“The Sabbath: A Sign Between Us!”

“The Sabbath: A Sign Between Us!”(Ez.20:8b-13a).
“I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy. Yet the people…rebelled against me…They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws – although the man who obeys them will live by them.”
Observing the Sabbath day is not just about rest; it is a sign between God and us, so that we should know that the LORD is the one who made us Holy.
Unfortunately, there is a sense in which we have all desecrated the Sabbath and continue to do so. Sunday has become the Christian Sabbath. Christians consider Sunday the Lord’s Day and the Day of rest as on this day the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is celebrated.
The mere fact that English speaking Christians schedule their activities using the names of the week as we have it is a desecration of the Sabbath and a profanity of the name of God. It is idolatory!
The Jews may be considered to have been the first people to have a week and days of the week, but it is also considered that this was a borrowing from the Sumerians and Babylonians. The Romans eventually adopted the astronomical concept of the pre-Jews naming of the days of the week. So they named the days of the week after the sun, moon and the five planets as was known at the time.
The names of the week as we have them today are the days of the sun, moon and gods. Sunday, the day in respect of the sun. Monday in respect of the moon. Tuesday the day of the god Tyr. Wednesday the day of the god Woden, Thursday the day of the godThor, god of thunder, Friday after the god Freya, and Saturday after Saturn.
Imagine how unconsciously syncretistic we have been! Sunday is the “Lord’s Day” but as long as it is called the day of the sun, we have merely transposed its relevance.
In what way does this help us the Christians – especially those who have always been ignorant of this? The simple answer is that we are living in an unconsciously approved syncretism in which our hands are tied.
That notwithstanding, God does not change, but he approves what has been filled with new content. He approves new wine in old wineskin when he makes all things new. That is why despite the desecration he says, “But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned.” And in the midst of collective disobedience to his decrees, he still assures that “the man who obeys them will live by them.”
Yes my friend; God’s grace still abounds and saves those who obey him in the midst of apostasy and syncretism. Keep the Sabbath holy by striving for holiness, not bothering about what name the Sabbath is called. Just keep it holy because it is a sign of the covenant between us to show that it is the LORD who makes us holy. It is grace, not works.
Prayer: Holy Spirit help me daily to obey the decrees and laws of the LORD and live by them. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.