MADE FOR MAN! Why?
made for man... Why?
There is a tremendous amount of discussion and tremendous controversy over the sabbath today. But the context of the sabbath cannot be ignored.
Ephesians 3
7 Whereof [Paul the apostle] was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
This whole thing, this "God thing" was planned out from before the foundations of the world! The call of Abram and the children of Israel are a HUGE part of what God did and is doing! But Jesus is the doer, and in my eyes He is everything!
God set apart the seventh day for himself in Genesis. Later he set it apart for the Children of Israel. It IS the seventh day of the week and more!
EVERYTHING God gave Israel and EVERYTHING He did with and for them made them distinct from the nations. BUT >>> Everything He did had a purpose FOR THEM greater than simple separation from the nations. They were chosen to carry out the plan of God! AND THEY WERE CHOSEN BY GOD TO KNOW HIM! to KNOW Him !!!!!!!! Better than you know your neighbor and even better than you know your spouse, God wants you to KNOW Him! HIM ! Father, Son and Holy Spirit, THEM !!! Glory Hallelu Yah!
Exodus 31
12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations,
that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
14 You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death...
It is the phrase "... that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you." which sheds light on the why of sabbath observance. On the sabbath, God call us APART from our self serving labors and INTO fellowship with Him.
Young's Literal Translation says:
Ex. 31:13 `And thou, speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Only, My sabbaths ye do keep, for it [is] a sign between Me and you, to your generations, to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying you;
"to know that I Jehovah am sanctifying you."
It might even be said: "to know me, I am Jehovah, and I am sanctifying you."
Jeremiah 9:23-24
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
In Ezekiel, God says in various contexts (to us) that what He does is done so that you, they and Israel “shall know that I am the LORD.” But not just a few times, God uses that EXACT phrase 51 ~fifty one times (KJV).
Jesus is EVERYTHING to me. The sabbath was given as a part of the plan by which we would come to be saved by Yahweh and KNOW the Son of the Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel and have intimate fellowship with Him! Amen!
I refuse to be overly concerned with what is false. Give me TRUTH. Jesus said:
John 8
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Also:
Mark 2:26-28
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
My conclusion is that it will never be enough to preach the sabbath, but it will be more than enough to preach the Messiah in and of the sabbath! It will not ever be enough to observe the sabbath, but it will be more than enough to observe and LISTEN to the Lord of the Sabbath and to LOVE Him on the seventh (sabbath) day and on EVERY DAY!
