Genesis:2-3
The scripture for today is Genesis:2-3
Genesis 2:2-3 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.
At the end of the creation week, when all of the work of creation was finished, God stopped His work and did something rather incredible; He made a special day of rest. Was God tired? I don't think so. So why would He take the time, at creation, to make a special day of rest that He blessed and sanctified? Jesus gives us the answer to that question. And he said "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath:" Mark 2:27 Jesus makes it plain that what God was doing at creation was giving a gift to man. After all of His work was done, He did something special for man. He gave Him a special day, a day that He blessed and sanctified. God put His anointing of blessing and sanctification on a day for man to come aside from all of his labors and the distractions of life to enjoy fellowship and relationship with God.
Much later in human history, God gave the Ten Commandments, His moral law, to Moses. His law is not just a set of rules; they are a transcript of the character of God. It shows what a life that is lived as God would have it lived looks like. At the center of God's moral law, He tells mankind to "Remember" something. God is saying to humanity: do not forget what I did at creation; do not forget that I am the Creator; do not forget that I gave you a special oasis in time to rest and come apart for special fellowship with Me to honor Me as the Creator.
Who do you think would want you to forget that one commandment? The obvious answer to that question is Satan. Satan hates God's Sabbath because it points to God as the Creator of all things and the One who gave us a day that He blessed and sanctified to rest and remember Him as the Creator and sustainer of life. Lucifer made a devil out of himself because he wanted to exalt himself above the Word of God and he still wants to usurp all that belongs to God today.
I think it is ironic that in most Christian churches no one seems to be bothered by anyone teaching that we should keep the other nine commandments, but when you address keeping the fourth commandment, a completely different spirit takes over. Where do you think that spirit come from? And why? This issue is no more just about a day than the issue in the Garden of Eden was just about a piece of fruit. Both the day and the fruit represent something much larger. They, more importantly, represent who you choose to obey and who you choose to worship; not what, or when, but who. In the Garden of Eden, the choice was God or the serpent. To remember the Sabbath day as God said to, or not to do so, presents the exact same choice.
Friends, we have decided to walk in the footsteps of Christ. His steps are commandment keeping footsteps, Sabbath keeping footsteps. When Christ returns He will not be entertaining excuses. He is calling out a people in these last days who will come apart from the world and all of its counterfeits. He is calling out a people who will follow Christ in loving obedience to all of God's Word.
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim