mankind did not need saving. So your claims here Dan are not biblical.
Nowhere in scripture is there any hint that sabbath keeping was practiced from Adam to Moses.
Arguments in silence do not say one way or another of Gods' people had and kept Gods' law through the spoken Word or not but the scripture is very clear and does not agree with you here in Genesis 26:5 where God says; [5], Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. It is clear also from a reading of the scriptures in Genesis that God's people had a knowledge of what sin is and there is no sin without law because the scriptures teach that through the law we have a knowledge of what sin is *Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7; 1 John 3:4; James 2:10-11; Psalms 119:172. It is very clear that Genesis say Gods' people knew Gods law through the spoken Word of God even though they did not at that time had the written Word of God.
Look at Deuteronomy 5:1-15 which gives the commandments to Israel. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive.
The Mosaic covenant was not the same as the covenant made with Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob there was a lot more added to it as it was for the nation of Israel in the flesh under the old covenant who were to drive out the inhabitants of the land. Many of the same laws however were still carried over into the Mosaic covenant (e.g. circumcision *Exodus 4:23-26; animal sacrifice for sins and sin offerings *Genesis 4:3-5; 22:2-13; 35:14; Exodus 18:12) God law as the standard of good and evil *Genesis 26:5; Genesis 20:9; Genesis 39:9; etc). Yet many laws were unique as well to the nation of Israel as well and not the same as the earlier covenants (e.g. the Levitical Priesthood for sin offerings *Exodus 28:3-41; 29:44; 30:30; 31:10; 36:19; 40:15; the earthly Sanctuary service *Exodus 25:8; 36:3-6; 38:21; Leviticus 1 to Leviticus 16 the annual Feast days *Exodus 23:14-16; 34:18-22; Leviticus 23:1-44, the dietary *Leviticus 11:1-47 and civil laws *
Deuteronomy 17:1-5; 14:6-10;
Exodus 22:20;
Exodus 20:4 Exodus 20:4;
Deuteronomy 27: 15;
Exodus 20:7;
Leviticus 24:16;
Exodus 20:12;
Exodus 21:15-17; E
xodus 20: 13;
Leviticus 24:17;
Numbers 35:31-33;
Exodus 20:14;
Leviticus 20:10 etc ; the blessings and the curses for following and not following God *Deuteronomy 28 to Deuteronomy 30; the old covenant sub laws all from written in the Mosaic book of the old covenant *Exodus 24:7 etc). So your point here is what?
Nehemiah 9:13 - “Then You came down on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments. 14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, Through Your servant Moses. God's Word makes it clear that sabbath observance was a sign between God and Israel: "The Israelites are to observe the sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested." (Exodus 31:16-17). In Deuteronomy 5, Moses restates the Ten Commandments to the next generation of Israelites. Here, after commanding sabbath observance in verses 12–14, Moses gives the reason the sabbath was given to the nation of Israel: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:15).
Thanks I agree with the scriptures but not your argument. Your argument here is the Gods "seventh day" Sabbath was given as a sign to Israel which I also agree with. What your not considering however here is that the name "Israel" is a name given by God to His people and that in the new covenant Gods' Israel is no longer those born of the flesh of the seed of Abraham but all those who are now born of the Spirit through believing and following Gods' Word. For example...
EPHESIANS 2:11-13 [11], Why remember, that you being in TIME PAST Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12], That AT THAT TIME [in the Past] YOU WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, BEING ALIENS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANT OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE, AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD: [13], BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, YOU WHO WERE FAR OFF ARE MADE NEAR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
GALATIANS 3:28-29 [28], THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: FOR YOU ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS AND IF YOU BE CHRISTS, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM'S SEED FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS [29], and IF YOU BE CHRISTS, THEN ARE YOU ABRAHAM'S SEED, AND HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE.
God's true ISRAEL in the NEW COVENANT are not by name only but all those in Christ. Those of the FLESH (sinful human nature) are not Abrahams seed but those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW God in Christ are God's ISRAEL...
ROMANS 9:6-8 [6], FOR THEY ARE NOT ALL ISRAEL WHICH ARE OF ISRAEL,: [7], NEITHER, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE SEED OF ABRAHAM, ARE THEY ALL CHILDREN: but in Isaac shall thy seed be called <Christ> [8], That is, THEY WHICH ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FLESH, THESE ARE NOT THE CHILDREN OF GOD: BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE <those who believe> ARE COUNTED FOR THE SEED.
God's ISRAEL are all those in CHRIST that have been given a NEW HEART according to the NEW COVENANT promise...
ROMANS 2:28-29 [28], FOR HE IS NOT A JEW WHICH IS ONE OUTWARDLY; NEITHER IS THAT CIRCUMCISION, WHICH IS OUTWARDS IN THE FLESH: [29], BUT HE IS A JEW WHICH IS ONE INWARDLY; and CIRCUMCISION IS OF THE HEART, IN THE SPIRIT, AND NOT IN THE LETTER; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
In the NEW COVENANT all those in Christ are are God's ISRAEL...
COLOSSIANS 3:11 [11], WHERE THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: BUT CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL.
ROMANS 10:11-13 [11], For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12], FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEW OR GREEK: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13], FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.
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That being the case God's Word and promises are still the same although Gods' Israel in the new covenant are now all those who believe and follow Gods' Word and is why the Sabbath is an everlasting covenant and a sign that Gods' people believe and follow His Word.
Under the new covenant, we read - Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)
Again this is already answered in detailed scripture responses in
post # 240 linked and
post # 253 linked and the scriptures provided in them. Let me spell it out simply now that the scriptures have already been provided in a detailed response in the linked posts above. "Shadows of things to come are referring to those shadow laws of the old covenant pointing to the coming of Christ as well as God's plan of salvation for mankind under the new covenant. That does not mean they are Christ but point to His coming and His work of salvation for all mankind as shown in
Hebrews 7:1-25;
Hebrews 8:1-13;
Hebrews 9:1-27 and
Hebrews 10:1-22.
Post # 240 linked proves from the scriptures of the old covenant which Paul is referring to both within the scripture context that
Colossians 2:16 is in reference to the annual shadow sabbaths in the Feast days pointing to Christs sacrifice for the sins of the world and not Gods' Sabbath of the 4th commandment that the scripture does not say "the Sabbath" but "sabbath days" or "sabbaths" which is genitive neuter plural application to sabbath in context to the Feasts, new moons and meat and drink offerings. While
post # 253 linked proves that it is impossible for Gods' 4th commandment to be a shadow law pointing to the body of Christ because it does not point forward to things to come but backwards as a memorial of creation before sin and before shadow laws from the old covenant and before Gods' plan of salvation because mankind had not sinned and did not need saving when God made the "seventh day" Sabbath for all mankind.
Hope this is helpful.