The Fourth Commandment in Principle

I realize all the different views concerning this subject. However, I wanted to present a view you may not have thought about or have been introduced to that is found in the two most used Baptists confessions of faith (New Hampshire, The Philadelphia or London Confession).

First, the law was never designed by God to justify, sanctify or save the elect but merely to define sin and instruct in righteousness. Consider the following:

1. Neither Geneis 2:3-4 or any record of the fourth commandment contain the words "of the week."

2. The fourth commandment in PRINCIPLE demands only six days preceding and following the seventh day Sabbath. Thus the Sabbath day stands in relationship to six days at its close and at its beginning as it closes and introduces six working days.

3. The Sabbath Law cannot be interpreted so that it is permenantly restricted only to specific day "of the week" without condemning God's own application of Sabbath Law to FIXED DATED Sabbaths in Leviticus 23 or extended periods of time than the 24 hour "yom" as proven in Leviticus 23-25 (seventh month, seventh year, fiftieth year).

4. In Genesis 2:3-4 the "day" or Hebrew "yom" is used in direct relationship with the Sabbath and creation to refer to both a 24 hour period of time (v. 3) and an extended period of time (v. 4) and thus perfectly fits with God's application of the Sabbath law to 24 hour periods of time (fixed dated sabbaths and weekly sabbath) and longer periods of time (7th month, 7th year, fiftieth year, etc.).

5. Hence, in PRINCIPLE the Sabbath law only demands six working days preceding and following the seventh day Sabbath, which day can be applied to different days "of the week" as the FIXED DATED Sabbaths in Leviticus 23 fell on various days of the week as neither the solar or lunar year is equally divisible by seven.

6. The selected DATED SABBATHS in Leviticus 23 do not conform to the dates corresponding to the seventh day of the week sabbath such as 7, 14, 21, and 28th but these are all Messianic feasts applicable to the New Covenant and the dates correspond to the first day of the week sabbaths (1, 8, 15, 22, 50th).

7. The levitical Sabbath restrictions have all been abolished (Col. 2:16) and the day the Lord hath "made" to be observed as follows "we will rejoice and be glad IN IT" - Psa. 118:24 is a Messanic passage directly applied to the resurrection day in Acts 4:10-11.

8. Paul's argument in Hebrew 4 is that both Old and New Testament saints entered into rest by faith in the SAME gospel (vv. 2-3) but that did not fulfill Sabbath day observance for Old Testament saints nor did that fulfill the ultimate Sabbath rest. Nor did Joshua bringing them into physical Palestine fulfill the Sabbath rest. Nor did David giving rest from physical enemies fulfill the Sabath rest. Nor did the finished work of Jesus Christ at the resurrection fulfill the Sabbath rest (Heb. 4:9-10) but there remains a fulfillment yet future that we must enter into that our High Priest has already entered into not merely in spirit but in a glorified body (Heb. 4:11,14).

The Sabbath is fulfilled partially when we enter into the gospel rest by faith in spirit. It is being fulfilled as we enter into spiritual rest from our own works by walking in the Spirit. It will not be completely fulfilled until God can once more look upon a new creation with a redeemed mankind and say "It is very good" and that occurs only in the eternal eighth day Sabbath rest of the new heavens and earth yet to come.

That is why the "first day of the week" is given preference in the New Testament as the day of worship (Acts 2:1, 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2) and set apart from the other days by calling it "the Lord's Day" (Rev. 1:10).

It is the day the Lord "made" (same word translated "observe" in the fourth commandment) to be observed by rejocing and gladness as the day God responded to the killing of Christ by the Jews in resurrecting Him - Psalm 118:24 with Acts 4:10.

It is the "proto" or first in a new series of Sabbaths in keeping with the fourth commandment "sabbatou" - Mk. 16:9 in keeping with the pre-Mosaic (Old Covenant Sabbath) in Genesis 2:2-3 which Christ said was made for "man" (not merely Jews) and is kept in the same manner as a day of worship without the levitical restrictions later added under Moses. hence, the levitiucal old covenant Sabbath laws are abolished while the pristine Creation Sabbath continues under the New Covenant as the first day of the week as a day set apart for PUBLIC worship.

That does not mean we cannot worship publicly any other day of the week but only one day of the week is called the SINGULAR "Lord's day" - Rev. 1:10. To be "in the Spirit' is the proper sphere for Sabbath keeping.

 

Before anyone over reacts let me make it perfectly clear that I said:

1. The law was never designed to save, justify or sanctify the believer but only to instruct him in the nature of sin and righteousness. The law still retains that value.

2. The Levitical Sabbath laws and the Old Covenant Sabbath has been abolished.

3. The Pristine Creation Sabbath made for "man" (not merely Jews) remains under the new Covenant as a public day of worship designed as "the Lord's day."

4. Its observance is public worship "in the Spirit" (Rev. 1;10; Jn. 4:22) and in truth.

5. There are no Old Covenant legalistic restrictions attached to it as it is the pre-Mosaic pristine Creation Sabbath.

6 . Jesus violated the traditions of the elders concerning the Sabbath. He never violated the Sabbath as that would invalidate him as our Savior and make him a sinner by violating the law.

 

Yep, you are right, your post is off the wall and has little or nothing to do with the OP. However, you did agree that the rest that God entered, man has not yet entered in full and it is therefore still unfulfilled. Indeed, it will not be fulfilled until all believers have entered that rest in spirit, soul and body and God can look once again upon all that he has created and say "It is very good" because once again it will be a creation without sin but this time forever. Palestine rest by Joshua was merely a type. David's rest from all enemies on every side was just a type. The work of the Redeemer is the basis and Sunday is the day that commemorates that work which will bring in a new heaven and new earth all by grace.

 

By "off the wall" I only meant that Benjamin's exposition did not directly relate to the subject of the OP. Instead his object was completely different as he did not have the nature of the Sabbath in view as much as his Arminian view. That is why I dismissed it. However, I will go through it and commend or disagree with his assessment of the context.

There is not one word about the Gospel itself asserting any "saving power" as the gospel has no assertive power but any power asserted comes from the Holy Spirit - 1 Thes. 1:5; 2 Thes. 2:13 "sanctification of the Spirit PRIOR TO belief of the truth.

Verse one has reference to the FALSE PROFESSIONS among the Israelites in chapter three where faith was not mixed with the gospel when they heard the gospel.

No, that is not his point at all. God entered into his rest after creating a SINLESS world. His finished work was a sinless work so that he could say "it is very good." It is that sinless rest based upon the finished work of God that God entered into and calls all men through the gospel to enter into. Since, there are more to be called into this rest, the sabbath observance is not fulfilled and the proof is that AFTER the Sabbath day in Genesis 2:3-4 a sabbath observing continued. The bringing of Israel into the rest of Palestine did not fulfilll it either. The subduing of all enemies by David did not fulfill it either.

 

By "off the wall" I only meant that Benjamin's exposition did not directly relate to the subject of the OP. Instead his object was completely different as he did not have the nature of the Sabbath in view as much as his Arminian view. That is why I dismissed it. However, I will go through it and commend or disagree with his assessment of the context.

There is not one word about the Gospel itself asserting any "saving power" as the gospel has no assertive power but any power asserted comes from the Holy Spirit - 1 Thes. 1:5; 2 Thes. 2:13 "sanctification of the Spirit PRIOR TO belief of the truth.

Verse one has reference to the FALSE PROFESSIONS among the Israelites in chapter three where faith was not mixed with the gospel when they heard the gospel.

No, that is not his point at all. God entered into his rest after creating a SINLESS world. His finished work was a sinless work so that he could say "it is very good." It is that sinless rest based upon the finished work of God that God entered into and calls all men through the gospel to enter into. Since, there are more to be called into this rest, the sabbath observance is not fulfilled and the proof is that AFTER the Sabbath day in Genesis 2:3-4 a sabbath observing continued. The bringing of Israel into the rest of Palestine did not fulfilll it either. The subduing of all enemies by David did not fulfill it either.

The hebrew "Joshua" is translated "iesous" or "Jesus" in Greek. This does not refer to our Lord jesus Christ but to Joshua and we know this because of the order given between "Jesus" and "David." He argues that what David said was "afterwards" from "Jesus" bringing Israel into the promised land. This proves he is talking about Joshua not our Lord Jesus.

No, it is the very opposite. God has entered into his rest signifying his work has been finished since creation. It is man's works that brought sin into the creation not God's works. Hence, it is man that must enter into such a rest as God's rest - a finished work without sin. Therefore, the Sabbath is not fulfilled until man enters into that rest with God. Therefore there is a continuing sabbath keeping until man ceases from his works of sin and enter into that sinless rest. It is only the finished work of Christ (v. 10) as preached in the gospel that allows sinful men to ultimately enter into that rest (v. 11) which our High Priest has already entered (v. 14).

 

Look, your whole demeanor about this subject is so disgusting that it is useless to even engage you. No objectivity at all! If you had a better attitude I would engage you on another thread. However, this thread is not about "determinism" or "the gospel" but about the Sabbath. If you have something worth while to comment on the OP I will be glad to engage.:sleep:

 

Back on track!