In today’s post, we will consider the fact that the Sabbath command was considered a sign of the Mosaic covenant with Israel. I’m going to post from Exodus chapter 31 and offer some commentary and emphases along the way.
Exo 31:12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exo 31:13 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. (KJV- emphasis mine).
Here we have the LORD (His covenant name “YHWH” in Hebrew) speaking to Moses and giving instruction. His instructions are to a specific group of people…the children of Israel! He then states that the Sabbath is a sign between Him and the children of Israel. This sign was to let them know they were being set apart (or “sanctified”) from the other nations of the world. Those who embrace the idea that the Sabbath command is binding upon all of humanity neglect this important facet of the Sabbath. I stated in an earlier post that there was a period of time (nearly 2500 years) from Adam to Moses where there is absolutely no record of anyone keeping the Sabbath! Genesis declared that God rested on the seventh day (Gen 2:2-3) but no mention of any human doing so. As mentioned in that previous post, the first mention of the Sabbath command comes in Exodus 16. Let’s continue our exposition of Exodus 31.
Exo 31:14 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.
Exo 31:15 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. (KJV)
Here is where the inconsistencies of Sabbath-keeping among Torah-ists become evident. The command for proper Sabbath-observance requires that capital punishment is the consequence for breaking this law.
Exo 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (KJV-emphasis mine)
This command was for a specific group of people who were given a specific covenant, the Mosaic covenant.
Exo 31:17 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. (KJV-emphasis mine)
Most Torah observant believers and Sabbath-insisters emphasize the Creation aspect of the verse. They do this to make it a law prior to the Mosaic covenant. It is true, that the Sabbath served as a memorial of Creation. But it is also true that it served as a sign between God and the nation of Israel! It is not a sign between God and humanity, or the Church! The Sabbath was a sign or token of the Mosaic Covenant! Not all the covenants of the Bible had signs, but some did. For example, the rainbow was the sign or token of the Noahic Covenant.
Gen 9:12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
Gen 9:13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. (KJV)
God promised that He would never destroy the Earth with a worldwide flood again. The sign of the rainbow became the token of that particular promise/covenant. Consider also the Abrahamic covenant which had its own sign/token.
Gen 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. (KJV)
As the rainbow was the token of the Noahic covenant, circumcision was the token (or sign) of the Abrahamic covenant. In similar fashion, the Sabbath served as the sign/token of the Mosaic covenant. The Mosaic covenant is no longer in force (see previous post) and has been rendered inoperative with the inauguration of the New Covenant. Since the Mosaic covenant is no longer in force, the sign/token of the covenant is no longer applicable under the New Covenant. A person may voluntarily choose to observe the Sabbath (to the best of their ability), but it is no longer obligatory. In Deuteronomy, we are told that the Sabbath was a sign of the Exodus.
Deu 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. (KJV)
For four hundred years, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. No doubt, they were working seven days a week. The prophet Ezekiel speaks in terms of the Sabbath as a memorial of the Exodus.
Eze 20:10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness.
Eze 20:11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
Eze 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them. (KJV)
Just like Deuteronomy, Ezekiel makes it clear that the Sabbath was a memorial of the Exodus experience for Israel. No single event is given as the purpose for the Sabbath. Yes, it is a memorial of Creation. But it is also a sign of Israel’s sanctification, a token (or sign) of the Mosaic covenant, and a memorial of the Exodus from Egypt. Since the Mosaic Law is no longer in force, the sign/token aspect of the covenant is no longer applicable under the New Testament. As mentioned earlier, the Sabbath command is the only one of the Ten Commandments not restated in some way under the New Covenant.
There are certain facets of the Sabbath that are only applicable to the children of Israel. Only they (Israel) were set apart at Mount Sinai. Only they (the children of Israel) were delivered from slavery in Egypt. If a person is going to appeal to the Torah as a basis for the perpetual observance of the Sabbath, they must remain consistent. In addition to the command of cessation from labor, the Sabbath also had mandatory animal sacrifices (Num 28:9-10). This required a priesthood, who also worked twice as hard on the Sabbath day. For them, it was anything but a day of rest!
In future posts, (Lord willing) we will look at what the New Testament has to say about the issue. These posts are not meant to be derogatory or divisive. They are intended to bring clarity to a subject that has ongoing relevance and plenty of lively discussion online.
Let's Study the Scriptures Together 