God's Plan For Man html

period of several days, without any interruption every 7th day. The Bible clearly attributes the origin of the Sabbath to the Divine example. The fourth commandment enjoins observance of the Sabbath. In Genesis there is no mention of the Sabbath apart from the creation account. There is, however, mention of periods of 7 days. (Gn. 7:4, 10; 8:10, 12; 29:27) We may also note in the narrative in Job, that the seven sons celebrated a feast each on his day, and this was followed by the prayers and sacrifices by Job, for the benefit of his children . (Jb. 1:4–5) This was not a single round, but was regularly practiced. It may be that here is an intimation of worship on the 1st day of the cycle. At least the principle that one day in 7 is holy to the Lord appears to be recognized. Explicit mention is made of the Sabbath in connection with the giving of manna. (Ex. 16:21–30) The Sabbath is here represented as a gift of God, to be for the rest and benefit of the people. It was not necessary to work on the Sabbath [ i.e . to gather manna], for a double portion had been provided on the 6th day. The Sabbath was therefore known to Israel, and the injunction to remember it was one that would be understood. It is a day that he has blessed and that he has set apart for observance. This is not contradicted; people are commanded to keep the Sabbath in the manner in which the Lord has already commanded them, and the fact that the Sabbath belongs to the Lord. An additional reason, however, is given for the observance of the command. This reason is merely additional; it does not conflict with those already given. Israel is commanded to observe the Sabbath day, in order ‘that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you’. Here is a humanitarian emphasis; but here also is emphasis upon the fact, that the Sabbath was made for man. Israel had been a slave in Egypt, and had been delivered; so, Israel must show the mercy of the Sabbath towards those in her own midst, who are slaves to evil. For our edification Paul the Apostle stated this accurately; “Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, ‘So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: ‘And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.’ And again in the passage above he says; ‘they shall never enter my rest.’ It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in because of their

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