Question about Jesus and the Sabbath

[Faith In God]

Okay. Recall the verse where Jesus' disciples picked some heads of grain and started eating them.

The Pharisees asked why Jesus let His disciples break the Sabbath.

Jesus replied by citing the instance when David was fleeing King Saul and ate old shewbread. I did some research, and found two things:

1) Technically, only the priest was to eat it. Among other things, this was the priests' sustainance. But Moses said merely that no one else was to eat it, not that those who eat it are to be punished...

2) The priest checked to make sure that David and his mean were "undefiled" (ie if they had lain with women recently).

What does this say about the Sabbath? The things the two incidents have in common are people out without anything to eat, eating something that is kinda not supposed to be eaten...

Can someone explain this to me? I post here because if I did elsewhere, half of the answers would be "This proves Jesus didn't keep the Sabbath!" and I know that's bull.

...

 

[woobadooba]

Okay. Recall the verse where Jesus' disciples picked some heads of grain and started eating them.

The Pharisees asked why Jesus let His disciples break the Sabbath.

Jesus replied by citing the instance when David was fleeing King Saul and ate old shewbread. I did some research, and found two things:

1) Technically, only the priest was to eat it. Among other things, this was the priests' sustainance. But Moses said merely that no one else was to eat it, not that those who eat it are to be punished...

2) The priest checked to make sure that David and his mean were "undefiled" (ie if they had lain with women recently).

What does this say about the Sabbath? The things the two incidents have in common are people out without anything to eat, eating something that is kinda not supposed to be eaten...

Can someone explain this to me? I post here because if I did elsewhere, half of the answers would be "This proves Jesus didn't keep the Sabbath!" and I know that's bull.

...

The point that Jesus was making in using that argument is that the law was never meant to burden God's people, but to be a blessing to them. But the Pharisees put all kinds of rules and restrictions on the Sabbath command, thereby making life difficult for those who sought to keep it holy. Inevitably such rules and restrictions led the people to forget the true purpose of the Sabbath day, that it is a time for healing, not a time to take life away.

Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day; and Jesus never could have broken the Sabbath because He did nothing but what was good all the time. It was only according to the vain beliefs of those who marred the true meaning of the Sabbath that Jesus violated it, but not according to the purpose for which it was established by God.

Thus it was the same with the shewbread, which represented the bread of life. Therefore, if David and his men starved themselves to death for the purpose of keeping the bread holy, then how could that bread have fulfilled its true purpose? Again, the essence of the law is about giving life, not taking it away. And as long as the law is used for the purpose for which it was given--to give life, it is impossible to break it.

 

[Faith In God]

The point that Jesus was making in using that argument is that the law was never meant to burden God's people, but to be a blessing to them. Thus the Pharisees put all kinds of rules and restrictions on the Sabbath command, thereby making life difficult for those who sought to keep it holy. Inevitably such rules and restrictions led the people to forget the true purpose of the Sabbath day, that it is a time for healing, not a time to take life away.

Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. Thus Jesus never could have broken the Sabbath because He did nothing but what was good all the time. It was only according to the vain beliefs of those who marred the true meaning of the Sabbath that Jesus' violated it, but not according to the purpose for which it was established by God.

So it was the same with the shewbread, which represented the bread of life. If David and his men starved themselves to death for the purpose of keeping the bread holy, then how could that bread have fulfilled its true purpose? Again, the essence of the law is about giving life, not taking it away. And as long as the law is used for the purpose for which it was given, that is, to give life, it is impossible to break it.

Thanks!

I probably knew that. That's why I'm agreeing so readily. I've been looking at this for a while.
It just really solidifies doctrine when you study it yourself and then hear someone else who's been there confirm/redirect your studies.

God bless

 

[Sophia7]

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[Faith In God]

Thank you so much for your time. And for the explanation, of course.

God bless!

 

[TrustAndObey]

When I first became a Sabbath-keeper I got hit with the whole "but Jesus broke the Sabbath....the Pharisees said so!" argument several times. Even just a quick glance at the New Testament makes it clear who people are siding with when they agree with the Pharisees.

Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites, vipers, and liars! He even mentioned their fate quite a few times. These were not people that we want to agree with, as evidenced by our Savior.

I'm pretty blunt when I hear someone say that now. Just tell them "so you agree with the enemies of Christ? Those people wanted to kill Him!"

Matthew 12:14 - Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

Anyone that tells you Christ broke the Sabbath is, without a doubt, agreeing with men that wanted Him dead.

 

[JasMate]

The point that Jesus was making in using that argument is that the law was never meant to burden God's people, but to be a blessing to them

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

From my readings the new testament describes the law as a curse, a burden, not a blessing, remember it was introduced because of sin simarly when you commit a crime you must pay a fine

 

[tall73]

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

From my readings the new testament describes the law as a curse, a burden, not a blessing, remember it was introduced because of sin simarly when you commit a crime you must pay a fine

The new covenant wrote the law on the heart.

And Romans 7 describes the law as holy, righteous and good. It does bring a curse of course...but that is because of our sin. Sin is the problem. If we didn't sin we would have no problem with the law.

The law, as you mentioned, was given because of sin. But it was always, according to Romans 2, in the conscience. It is a reflection of God's ways.

The goal of the new covenant is to get away from the cold laws of stone on the tablets, to the indwelling Christ who puts the law back into our hearts. Therefore as Paul says the "righteous requirements of the law are fully met in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.