A MESSAGE TO ALL SABBATARIANS 2
(WAS THE SABBATH NOT A PERPETUAL ORDINANCE?)
QUESTION: “Please what is the meaning of this passage in the Bible; Exodus 31:12-18?
ANSWER:
Please this is what the text quoted in the question says:
“12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”
EXPLANATION AND ANALYSIS:
So let’s analyze it with the Bible words! Always remember the Bible is its own Best Commentary.
No. 1 - When was this statement made by God? - on mount Sinai when God first gave them the law. It was the very first time God had written a law for any group of people. Remember, they were still on their way to the promise land.
No. 2 - When God spoke those words, He was emphatically clear about those people - the People of Israel! Interestingly the passage contains 7 verses, and out of that God mentioned the phrase “children of Israel” three times and used pronouns representing them three times. So 6 times in 7 verses God emphasized that He was talking about the children of Israel. And there were other nations yet God gave it to them alone.
No. 3 - then after they have journeyed for approximately 40years, (note; when God called them together for the laws to be given, they had just left Egypt, they were in their 3rd month- Exo. 19:1), so after forty years Moses, had a general assembly meeting with them, to highlight some important points. In that meeting Moses told them the laws God gave them was for them alone and no nation was part.
Deut. 5:1-6 (cf: Psalm 147:19-20)
1 And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.
3 The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.
4 The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,
5 (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
6 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So Moses declared that the law was for only the nation Israel.
No. 4 - Then Moses told them in that general assembly meeting that God is going to (futuristic) bring a Prophet like Moses, who, when He comes will tell them what God wants! Deut. 18:15-19. Note, they had not yet entered the land of Canaan.
No. 5. - After they entered the land, Jeremiah the prophet, told them God is going to establish a New Covenant. And when it is done, Israel will cease from being a nation before Him forever. (Jer. 31:31-36.
No. 6 - That New Covenant was established by Jesus Christ in His blood (Mat. 26:28; Luke 22:19-22)
28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This New Covenant (Testament) was established and it being new, renders the first one which Moses was the mediator, old and obsolete according to the Bible (Heb. 8:4-13).
No. 7 - It is therefore imperative to understand that according to What God said through Moses in Deut. 18:15-19, anyone refusing to let the old one Moses mediated remain in the past but ignoring the New One which Jesus is the Mediator (Heb. 8:6; 1 Tim. 2:5), just because that person wants to keep the Sabbath or Pay&Collect Tithe or Play Instruments in their music as was the practice of the Old Covenant; the person forfeits his or her salvation through Jesus Christ and cannot have any relationship with Jesus if he continues to hold on to the Old Testament practices. Note: Thou Saith The Word of God in these passages: Gal. 5:1-6; Hebrews chapters 8, 9, 10; 2 Cor. 3, especially 2 John 9 (cf. 1 John 5:11-12).
2 John 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
1 John 5:
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
From all these and Screening throughout the Bible, can anyone request that we Gentiles in the Dispensation of Christianity go and observe the Sabbath?? You are right, the answer is No!
In fact, the Bible categorically states that the Sabbath and the old covenant have been taken away, after Jesus nailed it on the cross! Col. 2:14-17
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
God Bless you!
