To understand the importance of Gods Sabbath as it portains to his authority we begin at the first day of creation.
Genesis 1:1-5
Genesis 2:1-3
Genesis 2:15-17
Exodus 20:1-21
Exodus 24:1-12
When Jesus came nothing was changed, the mark of Gods authority written in his commandments and his Sabbath were reconfirmed and made sure by Jesus and his testimonies.
The issue is far more than the day of worship. The day symbolizes the experience and commitment of God's true people; and even more than this, it becomes an ultimate vindication of God's character and His law, showing that what God asks is not impossible, with His power. Those who receive God's seal upon their foreheads are God's commandment-keeping people, those who accept what the standard he set at creation and will be followed even in heaven.
Genesis 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning were the first day.
Thus the first day finished and we are told that Jesus was here with God as part of the trinity and yet he didnt make any claim for this day or mark it as a special day for man. Now contrast this with the way the seventh day is set aside:Genesis 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [a] from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
So the creator of the heavens and earth rested from all his work on the seventh day and blessed it and made it holy. Was he tired after all those days of creation, of course not. He was making a exclamation point on his creation that it was his, and to drive the point home he set his standard or mark on it, the seal of his authority. This seal or mark. much as one see's on the front of stands of world leaders, was set on this planet to show his domain, lay claim, delineate his area of authority. Nothing was made on the sabbath so there was no reason for him to create it except as a gift which he had the power and authority to do. God placed His presence in the Sabbath by resting on that day. He "sanctified" the Sabbath, i.e., separated it, set it apart for holy use or purpose. He, not man, made the seventh day then made it the Sabbath and made it Holy. There were not six days of creation, but seven. On the Seventh Day, the Creator ended His work, not His creating. He created the Sabbath by His rest. Now since sin had not yet occurred on earth the concepts of murder or stealing had no meaning to Adam or Eve so in addition to the Sabbath God showed his mark by giving them embodiment of his laws protecting them from sin. They still had a choice to obey, they were not held back from sinning but being in Gods love they had no need for anything in sin. God tells Man the results of going beyond Gods authority and into that of another, of making this choice which results in the wages of sin:Genesis 2:15-17
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
This is why Satam fights so hard to wipe of the evidence of creation and do away with peoples belief in it as it sets Gods domain and the Sabbath his mark for all time. All the other commandments man could hide his sin or keep their sin from being uncovered so God put a clear mark showing his standard, so to follow the Sabbath it had to be evident, a clear sign to others of our love for God. Man brings his standard or flag and plants it to claim the domain of their King or Country so that all can see their declaration of authority, so the Sabbath at creation was Gods flag. It shows who put his standard on this earth at creation and claimed it as his own and put a sign of his authority on it, and who the upsurper is with his false claims and false days and times of worship."..The change from Sabbath to Sunday was not simply one of names or numbers, but of authority, meaning and experience. It was a change from a holy day divinely established to enable us to experience more freely and more fully the awareness of divine presence and peace in our lives, into holiday which has become an occasion to seek for personal pleasure and profit...." HOW IT CAME ABOUT:FROM SABBATH TO SUNDAY ?Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University
After the fall into sin the generarations following knew of Gods standard and his Sabbath, and those who "walked with God" like Noah, followed his authority of his laws and his mark of authority embodied in his day he had made holy and set aside for man.Genesis 6:9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
The generations knew the charge which they had been giving as Abraham obeyed Gods authority embodied in his laws and his statutes.Genesis 26:4-5 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
For generations it was passed on from father to son, but when the children of Isreal came out of Egypt there were many who had not known of the God of Creation, Noah or Abraham. So he told them:Exodus 20:1-21
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." 21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
So to make sure they had understanding he put it down on stone, but it was still the same Sabbath and laws, nothing was changed, the mark of Gods authority still were embodied in his laws and his statutes.Exodus 24:1-12
1 Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him."
3 When Moses went and told the people all the LORD's words and laws, they responded with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said we will do." 4 Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings [a] to the LORD. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, [b] clear as the sky itself. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. 12 The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction."
When Jesus came nothing was changed, the mark of Gods authority written in his commandments and his Sabbath were reconfirmed and made sure by Jesus and his testimonies.
Mark 1:21-22 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
Mark 6:2, 5 And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? . . . . And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Luke 4:16, 31 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read . . . . And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.
Luke 13:10 And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.
So do you think God will change his law and the Sabbath at the end of time, no the forces of evil will be the instigators and will try to upsurp Gods seal of authority. This is why they work so hard to destroy his mark as it is a visible sign of those who follow God, it is his standard and they must bring it down, wipe it out, make the people hate it and some have.The issue is far more than the day of worship. The day symbolizes the experience and commitment of God's true people; and even more than this, it becomes an ultimate vindication of God's character and His law, showing that what God asks is not impossible, with His power. Those who receive God's seal upon their foreheads are God's commandment-keeping people, those who accept what the standard he set at creation and will be followed even in heaven.
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.(Rev 12:17).
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Rev 14:12).
To have the law of God written in heart and mind, so as to survive during the difficult times ahead, means to fill our minds with the "present truth" and love of the Bible, and to have as our greatest desire to set our eyes on Jesus at His return. "There is no place in our foreheads for the seal of the living God" if it is filled with the cares and pleasures of this world (Broadside, Jan. 3, 1849).
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