The Sabbath

Written by Ferrell Jenkins, this article appeared in July 11, 1971 edition of "The Gospel Teacher". It was published by the Church of Christ in Hilliard, Ohio.

The sabbath is the seventh day of the week or the day we know as Saturday. In considering the question as to whether Christians are to keep the sabbath it is important to notice that the sabbath was a part of the national covenant that God made with Israel. In Exodus 31:12-17 the Lord explained this matter and said to Israel that the sabbath was, "a sign between me and you." If the sabbath was a command to all the nations (both Jews and Gentiles) how could it have been a sign between God and one nation? The following syllogism should make this clear:

The Covenant, the Ten Commandments, was given to the Israelites only.
The Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments, therefore:
The Sabbath was given to the Israelites only.
No Gentile was ever commanded to keep the sabbath.

The sabbath was a day of rest for the Israelites. When was the sabbath given to man as a day of rest? Some claim that this was given in the Garden of Eden but the Bible does not bear this out. It is true that in giving the sabbath, God used the same day upon which he had rested or ceased the work of the creation, but according to the Scriptures no man ever kept the sabbath before Exodus 16:23. This is, in fact the first mention of the sabbath in the Bible. There is no written evidence that anyone even knew what day God rested until Genesis was written about 1500 B. C. Nehemiah 9:13-14 further bears out that the sabbath was given at Mt. Sinai by Moses.

The Jews were told to rest on the sabbath. Those who violated this command were punished. On the sabbath the Jews were not to build a fire (Exodus 25:3). In the book of Nehemiah they are instructed not to buy various goods (Nehemiah 10:31), do certain work (13:15-19) or even to pass out of the city gates (13:19) on the sabbath. We see in light of these instructions that no person today can keep the sabbath.

Another reason no one can keep the sabbath day today is that it was given as a memorial of the exit of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Deuteronomy 5:15). Let me illustrate the point this way: The 4th of July is a memorial to the American nation of her independence from England but no one expects England to observe it. Neither should anyone expect Gentiles to keep the sabbath which was a memorial of an event in Jewish history.

When the Law of Moses was fulfilled by Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18) and taken away (Colossians 2:14-17, Ephesians 2:14-17, II Corinthians 3:1-16, Galatians 4:21-31) the sabbath, being a part of it was taken away also. It is no longer binding, even on Jews.

A distinction is sometimes made between the "moral" and "ceremonial" law or the law of God and the law of Moses. It is admitted by those who make this distinction that the ceremonial law or the law of Moses was abolished but that the law of God or the moral law still remains. The Bible makes no such distinction! The terms law of God and law of Moses are used interchangeably. Ezra was said to be, "a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given." (Ezra 7:6) Hilkiah, "found the Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses." (II Chronicles 34:14) We see from these references that God gave the law of Moses and Moses gave the law of God. Several offerings which would certainly be ceremonial are mentioned in II Chronicles 31:3 as being written in the law of the Lord. Ezra read in the "book of the Law of Moses", "the Book of the Law" and "the book, the Law of God". (Nehemiah 8:1, 3, 8) The man-made distinction between the ceremonial moral or the law of God and the law of Moses fails every time. Since the Bible makes no such distinction, we should not!

The expression "Christian Sabbath" with reference to the first day of the week is certainly not a Biblical expression. We might as well talk about Christian bowls of incense or Christian animal sacrifices as to talk about a Christian sabbath. Christians meet for worship and to observe the memorial of the death of Christ, the Lord's Supper on the first day of the week. We do not KEEP the first day of the week. Jesus was raised from the dead on the first day of the week and the church was established on that day. In Acts 20:7, we read of the Christians at Troas meeting on the first day of the week to break bread. The Lord's Supper was observed on the Lord's day. (I Corinthians 11:20, Revelation 1:10)

Let us ever strive to know God's will, to do it and teach it. Let us endeavor to call Bible things by Bible names. We need to clear up the confusion in many minds about the sabbath and the first day of the week; the Lord's day.