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Commentary on "The Sabbath and Worship"
Day 1: Sabbath, July 9, 2011 - Introduction
Worshiping the Sabbath Day or the Lord of the Sabbath?
As I read through the lesson study for this week I couldn't help but notice a few key issues from a Biblical Perspective. I could get heavily into these topics and I will have to open them up through the week, but right now I'll simply address the object of worship. Who or what are we supposed to be worshiping?
Are we as believers and as Christians called to worship on the Sabbath...or to worship the Lord of the Sabbath?
Are we called to follow commandments given to the Nation of Israel when the vast majority of us are in fact Gentiles? The Sabbath Commandment was given to the Nation of Israel, was specifically attached to their Exodus from Egypt and God's redeeming them out of slavery.
Psalm 147 itself is about the Lord's dealings with Israel as a specially created nation/people in the last two verses the author of this Psalm reflects on The Law making the following statement:
He proclaims his word to Jacob, his statutes and regulations to Israel. He has not done so with any other nation; they are not aware of his regulations. Praise the LORD!
To which I heartily agree- Praise the Lord.
Let me make this as clear as I can the Law was given specifically to the Nation/People of Israel- Jews still keep the Sabbath- the Sabbath is the day of rest for Jews. Yet Jews at the time of Christ, who became Christians after Pentecost gave up thousands of years of tradition- including the Sabbath- and began to worship the Risen Christ. They joined other Christians in worshiping Christ on the day of His Resurrection which was on a Sunday.
Notice very carefully neither the Christians nor the Jews converting to Christianity are worshiping the DAY- they were not worshiping Sunday they were worshiping the Risen Savior Jesus Christ ON Sunday.
They had gone from Worshiping the Sabbath, a SHADOW of someone greater to come and were worshiping the Lord of the Sabbath our Savior Jesus Christ- the person who cast the Shadow of the Sabbath in the first place.
Not only were the Christians and Jewish converts worshiping the Lord of the Sabbath, but they finally entered their true Sabbath Rest by being Born Again and entering into the Eternal Rest of the Lord of the Sabbath.
Some might say that it says in Heaven we will worship from Sabbath to Sabbath. Yup, I agree! When we rest in Christ we enter into His eternal Sabbath Rest, no one will be in Heaven who hasn't entered into that rest. We will be worshiping not only in His rest but with our Sabbath face to face, we'll be worshiping Christ, our Sabbath 24/7/365 for Eternity and forever. Not a day, a person, for endless days.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised July 5, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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