The last words of the Old Testament regarding the keeping of the Sabbath are by Prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There is one lengthy but revealing passage from Jeremiah, the prophet who did for Judah what Isaiah was doing in Israel, during the days when that tiny Kingdom likewise was about to fall (586 B.C.) The words remind us of Nehemiah who would come in the next century and deal with this very issue again.
Jeremiah 17:19-27. "This the Lord said to me: Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem, and say to them: Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates, thus says the Lord: Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem, nor carry a burden out of your house on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff that they might not hear nor receive instruction. And it shall be if you diligently heed Me, says the Lord, to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it, then shall enter the gates of this city kings and princes sitting on the Throne of David... and this city shall remain forever... But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."
Now we understand what Governor Nehemiah was talking about in his 13th chapter. An improper attitude concerning the Sabbath was God's signal that Israel was beyond repair and needed to be shocked out of her slumber.
Ezekiel, a captive prophet in Babylonia looks back on the sins of Israel and explains to them thoughts similar to Jeremiah and Nehemiah:
Ezekiel 20:12-24 [portions]. "I also gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. Yet the House of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments which if a man does he shall live by them; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths... I am the Lord your God... hallow My Sabbaths and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God... I lifted My hand in an oath to those in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the Gentiles and disperse them throughout the countries, because they had not executed My judgments, but had... profaned My Sabbaths..."
Whether in the wilderness or in the Kingdom, Sabbath breaking was fatal to the people of God. It was a sure sign that the heart was not right, and that the nation needed to be judged. And judged they were. It is easy to see why, now, orthodox Jews and many others take this seventh day so seriously. It seems to them that they are now restoring Kingdom principles. But for the Jew without a Messiah, Sabbath is like fine decorations on a tomb. Sabbath was meant to bring honor to the Creator for His creation, both old and new. But if the Creator Himself is rejected as a fraud, what good will it do to honor Him in this way?
Nevertheless, "All Israel shall one day be saved." The natural and grafted branches forming the True Tree will wave together in praise to the One Who planted them and grew them and caused them to flourish. Ezekiel sees the city of that final reign:
Ezekiel 46:1-4 [portions]. "Thus says the Lord God, The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened... Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths..."
No mercenary Gentiles bringing their wares into the city on the seventh day! Now they bring praise and glory to the One Who saved them and made them a people.
Thus ends the teaching of Sabbath in the Old Testament, not in despair that Sabbath-breaking will eventually bring more disaster to God's people, not with talk of the demise of Sabbath-keeping altogether, but with talk about a time when Sabbath will be standard fare among those called His own.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
No comments:
Post a Comment