Genesis 2 2And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Eric, do you think that it is possible for God to speak without those around Him listening to what He says? Do you think He speaks meaningless, and trifling words? The very act of the creation account reveals the power, and seriousness of the word of God. His word is living and active. He speaks only purity, and truth, and His word brings about the very thing He speaks.
You think that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day at creation, and then everyone just more or less ignored what He said from that point on, until He spoke the law to Israel. You do not understand the word of God. It is certainly a greater presumption on your part to believe this about God’s words concerning the seventh day at creation, than for me to believe that His word was heard, understood, and acted upon by those who heard it.
Job 381Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb? 9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it, 10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, 11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
Apparently, all the sons of God were present at creation, and they shouted for joy over it. Do you really believe that God blessed and sanctified the seventh day in front of Adam and Eve, and all the sons of God, and none of them took note of it, and treated it as what God had pronounced it? I believe this is just what you want to believe, so that you can ignore the fourth commandment. Never the less, I am not your judge, God is, and it is by His word that you will be judged not mine.
Isaiah 55 6Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God’s word is not like mans. When God speaks, the thing is so. The seventh day Sabbath has been a blessed and holy day since the creation of the world. No one can change that, but God alone. Nor do the scriptures anywhere speak of such a change.
Proverbs 30 4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? 5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Do you want to be found a liar brother? God blessed and sanctified the day at creation, and it has been so ever since. Will you argue with the God? What would you have done brother, if you were there? Would you really have just treated that day the same as all the rest after hearing God bless and sanctify it? I think not.
Mark 7 Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Are you sure brother, that you are not guilty of the above spoken by Jesus? Have you set up your own tradition, or teaching, above the command of God?
Luke 4 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Are you living by every word of God, while ignoring the fact that He blessed and sanctified the seventh day? What about your influence upon others to do the same? You know for certain, that God did bless and sanctify the day. Do you know for certain, that He has removed that blessing? If not, should you continue to follow your present course? We must be careful not to add, or take away from God’s word, for the consequences are certainly eternal.
Hebrews 4 12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
We will all be judged by the word of God. Moreover, by the way we handle it. It is not here for our speculation. It is here as God’s voice of authority as our creator and sustainer. We are subject to it, it is not subject to our own understanding.
Hebrews 11 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
There is only one reason to observe the seventh day Sabbath. That is because you believe, that is, have faith in the word of God. He blessed and sanctified the day, the only thing left for us to do, is act as though we believe it. This is why the day of worship we choose is the perfect symbol, or sign if you will, of our faith. There is nothing that distinguishes it from any of the rest, save that God said that it was blessed and sanctified. To observe it as such is purely an act of faith. This is why the two days of worship, the seventh day, or the first day, will become the deciding issue for all mankind. God established one, while man established the other. The bottom line will be, who you put your faith in.
1 Peter 1 23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
The word of the Lord endures forever Eric. That includes His words blessing, and sanctifying the seventh day. It doesn’t matter how many people say it isn’t so. God is the only one who can change anything about His word. He has stated however, in no uncertain terms, that His law will not change until heaven and earth pass. Of course, we know that hasn’t happened yet.
Revelation 19 11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Jesus Christ is the WORD OF GOD. He created the world by His word. He spoke and it stood fast. His commands are pure, and true, and infinitely powerful. They stand forever. We will all be judged by the WORD OF GOD. Just as His word can, and has created, so can, and will His word destroy those who do not submit to it. The WORD OF GOD is salvation to those who believe and submit to it, but it is a sword of destruction to those who resist and ignore it.
Bye for now. Y. b. in C. Keith
