Accompanied by Josiah, I was dropping off eggs to Dr. Don one day early this spring when began to share some of what he had been studying lately. Z. Hall had been looking at the Sabbath and had encouraged him to do the same—with the result that he had become convinced he ought to “keep it” and was very excited to do so. Dr. Don is always excited and he spoke a million miles a minute with a quick wind-up asking if we had any thoughts, but in the busy rush of a dental clinic he had to be off to the next patient before we had a chance to respond. I walked away chuckling. If he thinks I am quiet and serious, it is only in comparison to the outstanding energy he and Miss J possess. I did have many thoughts which began with one simple scripture and have continued with me until I have at last been able to unravel them all in digital letterhead. What I’ve discovered has brought me great delight and, as always, has brought again to mind the beauty of the gospel and the precious Lord Jesus—who is Lord of the Sabbath.
The phrase “keep the Sabbath” has been used loosely throughout the years since Jesus’ resurrection. In my lifetime I’ve heard it defined in a dozen different ways for a dozen different purposes. But if we, as believers, are to keep the Sabbath, we must understand what it is and where it originated. And we must know if Jesus’ coming has changed the Sabbath or ended the Sabbath or fulfilled the Sabbath or left us simply groping to know whether or not the Sabbath is a remnant of a past covenant or an integral part of this period of grace.
“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy,” came the command from Mount Sinai, through the tablets of stone which God wrote in the presence of Moses (Exodus 20:8-11). The edict harkened back as a picture of creation, when God created the world in six days and on the seventh, the Sabbath, He rested (Genesis 2:2). “For six days you shall labor and do your work, but the seventh you shall keep as holy to the Lord your God. You shall do no work therein.”
For the Jewish community, living under the Law of Moses, each day began at sundown and continued through sunrise until the following sundown, in the pattern of creation (Genesis 1:5). The Sabbath began at sundown on our Friday and ended at sundown the following day—on our Saturday. The prohibitions for work included all regular labor and travel and food preparation (Exodus 16:23; Deuteronomy 5:12-13; Exodus 35:2-3). The goal? To keep the day holy to the Lord. It sounds beautiful, until we consider the consequences of failure to keep the Sabbath: for gathering sticks on the Sabbath, a man should be stoned to death (Exodus 31:14-16; Numbers 15:32-33).
Should we be surprised? Through the Law comes death (Romans 7:9-10). And as each person living under Mosaic law soon found, the Law also brings a curse (Galations 3:13). And where the Law is, sin abounds all the more (Romans 5:20). Romans gives us the true perspective on the Law, “by the works of the Law is no flesh just before God.” (Galations 2:16) Because even if we kept all the Law and yet stumbled in one respect, we would be guilty of the whole Law (James 2:10). Justification cannot come through the Law (Romans 3:20). The Law is holy and righteous and good, but it lacks power to make men right with God (Romans 7:12; Romans 8:3-4).
Then what is the purpose of the Law? This side of the cross, we are given a clearer understanding of the purpose of the law: to show us God’s holiness. To show us our helplessness. Paul preached clearly to those who would seek to be under the Law that “the Law has become our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.” (Galations 3:24) In our vain groping to be right with God, we search for things to do to please Him, to earn His favor. But the works of the Law can never please God. With all our working, we will always come out like the rich, young ruler—unable to love God the most (Matthew 19:16-24). Living under the Law, David understood that God wasn’t really interested in our “sacrifices”, but there was something He was looking for: “a broken and contrite heart.” (Psalm 51:17) That was the purpose of the Law—to shut every mouth (Galations 3:22). To break our hearts with the knowledge of our sin.
But death is in the Law because it can only break hearts, it can never heal them. The Law was preparatory, setting the stage for the great act of God: Jesus Christ. In Christ the Law was fulfilled—in two ways (Romans 10:4; John 15:25). Jesus fully kept the spirit of the Law which He summed upped as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-40) And He finished the Law. The purpose of the Law is to break our hearts and shut our mouths and leave us silent before God—in need of a Savior. The purpose of the Law was to take our hands and lead us to Christ. The purpose of Christ was to reconcile us to God—to make us right with Him (Ephesians 2:16; Romans 5:1). Righteous. Holy. Once we know Jesus, there is no more purpose in the Law. Its purpose is fulfilled. Finished. The Law does not speak to the righteous man, but to sinners (1 Timothy 1:9).
Where does this leave the Sabbath? By the time Jesus made His debut in the worldly time-table, the Sabbath had become an intricate system of rules which could be wriggled in and out of until they bound every man, woman and child under a load too heavy to carry. Instead of being a day of rest, the Sabbath had become a day when good was denied and evil was planned (Mark 3:4). Instead of being dedicated to God as a day wholly devoted to Him, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day devoted the Sabbath to seeking to destroy God’s Son (John 5:18). Yet Jesus proclaimed Himself Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:5).
Jesus said, “Come to Me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am gentle and lowly of heart and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
In the Law we see God’s holiness, we are reminded of the past, but we are also given glimpses and foreshadowings of things to come (Hebrews 10:1): the Passover lamb, which pointed to Christ, the day of Atonement, which pointed to Christ, the mediating High Priest, which pointed to Christ. As the writer of Hebrews phrases it, “Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant.” (Hebrews 12:24) So also the Sabbath of the Law was a shadow of things to come—of a greater rest in Jesus.
Is there a Sabbath rest for the believer? Absolutely! “There now remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for he who has rested has ceased from his works.” (Hebrews 4:9-10) The rest which the Israelites failed, by unbelief, to enter into in the wilderness is the very rest which we may now enter—through belief in Jesus who has finished the work that saves us and has sat down at the Father’s hand (Hebrews 3-4). In the temple of old, the priest’s work was never done. Even on the Sabbath, he must offer sacrifices, for even on the Sabbath did the people sin. No seats were placed to relieve his weariness. Always the constant reminder that men cannot outweigh their sin by sacrifice. Only Jesus can. Jesus, the High Priest who offered Himself and was heard has opened a way for us through the curtain that was torn and sits by God, always living to intercede for us (Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:25). Because His work is done, we can, by faith, enter into His rest—a rest from our works. A rest from the Law.
Through Christ we are able to keep the spirit of the Law—“Love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Through Christ we are able to stand before the mercy seat of God, accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6). Through Christ we have entered our Sabbath rest—and remain in it—free from the works of the Law. Free from the curse of the Law. Free from death that comes through the Law. The mystery is revealed, the purpose of the foreshadowing is made clear. Christ fulfills the Law. Christ is Lord of the Sabbath.
In light of this, the writer of Hebrews tells us, “Through Him, then, let us continually, offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that gives thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:5) Ought we to keep the Sabbath day holy to God? Scripture tells us our Sabbath rest is in Jesus, and in light of Jesus every day should be holy to God. The Sabbath ended a period of works. Our works have ended. Our Sabbath does not. Just like the priests in the temple were to offer continual sacrifices, so we should, too. Just like worshippers sought God in the temple of old, so our bodies are a temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19), indwelt by His Holy Spirit and we are to “offer our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” (Romans 12:1-2) Acceptable through Jesus. And in a like manner, whatever we do, in word or deed—gathering sticks, baking bread, traveling—we are to do in the name of the Lord! Not through the Law comes holiness, but through Christ and His work and through doing all yoked with Him in light of His love.
"Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day--things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)
There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God: Jesus.
Showing posts with label law and grace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label law and grace. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2008
Spring Break: the words sound like a time of intense boredom—excuse me, relaxation. For us, it is simply a switching over of guests. Our local home-from-the-war-on-furlough-soldier, Donnie showed up for a visit. Donnie, Dathan and Josiah are a deadly combination. I spent the majority of the visit dodging them, recovering stolen shoes from the rooftop gutter, the porch rafters or other random spots of concealment. Donnie hasn’t changed one single cubic centimeter. Reading his notes from Iraq, how the bodies come in mutilated and he has to identify them and file reports, how the most comforting sound is the sound of a helicopter shooting scud missiles, simply because he knows those are friends, protecting him, how other American soldiers cheer when they see the bodies of Arabs, while he sees only the end of a life—a soul gone to judgment. He neglected to tell us today was his twenty-second birthday. Twenty-two years old, and he’s a platoon sergeant, responsible for a whole host of tasks, with death constantly staring him in the face. Twenty-two years old, and separated from his new bride by a commission and an ocean. Wars and rumors of wars, Jesus promised, until the return of the Prince of Peace.
The movie I went to such labor to procure from the Tech library was titled “Inherit the Wind.” Tonight we watched a critique of it, under the name “Inherently Wind”. Enlightening it was to see the background on the Scopes Monkey Trial—in which the state laws regarding teaching man as descended from apes was put on trial, in one of the most famous and most fake trials in history. “Ah,” said the defense. “When any one theory is taught exclusively, then is there only room for bigotry.” Less than a century later, what do we see? One theory taught: the theory that man evolved from apes. Bigotry? I could hardly agree more. Propaganda, the movie was. Hardly a hint of fact, with an overt stab at the character of Christians in general. Any movie, so inflammatory about any other “type” of people, would be banned from public schools. Instead, this one is shown in English classes, and discussed as “a great classic.”
Zach dived through the doors in time to send Dathan rolling across the floor. Everyone seems to find Dathan an irresistible rag-doll. We’ll have a full breakfast table tomorrow morning.
“Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for Yahweh, your God. You shall therefore obey Yahweh your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.” So Moses began the lengthy curses from Mount Ebal, followed by the blessings from Mount Gerizim. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life in order that you may live: by loving Yahweh your God, by obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him.” Disobedience to God brings a curse. “This commandment is not too difficult,” Moses insisted, and yet, even he failed and disobeyed God, and was prevented from entering the land. How is life? By loving Yahweh, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him. Those who would choose life, Yahweh saved on credit and sent their souls to a place of refuge until the Way the Truth and the Life should come and pay their ransom and redeem them and lead them to paradise—the heavenly promised land. It is He of whom Moses spoke, “The Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Choose life in order that you may live.
Lord, I stand upon Mount Gerizim,
And gaze into the promised land,
Thou spoke the blessing long ago,
And led Thy people by Thy hand
But this same blessing that Thou spoke,
The Word, blessed every man in Thee.
By Thy grace, I have obeyed
And chosen life eternally.
The movie I went to such labor to procure from the Tech library was titled “Inherit the Wind.” Tonight we watched a critique of it, under the name “Inherently Wind”. Enlightening it was to see the background on the Scopes Monkey Trial—in which the state laws regarding teaching man as descended from apes was put on trial, in one of the most famous and most fake trials in history. “Ah,” said the defense. “When any one theory is taught exclusively, then is there only room for bigotry.” Less than a century later, what do we see? One theory taught: the theory that man evolved from apes. Bigotry? I could hardly agree more. Propaganda, the movie was. Hardly a hint of fact, with an overt stab at the character of Christians in general. Any movie, so inflammatory about any other “type” of people, would be banned from public schools. Instead, this one is shown in English classes, and discussed as “a great classic.”
Zach dived through the doors in time to send Dathan rolling across the floor. Everyone seems to find Dathan an irresistible rag-doll. We’ll have a full breakfast table tomorrow morning.
“Be silent and listen, O Israel! This day you have become a people for Yahweh, your God. You shall therefore obey Yahweh your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.” So Moses began the lengthy curses from Mount Ebal, followed by the blessings from Mount Gerizim. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life in order that you may live: by loving Yahweh your God, by obeying His voice, and holding fast to Him.” Disobedience to God brings a curse. “This commandment is not too difficult,” Moses insisted, and yet, even he failed and disobeyed God, and was prevented from entering the land. How is life? By loving Yahweh, obeying His voice and holding fast to Him. Those who would choose life, Yahweh saved on credit and sent their souls to a place of refuge until the Way the Truth and the Life should come and pay their ransom and redeem them and lead them to paradise—the heavenly promised land. It is He of whom Moses spoke, “The Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Choose life in order that you may live.
Lord, I stand upon Mount Gerizim,
And gaze into the promised land,
Thou spoke the blessing long ago,
And led Thy people by Thy hand
But this same blessing that Thou spoke,
The Word, blessed every man in Thee.
By Thy grace, I have obeyed
And chosen life eternally.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Who started it, I’m not sure, but each member of the family has picked up the tune and the words to “I’m a little teapot”. Lydia is still whistling it as she folds her laundry. Perhaps we all identify a little too closely with the “short and stout” part.
I thought Spring was here, but apparently my thoughts have yet to become scientific laws. As I scurried in and out of stores, running errands for Mom and Papa and finally managed to meet Lauryn for lunch, the dreary weather turned first to a drizzle, from a drizzle to a sleet and from a sleet to a blustery snow. Jacinda escorted me back to my car with an umbrella.
Spying a drum set in the window of the Valley Piano store, I popped in to see if I might sneak a play, only to discover they were hardly set up for playing. Instead, I swapped piano pieces with the store owner and soon found myself asking if he knew the Lord. Having managed to gear up for a good conversation, I found myself in for a rare treat sharing and hearing what the Lord was doing in a brother’s life. Amazing the bond of encouragement found throughout the body of the Lord.
I was melting with impatience behind a huge traffic jam when Papa called, asking me to come back to the clinic. Weather conditions were getting nasty and the clinic was closing up as quickly as possible. Managing to slip between traffic and get into a side road, I skirted the issue—a pretty nasty looking wreck in a main intersection.
Having wrapped up Leviticus, I find myself looking back on it through the perspective of Romans—the Law is our tutor to lead us to Christ. “You are to be holy as I am holy,” Yahweh says, over and over again. But who can be holy like the Lord? The foreshadowing is beautiful—in a painful sort of way. Bloody sacrifices offered year by year, animals without defect, to cover over the sins of omission and commission, reminder of how short we fall from the standard of the Living God. Hebrews offered perfect parallels (imagine that) as I read through the Law of sin and death. Now, Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has been slain. His blood is sufficient to cleanse every sin ever committed or that ever will be committed. Once again I am reminded how, in His death, He tore the curtain that separated us from the Holy of Holies and opened up the mercy seat of God, to all who enter having been sprinkled with His pure blood.
It sounds grotesque, perhaps. The life is in the blood, God’s law said, forbidding the eating of blood. Truly, the life is in the blood—the blood of Jesus.
Lord! Only Thy blood can suffice
To cleanse me of both guilt and vice.
The sacrifices Thou dost seek
Are in a soul and heart shown weak
Through gazing at Thy holy law.
And falling on my face in awe,
I recognize I am unworthy--
Yet Thou hast made me pure and holy.
I thought Spring was here, but apparently my thoughts have yet to become scientific laws. As I scurried in and out of stores, running errands for Mom and Papa and finally managed to meet Lauryn for lunch, the dreary weather turned first to a drizzle, from a drizzle to a sleet and from a sleet to a blustery snow. Jacinda escorted me back to my car with an umbrella.
Spying a drum set in the window of the Valley Piano store, I popped in to see if I might sneak a play, only to discover they were hardly set up for playing. Instead, I swapped piano pieces with the store owner and soon found myself asking if he knew the Lord. Having managed to gear up for a good conversation, I found myself in for a rare treat sharing and hearing what the Lord was doing in a brother’s life. Amazing the bond of encouragement found throughout the body of the Lord.
I was melting with impatience behind a huge traffic jam when Papa called, asking me to come back to the clinic. Weather conditions were getting nasty and the clinic was closing up as quickly as possible. Managing to slip between traffic and get into a side road, I skirted the issue—a pretty nasty looking wreck in a main intersection.
Having wrapped up Leviticus, I find myself looking back on it through the perspective of Romans—the Law is our tutor to lead us to Christ. “You are to be holy as I am holy,” Yahweh says, over and over again. But who can be holy like the Lord? The foreshadowing is beautiful—in a painful sort of way. Bloody sacrifices offered year by year, animals without defect, to cover over the sins of omission and commission, reminder of how short we fall from the standard of the Living God. Hebrews offered perfect parallels (imagine that) as I read through the Law of sin and death. Now, Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world has been slain. His blood is sufficient to cleanse every sin ever committed or that ever will be committed. Once again I am reminded how, in His death, He tore the curtain that separated us from the Holy of Holies and opened up the mercy seat of God, to all who enter having been sprinkled with His pure blood.
It sounds grotesque, perhaps. The life is in the blood, God’s law said, forbidding the eating of blood. Truly, the life is in the blood—the blood of Jesus.
Lord! Only Thy blood can suffice
To cleanse me of both guilt and vice.
The sacrifices Thou dost seek
Are in a soul and heart shown weak
Through gazing at Thy holy law.
And falling on my face in awe,
I recognize I am unworthy--
Yet Thou hast made me pure and holy.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
I was delighted to discover I’d finally managed to evade a certain grocery store worker, but my satisfaction was short-lived. The new carry-out, a strapping highschool-age guy, peered over the cashier’s shoulder as she looked over my selected apples. “They’re Jonogolds,” I offered, helpfully. “Huh,” my carry-out said, shaking his head. “I coulda sworn they was apples.” I caught my smile as it exploded across my face and tucked it into my pocket for later before explaining: “Jonogolds are a type of apple.” He grinned, sheepishly, and tossed his longish hair out of his eyes. “Well, I guess I feel pretty stupid about now.” Then he elaborately pushed the cart out of his way and gathered all of my sacks into one hand. Oh, I was very impressed, I assure you. Almost as impressed as when random guys I’ve never seen before and never will see again spin their tires or rev their engines. The suburban seemed to impress him. “Well, that’s quite a lot of car for such a little, bitty thang like yourself.” Yuck! Get it off me! Thang? I mumbled something about big families needing plenty of room and shoved my hands in my pockets hoping he’d jump to all kinds of interesting assumptions. For years I’ve scurried around corners, dived down aisles, side-stepped comments and coated my whole person with as much oblivion as I can muster. In situations like these, I still haven’t figured out what’s the right thang to do.
The whole amazing past week came rushing past as I tried to update Tabitha during our weekly phone call/scripture quotation. Everyone should have a Tabitha in their life. Daily she prays scripture over me: that the eyes of my heart would be enlightened so that I might know what is the hope of my calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward me. And on and on and on and on. Just knowing that she is fighting beside me, even from so far away, lends strength to my step and determination to my heart. I offer thanks every time I pray for her. Even more importantly, I should be a Tabitha, as well, faithfully praying for all those I know.
In the whole excitement of the past several days, I’ve neglected to be taking special note of my Leviticus readings. Several items that have caught my attention: spelled out on the turban worn by the priests were the words “Holy to the Lord”. Revelation speaks of those with the seal of God on their foreheads—the new priesthood of believers? Why the words plastered across the forehead? Visibility! There was no doubt in anyone’s mind to who those priests belonged. As a member of the new priesthood, believers, sanctified and set apart by God to serve Him, I should live my life so radically that I might as well have the words “Holy to the Lord” plastered across my forehead. I also found the laws for lepers fascinating. It was the priest’s responsibility to pronounce a person “clean” or “unclean” based on the infection. When Jesus came as our Great High Priest, he reached out, touched and unclean leper and pronounced him clean—and by virtue of the fact that Jesus couldn’t be made unclean, the leper was healed! Of course, in the midst of the various and sundry laws, we find a very comforting verse. “The man who loses his hair on the top or sides of his head is bald. He is clean.” Never fear, our balding brothers. Yahweh holds it not against you.
Lord, Thy priests are labeled “holy”:
Sanctified both by and for Thee
Set apart so all may see
They serve a living Deity.
Once Thy priests need offer daily
Sacrifice of blood, to please Thee.
Now they draw near through the curtain,
Acceptance, through Thy Son, made certain.
The whole amazing past week came rushing past as I tried to update Tabitha during our weekly phone call/scripture quotation. Everyone should have a Tabitha in their life. Daily she prays scripture over me: that the eyes of my heart would be enlightened so that I might know what is the hope of my calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward me. And on and on and on and on. Just knowing that she is fighting beside me, even from so far away, lends strength to my step and determination to my heart. I offer thanks every time I pray for her. Even more importantly, I should be a Tabitha, as well, faithfully praying for all those I know.
In the whole excitement of the past several days, I’ve neglected to be taking special note of my Leviticus readings. Several items that have caught my attention: spelled out on the turban worn by the priests were the words “Holy to the Lord”. Revelation speaks of those with the seal of God on their foreheads—the new priesthood of believers? Why the words plastered across the forehead? Visibility! There was no doubt in anyone’s mind to who those priests belonged. As a member of the new priesthood, believers, sanctified and set apart by God to serve Him, I should live my life so radically that I might as well have the words “Holy to the Lord” plastered across my forehead. I also found the laws for lepers fascinating. It was the priest’s responsibility to pronounce a person “clean” or “unclean” based on the infection. When Jesus came as our Great High Priest, he reached out, touched and unclean leper and pronounced him clean—and by virtue of the fact that Jesus couldn’t be made unclean, the leper was healed! Of course, in the midst of the various and sundry laws, we find a very comforting verse. “The man who loses his hair on the top or sides of his head is bald. He is clean.” Never fear, our balding brothers. Yahweh holds it not against you.
Lord, Thy priests are labeled “holy”:
Sanctified both by and for Thee
Set apart so all may see
They serve a living Deity.
Once Thy priests need offer daily
Sacrifice of blood, to please Thee.
Now they draw near through the curtain,
Acceptance, through Thy Son, made certain.