Tag: Teaching

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Sabbath and Creation/Redemption

The website 1888 Most Precious Message has posted an article by E. J. Waggoner titled “The Object of the Sabbath.” In it Dr. Waggoner makes the following statement:

The Sabbath is the memorial of creation, but redemption is creation. David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart.” Psalm 51:1. “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17. The gospel “is the power of God unto salvation,” (Romans 1:16), and the power of God is seen only in the things that he has made. Verse 29. So the power of the gospel is the power that created the worlds. Therefore, the Sabbath, in commemoration of creation, makes known to man the power of God to save from sin. As it calls to remembrance the power of God as shown in the works of his hands, it reminds us of the words of the apostle: “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Creation and Redemption’s Connection

This statement deserves contemplation. The connection between redemption and creation is an important one. When God seeks to do something with humanity, God is not simply doing a renovation project, God is engaging in creation. God has to begin again as in the original creation. God starts over and creates in us that which is not there. The only real way to understand or see this power of God to do something with us is to look at the creation. Look at how God can take nothing and make something. And to do that we need to look at the works of God’s hands.

God Making a Way

I think it is interesting that just as what God does in us through creation, God does things for us through creation. When the old folks used to say, “God can make a way out of no way,” they were simply saying that the creative power of God will be used to make ways where they were not before. All this is simply to say that when we speak of miracles, we are simply talking about the creative power of God, when we speak of hope in hopelessness, we are simply depending on God’s ability to create.

Remembering the Sabbath

And the only mechanism that God has given us to celebrate this creative power is the Sabbath. God has called us to remember the Sabbath so that we can remember this power that does things in us and for us and through us. God calls us to remember the Sabbath so that we can let the world know that God “can-do…” And we as a people have been called to remind the world of this fact. If it had not been for the creative power of God where would we be? If it had not been for the creative power of God I would be nothing! If it had not been for the creative power of God, I wouldn’t have any hope. This is why the first angel in Revelation 14:6-7 seeks to remind humanity of creation. And one day we as a people will proclaim this message “more fully.”

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Exodus 16:21-26 – Don't Gather on that Day

Exodus 16:21-26

To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD
It is sometimes argued that the Sabbath was instituted at Sinai, but here is unequivocal Biblical evidence that the Sabbath was instituted before the commandments were given. As we have noted, it was instituted at creation itself.

God rained a regular portion of bread from heaven on 5 days. The children of Israel were to gather it to eat, but on the 6th day they were to gather a double portion to experience on the 6th day and the 7th day. They were then to prepare for the 7th day. This was a day that they did not have to gather but simply enjoy the bread that was gathered and prepared on the 6th day.

bake that which which ye will bake to day, and seethe that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

The Sabbath was not meant for the same activities as other days. It was meant to be a day where you set these activities aside so that you can do other things that you normally would not be able to do. There is nothing wrong with baking or seething, but there is something wrong with anything that takes you from you Sabbath Purpose.

In this text, God is graciously providing a mechanism for the children of Israel to get ready for the day so that the gathering of bread, even though there is nothing wrong with that, will not deter us from the blessing of the Sabbath.

How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

Some instead of gathering the double portion on the 6th day waited till Sabbath to gather the food. They ended up missing the food that was provided on the day before. When God gives a blessing on the 6th day that is meant to be enjoyed on the Sabbath day, you can’t attempt to get the blessing on the Sabbath and enjoy it on the Sabbath as well. God has provided for our tomorrow blessing today, but we must work to gather the double portion today so that we can enjoy the Sabbath blessing tomorrow. There are many people who are waiting to gather the Sabbath blessing on the Sabbath.

Summary

God provided the blessing of the Sabbath in this scripture in two ways. First God rained a double blessing of bread on the 6th day. They were to gather that double blessing and prepare it not only for the 6th day, but also for the 7th day. Then God protected the bread so that it would last through the 6th and 7th days. The blessing of bread that was meant for the Sabbath blessing would not be ruined by time, what God meant for the Sabbath would be there for the taking on the Sabbath.

God graciously provided one day where they would not have to worry about gathering. Why do we choose to labor when we do not have to? Perhaps we didn’t do the double gathering on the sixth day. Or maybe we don’t trust the double blessing of God on the Sabbath. Whatever the case, today we can begin celebrating the good news of God provided rest.

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Sanctuary Power

May God send you help from the sanctuary…Psalm 20:2

Psalm 20 is a prayer for God to help someone else. The writer states many petitions for the hearer like: May God answer you in your trouble, May God protect you, May God remember all of your offerings, and here, may God help you from the sanctuary. As I think about this the startling conclusion comes that the sanctuary is not normally thought of much at all,and when it is through of, it is not seen in the context of Help coming from there.

Minutia diminishes the Big Picture

I know many members of the Second Advent Movement cringe when an Elder or minister gives a seminar on the Sanctuary. Sometimes it becomes a discussion of the color of the cloth that was used in the ancient service. Sometimes it becomes an intricate discussion of ancient religious choreography that outlines the priest’s steps as he performed his duties. Most of us have heard presentations that were simply mathematical calculations that only sought to demonstrate that 1844 was the year on which the “cleansing” found in Daniel 8 began. And finally you may have heard of architectural descriptions of the celestial realities as someone delineates each piece of furniture and its connection to Jesus Christ. Each of these approaches can easily help us lose the forest while looking at trees.

What is the Sanctuary at Core?

While each of those other approaches have their place, we can never lose sight of the fact that deliverance comes from the Sanctuary. Our hope is in the Sanctuary. Salvation is in the Sanctuary. The conclusion of the Great Controversy is delineated in the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is where God puts together God’s plans to lead the earth to its conclusion. So, the next time someone speaks about the Sanctuary or the Sanctuary message, before you think about mathematical calculations, choreography, or architecture, just think about it being the place from which God sends help to God’s people and try to understand it within that context. Perhaps then you will have a stronger understanding of the the architecture, choreography, and calculations.