Yes the word Sabbath does not appear before Exodus 16, however there is no question that the 7th day was sanctified and hallowed by God in Gen 2 before sin began.
Agreed. However, can you point us to the passage where God santified and hallowed the seventh day for man's use (hint: there isn't such a reference until the book of Exodus)?
It is from this basis that I am arguing that people must cease linking the Sabbath with the the Cross, Old / New Covenant.
But we've yet to establish a Biblical basis for assuming that God gave the sabbath to man at the end of creation week. Without that basis, we are merely building doctrines on assumptions.
This is an independent institution that God gave us to recognize him as a creator.
Please read Deuteronomy 5. The sabbath was not given only as a reminder of creation. It was also given as a reminder of the exodus from Egypt, an event that had not occurred until many years after creation.
When God instructed Israel in Exod 20 he said: "Remember the Sabbath...". You do not remember something that you were not aware of previously.
Last night, for the first time ever, my daughter participated in a saltbox derby. When she left out of the door, I told her to remember her permission slip. I had never told her this before. There was no pre-existing command. It was a first-time command.
Secondly! "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;[7]Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Isaiah 56:6-7. This verse clearly shows that all who join themselves to the Lord (not the Jews only) will share in God's blessings. The Jews were God's chosen nation in the old testament, hovever the blessings endowed on them are upon all the Christians who keep the Sabbath.
Isaiah 56 is a reference to those Gentiles who dwelled alongside Israelites and lived like them. There are many parallel references to the aliens who dwell with Israelites.
However, let's consider carefully what Isaiah 56 says. Clearly, God had commanded sabbatarians to offer burnt offerings in conjunction with their sabbath observance (see also Numbers 28:9-10, 1 Chronicles 23:31, 2 Chronicles 2:4, 2 Chronicles 8:13, 2 Chronicles 31:3, Ezekiel 46:4). Can we conclude that those who do not offer such sacrifices are really observing the sabbath?
Your last paragraph where you quote Galatians and other books when arguing that the law is not our schoolmaster are ok provided they not be taken out of context and ignore other scriptures demanding us to live righteously (Gal 5:22-23; II Pet 1:9).
In fact, the Bible teaches that we must die to the law in order to be joined with the Spirit:
"Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." Romans 7:1-6
According to Verse 7, the law being discussed clearly includes the ten commandments. The analogy here relates to marriage. A person must die to one spouse in order to be legally joined with another.
While I still take no issue whatsoever with your sabbath observance, I note that you are concerned about the fact that I have died to the law. It seems as though you would prefer that I die to the law so that I can marry the Spirit and then commit spiritual adultery with the law. Can you help me understand this?
I know of people who condone smoking, drinking, porn, etc because they say we are not under the law.
I don't know such people, and I am very sad that you do.
Jesus promised that He would sent the Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. Justified persons are recipients of that important gift. The Spirit convicts us with respect to sin and righteousness and judgment (see John 14 and 16). The ministry of the Spirit is lasting and brings life, but the ministry of letters engraved on stones is fading and brings death (see 2 Corinthians 3).
These people go up in smoke when they discover that their wives are cheating on them. Why won't they excuse their wives since we're not under the law ? Becareful how you interprete these verses.
Indeed. Care should be taken. Here is what the Bible says:
"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be." Romans 5-6
Grace is not a license to sin, nor am I advocating for sin. Rather, I am discussing that which the Scripture teaches regarding the law. The law was added 430 years after Abraham and only until the Seed had come. Jesus Christ promised to send the Spirit, and we are indeed recipients of the ministry of the Spirit. I advocate for the Spirit, not law. I advocate for the gospel, not observances.
You wanted to know why I do not set aside every seventh day for the purpose of rest. I have articulated my reasons. My wife and I have maintained certain traditions that we established while we were sabbatarians, traditions that we enjoy. However, we don't make the claim that such traditions represent Biblical sabbath keeping and we don't advocate for others to do as we do. If the sabbath remains a blessing for you, I am happy for it and would never wish to rob you of that blessing. I have not and will not ask you to change your seventh day behavior and I have no burden one way or another regarding that which you do on the seventh day.
BFA
